Next years iPhone purchase decision will be especially tough for a lot of users. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max both have a lot going for them, but so too will the new iPhone 17 Air. Here are four advantages the iPhone 17 Air will have over the iPhone 17 Pro.Radically ultra-thin new designThis is the big advantage that will define many shoppers debate between iPhone 17 models.The iPhone 17 Air is expected to slim down significantly and be Apples thinnest iPhone ever.Precise measurements arent yet known, but reports point to a 25% thinner body than Apples current Pro models.Apples previous thinnest iPhone was the iPhone 6 at 6.9mm. The 17 Air will be even thinner, likely between 6mm and 6.5mm.Heres Apples current lineup for comparison:iPhone 16: 7.8mmiPhone 16 Plus: 7.8mmiPhone 16 Pro: 8.25mmiPhone 16 Pro Max: 8.25mmThis thinness will come with compromises, such as battery life and camera reductions. But the new, ultra-thin design will feel like the future.Screen size that could be the best of both ProsThe iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays, respectively. Next years 17 Pro models are expected to stick with these same sizes.But the iPhone 17 Air is poised to offer potentially a perfect middle ground.The 17 Air will have a 6.6-inch display, fitting neatly between the two Pro options. The size may be just large enough to win over Pro Max users, but still small enough for Pro usersparticularly when the thinner body is accounted for.Ive historically favored smaller iPhones, but if the 17 Airs thinness means it can offer comfortable one-handed use and more screen real estate, it will be a huge win.More budget-friendly price pointFor the longest time, the most confusing detail about the iPhone 17 Air was its price. The earliest rumors pointed to a high-end iPhone Ultra type device. But when we started learning about the devices shortcomings, that premium price no longer made sense.Now, the latest rumors indicate the iPhone 17 Air will slot into the same place in the lineup as the Plus model its replacing. Theres a decent chance it will be more expensive than the Plus, but still more affordable than the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.So if cost is an important factor to you, the 17 Air may be the way to go.Apples in-house 5G modemThis ones a little more debatable, Ill admit. It all depends on your preference of modem.The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are expected to retain the existing 5G modem supplied by Qualcomm, while the iPhone 17 Air will feature Apples long awaited in-house modem.This first 5G modem from Apple will in some ways be worse than Qualcomms, but it also carries the potential for unique benefits.For example, Mark Gurman mentions that it will be tightly integrated with Apple-designed main processors to use less power, scan for cellular service more efficiently and better support on-device features for connecting to satellite networks.If the iPhone 17 Air were the first device to get the Apple modem, it might be a bit risky. But fortunately, the new iPhone SE 4also sporting Apples modemwill be out roughly six months ahead of the 17 Airs debut. Thus providing Apple plenty of time to test the new capabilities and issue any software fixes to correct early bugs.iPhone 17 Air vs. iPhone 17 Pro: wrap-upI keep going back and forth on which iPhone 17 model I think Ill buy next year. And I suspect that will keep happening until Apple officially unveils the new models in September.Having the best iPhone is important to me, but after years of minor iterative updates, the iPhone 17 Airs fresh, future-forward design will prove very tempting.Which iPhone 17 model do you expect to buy? Let us know in the comments.Best iPhone accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel