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New iPhone 17 Air leak hints at how the super-slim phone might solve its potential battery life issues

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Silicon to the rescue

Apple iPhone 16 Review
The iPhone 16, launched in 2024 (Image credit: Future)
  • Silicon-batteries are arriving from TDK this year
  • Apple is one of TDK's biggest customers
  • The improved batteries could power the iPhone 17 Air

We're expecting the iPhone 17 Air to replace the iPhone 16 Plus this year, and it's expected to be super-slim – which has raised some questions about battery life. Now a new leak suggests those questions could be answered using next-gen silicon battery technology.

According to a report from Bloomberg, battery maker TDK is ahead of schedule with a significant upgrade, where silicon is used for the battery anode rather than the conventional graphite. This means 15% more energy can be packed into the same space.

Shipping for these batteries will begin by the end of June, which may just give Apple enough time to incorporate the batteries into its iPhone 17 series – including the iPhone 17 Air, which will have less space for a battery than the other models in the range.

Now we're being pretty speculative about joining up these particular dots, but we know that TDK supplies both Apple and Samsung. Samsung has of course just unveiled its own ultra-slim handset in the form of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.

Battery capacity and battery life

The Galaxy S25 Edge on a stand

The Galaxy S25 Edge from Samsung (Image credit: Future)

If the most recent leak is accurate, then the iPhone 17 Air is going to come with a battery capacity of 2,800 mAh. That's some way short of the 3,651 mAh battery you'll find in the current iPhone 16 model, for example.

And previous rumors about the iPhone 17 Air battery life have contradicted each other. One recent report suggested that all-day battery life isn't guaranteed for the new phone, and that Apple might offer a battery case accessory for it.

However, back in March, a well-placed source said that battery life would be comparable to current iPhone 16 models. Bear in mind that the device will still be in testing at this point, which may explain the conflicting accounts.

We have previously heard that the iPhone 17 Air might use next-gen battery tech of some description, and that the upcoming iOS 19 is also going to deliver an AI-powered battery optimization tool that should boost battery life further.

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David Nield
David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

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