iPhone 17 Air might be following the same doomed path as mini and Plus

To make the iPhone 17 Air this thin, Apple reportedly had to make some pretty big compromises in two major areas: battery and camera.

Let’s start with the battery. Because the Air is expected to be so slim, it probably can’t fit a large one. But Apple might try to work around that with iOS 19 and its new AI tricks.

Apparently, Apple is training its Apple Intelligence to study your phone habits. It’ll figure out when it can reduce power usage for certain apps or features. That’s supposed to help extend battery life. The feature is expected to roll out with iOS 19 this September, across the whole iPhone 17 lineup, but let’s be real: the Air will be depending on it the most.

Now the camera. Rumors suggest the iPhone 17 Air could ship with just one rear camera (48 MP one, similar to the $599 iPhone 16e). Yeah, in 2025. And if this thing ends up priced like the Plus model, that’s going to be a tough sell. Less battery, fewer cameras – but hey, at least it’s thinner?

Since the iPhone 12 series, Apple has been sticking to a four-model lineup each year. First, it gave us the iPhone mini with the 12 and 13 generations – tiny, adorable and sadly short-lived. I loved the mini (still do), but clearly, the market didn’t share my enthusiasm.

Then came the Plus models, starting with the iPhone 14 Plus, followed by the 15 Plus and the 16 Plus. But it looks like time is up again – now the iPhone 17 Air is stepping in.

If there’s one thing Apple’s history has shown us, it’s that cutting corners in battery and camera never really goes over well with the masses.

Just look at the iPhone 12 mini and 13 mini. Personally, I think they were the peak of compact design – 5.4 inches of pure perfection. But the battery life? Not so perfect. The iPhone 13 mini came with a 2,406 mAh battery, while the regular iPhone 13 had 3,227 mAh. That is a pretty big gap and the price difference between the two was only $100.

So yeah, people skipped the mini. Apple got the message and replaced it with the Plus. The Plus brought a huge 6.7-inch display (which, by the way, is also what the Air is rumored to have). But the Plus didn’t exactly catch fire either. For three years now, it’s been Apple’s worst-selling model. Oof.

Why? Probably because the only thing it really offered over the regular model was a bigger screen and slightly better battery life – for $100 more. And for $100 more, most people would rather just go Pro and get better cameras, display, battery and actual Pro features.

And that’s exactly why I think the iPhone 17 Air is heading down the same road.

It’s slim, it’s different – but it won’t be for everyone

The iPhone 17 Air is shaping up to be a sleek device for a very specific kind of person – someone who values aesthetics and thinness above all else. If you are the kind of user who doesn’t care much about having the best battery or camera and just wants a super slim phone with a big display, you’ll probably like it.

But for everyone else? It’s just not going to make sense.

If the Air really does cost the same as the Plus did, but brings fewer features, most buyers will skip it. Like the mini and the Plus, it’ll probably stick around for a couple of years, be made in smaller quantities and never be a best-seller.

And until Apple (and Samsung for that matter) finally adopts silicon-carbon batteries (you know, the ones that pack more power into less space), thin phones like the Air will always feel like style over substance.

Trends come and go fast in tech and I think thinness is just the latest hype. Just like the mini and Plus had their moment, the Air will have its turn... then make way for whatever’s next. And what could that be? Maybe modular or customizable phones, why not? I know, I would love to see Apple make one.

What would you like to see as the next “experimental” iPhone Apple drops in future series? And no, don’t say foldable – that’s old news at this point. Let’s hear your wildest ideas!