Thin iPhone 17 Air: Lightweight with a small battery?
Lighter than the Samsung, but with a thinner battery? New details about Apple's thinnest iPhone to date are leaking out of Asia.
iPhone 17 Air: Probably coming in September – but with which technology?
(Image: Mac & i)
In the fall, Apple is said to be planning a new form factor for the iPhone for the first time in years: a particularly thin “Air” or “Slim” model. The device will face existing competition from Samsung: the manufacturer recently took a similar approach with the S25 Edge – and presented the thinnest cell phone from – to date. But Apple could go one better than this model. At least that's what fresh rumors circulating in Asia suggest.
Thinner and lighter than Samsung?
The Korean smartphone supply chain leaker yeux1122, who has been correct several times in the past, claims that Apple will undercut the weight of the S25 Edge again with the iPhone 17 Air. While Samsung offers 163 grams here, the Schmalhans iPhone is said to weigh just 145 grams. Apple is also said to beat the S25 Edge in terms of thinness, albeit only slightly: instead of 5.8 millimetres like the Samsung, it will be 5.5 millimetres. However, there will be a “camera bump” that will increase the thickness, at least in this area. Apple's thinnest iPhone to date – would clearly beat the old model 6 from 2014 – with its 6.9 millimetres.
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However, the battery life – or at least the built-in battery will be rather unsightly: yeux1122 claims that it can only store 2800 mAh. For comparison: the capacity of an iPhone 16 is 3561 mAh, Samsung's S25 Edge even has a power storage unit with 3900 mAh. It is not unusual for the battery in iPhones to be smaller than in Android devices, as iOS is generally less power-hungry. Nevertheless, 2800 mAh would be quite low. Apple therefore seems to want to work with some software tricks to get the maximum out of it – Various AI functions directly in iOS 19 should help to optimize the runtime.
Capacity like the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro
The 2800 mAh is reminiscent of the capacity of older models. iPhone 12 and 12 Pro with their 6.1 inch had 2815 mAh cells. That wasn't really “bad” at the time (2020). Apple hopes that at least 60 to 70 percent of users will be able to get by for a day – which is less than the usual 80 to 90 percent.
Another rumor concerns the built-in battery technology. Apple supplier TDK is apparently preparing to make batteries with silicon anodes available. They are said to be able to store up to 15 percent more energy on the same surface area. This would be very suitable for the 17 Air, and the lead time until the fall is supposedly sufficient for this.
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