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Apple’s efforts to make the purported iPhone 17 Air thinner than previous models may have hit a roadblock, and the company may not be able to beat the iPhone 6’s record.
Apple is expected to give its phone lineup another shakeup next year. The new entrant could be the “iPhone 17 Air,” a device purportedly designed to push the boundaries of slim design. However, recent rumors suggest that the company might fall short of its purported thinness goals.
Korean news aggregator “yeux1122” cites unnamed industry sources who claim Apple has encountered challenges in crafting an ultra-thin battery for the iPhone 17 Air. The plan was to use a battery with a thinner substrate, contributing to an overall slimmer device profile. But technical hurdles and cost considerations have supposedly forced Apple to compromise.
The iPhone 17 Air’s battery is now rumored to measure around 6mm thick. To put that into perspective, Apple’s slimmest phone to date was the 6.9mm thick iPhone 6 from 2014. MacRumors speculates that the Air might not be significantly thinner than that decade-old model.
If the rumor holds true, Apple’s overall device thinness champion would likely remain the 5.1mm 13-inch iPad Pro. The iPhone 16 Plus, which the 17 Air might complement or even replace, is a relatively chunkier 7.8mm in comparison.
Apple could still compensate by making the Air notably lighter than other models. Weight is far from the latest iPhones’ selling point, with the 16 Pro Max tipping the scales at 227g despite the use of titanium. The Air could appeal to buyers as a lighter alternative.
Meanwhile, Samsung is expected to launch a slim flagship of its own next year, which insiders are already referring to as the Galaxy S25 Slim. The latest rumor suggests it will launch after the S25, S25+ and S25 Ultra. It could feature a 6.7-inch flat screen, a thinner body, and a 200MP main camera.
