iPhone 17 Air’s reportedly weak battery life could force this ugly compromise
The iPhone 17 Air is set to be the thinnest iPhone ever, with an estimated depth of just 5.5mm, according to reports. That svelteness will inevitably come with a hit to battery life, however, and a new report from The Information highlights just how serious a drawback this may be for power users.
According to the site’s sources, between 60% and 70% of users will be able to go a single day without recharging the super-thin model. While that sounds like a decent return in the abstract, for the other models, it’s somewhere between 80% and 90%.
In other words, if you struggle to get through the day on a single charge on your current iPhone, then the Air probably isn’t for you. Not without investing in one of the best power banks, anyway.
But it sounds like Apple has a plan to counter this for power users: the return of an accessory that we haven’t seen in quite some time.
Return of the Battery Case
“To solve this,” the report explains, “Apple is developing an optional accessory—a phone case meant for the thin model that also contains a battery pack, according to three people familiar with the matter.”
That sounds a lot like the Smart Battery Case that Apple introduced with the iPhone 6s. It was discontinued with the iPhone 12 and the introduction of MagSafe, which allowed magnetic battery packs to adhere to the back of the phone for wireless charging.
Hopefully, that’s not an early indication that Apple will be stripping MagSafe support from the iPhone 17 Air as it did with the iPhone 16e. After all, it would surely make more sense for Apple just to restart production of its official MagSafe battery pack which could be used for all iPhones, rather than a battery case that only fits one.
iPhone 17 Air: This sounds like a bad trade-off
While a case is an undoubtedly convenient way of adding extra capacity to a smartphone, it’s an odd choice for the iPhone 17 Air specifically, as this is a handset that is designed to put style ahead of substance.
Lest we forget, the Smart Battery Case was an odd-looking accessory that provided its extra stamina by bulging the back of compatible iPhones in an uneven manner. It certainly was not aesthetically pleasing, as the picture above will remind you.
Maybe Apple has a more attractive design in mind this time around, but if not, it feels like it would be a tough sell, even to the most loyal of iPhone users.
The whole appeal of the iPhone 17 Air is set to be its lightweight, stylish design. If it needs to lose that to be good for power users, then why wouldn’t you just buy a thicker iPhone 17 model with a larger battery to begin with?
This doubt may be reflected in Apple’s projections. The Information’s article states that just 10% of iPhone 17 manufacturing capacity is being reserved for the iPhone 17 Air, which suggests the company isn’t confident it will be a runaway success. By contrast, the report says that the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro will account for 25% each, with the iPhone 17 Pro Max taking the remaining 40%.
We’re still about five months away from the iPhone 17’s expected September launch, so there’s plenty of time for more to emerge about Apple’s accessory plans before then.
For now, check out our iPhone 17 Air hub for all the latest rumors and leaks.
