I must admit, if the iPhone 17 Air is this thin I'd never stop worrying

Newly leaked images show an iPhone that's so slim I'd be concerned about breaking it

iPhone 17 Air dummy model
(Image credit: AppleTrack)
Quick Summary

A video showing a dummy iPhone 17 Air has been posted online, showing just how thin it's expected to be.

If like me you are already scared to take your iPhone out of its case, this could really give you the heebie-jeebies.

This should be a big year for iPhone launches, with newly designed camera units expected for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Then, of course, there's what's come to be known as the iPhone 17 Air.

The superslim addition to the family will reportedly arrive as part of the annual iPhone refresh and will present something new for the mega brand. It also scares me.

Having just seen a new selection of dummy units – this time in a video hosted by AppleTrack on YouTube – I can't help but feel that owning a phone that thin would give me a stress rash.

If the dummy models shown in the video and subsequent screen grabs (as per 9to5Mac) are close to the real deal, the iPhone 17 Air is mind-numbingly thin. It is claimed to measure just 5.5mm – thinner even than the current 11-inch iPad Pro (which is 5.9mm).

iPhone 17 Air dummy

(Image credit: AppleTalk)

Considering I already panic when my iPhone 16 Pro Max is out of its case, this would just about tip me over the edge.

As AppleTalk's Sam Kohl puts it: "It does not feel real in your hand."

He shows it compared with the 16 Pro Max and it's almost half the size. I could easily imagine myself forgetting it's in a back pocket or something and breaking it.

Of course, that will have been at the forefront of Apple's mind when designing it (not my rear pocket, of course). And I'd imagine that it'll be wrapped in Titanium for extra strength, but as good as it looks from the side, surely a phone is about the display and experience? For me, that comes better (and more stress-free) when it's built like a brick.

iPhone 17 Design Hands-On! Early Look! - YouTube iPhone 17 Design Hands-On! Early Look! - YouTube
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Still, the video is well put together and the dummy units on show are among the best we've seen to date.

I'm still not convinced by the candy bar camera units on both the new Pro variants and Air (especially with just the one lens on the latter), but at least Apple seems to be trying something new this time around.

Now all we need is the fabled foldable iPhone and I'll be happy. Indeed, for the sake of my blood pressure, I may just hold on until it finally arrives.

TOPICS
Rik Henderson
News Editor

Rik is T3’s news editor, which means he looks after the news team and the up-to-the-minute coverage of all the hottest gadgets and products you’ll definitely want to read about. And, with more than 35 years of experience in tech and entertainment journalism, including editing and writing for numerous websites, magazines, and newspapers, he’s always got an eye on the next big thing.

Rik also has extensive knowledge of AV, TV streaming and smart home kit, plus just about everything to do with games since the late 80s. Prior to T3, he spent 13 years at Pocket-lint heading up its news team, and was a TV producer and presenter on such shows as Channel 4's GamesMaster, plus Sky's Games World, Game Over, and Virtual World of Sport.

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