The latest dummy unit based on the iPhone 17 Air rumors showcases the design of the rumored handset, proving that thinness still matters in the tech world.
Sam Kohl shared a video preview of the dummy unit based on the so-called “iPhone 17 Air” on his “AppleTrack” YouTube channel. Accessory makers usually create these units based on leaks and rumors to use as molds for their cases.
The hands-on video actually shows dummies of Apple’s 2025 smartphone lineup, comparing claimed dimensions and designs of the rumored iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. A few things really stood out to me.
New dummies: iPhone 17 Air vs. other 2025 models
First, the device looks barely thicker than the USB-C port at the bottom or the physical side buttons. Second, the dummy showcases that rumored giant edge-to-edge camera bar said to replace the rear camera bump; it doesn’t seem as thick as the camera bar on the other models. And third, there doesn’t seem to be a Camera Control capture button that debuted on the iPhone 16 lineup.
The iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro Max dummies stacked atop one another really highlight the difference in thickness. Though we don’t know the exact iPhone 17 Pro Max dimensions, we can take the iPhone 16 Pro Max (8.25 mm) as guidance.
Given its incredibly slim appearance, the biggest worry with the iPhone 17 Air right now is battery life. On the other hand, rumors suggest that battery life may not be an issue given the 6.6-inch size and Apple’s more power-efficient chip. We’ll reserve our judgment until we get our hands on an iPhone 17 Air.
Accessory makers are incentivized to have cases ready for a new iPhone on launch day. While there are no guarantees that an unrelated iPhone will resemble dummy units, more often than not, dummies are pretty good representatives of the real thing. This isn’t surprising considering accessory makers usually have accurate iPhone dimensions months before a new model goes on sale.
Do we still care about thinness?
It wasn’t long ago that the industry was collectively obsessed with thinness, but that trend has reverted in favor of ever-bigger-screened devices and foldable form factors. Later in 2025, however, we’ll be reminded that thinness matters as Apple, Samsung and others release new phones that will trade some of the high-end features like camera performance and battery life for a slim appearance.
Apple still owes us ultra-thin laptops and watches. As per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple wants to develop the slimmest phones, watches and laptops in the industry. It already has the thinnest tablet, the iPhone 17 Air could be the thinnest smartphone, but we haven’t seen an ultra-thin Apple Watch or MacBook yet.
We may get an ultra-thin Apple laptop in 2026, when we expect to see the first MacBook Pro laptop featuring an OLED-based display panel. OLED technology allows for thinner devices as there’s no backlight. Apple is expected to take this opportunity and significantly redesign the laptop for the OLED upgrade.
Just how thin will iPhone 17 Air be?
The rumor mill has pegged the iPhone 17 Air’s thinness at just 5.5mm, which doesn’t include the camera bump. If the measurement is correct, the iPhone 17 Air will be thinner than the discontinued iPod touch, which had a thickness of 6.1 mm, and almost as slim as the iPod Nano music player, which measured 5.4 mm deep.
In comparison, Apple’s thinnest device to date is the M4-powered iPad Pro, which measures just 5.3 mm deep for the 11-inch version, while the 13-inch model is even thinner at just 5.1 mm.
Whatever measurements iPhone 17 Air ends up having, Apple will almost certainly have to deal with another “Bendgate” controversy when the handset launches alongside other iPhone 17 models this fall, because it looks dangerously fragile.