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

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).

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

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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.