We still have a while to wait before Apple unveils the long-rumored iPhone 17 Air. However, the latest reports make me believe that if Cupertino plans to make this device a reality, it might end up being a flop. Even though Apple customers have been anxiously awaiting a major change in the iPhone lineup, I don’t think we’re quite there yet. An iPhone Fold could definitely spark that feeling of change we haven’t felt in many years, but I’m not sure an ultra-thin iPhone would do the job.
Don’t get me wrong—I love my ultra-thin M4 iPad Pro. It’s one of the most beautiful pieces of hardware I’ve ever owned. However, the 13-inch version is so big that its thin design isn’t an issue for the battery capacity. As a matter of fact, the battery on this iPad is great, and Apple finally fixed that issue with the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil draining all the battery from the iPad before you could even use it.
That being said, a 6mm device with a 6.6-inch display makes me believe Apple won’t have enough room to add a big enough battery. The latest report indicates that Apple is having issues with its ultra-thin goal, and this will likely impact camera modules, the physical SIM card, the speakers available, and, of course, the battery.
Even if the iPhone 17 Air becomes Apple’s prettiest and most innovative phone, I still doubt it could be helpful, mainly because it would always have to be charged. And if that’s the case, I think this device will suffer from the iPhone mini’s worst problem: terrible battery life.
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Bad battery life is a deal-breaker when choosing a new iPhone
Image source: José Adorno for BGR
I currently own an iPhone 16 Pro Max, and I’ve updated from an iPhone 15 Pro, which had a terrible battery life and often overheated it. Even though Apple claims it has fixed these issues with this new iteration, my iPhone is always getting hot, which drains the battery faster. Sometimes the Lock Screen is responsible for that, sometimes the Mail or Photo apps start to run in the background as if I needed something from them, and sometimes a third-party app might be responsible.
Even though I feel safer with the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s bigger battery, I know I might need to charge it before going out at night. With the iPhone 17 Air, it feels like I might have to charge this device two to three times a day, and that’s a bummer.
Suppose you’re going to a concert. Usually, the poor 5G reception makes the phone warm and over-drains the battery. When you start taking photos and videos with that single rear camera, how much battery do you think you’ll have to order an Uber or go out with friends after that experience?
And that’s just one situation. Even if you tell me I can have a power bank, we know that carrying two pieces of hardware is worse than having just one that can get the job done.
Wrap up
Fortunately, there are several months and many rumors before Apple unveils the long-rumored iPhone 17 Air. If we start hearing that the company is working on a new Battery Pack, we might need to get worried because that iPhone’s battery life will probably suck. Still, I would love to see Apple figure out the physics of creating an ultrathin iPhone with a decent battery life.
