We’re still ten months away from the iPhone 17 announcement. Still, several rumors exist about this upcoming lineup. Unlike past years, it seems Apple will ditch the Plus model in favor of an ultrathin but underpowered iPhone 17 Air/Slim.
While new leaks and reports are starting to give us an idea about how this device will look, it seems there’s a limit to how thin it can actually be. And, spoiler, it won’t be that thin.
According to news aggregator yeux1122, Samsung’s failure to make an ultrathin S25 model will impact this iPhone 17 Air. The website explains that Samsung tried to increase battery capacity through thinner substrates, but attempts have been unsuccessful. With that, it won’t be able to make this device as thin as it wanted.
The same is worth it with Apple. The company can’t revamp the internal boards, and this new battery is too expensive. The publication says that these components were expected to be thinner, but now the battery will be around 6mm thicker.
Since Apple’s thinnest-ever iPhone was the iPhone 6, at 6.9mm, it seems the company won’t be able to go lower than that with the iPhone 17 Air. However, if Apple can make it as thin as an iPhone 6, it will still be quite impressive.
Everything we know about the iPhone 17 Air so far
Since Apple introduced the iPhone 12 mini, it has struggled to find a market for the unique variations of its regular iPhone models. The company has seen low sales of the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone 15 Plus. While we need to know how the iPhone 16 Plus will sell, Cupertino might be planning a different approach for the iPhone 17.
Rumors so far have hinted at a premium version of the non-Pro iPhone 17. While all models are expected to maintain the same price point, this iPhone 17 Slim would cost around $1,299—the most expensive iPhone to date. Despite its thin form factor, it would have the A19 chip, 8 GB of RAM, and two main cameras. How Apple will maintain a good battery life with a thin form factor is still unknown.
Interestingly, the iPhone 17 Pro models would have 12GB of RAM, the A19 Pro chip with TSMC’s new N3P manufacturing process, and three 48MP main cameras. If that’s the case, how could Apple charge more for an iPhone that’s actually worse than its Pro lineup? Apparently, it’s because the company is planning a new form factor with an ultrathin design.
