Huge iPhone 17 Air news teased in new report – 3 things you need to know

Rumors about the iPhone 17 Air have been circulating for months, but we’ve just received some new information about the ultra-thin phone, which is expected to replace the iPhone 16 Plus—including the possible return of Apple’s previous accessory.

According to a new report in The Information (via 9to5Mac), Apple plans to release an optional accessory alongside the iPhone 17 Air: a case with a built-in battery. This appears to be intended to compensate for the iPhone 17 Air’s lack of battery life.

You may recall that Apple previously made a Smart Battery Case for iPhones. But with the introduction of MagSafe and its wireless charging with the iPhone 12, the battery cover was abandoned.

Now it seems to be back. Sources told The Information that the iPhone 17 Air’s thinness means it only lasts a day without a charge for 60-70% of users, compared to 80-90% for other models.

eSIMs and speakers

However, battery life isn’t the only concern about the iPhone 17 Air. The Information report also notes that there isn’t enough space for a physical SIM card, so only an eSIM will be used—which could cause problems with regulators in China.

Furthermore, the device will only have a single speaker, which could affect sound quality. We’ve heard both of these rumors before, about the eSIM and the speaker, and we’re more likely to believe them after they’ve been repeated.

This year is expected to be a busy one for Apple’s iPhones. We already have a new Apple iPhone 16 model, and later this year, with the Air, we’ll get another new model that doesn’t have a direct predecessor.

The same report from The Information indicates that further changes are likely to occur next year, as Apple plans to stagger the launch of the two iPhone 18 models so that they will be released at different times in 2026 and 2027.