Shorter battery life is largely attributed to the thinness of the iPhone 17 Air, which is said to be 5.5mm thick.
Apple's iPhone 17 Air might face challenges in China where eSIMs are not permitted
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iPhone 17 Air (or Slim) is anticipated to make its debut in September, alongside the standard iPhone 17 model, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The new model, which is expected to replace the iPhone 16 Plus, is likely to arrive as the thinnest iPhone ever. Details of the battery on the iPhone 17 Air have now leaked online. The new model will reportedly be unable to offer a full day of battery life, unlike the other models in the series. Apple is expected to bring an accessory to help users with an iPhone 17 Air to get through the day.
The upcoming iPhone 17 Air will have "worse" battery life than the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup, The Information reports. Apple's internal testing reportedly found that only 60 percent to 70 percent of users will be able to go a single day without charging the thin iPhone. In comparison, that metric is typically between 80 percent and 90 percent for other iPhone models.
The shorter battery life is attributed to the ultra-slim, 5.5mm profile of the iPhone 17 Air, making it the thinnest iPhone to date. The report states that Apple is planning to offer an optional accessory to address this problem. The brand is said to provide "a phone case meant for the thin model that also contains a battery pack"
Apple is likely to bring back a new version of its discontinued Smart Battery Case for the iPhone 17 Air. The company introduced its first iPhone Smart Battery Case in 2015 for the iPhone 6 series.
Besides the short battery life, Apple's iPhone 17 Air might face a challenge in China, as it lacks a physical SIM card slot. Chinese regulations currently do not allow the use of eSIMs.
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to launch in September alongside the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup with a possible starting price of $1,299 (roughly Rs. 1,09,500). It is expected to feature a 6.6-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It could carry a 24-megapixel selfie camera and a 48-megapixel single rear camera. It could run on Apple's A18 or A19 chip with support for 8GB RAM.
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