Apple’s Tremendous-Skinny iPhone 17 Air May Have a Large Draw back

A super-thin iPhone 17 “Air” (as everybody has been calling it) is coming this fall whether or not we would like it or not. Influencers will fawn over its slim profile; I’ll positively attempt to minimize cake with it. However telephones barely thicker than a USB-C port will seemingly nix the creature comforts that we’re all used to on our normal-sized slabs.

Along with reporting that Apple is planning to shuffle up its iPhone launch technique beginning subsequent yr—premium iPhones together with the 18 Professionals, 18 Air, and a foldable iPhone within the fall, and extra reasonably priced fashions just like the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e within the spring—The Information claims this fall’s iPhone 17 Air could have shorter battery life in comparison with the iPhone 17 and 17 Pros.

“The proportion of customers who can go a single day with out recharging the skinny telephone shall be between 60% and 70%,” the report states. “For different fashions, that metric is between 80% and 90%, one of many individuals stated.”

Naturally, a thinner telephone requires a slimmer battery that may match inside the iPhone 17 Air’s steel chassis. There are different methods Apple may compensate for a smaller battery, comparable to utilizing environment friendly chips, however that might not be the case for this first-gen iPhone Air. As a substitute, Apple is reportedly planning to promote a battery case that customers can connect to increase the time between prices. The cynic will say that is basic Apple creating an issue to promote an adjunct as an answer. After all, idealists will defend the thinness and inform you to simply purchase a daily iPhone or Professional mannequin if having the longest battery life is on the high of your guidelines.

Apple has pitched an adjunct earlier than to make up for lowered battery life; alongside the iPhone 12, Apple sold a MagSafe Battery Pack. Apple won’t ever say outright why it bought a battery case, however it’s nearly definitely as a result of the iPhone 12s, which had been the primary to incorporate power-hungry 5G modems, couldn’t final a full work day. Apple discontinued the MagSafe Battery Pack a number of years later. Was it a coincidence that that occurred as iPhones obtained thicker and battery life longer? Or did Apple cease manufacturing as a result of it didn’t wish to swap out the accent’s Lightning port for a USB-C one after the EU forced it to switch to the universal port? I’m certain there are Redditors able to cry conspiracy.

Diminished battery life on the iPhone 17 Air will lead headlines, however that’s not the one downgrade. We already know this telephone could have a single rear digital camera—one which juts out fairly a bit. The Data additionally experiences that the skinny iPhone could have a single speaker as a substitute of the twin audio system within the different iPhone 17s.

None of that is information that may go down nicely with customers come this fall, however getting a battery pack is the truth that you just’ll have to simply accept if you would like Apple’s thinnest iPhone ever. YouTuber Sam Kohl shared a video showcasing high-quality dummy fashions for the brand new iPhone 17 and 17 Professionals, in addition to the iPhone 17 Air—and yeah, the thin one is absurdly skinny. The ultra-thin iPhone 17 is going on. There’s already an excessive amount of smoke.

Worse would be the added price to what’s shaping as much as be a expensive iPhone. Rumors suggest the iPhone 17 Air may begin at $900 or extra. Apple tends to cost additional for skinny bragging rights. We’ve nonetheless obtained a whole summer time to get by way of earlier than we all know how a lot an iPhone 17 Air and a battery pack will price. We additionally don’t know whether or not any of Trump’s tariffs will drive that value into the stratosphere. Higher brace your self now, although, so the shock doesn’t stun too laborious when Apple throws the worth slide up on display screen at Apple Park.