I’ve been excited about the iPhone 17 Air ever since I first noticed rumors claiming that Apple would substitute the Plus with an ultra-thin iPhone 17 mannequin. I used to be already ready to go non-Professional in relation to new iPhones, and my two-month stint with the iPhone 16 Plus proved that I can use a non-Professional iPhone as my each day driver. Apple’s rumored iPhone 17 Air isn’t confirmed, however a number of dependable sources have stated that it’s within the works. Apple can also be reportedly battling among the tech concerned with making a cellphone that’s between 5mm and 6mm skinny.
The battery is one among them, with a report saying that Apple engineers are “discovering it onerous to suit the battery and thermal supplies into the system.” The implication right here is that iPhone 17 Air battery life might need to endure to ensure that Apple to drag off its new ultra-thin design.
I used to be already ready to simply accept a battery compromise for the iPhone 17 Air. I don’t want the cellphone to final so long as the iPhone 16 Plus and 16 Professional Max. However I’m not frightened about battery life, as I’ve a number of causes to help my pondering.
M4 iPad Professional
The M4 iPad Professional, launched earlier than the iPhone 16 got here out, proves that Apple has reached some extent the place it may make ultra-slim units. The 2024 iPad Professional has a 5.1mm profile, however the battery life didn’t take successful. The pill will final simply so long as its predecessor, which additionally has a skinny profile.
That tells me that Apple has reached some extent the place it’s snug utilizing thinner batteries with out impacting a tool’s battery life.
Apple’s A19 chip
The rationale why the M4 iPad Professional’s battery life is so superb issues the pill’s elements. The M4 chip is a key improvement from Apple, and it’s the rationale that just a few vital options are potential. Apple may use a tandem show within the iPad Professional due to the M4 chip. The processor’s effectivity is what makes battery life so good.
The M4 chip can also be answerable for higher battery life from the recenty launched MacBook Execs.
The iPhone 16 fashions all have bigger battery packs than their predecessors. Nonetheless, the A18 and A18 Professional chips are extra environment friendly than the A16 and A17 Professional chips within the iPhone 15 collection.
What I’m getting at is that the A19 chip Apple is growing for the iPhone 17 collection ought to ship much more battery positive factors. In flip, battery life ought to be at the very least pretty much as good on the iPhone 17 fashions as their predecessors, if not higher.
The iPhone 17 Air doesn’t have a predecessor, however I’d anticipate Apple to need it to supply battery life at the very least on par with the bottom mannequin, if not higher. Aiming for iPhone Plus battery life might be wishful pondering.
Snapdragon 8 Elite
This one is said to the expectation that the A19 chips might be extra environment friendly however with a twist. The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, which can energy the Galaxy S25 telephones and lots of different 2025 Android flagships, is already out. Among the telephones utilizing Qualcomm’s new chip have shocked reviewers with monster battery positive factors.
That’s an unimaginable improvement for a chip that will even get an enormous efficiency enhance over this 12 months’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
If Qualcomm can try this, I’d anticipate Apple to do the identical (or higher) with its 2025 chips.
Additionally, do not forget that Samsung is anticipated to unveil a Galaxy S25 Slim to compete in opposition to the iPhone 17 Air. That Galaxy S25 taste ought to characteristic the identical Snapdragon 8 Elite chip.
The show
Numerous experiences declare that each one iPhone 17 fashions will characteristic OLED panels that help Apple’s dynamic 120Hz refresh price (120Hz). That’s one other supply of battery life positive factors, which ought to significantly profit the iPhone 17 Air.
On that word, I’ll flip off the At all times-On performance accessible on ProMotion shows to additional enhance battery life.
iPhone 16 battery well being
The iPhone 16 fashions have higher battery life and higher battery know-how than their predecessors. As a result of battery well being will depreciate slower, the iPhone 16 handsets will last more earlier than needing a battery substitute. You’ll get extra cycles out of the iPhone 16 battery earlier than the battery well being drops underneath 80%.
I’d anticipate all iPhone 17 fashions to characteristic the identical battery tech, if not higher. As somebody who often retains their iPhone for at the very least a few years, I hope the iPhone 17 Air’s battery well being is not going to degrade considerably after a 12 months of normal use.
Quicker charging speeds
The iPhone 16 telephones cost sooner than their predecessors when utilizing a MagSafe wi-fi charger. The official wired charging pace is technically much like earlier fashions. In apply, it’s been sooner than that for years.
That’s one option to repair battery life issues. If the iPhone 17 Air struggles to outlive a day of normal use, I’ll at all times have some type of charger by my aspect. I’m even keen to contemplate energy packs once more if that’s what it takes to compensate for less-than-stellar battery life.
Subsequent-gen battery tech
We’ve heard rumors for some time that Apple is investigating novel iPhone battery applied sciences that can permit it to extend the vitality density of iPhone batteries with out growing the battery dimension.
Individually, Chinese language smartphone distributors have been utilizing silicon carbon batteries for some time. A few of them got here up with extremely skinny foldable telephones that make use of such batteries. These telephones are even thinner than 5mm when unfolded.
It’s too early to inform whether or not Apple will introduce any new battery tech for the iPhone 17 Air or whether or not it’ll have the ability to mass-produce sufficient skinny batteries for this specific cellphone. However I’d anticipate Apple to not make a slim iPhone if it didn’t assume it had the mandatory tech, together with battery improvements.
Apple’s new iPhone 17 Air design
The iPhone 17 Air is rumored to characteristic a 6.6-inch show. That’s bigger than Apple’s 6.1-inch and 6.3-inch screens within the iPhone 16 and 16 Professional. However it’s smaller than the 6.7-inch and 6.9-inch shows of the iPhone 16 Plus and 16 Professional Max.
The 6.6-inch is without doubt one of the causes I would like the iPhone 17 Air. I’d love a cellphone with a bigger display however with out the additional bulk.
I think Apple has settled on this specific display dimension due to the battery. The corporate most likely needs to make sure the cellphone can final for a full day. On the very least, meaning matching the bottom iPhone 17’s battery.
But when the battery has to shrink to suit inside an up-to-6mm skinny body, then Apple has to extend its peak and width. That’s the one option to receive the sort of battery quantity Apple wants.
Samsung did one thing related when with the thinner Galaxy Z Fold SE. The foldable has bigger shows, as Apple made the foldable barely greater than the thicker Galaxy Z Fold 6.
I’ll additionally remind you of rumors that the iPhone 17 Air may characteristic just one rear digital camera, which could not essentially be positioned in a nook. These could be design issues associated to the battery life. Apple will need to use as a lot of that inner quantity as potential for the battery.
Conclusion
With all that in thoughts, I’m hopeful that the iPhone 17 Air battery life is not going to disappoint, even when meaning having to cost the handset each evening. The trade-off can be warranted if I get to make use of an ultra-thin iPhone with a big show.
And who is aware of? Perhaps Apple will do the unthinkable and obtain superb battery life with the iPhone 17 Air despite how skinny it’s.