Apple's Paper-Thin iPhone 17 Air: The Distance Between Dream and Reality

Apple's Paper-Thin iPhone 17 Air: The Distance Between Dream and RealityThis year's Apple event saw the iPad Pro and Apple Watch S10 garnering attention for their sleek and slim designs. This seems to foreshadow Apple's continued pursuit of an "ultra-thin" experience across their iPhone and MacBook Pro lines

Apple's Paper-Thin iPhone 17 Air: The Distance Between Dream and Reality

This year's Apple event saw the iPad Pro and Apple Watch S10 garnering attention for their sleek and slim designs. This seems to foreshadow Apple's continued pursuit of an "ultra-thin" experience across their iPhone and MacBook Pro lines.

Rumors have been circulating online about Apple's upcoming "iPhone 17 Air." This new iPhone model, also known as the "iPhone 17 Slim," is rumored to prioritize thinness, sacrificing certain features for an exceptionally sleek design. However, recent leaks have cast doubt on this "paper-thin" dream.

Korean Naver's news aggregator account "yeux1122," citing industry sources, revealed that Apple has encountered technical challenges in achieving a sufficiently thin iPhone 17 Air. The battery substrate's thickness determines the device's overall thickness, and Apple supposedly cannot currently overcome existing battery technology limitations.

The iPhone 17 Air's battery is reportedly expected to be 6mm thick, implying that the device itself will be thicker than anticipated. Apple's thinnest iPhone to date is the iPhone 6, measuring 6.9mm, implying that the iPhone 17 Air might not be much thinner than the 2014 model.

In comparison, this year's iPhone 16 and 16 Pro are 7.8mm and 8.25mm thick, respectively. Even if the iPhone 17 Air manages to be thinner than the iPhone 6, it would only represent a marginal improvement compared to current iPhones.

Beyond the thickness issue, the iPhone 17 Air is also rumored to undergo adjustments in other areas:

• Screen: According to Ming-Chi Kuo and analyst JeffPu, the iPhone 17 Air will feature a 6.6-inch display, specifically 6.55 inches, and support ProMotion for a 120Hz refresh rate.

• Camera: The iPhone 17 Air is expected to sport a single camera setup, rather than dual or triple cameras, and the camera placement might shift from the top left corner to the center top. Rumors suggest it will feature the same 48MP sensor as the iPhone 16. Meanwhile, the entire iPhone 17 series' front-facing camera is expected to upgrade from 12MP to 24MP.

• Performance: The iPhone 17 Air will reportedly run on the A19 chip, not the A19 Pro. It is anticipated to come with 8GB of RAM, contrasting with the iPhone 17 Pro's 12GB.

• 5G Modem: The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be the first iPhone to feature a self-developed 5G modem from Apple, reducing reliance on Qualcomm.

• Pricing: TheInformation reported that the iPhone 17 Air's price might surpass that of the iPhone Pro Max. However, analyst JeffPu believes that the iPhone 17 Air will serve as a "replacement" for the Plus model, with pricing potentially aligning closer to the Plus model.

While the iPhone 17 Air's specifications and pricing are currently just speculation, these rumors provide a glimpse into the shape of this new iPhone.

Is the iPhone 17 Air's "thinness" a pursuit of ultimate design or a compromise forced by technological limitations?

For consumers seeking the ultimate in lightweight design, will this "imperfect" iPhone 17 Air be worth the investment?

Share your thoughts in the comments section!