The Numberless iPhone Air

Rumors of Apple’s plan for a new, ultra-slim iPhone began around the same time it unveiled the “impossibly thin” M4 iPad Pro in early 2024. Early reports pointed to the name “iPhone 17 Slim,” while later ones refined that to “iPhone 17 Air” to match Apple’s more common branding. However, what almost no one saw coming was that Apple would drop the number entirely.

The new 5.6 mm iPhone is simply called the “iPhone Air.” It wasn’t until just hours before the event that a Chinese leaker reported finding the name on a warranty card, but nobody was sure this was a legitimate document until Apple took the stage to show off the name.

Eliminating the number gives the name an extra bit of elegance to match the flair of the new, incredibly svelte iPhone, and that may be the only reason.

However, this has also opened the door to speculation as to what Apple’s longer-term plans will be. Indeed, it’s the first of its kind. Still, so was the iPhone X. Leaving aside that this is obviously the Roman numeral for 10, Apple did appear to be on the cusp of starting a new lineup with the “XS “as the follow-up, but by 2019, it had acknowledged that as the type of “S” model we’d been in the early iPhone years, and moved the dial up to 11 for the entire lineup.

So, the numberless iPhone Air begs the question as to whether Apple will call its successor the “iPhone Air 2” or fall back into line with an “iPhone 18 Air” next year. This also leaves us wondering if perhaps Apple isn’t intended to make this an annual release. Leaving the number out gives it a timeless quality, and today’s iPhone Air could remain on the market for a few years before Apple eventually replaces it. At that point, it could just follow its iPhone SE and iPad naming strategy and continue leaving the number out. We’ll have to wait and see.