Next month, Apple will announce the super slim iPhone 17 Air, a new model that is replacing the Plus models that came before it. The company has apparently considered, and perhaps even tested, an iPhone 4 bumper case for the new phone, likely to help it look slimmer.
This case was introduced for the iPhone 4, after it was revealed that people were accidentally blocking their phone’s antennas. To rectify that problem, Apple made the bumper case: a case which only covers the sides of the phone, but leaves the back panel exposed.
In my opinion, this case would at least partly solve the problem of making the phone thicker by trying to protect it. The whole point of the iPhone 17 Air is that it’s going to be a joy to use, but a phone case would, understandably, defeat the purpose of its existence.
It’s not yet confirmed whether Apple will actually release such a case, but if it has tested a prototype, there’s a good chance that it just might. The bumper case didn’t just solve a problem all those years ago, some people actually really like how it was designed, and are bummed that there isn’t something similar for modern iPhone models.
Apple needs to provide as many incentives for getting the iPhone 17 Air as it possibly can. The phone, though no doubt beautiful, will be almost just as expensive as the iPhone 17 Pro, despite its many shortcomings.
Apple has reportedly only been able to manage a 2,900 mAh battery for the Air, which pales in comparison to its direct rival’s — the Galaxy S25 Edge — battery capacity of 3,900 mAh. The iPhone 17 Air will also only have a singular rear camera, making it a phone truly only intended for those who prefer form over function.
Whether a bumper case will be enough to prevent such a fragile phone from recreating something similar to Bendgate remains to be seen.
