A leaker last month indicated that the iPhone 17 Air would get a “binned” version of the A19 Pro chip, with only five graphics cores instead of six.
They’ve today reiterated this, affirming another of the compromises buyers will have to make if they want Apple’s slimmest ever iPhone …
iPhone 17 Air to get binned GPU
Making chips with such small processes is an incredibly delicate process, where even the tiniest of fabrication glitches can result in a loss in performance. One relatively common issue can result in one or more CPU or GPU cores not functioning.
Faulty chips are “binned” – but they are so expensive to produce that this doesn’t mean they will be thrown away. Instead, Apple often chooses to use the chips in lower-spec devices. We saw that happen in the M1 MacBook Air back in 2020, for example.
Leaker Fixed Focus Digital said last month that while the iPhone 17 Air will get the same A19 Pro chip as the two Pro models, it will be a binned version with a 5-core GPU instead of a 6-core one. They have today reiterated this, making it sound like a done deal.
A second factor reducing performance
By itself, a slightly less powerful GPU is likely something that would only be noticed by gamers or those using their iPhones for extremely demanding tasks like video editing.
However, the slim design is also likely to mean less capacity to dissipate heat, meaning that thermal throttling will kick in sooner than on the pro models. The combination of the two will therefore result in a potentially noticeable difference in performance in some tasks.
One of a number of compromises
While the sleekness of the iPhone 17 Air will doubtless attract admiring glances, it does mean accepting a significant number of compromises.
The most visible of these will be having just a single camera instead of the triple camera of the two pro models. Battery capacity will also be lower, as you would expect given the need to fit it into a slimmer casing.
It also appears that the display on the slim model will lack ProMotion features, meaning scrolling will be less smooth than on its Pro companions; there’ll be no wwWave 5G support; and it’ll have only one speaker.
Highlighted accessories
- Official Apple Store on Amazon
- Anker 511 Nano Pro ultra-compact iPhone charger
- Spigen MagFit case for iPhone 16e – adds MagSafe support
- Apple MagSafe Charger with 25w power for iPhone 16 models
- Apple 30W charger for above
- Anker 240W braided USB-C to USB-C cable
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