Home
News
You are here

iPhone 17 Air looks like my next questionable decision

The iPhone 17 Air looked like it was doomed to fail until today.

By Anam Hamid

Published: Aug 13, 2025, 12:11 PM

4comments

This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.

iPhone 17 Air leaked image | Image Credit - Majin Bu

The latest iPhone 17 Air video is making me reconsider everything. It shows a dummy unit next to an iPhone 16 Pro, and I have been watching it on loop.

This wasn't supposed to happen. From the moment the news about a new iPhone model cropped up, I knew it was going to be another temporary fixture in the lineup.

After all, that's what happened with the iPhone mini and the iPhone Plus. Apple just couldn't seem to nail the third model. So unsuccessful were Apple's attempts that I concluded that the standard and the Pro models were all that iPhone users needed.

My suspicions were further confirmed when rumors said that the iPhone 17 Air, which will replace the Plus model in the lineup, would rely on an external battery pack to make it to the end of the day. I thought Apple was setting itself up for failure once again.

On top of that, the iPhone 17 Air was expected to come with just one rear camera. True, I almost always use my primary camera, but I like to have a wide-angle and telephoto camera just in case.

IPhone 17 Air Sky Blue looks amazing pic.twitter.com/TVD3rnQDgN
— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) August 13, 2025

In my mind, the iPhone 17 Air didn't make sense until I saw the rumored Sky Blue model, and all logic went out the window.

Is the iPhone 17 Air's elegant design enough to make you compromise on battery life?

Don't tempt me. I'll wait for the reviews. This phone isn't for a chronically online person like me. The design isn't that good, so no.

Vanity is everything?

The iPhone 16 Pro looks gaudy next to the chic iPhone 17 Pro. | Image Credit - Majin Bu

The iPhone 17 Air looks so chic and undeniably beautiful in this finish that I am willing to look past its shortcomings.

Next to what looks like the Desert Titanium iPhone 16 Pro, the iPhone 17 Air looks minimalistic and modern with its lone 48MP camera and horizontal camera bar.

It's also, of course, a lot thinner, and as someone who still hasn't forgiven herself for buying the bulky iPhone 14 Pro, I am beginning to see why all the trade-offs might be worth it.

Batteries are a smartphone's heaviest component, and there's no way Apple was going to keep the thickness from exceeding the rumored 5.5mm by increasing the battery beyond the 2,900mAh mark.

Apparently, more than a third of iPhone 17 Air buyers will either have to juice up the device twice a day or rely on the aforementioned battery accessory to make it to the end of the day.

While that would be an inconvenience, especially for those who spend the better part of their day outside of their house, it's important to remember that there will be no iPhone 17 Air without a small battery.

As they say, you can't have your cake and eat it too.

So, even though the iPhone 17 Air doesn't make complete sense, I might still go for it, because the Sky Blue model looks drool-worthy, and sometimes you have to let the vibes decide for you.

I might regret the decision down the road, given this is an unproven form factor and the battery capacity usually diminishes over time, but the initial high might be worth that eventual disappointment.

Get 50% off – try it for 3 months today!

We may earn a commission if you make a purchase

Check Out The Offer

View Full Bio

Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.

Read the latest from Anam Hamid