iPhone 17 Air could have “worse” battery life than earlier models

iPhone 17 Air could have “worse” battery life than earlier models

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 5, 2025

Apple’s new iPhone 17 Air model coming this fall reportedly has “worse” battery life than earlier iPhones due to its ultra-thin 5.5 mm design.

The Information claims that the so-called iPhone 17 Air will sport a shorter battery life than the existing Apple smartphones due to its ultra-thin case, said to measure just 5.5 mm deep, which would make it the thinnest Apple smartphone yet.

The report is short on specifics in terms of battery life, but adds that Apple will release a companion battery case for the handset to help address “worse” battery life. Apple hasn’t offered an iPhone battery case since the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12, which supported its MagSafe-based battery pack.

iPhone 17 Air: Only 60-70% of users might get all-day battery life

The Information says Apple estimated that about 60-70 percent of customers would be able to use an iPhone 17 Air for a full day on a single charge. This is lower than the 80-90 percent of users who can get through a day with other iPhone models without needing to recharge the device, according to Apple’s internal testing.

Author Wayne Ma speculates that the iPhone 17 Air may be in short supply when it launches because the handset will account to an estimated ten percent of total iPhone 17 manufacturing output. Apple and its suppliers are apparently having a difficult time determining demand for the device given it will be an all-new model using an all-new design.

Apple is expected to release the iPhone 17 Air in September alongside the standard iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The device should be equipped with a 6.6-inch display, a single rear camera in an edge-to-edge camera bar, a single speaker, and no physical SIM card slot worldwide.

A new release timeframe for iPhones

Reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple is already working on a future-generation iPhone Air with a bigger display. Kuo also said that Apple is switching from the annual to biannual release schedule for the flagship iPhone lineup, with the iPhone Pros, iPhone Air and foldable iPhone launching in the fall, while the standard models and “e” iPhones would be arriving in the spring instead.

Mark Gurman wrote on Bloomberg in March that Apple also designed a version of the iPhone Air featuring a 6.9-inch display, like the iPhone 16 Pro Max. However, the company apparently decided to go with a bit smaller 6.7-inch display out of fear that such a thin 6.9-inch device would be prone to bending.

Tags Apple Battery iPhone iPhone 17 iPhone 17 Air Rumor Rumors
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