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Could Apple’s plans for an ultra-slim iPhone be in trouble already?

New rumors suggest that Apple is having a hard time making the iPhone 17 Air, but it’s not the only brand struggling with slimline designs.

Custom image for 'Could Apple’s plans for an ultra-slim iPhone be in trouble already?' showing how thin the iPhone 16 is on the left of the screen and the Apple logo on the right

Following the launch of this year’s iPhone 16 series, there are already plenty of industry whispers surrounding what the brand has up its sleeve for 2025, including the possibility of the iPhone 17 Air. However, new rumors suggest Apple is running into problems trying to make the device as slim as first intended without compromising some of the impressive tech the brand has developed.

For those who don’t know, the iPhone 17 Air would replace the Plus device we’ve seen in recent iPhone line-ups, offering users the same features as the base model but with a more lightweight and slimline form factor. We’ve also heard that it boasts 120Hz refresh rates, unlike this year’s Plus model, offering super smooth visuals when playing the best iPhone games and Apple Arcade games.

However, the latest reports suggest that Apple is running into issues designing the iPhone 17 Air due to the costs and complications of developing a thinner battery. Initially, we heard that the slimmed-down iPhone could be as thin as 6mm, but according to the source in question, Apple is struggling to make the battery alone that thin, so there’s little chance of the brand making the 2025 flagship as slender as the 6.9mm iPhone 6, the slimmest iPhone to date.

Apple isn’t the only brand that is seemingly turning to slimline devices as a selling point. Just a couple of months ago, Honor released the Magic V3, with much of the marketing around the device highlighting its status as the world’s thinnest foldable phone. There are rumors surrounding Samsung’s potential plans to introduce a slimline alternative as part of the Galaxy S25 series, but reports over the last couple of days have suggested that Samsung might be facing similar issues to Apple in terms of getting the design right without too many hardware compromises.

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Despite these new rumors, it’s worth mentioning that we’re not expecting Apple to reveal the iPhone 17 Air until September of next year, so plenty could change between now and then. If you can’t wait all that time for a new Apple device, be sure to check out our picks for the best gaming iPhones and the best iPads while you’re here.