If there’s one factor that annoys me, it’s the best way Apple describes its telephones as being “7.8mm skinny.” Not thick, like the best way individuals discuss within the English language, however skinny. As if the 7.8mm a part of the sentence isn’t already telling you that. I ponder what they’ll do when the brand new fashions come out? Maybe they need to go together with “The iPhone 17 Air measures simply 5.6mm dangerously fragile.”
That’s what we’re all considering, isn’t it? Final week, two leakers confirmed off breathtaking early samples of the ultra-slim 17 Air, one calling it “unbelievably skinny” and the opposite merely “loopy.” I can’t be the one viewer who instantly began fascinated about Bendgate. And keep in mind that the iPhone 6 Plus, the one which by chance grew to become Apple’s first folding smartphone again in 2014, was a virtually overweight “7.1mm skinny.” The 17 Air is a complete new dimension of thin.
The possibilities of one other Bendgate, nevertheless, are… properly, slim. For one factor, it occurred greater than a decade in the past, and supplies science has moved on (be aware the shortage of comparable experiences since Apple launched the 5.1mm iPad Professional final Could). For one more, the corporate’s popularity was broken so badly that the fiasco and its classes shall be burned into company reminiscence. Apple could have grown slightly lax about high quality management nowadays, however it’s extremely unlikely to drop the identical ball in the identical manner yet again.
My fear in regards to the iPhone 17 Air, then, just isn’t that it’ll bend (though I received’t be storing it in my again pocket). My fear is all the opposite issues we’ve got to sacrifice with the intention to obtain that preposterously slimline chassis, and the shortage of actual practical enchancment we’re getting in return.
Going for the slimmest iPhone Apple has ever launched means, so far as we will surmise at this level, accepting the next compromises:
- A normal processor slightly than Professional
- A “price range” single digicam (in comparison with two on iPhone 17 and three on 17 Professional)
- Mono audio system slightly than stereo
- Decrease battery life
- A Professional (or near-Professional) worth
By the point the 17 Air launches, we could discover that there are extra limitations. Perhaps it received’t have MagSafe just like the iPhone 16e. However the single largest difficulty is prone to be the battery.
Not like a pill or a laptop computer, whose roles are restricted and ceaselessly semi-stationary, a smartphone is on responsibility on a regular basis and all over the place. It does every little thing, and carries just about all of its proprietor’s vital knowledge, apps, and talent to speak. A smartphone, due to this fact, lives and dies by its battery efficiency.
The 17 Air’s battery life, sadly, goes to be worse than another iPhone 17, just because there received’t be room to squeeze in something greater than a smaller-capacity cell. We don’t but know how unhealthy. Apple could carry out miracles through the use of the very newest battery know-how to maintain it inside touching distance of the iPhone 17. However that is unlikely and would, after all, imply jacking up the value nonetheless additional.
A tech product is a carefully balanced mathematical operate. If you happen to change any of its numerous variables, one thing else (velocity, dimension, battery life, worth) will react to compensate. And should you go loopy and push a variable to its absolute most or minimal, the whole system goes haywire. You’ll be able to’t simply say you need a super-thin telephone; what you need to say is that you really want a super-thin telephone and are ready to pay for this with substandard efficiency elsewhere.
Compromise is ceaselessly vital, and infrequently a great factor. The secret’s to make the proper compromises: to just accept limitations within the areas that aren’t vital to your wants. For me, shedding the USB-C port can be a good compromise due to the enhancements it may purchase me in different areas. However by any metric of usability, iPhones are already skinny sufficient. No one complains that their iPhone 16e is just too fats, and making them even thinner will carry vanishingly small enhancements to the person expertise. Battery life, then again, is an lively ache level—if not on the time of buy, then later within the gadget’s lifespan. It is not sensible to purchase thinness and promote battery life.
If you happen to gave me the selection, in actual fact, I wouldn’t purchase an iPhone 17 Air. I’d purchase an iPhone 17 Chunk with a Professional processor and two-day battery life that’s a mere 10mm thick. Sorry, “10mm skinny.”
Foundry
Welcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which incorporates all of the Apple information you missed final week in a helpful bite-sized roundup. We name it Apple Breakfast as a result of we predict it goes nice with a Monday morning cup of espresso or tea, however it’s cool if you wish to give it a learn throughout lunch or dinner hours too.
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Podcast of the week
The good dwelling market looks as if it’s a super match for Apple, however what does the corporate have to point out for its efforts thus far? On the newest present, we’re speaking about Apple and its strategy to the good dwelling—what it does now and what we may see within the close to future. That’s all within the new episode of the Macworld Podcast!
You’ll be able to catch each episode of the Macworld Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud, the Podcasts app, YouTube, or our personal website.
Evaluations nook
The rumor mill
‘Loopy’ skinny iPhone 17 Air makes first look in ‘hands-on’ video. And look! Right here’s one other one.
Rumor: iOS 19 and iPadOS 19 will carry all-new multitasking to the iPhone and iPad.
Apple is planning to launch an ‘irresistible’ sky-blue iPhone 17 Professional.
The iPhone 17e is reportedly set for a spring 2026 launch.
Video of the week
Final week Unbox Remedy posted a “arms on” with the iPhone 17 Air! Wow. Besides, after all, that wasn’t fairly correct: it’s truly a prototype provided by an nameless third-party producer. Nonetheless, a totally attention-grabbing video and properly price a watch.
And with that, we’re carried out for this week’s Apple Breakfast. If you happen to’d wish to get common roundups, join our newsletters, together with our new electronic mail from The Macalope–an irreverent, humorous tackle the newest information and rumors from a half-man, half-mythical Mac beast. You can even comply with us on Fb, Threads, Bluesky, or X for dialogue of breaking Apple information tales. See you subsequent Monday, and keep Appley.
