Apple is preparing to launch its thinnest iPhone yet—but at a cost. According to a new report from The Information, the upcoming iPhone 17 Air, rumored to measure a razor-thin 5.5 mm, will push the boundaries of sleek smartphone design. But achieving that ultra-thin profile comes with a compromise many users won’t appreciate: a much smaller battery.
Set to debut this September alongside the standard iPhone 17 and 17 Pro, the iPhone 17 Air is expected to replace the iPhone 16 Plus in Apple’s lineup. It’s positioned as a next-generation design experiment, showcasing how far Apple can push hardware minimalism. However, thinness comes at a price: early testing shows that only 60–70% of users are expected to get through a full day on one charge, compared to the 80–90% seen in other iPhone models.
Apple is reportedly developing a new battery case to soften the blow, its first since the MagSafe Battery Pack era. The case would recharge both itself and the phone via USB-C or MagSafe, providing extra juice for users who need to last through long days or heavy use. However, once you clip the case on, the phone’s sleek advantage effectively disappears, bringing its thickness close to that of a regular iPhone 17 Pro.
The iPhone 17 Air isn’t just thin—it’s stripped down. Apple is expected to equip it with just one rear camera, a single speaker, and no SIM card slot, reinforcing its minimalist identity. It will reportedly run on the A19 chip, rather than the Pro-tier silicon, to further manage heat and energy within its slim chassis.
Apple’s supply chain isn’t betting the farm on this one. Uncertainty about how consumers will respond to such a radically different iPhone means the company is said to be allocating just 10% of its iPhone 17 production capacity to the Air model.
For now, the iPhone 17 Air seems destined to be Apple’s most polarizing release of 2025: a futuristic marvel for design lovers and a potential headache for power users. Whether that gamble pays off will be revealed this September.
