A new leak claims the iPhone 17 will feature Apple’s A19 chip, while the iPhone 17 Air will use the A19 Pro with a 5-core GPU instead of 6. Here’s what that means for performance.
Base Model iPhone 17 Will Get A19 Chip and The iPhone 17 Air Will Get an A19 Pro But With With One Less GPU Core Compared to Pro Models
The chip race for the iPhone 17 series is heating up, and the iPhone 17 Air might get more power than expected. According to a new leak, both the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air could feature A19-series chips, marking a shift from earlier expectations. But as always with Apple, there’s a twist.
A19 Pro for iPhone 17 Air, But Slightly Dialed Back
According to Fixed Focus Digital, a leaker on Weibo with a growing track record, the iPhone 17 Air will be powered by the A19 Pro chip, the same one rumored to power the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. However, the Air will reportedly feature a 5-core GPU, while the Pro models will get the full 6-core GPU.
So what does that mean? In short: near-Pro-level performance for everyday tasks, but slightly less GPU power when it comes to gaming and graphics-heavy apps. For most users, the difference will be barely noticeable.
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In the same note, the leaker also detailed Apple’s plan to pack 12 GB of RAM in the iPhone 17 lineup. Information on that can be found here.
Surprise: Base iPhone 17 May Skip A18, And Get The A19 Update
The bigger surprise? The base model iPhone 17 may also get an A19 chip, rather than the previously rumored A18 from the base model iPhone 16. This would be a welcome performance bump for users who prefer the standard model.
Just a few months ago, respected analyst Jeff Pu claimed that the iPhone 17 would stick with the A18 chip, continuing Apple’s trend of limiting newer chips to Pro models. Now, this new report shakes that up by suggesting the entire lineup could move to A19, with varying GPU configurations of course.
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Chip Comparison: What the Latest Rumor Says
| Model | Chip | GPU Cores |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 17 | A19 | Unknown |
| iPhone 17 Air | A19 Pro | 5 cores |
| iPhone 17 Pro | A19 Pro | 6 cores |
| iPhone 17 Pro Max | A19 Pro | 6 cores |
Earlier rumors suggested the iPhone 17 Air would get a standard A19, and the base iPhone 17 an A18. That now appears to be changing, that is if Fixed Focus Digital is correct.
When Will We Know for Sure?
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 lineup in September 2025, so we’ll have to wait a bit longer to confirm whether the Air model really gets the A19 Pro, and if the base iPhone 17 ditches the A18 entirely.
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