Update — August 2: Majin Bu now says that this battery is actually for the iPhone 17 Pro, instead of the iPhone 17 Air as they originally claimed. There will apparently be two variants, for models with and without a physical SIM card tray.
“Due to a miscommunication with my source, the information I reported yesterday is incorrect,” said Majin Bu.
Original story follows.
A leaker known as Majin Bu today shared images of an alleged battery pack for Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Air model, which is expected to launch in September.
The battery apparently has a metal cover, just like the iPhone 16 Pro’s battery. This cover would help to dissipate heat generated by the battery inside the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, which is expected to measure just 5.5mm at its thinnest point.
A source told Majin Bu that the L-shaped battery pack will have a capacity of around 2,900 mAh. That tracks with previous rumors indicating that the iPhone 17 Air’s battery capacity will be in the 2,800 mAh to 3,000 mAh range.
The batteries in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus use a type of adhesive that can be loosened with low-voltage electrical current, from a 9V battery or another power source. Majin Bu expects the iPhone 17 Air’s battery will also be removable in this way.
Majin Bu has a mixed track record with Apple rumors. They were most recently accurate about iPadOS 26 adding a Mac-like menu bar to iPads.
If the 2,900 mAh figure is accurate, the iPhone 17 Air could have the shortest battery life of any iPhone model since the iPhone 13 series, but the lower capacity could be offset by the A19 chip’s improved power efficiency. In addition, iOS 26’s new Adaptive Power Mode would help the iPhone 17 Air to achieve at least slightly longer battery life.
Earlier this year, The Information‘s Wayne Ma reported that the iPhone 17 Air would have “worse” battery life compared to previous iPhone models, due to the device’s rumored ultra-thin design limiting internal space for a battery.
In internal testing, Apple determined that the percentage of users who will be able to use the iPhone 17 Air for a full day without needing to recharge the device throughout the day will be between 60% and 70%, according to that report. For other iPhone models, the report said that metric is apparently between 80% and 90%.
To mitigate this problem, the report said that Apple is planning to release a battery case as an optional accessory for the iPhone 17 Air.
Apple last released battery cases for the iPhone 11 lineup, followed by the since-discontinued MagSafe Battery Pack for iPhone 12 models and newer.
