iPhone 17 Air battery could be smaller than we thought, says rumor
Apple might shrink the battery in its thin-and-light phone to an even smaller size than we were anticipating
🪫 Apple is reportedly shrinking the iPhone 17 Air’s battery to below 3,000mAh
🤏 That’s a lot smaller than previous rumors suggested
👀 It gives credibility to an older leak suggesting it would be about 2,800mAh
📱 In any case, it sounds like it’ll be smaller than the Galaxy S25 Edge battery
📅 Apple is rumored to announce the iPhone 17 Air on September 9
We’re less than two months away from Apple’s official announcement of the iPhone 17 lineup, and the leaks keep coming. This time, we’re getting more insight into how big the battery could be in Apple’s new iPhone 17 Air. Spoiler alert: it could be microscopic, at least by today’s standards.
A leaker by the name of Instant Digital posted to Weibo yesterday, claiming to shed light on the iPhone 17 Air batteyr situation. According to the leaker, the battery capacity “does not exceed 3,000mAh.” Rumors we’ve heard in the past have suggested the phone would get a smaller battery than all of the other iPhone 17 models, but one around 3,000-3,300mAh. Instead, it seems like a leak dating back to May could be accurate, and the 17 Air will come with a battery around 2,800mAh.
This is considerably smaller than the other ultra-thin smartphone on the market: the Galaxy S25 Edge. Samsung could fit in a 3,900mAh cell that, as we learned in our review, struggles to get through a full day of moderate use. While Apple will rely on an AI-powered Adaptive Power mode in iOS 26 to extend the life of the 17 Air’s battery, it doesn’t look good for all-day battery life on Apple’s thinnest iPhone to date.
Rumors also suggest that Apple will sell a special battery case for the iPhone 17 Air to extend its battery life even more, but as we all know, it would be nice for there to be a big battery in the phone to begin with.
The iPhone 17’s battery is expected to remain about the same as the iPhone 16’s, which is 3,561mAh. The iPhone 17 Pro will reportedly get a larger 3,700mAh+ battery, while the 17 Pro Max could get one above 5,000mAh, according to rumors.
Apple will reportedly announce the iPhone 17 Air on September 9 or 10. It’s expected to come with a 6.6-inch 120Hz screen, an A19 processor, a single rear camera, and a form factor that’s just 5.5mm thick.
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.