Apple might have a way to boost battery life in the iPhone 17 Air

By Georgina Torbet Published March 7, 2025

Everyone is excited to learn about the ultra slim iPhone 17 Air that Apple is working on, but many people have expressed concerns about its potential battery life, given the small amount of space that will be available for a battery within the device. With a reported thickness of just 5.5mm, and apparently a large screen of up to 6.7 inches in size, the iPhone 17 Air seeks to cram a lot of functionality into a very slim form.

But with a thin device always comes a tricky problem: how to fit in a battery large enough to hold a reasonable amount of charge. According to industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 17 Air will solve this problem by making use of a high-density battery.

In a post about a future Apple foldable device, Kuo wrote that it will use “the same high-density battery cells as the ultra-thin iPhone 17,” a detail which has Apple watchers intrigued. If correct, the iPhone 17 Air would be the first Apple iPhone to make use of high-density battery cells, which can pack more energy into a small package.

Though Kuo did not share any specific figures on the capacity of the battery, the use of this newer technology could help the device to maintain a reasonable battery life even with its thin form. MacRumors points out that the device has other factors helping its battery life too, including a power-efficient C1 modem, and more internal space for a battery created by ditching the Ultra Wide camera.

These factors suggest that Apple is serious about maintaining a decent battery life, which will come as a relief to users. While an ultra thin phone is a nice upgrade to have over a typical thicker device, a phone whose battery can’t last through a day of use is not something anyone wants.

We’ll have to wait for more official details on the iPhone Air 17 specs though, as the device is expected to be officially unveiled later this year in September.