iPhone 17 Air full-scale production likely to begin next year

As the next iPhone lineup, the iPhone 17 series, was missing the industry attention, Apple stepped into the spotlight, with the central point of discussion being a revamp involving the replacement of the Plus variant with the iPhone 17 Air. 

Citing sources, ProPakistani reported that the iPhone 17 Air is expected to feature an ultra-thin design and a single rear camera. This shows that the handset could be a toned-down trim of the current iPhone 16 Plus model, while also pointing to the adoption of a more minimalist design approach from the iPhone maker. 

With the company slated to announce the iPhone 17 next year, it was also learned that the unique iPhone 17 Air is deep in the New Product Introduction (NPI) phase. 

The stage involves Apple's collaboration with its suppliers to evaluate the design and identify manufacturing methods best suited for production. 

Here, experts determine the proposed assembly processes and identify whether they are viable and cost-effective, and if they fall short of gaining majority approval, the tech titan strikes trivial design tweaks to make the device meet manufacturing capabilities and production costs. 

Following the completion of the NPI, the company will then hop on a small-scale test production line to confirm if manufacturing processes are aligned with desired standards, ensuring that the production and plans are on the same page before embarking on full-fledged manufacturing of iPhones.