Concerns over the iPhone 17 Air’s battery life might have been spot-on, according to a new report from The Information. Apple allegedly conducted internal tests that showed only 60 to 70 percent of iPhone 17 Air devices would make it through the day without needing a recharge, versus between 80 to 90 percent for other iPhone models.
Of course, part of that is due to the design of the handset. At just 5.5mm, the iPhone 17 Air is set to be the thinnest iPhone ever (and one of the thinnest phones on the market overall), but it might come at the cost of battery capacity. To help offset this problem, Apple is supposedly planning to launch an optional battery case accessory to give users a little bit more juice to get them through the day.
Early rumors suggested Apple might swap from lithium-ion to silicon-carbide batteries, but if this report is accurate, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Silicon-carbide batteries offer more energy density than traditional battery types, allowing for greater capacity with smaller size.
The iPhone has always been a popular product, but it can be difficult to predict how its audience will react to a design shift like this. According to the report, Apple is only setting aside 10 percent of its manufacturing capabilities for the iPhone 17 Air. That number might increase after the handset launches and overall demand is reassessed, but for now, it sounds as though it will be a much more niche item.
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to launch in September alongside the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup with a possible starting price of $799 and come with a single rear camera. It’s also rumored to arrive with 12GB of RAM, versus the 8GB found in the current iPhone 16.
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