Although not yet launched, images of models, cases and design renderings of the iPhone 17 Air have continuously appeared recently, giving users the first look at this super-thin iPhone model.

Recently, Lewis Hilsenteger from Unbox Therapy has published newer models, showing more clearly the incredible thinness of the iPhone 17 Air.

iPhone 17 Air model compared in thinness with iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max

The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be around 5.5mm thick (the camera cluster area will be thicker), making it the thinnest iPhone model ever. While the iPhone 17 Pro models are said to be around 8.725mm thick.

Hilsenteger was extremely impressed with the thinness of the iPhone 17 Air, even questioning whether the device would be prone to bending due to the extremely thin case.

According to rumors, Apple will use a titanium and aluminum alloy frame for this super thin iPhone model to ensure durability and avoid bending.

In 2014, Apple was involved in the “bendgate” scandal when some users discovered that the iPhone 6 Plus bent when placed in their pockets. Hilsenteger himself made a video testing the durability of the iPhone 6, which made his YouTube channel famous.

Apple decided to keep the iPhone 17 Air's screen size at 6.6 inches because of concerns that a larger screen would make the device more prone to bending. Apple originally wanted a 6.9-inch screen, which is the same size as the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Adjusting the screen size during development shows that Apple was very concerned about the risk of warping when creating this super-thin iPhone.

Hilsenteger also raised questions about the battery life of the iPhone 17 Air due to its extremely thin design, but Apple is removing some features like the secondary camera lens to make room for a larger battery, while using its own C1 modem with higher performance and software optimizations. Battery life is expected to be on par with current iPhone models.