Two iPhone 17 Air features that have me seriously considering switching

And while I'm not all-in on the whole "thinner is better" thing since it often means giving up stuff that matters, as someone knee-deep in the Apple ecosystem and due for an upgrade, I have to admit: the upcoming Air is starting to look like the one for me.

What's pulling me toward the iPhone 17 Air?

I'm still rocking my iPhone 13 mini and if you've read anything from me before, you know I swear by it. Not for its battery (lol, definitely not) or its cameras (fine, but nothing special), but for the size. It is the perfect fit for what I need a phone to be.

I've got a laptop for work and an iPad for pretty much everything else – binge-watching, reading, doomscrolling. My phone is just the small, pocketable thing I carry everywhere. That's why the 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini fits me like a glove.

But yeah… it's getting old. I want in on the latest tech, especially some Apple Intelligence stuff, gimmicky or not. And I'd rather not have iOS 26 turn my phone into a stuttering mess.

Here's where the iPhone 17 Air comes in. It's rumored to be way bigger with a 6.7-inch display, but also thinner. And that is one of the main reasons I'm leaning toward it instead of the regular or Pro models.

If it's thinner, it might still slip into my pocket or bag without feeling like I'm carrying around a brick. Add in a titanium build and this thing might be tough enough to go case-free. Because honestly, what's the point of a thin phone if you're just going to wrap it in armor?

So yeah, the rumored 5.4 mm profile might actually be the feature that sells me. It simply should feel sleek in-hand.

 

And hey, coming from the mini, any upgrade in battery life will feel like a win, too. The Air's expected 2,800 mAh battery is still small compared to most phones today, but it's a decent bump from the 2,406 mAh in the mini.

The downsides that might not be so bad after all (depending on your current phone, of course)

Of course, a thinner phone isn't all sunshine and roses. There are compromises. And the big one? The camera setup.

The iPhone 17 Air might only have one rear camera – just like the iPhone 16e – but it'll likely cost quite a bit more. That stings. Still, it's rumored to be a single 48 MP snapper, plus a 24 MP selfie cam. And that's a noticeable upgrade from the mini's 12 MP main + 12 MP ultrawide combo and its 12 MP front camera.

So, I'd be losing a lens, but if that bigger sensor really delivers (which it probably will), I'm okay with that trade-off.

That said, it's nowhere near the camera setup expected on the iPhone 17 or the Pro models. The iPhone 17 Pro, which, despite being thicker, will have a smaller 6.3-inch screen, should pack triple 48MP lenses – main, ultrawide, and telephoto – with 3.5x or even 5x optical zoom. Now that's next-level stuff.

Will the iPhone 17 Air be worth it for me?

If you are coming from something like the iPhone 13 mini, the Air is going to feel like a major step up – assuming you're okay with the bigger screen.

 
Since there's no mini or any under-6-inch iPhone (or Android phone, for that matter) in sight anymore, compact phone lovers like me have to pick something. If the phone's going to be bigger anyway, at least it can be thinner. It's still different, still compact, just in a new way.

What do you think? Would you consider the iPhone 17 Air, and is there one feature that could get you to make the switch?