iPhone 17 ‘Air’ won’t be thinner than the latest iOS phone, suggests rumor

The iPhone 17 ‘Air’ edition might be slightly thinner than the latest iPhone 16, suggests a new rumor. Allegedly relying on industry insiders, Apple could be struggling with shrinking down key components for the iOS smartphone.

The iPhone 17 ‘Air’ won’t be much thinner than current iPhones, claims rumor

Apple launched the iPhone 16 series barely a month ago. However, that isn’t stopping rumors about the iPhone 17 series, which may include the iPhone 17 “Air” edition along with the Pro and the Pro Max editions.

Apple is expected to shake up the iPhone lineup next year with the introduction of the iPhone 17 Slim or Air edition. This iOS smartphone could be a replacement to the “Mini” series. However, one of the key differentiators for the new variant would be its thickness.

Needless to say, the thickness of the iPhone 17 Air would have to be noticeably lower than the other iPhone 17 smartphones. However, according to the news aggregator account “yeux1122” on Naver, Apple is struggling to keep the Air edition thinner than other models.

This reportedly means the 13-inch iPad Pro and seventh-generation iPod nano will continue to remain the thinnest devices Apple produced. The 13-inch iPad Pro is 5.1mm, while the 7^th-Gen iPod is 5.4mm thick. If the latest rumor is accurate, the iPhone 17 Air won’t be thinner than 5.1mm.

Apple struggling with battery substrates, which may increase the thickness

Portable electronic devices need batteries. Manufacturers are always trying to source thinner batteries with higher capacities. Apple too is reportedly trying to cram in a thinner battery inside the iPhone 17 Air.

According to the rumor, Apple was betting on a battery with a thinner substrate to reduce the thickness of the iPhone 17 Air. However, the company could be facing technical challenges in shrinking the battery.

This limitation may force Apple to rely on the existing battery technology for the iPhone 17 Air. Consequentially, the “slim” edition might not be as thin as Apple had hoped. The thinnest-ever iPhone was the ‌iPhone‌ 6. It had a thickness of 6.9mm. If the rumor is true, the Air edition would be thicker than that phone.