It has come to light that Apple's development of the next-generation thin model, the "iPhone 17 Air (tentative name)," targeted for release in fall 2025, is facing technical challenges in manufacturing a new battery substrate. The originally targeted thinness may prove difficult to achieve, and it appears unlikely that Apple will be able to surpass the thinness of the 2014 iPhone 6 (6.9mm).
Challenges Emerge in Battery Substrate Manufacturing
According to sources, Apple had originally planned to adopt a new thin battery substrate for the iPhone 17 Air. However, the company is reportedly facing multiple challenges, including rising component costs, difficulties in securing manufacturing process stability, and technical constraints.
The new battery design is expected to have a thickness of about 6mm, but this figure does not include other necessary components, meaning the finished iPhone is expected to be even thicker.
For reference, the thickness of the current iPhone lineup is as follows:
- iPhone 16: 7.80mm
- iPhone 16 Plus: 7.80mm
- iPhone 16 Pro: 8.25mm
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 8.25mm
By comparison, Apple's thinnest device, the 13-inch OLED iPad Pro, achieves a thickness of 5.1mm, while the 11-inch model comes in at 5.4mm. However, for smartphones, securing sufficient battery capacity is essential, making a similar level of thinness difficult to achieve.
This technical challenge could affect not only the iPhone 17 Air but also the development of a future foldable iPhone. Samsung is reportedly facing similar issues, suggesting that the barrier to thinner designs has become an industry-wide challenge.
Xenospectrum's Take
It seems the pursuit of "thinness" as a simple numerical goal may already be reaching its limits. The fact that the 6.9mm thinness achieved by the iPhone 6 back in 2014 still hasn't been surpassed some ten years later reveals an intriguing dilemma in mobile device design.
Apple aims for the ultimate in thinness with its "Air" branding, but given the current state of battery technology, perhaps now is the time to pursue an "optimal" thinness that doesn't compromise the user experience. In the end, striking the right balance between "thinness" and "functionality" may be the true challenge for the next generation of iPhones.
Sources