iPhone 17 Air Might Not Be as Thick as Apple Planned Due to Technical Challenges, Tipster Claims
A tipster claims Apple is facing issues with reducing the thickness of a key component on the purported iPhone 17 Air.
by David Delima · Gadgets 360Highlights
- Apple is reportedly working on a slim iPhone 17 Air model for 2025
- The iPhone 17 Air might not arrive as the thinnest smartphone from Apple
- The company is said to be facing issues related to battery thickness
Apple is reportedly planning to release a new iPhone 17 Air model in 2025, which is expected replace the 'Plus' model in the company's lineup. Instead of a larger version of the standard iPhone 17 model, Apple is said to be working on a slimmer 'Air' model, with a slimmer form factor. While the iPhone 17 Air was previously rumoured to be Apple's slimmest iPhone to date, a new rumour from South Korea suggests that the company is facing issues with reducing the thickness of the device.
Apple Faces Challenges in Reducing Thickness of iPhone 17 Air
According to details shared in a post on Naver (in Korean) by user @yeux1122, Apple is facing technical difficulties with reducing the thickness of the purported handset. The company was reportedly developing a new battery technology that would rely on a thinner internal substrate, but had to make technical compromises due to multiple reasons.
Apple has faced challenges with the cost of the new components for the slimmer battery, as well as ensuring consistency during manufacturing, according to the tipster. As a result, the company is reportedly relying on its existing battery technology used on the iPhone 16, which means the battery on next year's model could be at least 6mm thick.
If the latest rumour is true, then Apple's replacement for the iPhone 16 Plus is unlikely to arrive as the thinnest phone from the company, Currently, the slimmest phone released by the company was the iPhone 6 (6.9mm), while the thinnest tablet from Apple is the iPad Pro (2024), which is 5.1mm.
However, it's worth noting that there are several months until Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17 series, which means that the company might have some time to find a solution for the battery thickness. The company could also push the release of the 'Air' until it figures out how to reduce the battery size. We can expect to learn more about Apple's plans in the coming months.
iPhone 16
KEY SPECS
Display
6.10-inch
Processor
Apple A18
Front Camera
12-megapixel
Rear Camera
48-megapixel + 12-megapixel
RAM
8GB
Storage
128GB, 256GB, 512GB
OS
iOS 18
Resolution
1179x2556 pixels
iPhone 16 Plus
REVIEW
- Design: 9 / 10
- Display: 8 / 10
- Software: 9 / 10
- Performance: 9 / 10
- Battery Life: 10 / 10
- Camera: 8 / 10
- Value for Money: 9 / 10
Good
- Stunning display
- Solid build quality and lovely colour options
- Battery life is bonkers on this one
- Excellent for gaming and performance (in general)
- Improved cameras
Bad
- Still offers a 60Hz refresh rate and misses out on AOD (always-on display)
- No fast charging
- Comes with USB 2
- No Apple Intelligence features out of the box
Read detailed Apple iPhone 16 Plus review
KEY SPECS
Display
6.70-inch
Processor
Apple A18
Front Camera
12-megapixel
Rear Camera
48-megapixel + 12-megapixel
RAM
8GB
Storage
128GB, 256GB, 512GB
OS
iOS 18
Resolution
1290x2796 pixels