Rumors of the iPhone 17 Slim or iPhone 17 Air have been steadily flowing over the past few weeks. While the sources are split on whether this will replace the Plus models, or be a new fifth type of iPhone, it's sounding like Apple’s next attempt to find another successful branch of the iPhone family tree alongside the basic, Pro and Pro Max ones.
I’m excited to see any new iPhone launch, and to test out its capabilities. But setting my love for novel tech aside, I am not sold on the idea of this particular iPhone 17. Apple’s iPhone lineup doesn’t lack sleek and luxurious models, but what it has lacked since 2022 is a small one. Which is why I believe Apple needs to bring the iPhone mini back more than it needs a Slim or Air version.
When it comes to mobile tech, thinness is always impressive, and I love to see seemingly solid hardware boundaries broken. But iPhones are already slim enough to fit in the skinniest of pockets. Getting another millimeter or two slimmer would do little to alter this, and likely impact the durability too. Keep in mind that the thinnest iPhone to date, the iPhone 6, also happens to be the one linked to the "Bendgate" scandal, and the iPhone 17 Air would apparently be even thinner.
It’s not just the size that seems odd to me. The fact the iPhone 17 Air has been rumored to use just one rear camera rather than the expected two on standard flagship iPhones is wild to me. The size could affect the battery capacity or thermal performance of the phone too. Foldable phones have had problems like this, but at least you get a big interior flexible screen in return. The trade-off for a slim iPhone in this style doesn’t seem worth it at all.
Making the Air a more expensive phone, as rumored, also seems ridiculous. Even if you can do impressive things with the design, you should still get some basics like dual rear cameras. Plus it would be a bizarre choice to possibly replace the $900 Plus model with one 50% more expensive, costing more than the cheapest Pro Max model.
And all this goes for Samsung and its alleged Galaxy S25 Slim, too. Even if the rumors point to Samsung trying to keep more premium features intact, I still think a mini Galaxy would be much better for smartphone buyers, as it would be for Apple.
Let's clear the Air — the small phone needs a rennaissance
The small phone is a dying breed, and there’s no good reason for it to be. I enjoy using them a lot, such as the Asus Zenfone 10 from last year. And their disappearance is impacting a key demographic of users who like or need smaller phones, including my own mother.
My mom uses an iPhone 12 mini she’s owned since launch, but as the phone gets older, replacements are becoming hard to find, on both the iPhone and Android sides. The iPhone 13 mini does exist but upgrading to that would only buy a limited amount of time since it’ll likely drop off Apple’s update list in about two years.
Downgrading to the iPhone SE brings the same limited update problem as well as the iPhone 13. And now that the iPhone SE 4 is tipped to grow to 6.1 inches like the iPhone 16 in the new year, waiting for the new version wouldn’t help.
A new iPhone mini would be not only ideal for her, but likely more practical for a greater majority of people than another, possibly more expensive iPhone with fewer features. The iPhone Air would impress people if it ever launches, but I'm not convinced it makes sense as a phone with the rumors as they currently stand.
I reserve the right to change my mind if further information comes out and some of the stranger details of this phone turn out to be inaccurate. But if the iPhone 17 Air is real, and launches in the form that we believe it will, it will be another underwhelming additional model for Apple's biggest-selling product.
