The ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air: where Apple may cut corners - and where it won't

[midian182]

Cutting corners: Now that Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S25 Edge, attention has turned to Apple's upcoming ultra-thin rival handset, the iPhone 17 Air. The device is expected to debut this fall with a thickness almost half that of a normal iPhone. According to rumors, this doesn't mean every element will have compromises, but there will be areas that could disappoint, especially the battery life.

Samsung has made a lot of headlines with the release of the Galaxy S25 Edge, which measures just 5.8mm thick, not counting the camera bump. But Apple's iPhone 17 Air – expected to launch this fall – is said to be even thinner at 5.5mm.

That level of thinness means the Air won't be able to match the model it's replacing, the iPhone 16 Plus, in every area. However, it will have a 6.6-inch OLED display with LTPO, making it the first non-Pro iPhone to do so. There will also be features such as 120Hz ProMotion and always-on functionality.

Elsewhere, the iPhone 17 Air is expected to pack the same A19 chip as the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup. It will also come with 8GB of RAM and MagSafe wireless charging.

Finally, the price of the iPhone 17 Air is believed to be under $1,000, possibly around $899. But it was recently reported that Apple is going to increase the prices of its next generation of iPhones, though it will avoid blaming Trump's tariffs for the hikes, so this rumor may prove wrong.

That's the good news. The bad news is that the iPhone 17 Air will have a single rear camera: a 48MP sensor with 2x optical zoom.

Something else the iPhone Air will only have one of is a speaker. There will be a single, enhanced earpiece speaker as the phone is too thin for a second speaker to be placed at the bottom.

Another potential disappointment is the iPhone 17 Air's lack of support for mmWave 5G. The handset will be one of the first iPhones to use Apple's in-house 5G modem, the C1. The iPhone 16 Plus uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon X75 5G modem, which supports mmWave 5G.

Then there's what could be the biggest drawback of them all: the battery life. Reports state that between 60% and 70% of users will be able to use the handset for a full day on a single charge, whereas that figure is between 80% and 90% for other iPhones. Apple may use Apple Intelligence to improve the Air's battery life, and Cupertino plans to introduce a new battery case accessory specifically for the iPhone 17 Air.

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The ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air: where Apple may cut corners – and where it won't

 

[ScottSoapbox]

Prediction: the iPhone "Air" is half of the upcoming foldable iPhone. They had to slim down the phone to be reasonable when folded (thickness doubles) and decided to sell that design as they wait on the screen crease tech to improve.

 

[Anton Longshot]

I don't believe the technology exists to make superthin phones that don't break if one so much as THINKS of them, ánd have worthwhile battery life.
At least not today.
Possibly in the (far?) future - perhaps even holographic thickness-zero ones.

Right now I'd actually be okay with a DOUBLE thickness phone with insane battery life but hey, that's me.
OTOH I may quit the smartphone phenomenon altogether and I know I'm not alone in that.

 

[airbornex]

Prediction: the iPhone "Air" is half of the upcoming foldable iPhone. They had to slim down the phone to be reasonable when folded (thickness doubles) and decided to sell that design as they wait on the screen crease tech to improve.

Good one.

iPhone Air: a single speaker, one camera, no mmWave, and battery anxiety baked in. But (some) people will love it and pay more for it.

 

[p51d007]

Prediction: the iPhone "Air" is half of the upcoming foldable iPhone. They had to slim down the phone to be reasonable when folded (thickness doubles) and decided to sell that design as they wait on the screen crease tech to improve.

And maybe considering how thin it is, they will make a version like LG did a few years ago with the LG G8X that you could make into a "dual" phone, until they figure out the "crease".

 

[Kashim]

I have a five year old $400 Samsung phone that still does everything I need it to do. So I don't understand who these $1000+ phones are for. Is it just for bragging rights? What can your top end $2000 Apple phone do that mine can't? I mean, none of the Apple phones even have an MicroSD card slot.

 

[Anton Longshot]

I have a five year old $400 Samsung phone that still does everything I need it to do. So I don't understand who these $1000+ phones are for. Is it just for bragging rights? What can your top end $2000 Apple phone do that mine can't? I mean, none of the Apple phones even have an MicroSD card slot.

To each his/her own. I for one totally hate Android and gladly switched to iOS. I like iOS and the Apple ecosystem in spite of several wellknown shortcomings.
Don't have/want a top-end piece though, I use & love an SE.
That said, many people use their phones in ways that are totally mysterious to me. The greatest mystery are the always-distracted "phone servants" who stare at the damn things 24/7. Almost equally mystifying is the mentioned need for super expensive phones with features that many users hardly use. To mention one: really good cameras...people who don't know how/cannot take good pics also take bad pics with good cameras. The list goes on.
One day I'll understand (joking).