Proper now, I’m grateful for something that gives even a small reprieve from the ever-dominant dialog about AI on smartphones, however I hate to burst Apple and Samsung’s bubble: this slim telephone fad won’t ever take off.
Simply in case you’re questioning what the heck I’m speaking about, each Apple and Samsung are going massive on new telephone fashions this 12 months that prioritize slimness above all else. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is now not only a rumor, and whereas the iPhone 17 Air remains to be being saved behind closed doorways, its announcement is a shoo-in for this 12 months’s iteration of Apple’s September product showcase.
It is noteworthy that two of the largest smartphone producers have determined to get in on this pattern at nearly precisely the identical time, and this can little question result in related slimline handsets from smaller corporations. However not like the most effective foldable telephones, which arguably symbolize the final main innovation on this house, I merely don’t see this type issue taking off – and also you solely have to have a look at Apple’s latest historical past to know why.
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Apple’s latest misses communicate volumes
The iPhone 13 mini (above) struggled to take off (Picture credit score: TechRadar)
As a lot because it pains me to say it, the iPhone mini and iPhone Plus sequence failed spectacularly, with each telephones falling nicely behind their normal and Professional counterparts by way of gross sales.
It’s a disgrace, too, as a result of I used to be completely obsessive about the worth proposition of the iPhone 13 mini. It supplied the identical normal chipset and cameras because the common iPhone 13, however at a lowered value, all inside a physique that was simple to make use of one-handed, which can’t be mentioned for almost all of the most effective telephones these days.
Extra just lately, I’ve been utilizing the iPhone 16 Plus, and once more, not like others, I admire its positioning within the iPhone lineup. For individuals who desire a bigger show for studying and watching content material, to not point out additional keyboard house for typing, I strongly imagine that the iPhone 16 Plus is a better-value different to the costly iPhone 16 Professional Max.
Evidently, although, the vast majority of iPhone consumers do not (or did not) share my emotions in the direction of the iPhone mini and iPhone Plus sequence – and I feel the identical can be true of the iPhone 17 Air.
Despite the fact that they had been cheaper, the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini didn’t attraction to a broad sufficient set of consumers – their 5.4-inch shows had been a distinct segment choice. Equally, the $100 / £100 / AU$200 premium demanded by Apple’s Plus iPhones has to this point confirmed an excessive amount of for budget-conscious shoppers, and it appears to be like just like the iPhone 17 Air will change the iPhone 17 Plus on this 12 months’s lineup.
There’s a candy spot to be struck between value and performance, and sadly, the iPhone 17 Air would not appear to be it’ll hit that candy spot, both.
Why the iPhone 17 Air goes to fail
5 issues the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge may inform us in regards to the iPhone 17 Air – YouTube
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Whereas the finer particulars will little question change as soon as we get an official announcement, the phrase on the road (because of many leaks) is that the iPhone 17 Air, very like the cheaper iPhone 16e, will characteristic only one rear-facing digicam.
One can assume that the lesser digicam tech is all a part of the plan to make the Air as slim as potential, and from what we all know to this point, Apple’s undoubtedly achieved greatness on that entrance. The newest rumors counsel the telephone can be simply 5.65mm thick and weigh solely 145g within the hand. That’s fairly spectacular from an engineering perspective, however it’ll probably come on the expense of one other key characteristic: the battery life.
Apple must cease toying with dimension variations that don’t fairly land and as an alternative drop its long-awaited foldable telephone.
There’s an opportunity that the iPhone 17 Air may use a minuscule 2,800mAh cell, which is subsequent to nothing on the trendy market and will make it difficult to make sure that the telephone reaches the top of the day on a single cost. If Apple decides to equip the iPhone 17 Air with a super-efficient silicon-carbon battery, then its battery life won’t be one thing to fret about, however there’ll inevitably be some endurance compromises caused by Apple’s quest for final thinness.
At this price, you is perhaps considering that with fewer cameras and a smaller battery, there is perhaps a redeeming high quality within the iPhone 17 Air’s value, however you may probably be fallacious on that entrance, too.
All indicators level in the direction of the iPhone 17 Air having a beginning value of $899 / £899, which places it again in the identical predicament because the Plus vary, besides this time, it’s going to be missing a number of notable options that you will probably have the ability to get on the cheaper, normal iPhone 17.
For my part, Apple must cease toying with dimension variations that don’t fairly land and as an alternative drop its long-awaited foldable telephone, which, on the very least, will provide a special expertise which you can’t get on different iPhones.
