Leaked iPhone 17 Air battery capacity reveals new model’s biggest weakness

This fall, an ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air will join Apple’s product lineup. But unsurprisingly, that radically thin design will likely come with some battery compromises. Here’s what the latest leak says about iPhone 17 Air battery capacity.

iPhone 17 Air battery ‘does not exceed 3000mAh,’ per leaker

Back in May, leaker yeux1122 claimed that the iPhone 17 Air’s battery capacity would be lower than some might have expected.

Per the account, Apple’s new iPhone 17 Air is getting a 2800mAh battery.

Now, that range seems to have been corroborated by another source.

Instant Digital on Weibo posted yesterday that the battery “does not exceed 3000mAh” [translation].

Though it’s not an exact number, the post does lend support to the iPhone 17 Air’s battery capacity being in the 2800mAh range.

Even if it gets closer to 3000, that’s still significantly less than what the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup will offer.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max, for example, is rumored to have about 5000mAh capacity.

Last year’s iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro were around 3500mAH—but iPhone 17 Air will have a larger screen to power.

The more comparably sized iPhone 16 Plus had a whopping 4,674mAH capacity.

Fortunately, Apple has a couple different ways it’s seemingly planning to mitigate the battery issue on the iPhone 17 Air.

For starters, there’s a new Adaptive Power mode in iOS 26 to extend battery life. And the company will reportedly offer a new battery case accessory for when you need extra capacity.

But there’s no doubt that for many prospective iPhone 17 Air buyers, battery life may be the biggest turnoff.

Are you concerned about battery life on the iPhone 17 Air? Let us know in the comments.

Best iPhone accessories

• AirPods Pro 2 (now only $169, down from $249)
• MagSafe Car Mount for iPhone
• HomeKit smart plug 4-pack
• 10-year AirTag battery case 2-pack
• 100W USB-C fast charging power adapter

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