A new study has revealed that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air achieve significantly faster average Wi-Fi speeds compared to the iPhone 16 series, thanks to Apple's custom-designed N1 chip.


The study was conducted by Ookla, the company behind the popular Speedtest website and app. It said the results are based on global, crowdsourced Speedtest user data collected from September 19 to October 29 of this year.

Ookla said Apple's N1 chip is a "substantial upgrade," with up to 40% faster average download and upload speeds compared to Broadcom's Wi-Fi chip in the iPhone 16 series. The study found that speeds were faster across every country it analyzed, including the United States, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, India, Japan, and others.

The study found that the N1 chip "lifts the floor" for Wi-Fi performance, more than "raising the ceiling." Based on the results, Ookla said the N1 chip often delivers more consistent performance in challenging Wi-Fi conditions.

In the United States in particular, Ookla said the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air series achieved a median average Wi-Fi download speed of 409 Mbps, compared to 350 Mbps for the iPhone 16 series. That is a nearly 17% increase.


Head over to Ookla's website for more charts.

A few months ago, we reported that the N1 chip supports up to 160 MHz channel bandwidth for Wi-Fi 7, short of the standard's 320 MHz maximum. This limitation means the devices cannot achieve the peak theoretical speeds possible with Wi-Fi 7, but we said this was a non-issue for most customers, and the study backs that up.

Ookla said the results show the 160 MHz limitation "does not materially affect performance in real world use for most people."

While the study found the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air series tops the iPhone 16 series in terms of average global Wi-Fi download speeds, Ookla said the Google's Pixel 10 Pro series was even faster, but only by a slim margin.

The Pixel 10 Pro came in at 335 Mbps, edging out the iPhone 17 series at 329 Mbps.


All in all, the study reveals that the N1 chip is an upgrade, not a downgrade. If you are considering purchasing any of the iPhone 17 or iPhone Air models, it looks like you can be confident that Wi-Fi performance will not be an issue.
This article, "iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16 Wi-Fi Speeds: New Study Reveals the Winner" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's reported delay of the second-generation iPhone Air will be used to work on a redesign of the device that could include a second rear camera, according to a news brief from The Information.


A redesign that includes a second camera is said to be one way that Apple thinks it can address user complaints that the iPhone Air, while an impressive design feat, has led to too many hardware compromises, especially given the high price tag.

Apple priced it starting at $999, and that appears to have put off customers, leading to reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts. The ‌iPhone Air‌ is only $100 cheaper than the $1,099 iPhone 17 Pro, which has a triple-lens rear camera and much better battery life. Adding a second camera to the ultra-slim device would also make it look more feature-equivalent to the standard iPhone 18 and therefore more appealing to consumers.

Citing people with knowledge of the matter, the report claims that some Apple engineers want to release the redesigned version with a second camera in spring 2027, which is when Apple is expected to release the regular iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e, as part of a new split launch cycle. The iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and an all-new foldable iPhone are expected to launch in fall 2026, which was when the iPhone Air 2 was originally expected. The Information reported on the delay earlier this week.

The report seemingly corroborates a leak out of China last week that claimed Apple's second iPhone Air model is in development and could feature two rear cameras instead of one, with a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide camera joining the existing 48MP Fusion Main camera. Multiple technologies are housed in the plateau of the iPhone Air to maximize space for the battery, so Apple would presumably need to redesign the internals considerably to fit in another camera.

Previous reports have said Apple's work on a second-generation version of the ‌iPhone Air‌ is aimed at reducing the weight, adding vapor chamber cooling, and improving the battery capacity.
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The thin, light iPhone Air sold so poorly that Apple has decided to delay the launch of the next-generation ‌iPhone Air‌ that was scheduled to come out alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, reports The Information.


Apple initially planned to release a new ‌iPhone Air‌ in fall 2026, but now that's not going to happen.

Since the ‌iPhone Air‌ launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts. Apple's supply chain has scaled back shipments and production. Apple supplier Foxconn has reportedly dismantled all but one and a half of its production lines for the ‌iPhone Air‌, and all production is expected to be stopped at the end of the month. Luxshare, another supplier, stopped production at the end of October.

Apple was counting on the novel look of the device to spark interest, because it features the first substantial design update that we've seen to the iPhone lineup since the ‌iPhone‌ X added Face ID and an all-display design in 2017. Creating a super thin 5.6mm ‌iPhone‌ required compromises, so the ‌iPhone Air‌ has a smaller battery and a single-lens rear camera, but it still has a high price tag. Apple priced it starting at $999, and that appears to be more than customers are willing to pay for style without substance. The ‌iPhone Air‌ is only $100 cheaper than the $1,099 iPhone 17 Pro, which has a triple-lens rear camera and much better battery life.

Apple has not been able to land on a fourth ‌iPhone‌ that will sell well alongside the standard ‌iPhone‌ and Pro ‌iPhone‌ models. Apple experimented with a smaller 5.4-inch ‌iPhone‌ mini that suffered from disappointing sales, then moved on to the larger "Plus" ‌iPhone‌ that served as a more affordable version of the Pro Max. Plus models also failed, leading to the ‌iPhone Air‌.

Apple has already been planning for a split launch for the ‌iPhone‌ starting with the ‌iPhone 18‌ models. The ‌iPhone 18‌ Pro, ‌iPhone 18‌ Pro Max, and foldable ‌iPhone‌ are planned for fall 2026, while the ‌iPhone 18‌ and ‌iPhone‌ 18e will be held until early 2027. It's possible that the next-generation ‌iPhone Air‌ will come out alongside the ‌iPhone 18‌ in the spring.

Apple has been working on a second-generation version of the ‌iPhone Air‌ with a lighter weight, vapor chamber cooling, and a larger battery capacity, but Apple could rethink the design.
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Apple's second iPhone Air model is in development and could feature two rear cameras instead of one, according to a Chinese leaker with sources within Apple's supply chain.


The Weibo-based account "Digital Chat Station" claims that Apple is evaluating a dual-lens setup for the next version of its ultra-thin iPhone, with a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide camera joining the existing 48MP Fusion Main camera, similar to the base iPhone 17.

However, the leaker says that the second-generation device will keep the distinctive horizontal camera plateau, suggesting the second lens will sit alongside the existing one, unlike the dual-lens vertical arrangement on the iPhone 17.

Multiple technologies are housed in the plateau of the iPhone Air to maximize space for the battery, so Apple would presumably need to redesign the internals considerably to fit in another camera. Apple will reportedly continue to focus on making the device ultra-thin and lightweight.


Apple will release a second-generation iPhone Air alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and its first foldable iPhone in the second half of 2026, according to industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Apple also plans to launch a third iPhone Air model with a larger display in the second half of 2027. That said, the first-generation device has apparently not been selling well outside of China, so Apple's plans could change.

Digital Chat Station has a decent track record for Apple rumors. They accurately revealed that the ‌iPhone‌ 15 and ‌iPhone‌ 15 Plus would feature a slightly smaller 48-megapixel sensor than the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro Max, as well as the display panel design of the ‌iPhone‌ 12 back in 2020.
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Apple plans to cut production of the iPhone Air amid underwhelming sales performance, Japan's Mizuho Securities believes (via The Elec).


The Japanese investment banking and securities firm claims that the iPhone 17 Pro and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max are seeing higher sales than their predecessors during the same period last year, while the standard iPhone 17 is a major success, performing significantly better than the iPhone 16.

The ‌iPhone Air‌ is apparently the outlier; Apple plans to reduce production by one million units this year. Meanwhile, Apple plans to increase production of all other models by two million units. The overall production forecast of the ‌iPhone 17‌ series this year has also been increased from 88 million units to 94 million units for the start of 2026.

A separate report earlier today claimed that Samsung has canceled plans to release a successor to its own ‌iPhone Air‌ rival, the Galaxy S25 Edge, due to low sales. Nevertheless, the ‌iPhone Air‌ reportedly sold out within hours in China, despite lower than expected sales in western countries last month.

The same report from Mizuho Securities today revealed details about Apple's first foldable iPhone and other future devices.

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Apple's iPhone Air sold out across online stores in China within hours of pre-orders opening on Friday, the South China Morning Post reports.


Demand for the ‌iPhone Air‌ reportedly surged immediately after pre-orders opened. Apple's online store and the official Tmall flagship both listed multiple color and storage configurations as unavailable within the first two hours of availability, reflecting even higher demand than the device saw in western markets last month. Prices begin at 7,999 yuan (approximately $1,122).

The ‌iPhone Air‌ was introduced globally in September but delayed in mainland China pending government approval for eSIM, which replaces physical SIM cards and enables slimmer smartphone designs.

The launch coincides with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's decision to authorize eSIM trials for smartphones, marking the first time Chinese users can activate a mobile number without a physical SIM card. China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom confirmed this week that they had received approval to begin commercial operations, paving the way for the ‌iPhone Air‌ to launch without regulatory restrictions.
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MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been testing all four of Apple's new iPhones for the last few weeks, so if you're still thinking about getting one an iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max, or iPhone Air, you'll want to watch his latest video.


Dan walks through the features that set each iPhone apart, and he goes over what factors you'll want to consider when choosing a new device.
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With an ultra-thin design that measures just 5.6mm at its thinnest point, Apple's new iPhone Air tops the iPhone 6 as the thinnest iPhone ever released.


With a 6.9mm frame, the iPhone 6 was prone to bending, although the most egregious examples were often seen in YouTube videos that used excessive force.

The big question: Will the iPhone Air bend?

In a video that Apple provided to Tom's Guide, Apple subjected the iPhone Air to a machine that simulated "130 pounds of pressure" on the middle of the device. The publication said the video shows the device "springs back remarkably well and doesn't show any lasting curve from the experience." You can watch it for yourself in their report.

It appears the iPhone Air should be bend-proof in most if not all real-world scenarios, but we still have to wait for independent, third-party tests.


It does seem pretty safe to say that the iPhone Air will not bend in the same way the iPhone 6 did, and a big reason for that is the device has a titanium frame, whereas the iPhone 6 was made with aluminum. Apple said the iPhone Air "exceeds" its "stringent bend strength requirements," and touted it as the most durable iPhone ever.

The report also includes a few other durability test videos from Apple, including one that tests the Ceramic Shield 2 front cover on iPhone 17 models, which is promised to offer 3× better scratch resistance compared to the previous generation. Another video subjects the iPhone 17 Pro to simulated drop tests. Unsurprisingly, given these videos are from Apple, the results are favorable. Real-world tests will confirm things soon.
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The first reviews of the iPhone Air have been published by selected media outlets and YouTube channels, offering a closer look at the device ahead of its launch on Friday.


The main attraction of the iPhone Air is its ultra-thin 5.6mm design, but the device has a handful of compromises compared to the iPhone 17 Pro models, so is it still worth buying? The reviews set out to answer that question.

The compromises compared to the Pro models include shorter battery life, no Telephoto camera with up to 8× optical zoom, one speaker instead of two, a slower USB-C port for wired data transfer speeds, slightly lower maximum USB-C and MagSafe charging speeds, and a slightly slower 5-core GPU instead of a 6-core GPU.

On the other hand, the iPhone Air has some Pro features, including a ProMotion display with up to a 120Hz refresh rate, and an A19 Pro chip with the same 6-core CPU. The device also has a sleek, premium design with Ceramic Shield glass and titanium.

iPhone Air can be pre-ordered now. Below, we have rounded up some of the reviews.

Apple says the iPhone Air offers up to 27 hours of video playback per charge, compared to up to 33 hours on the iPhone 17 Pro and up to 39 hours on the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

The Verge's Allison Johnson on battery life:

Now for the less-good news: battery life is just okay. And honestly, that's a pretty good outcome for the Air; the situation could have been worse. If you're a light user and you spend most of your time on Wi-Fi, you might never have a problem with the battery.

Personally, it makes me a little too anxious to see that battery indicator drop into the 20s before dinnertime, though in fairness I was going pretty hard on the battery with around five hours of screen-on time. On a much lighter day on my home Wi-Fi, three hours of screen-on time took the battery down to around 40 percent by bedtime. I'd call that within the bounds of acceptable, if a little on the low end for a $1,000 phone.

WIRED's Julian Chokkattu on battery life:

The battery life of the iPhone Air is better than I expected.

The Air was generally able to last a full day with average use for me. I hit around five hours of screen-on time with around 18 percent left by 10:30 pm. This worked for me, but my expectations were also very low. I had to baby the battery so much on the last ultrathin phone I tested, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, and I was surprised to find that this was not the case with the Air.

Heavy users will undoubtedly need to top up this phone during the day. On one travel day, I took the phone off the charger at 5:30 am and used it extensively for navigation, music streaming, phone calls, and Instagram Reeling, and I hit 2 percent by 4:30 pm. If that sounds like a very normal day for you, you'll most certainly feel the limits of this phone's battery life. For the most part, I didn't feel as battery anxious as with Samsung's thin phone.

Like the iPhone 17 Pro models, the iPhone Air has an A19 Pro chip, with the same 6-core CPU but a slightly reduced 5-core GPU. Geekbench results for the chip already surfaced last week, and now one review has subjected it to additional testing.

Tom's Guide's Mark Spoonauer on sustained performance and thermal management:

How about sustained performance? To test that, we used the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test, which simulates gaming for about 20 minutes. We ran it once and recorded the results, then did a second run right after that to really stress test these phones.

The iPhone Air performed quite well, with stability scores that beat the Galaxy S25 Edge by a fair margin in both rounds.

More surprisingly, the iPhone Air turned in cooler temperatures than the Pro Max when we measured the back of the phones using a laser thermometer in 5 locations and averaged the results. Though the S25 Edge was even cooler.

Notably, Spoonauer was unable to bend the iPhone Air with his hands in a recent interview, but we will see how the device holds up in pockets over the long term.

CNET's Abrar Al-Heeti tested the iPhone Air's single 48-megapixel rear camera — the review contains a gallery of photos shot with the device:

It felt surprisingly limiting to not have an ultrawide camera, especially when I wanted to capture more sweeping landscapes. Not to turn this into a thin phone showdown, but I couldn't help but think of how the Galaxy S25 Edge does have a 12-megapixel ultrawide-angle camera, alongside a 200-megapixel wide-angle camera, which makes it feel like less of a compromise in that regard.

Otherwise, the rear camera on the iPhone Air consistently delivered. In the many pictures I took of waterfalls, tea times and urban landscapes, shadows and highlights are well balanced, colors are true to life, and there's an overall sharpness and clarity. Portrait shots (my go-to camera mode) capably blur backgrounds to help subjects -- whether it's a decadent tea tray, an art installation or CNET's talented Jesse Orrall -- stand out.

Videos

This article, "iPhone Air Reviews: Is the Ultra-Thin Design Worth the Compromises?" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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T-Mobile President Jon Freier today shared real-world photos of Apple's boxes for the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 models, which launch on Friday.


Apple has typically included iPhone box renders in its product environmental reports, but it did not do so for the latest models. However, Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program page does offer some images of the boxes, which we have shared below.


Are you the type of person who collects Apple boxes, or do you get rid of them right away?
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Apple's all-new, ultra-thin iPhone Air launches on Friday, and there are some smaller details about the device that you might have missed.


Below, we outline five things to know about the iPhone Air:

• As rumored, the iPhone Air only has a single speaker. The earpiece at the top of the device doubles as a speaker, but there is no speaker on the bottom of the device. The holes to the left and right of the USB-C port are for microphones. For stereo audio, use AirPods or a capable external speaker.


• On the iPhone Air, the Dynamic Island is positioned slightly lower on the screen compared to the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models. This was likely necessary due to the device's ultra-thin frame necessitating internal design changes.


• While the iPhone 17 Pro models support USB 3.2 Gen 2, for data transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps, the iPhone Air is limited to USB 2 speeds of up to 480 Mbps.


• Apple says the iPhone Air can be charged to 50% in approximately 30 minutes, whereas the iPhone 17 Pro models can be charged to 50% in approximately 20 minutes. A higher-wattage charger and cable is required to achieve these speeds. In addition, MagSafe wireless charging on the iPhone Air is limited to up to 20W, compared to 25W for the iPhone 17 Pro models.


• In the iPhone 17 Pro models, the A19 Pro chip has a 6-core GPU. In the iPhone Air, it has a 5-core GPU, so graphics performance will take a slight hit.

Be sure to watch our iPhone Air hands-on video from earlier this week.
This article, "Here Are 5 Smaller iPhone Air Details You Might Have Missed, Including Only a Single Speaker" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air pre-orders began on Friday in the U.S. and many other countries. iPhone 17 Pro Max delivery estimates quickly slipped beyond the Friday, September 19 launch day for those who had yet to place an order, and now the rest of the new models have started to follow suit.


As of shortly after 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time today, select iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air configurations on Apple's online store in the U.S. are facing an additional 1-3 week shipping delay beyond launch day, with delivery estimates pushing into late September to mid-October. However, for some configurations, delivery or in-store pickup at select Apple Store locations on launch day is still an option at the time of writing.

We do not know how much supply Apple has for each new iPhone configuration, but if extended delivery estimates generally align with strong demand, then Cosmic Orange for the Pro models and Cloud White for the iPhone Air are proving to be especially popular color options so far. For the regular iPhone 17, Sage and Black are in demand.

On a related note, there is some good news for customers who placed a pre-order as soon as possible on Friday, as some customers who initially received a September 25 delivery estimate have now seen their orders bumped up to September 19.

Need help with making your pre-order decision? Check out our helpful buyer's guide below:

• Buyer's Guide: iPhone 17, Air, Pro, or Pro Max? 40 Differences Compared

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The latest iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air models are equipped with Apple's all-new N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread connectivity. However, the chip has a Wi-Fi 7 bandwidth limitation.


According to FCC documents reviewed by MacRumors, the N1 chip in all of the new iPhone models supports up to 160 MHz channel bandwidth for Wi-Fi 7, short of the standard's 320 MHz maximum. This limitation means the devices cannot achieve the peak theoretical speeds possible with Wi-Fi 7, but real-world performance is typically already bottlenecked by internet service providers and other factors.

For the vast majority of customers, this is a non-issue, but some iPhone users had wanted to know if the N1 chip offered 160 MHz or 320 MHz channel bandwidth for Wi-Fi 7, so we combed through FCC documents to find the answer.


Wi-Fi 7 is still very fast. The standard allows for data transmission over the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and/or 6GHz bands simultaneously, with a compatible router, resulting in faster speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connectivity.

All of the iPhone 16 models — excluding the iPhone 16e — also support Wi-Fi 7 with up to 160 MHz channel bandwidth. Those devices are equipped with a Broadcom chip for wireless networking, though, leading to hopes that Apple's N1 chip might raise the limit to 320 MHz. Evidently, that is not the case.

There are other benefits, though. Apple said the N1 chip improves the overall performance and reliability of features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop, and it also contributes to power efficiency improvements in the latest iPhone models.
This article, "Apple's New N1 Chip in iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air Has a Wi-Fi 7 Limitation" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple has released a series of updated products during their September 9 special event, with the focus being on new iPhone 17 models including iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro, along with new Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch SE 3, and AirPods Pro 3. The event itself follows Apple’s new ... Read More