Wayne Ma, reporting final month at The Data (a paywalled web site so obnoxious that they drive $300/12 months subscribers to click on by an article-blocking popover pitching them on upgrading to a $500/12 months subscription), and summarized right here by MacRumors:
Nevertheless, the smaller dimension of the brand new skinny mannequin would require
compromises to its capabilities. The gadget will comprise solely a
single speaker as a substitute of the 2 audio system that Apple’s different
telephones often have, one rear digicam lens as a substitute of the three in
Apple’s flagship telephones, and lowered battery life. Inside
testing reveals that battery life for the skinny mannequin will fall brief
of that of earlier iPhones. The share of customers who can go a
single day with out recharging the skinny telephone can be between 60%
and 70%. For different fashions, that metric is between 80% and 90%, one
of the individuals stated.To unravel this, Apple is growing an non-compulsory accent — a
telephone case meant for the skinny mannequin that additionally comprises a battery
pack, in accordance with three individuals aware of the matter.
It form of goes with out saying that the super-thin iPhone could have much less battery life. How may it’s in any other case? If 60–70% of customers can nonetheless get by the day on a cost whereas utilizing it, that sounds prefer it’s the suitable time for Apple to strive such a telephone. Individuals who at the moment run their telephones right down to the pink every day aren’t going to suppose “Hey, possibly I ought to do that loopy skinny iPhone.”
What disappoints me is Ma’s reporting of an iPhone Air-only battery case from Apple. What I very a lot need Apple to make is a sequel to its wonderful MagSafe Battery Pack with a Lightning connector that debuted in 2020 however was discontinued in 2023 (the 12 months that the iPhones 15 switched from Lightning to USB-C). I’ve acquired two of those they usually’re nonetheless, by far, my favourite iPhone battery packs. They’re the one Lightning units left in my life they usually’re so good I’m glad to nonetheless preserve one Lightning cable in my journey bag to make use of them.
There are a zillion third-party “magnetic” (however not “MagSafe”) battery packs that work with iPhones, and most of them have bigger batteries than Apple’s. However a part of what makes Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack nice is that it’s so small, and formed so comfortably. I don’t want a magnetic battery pack that tries to double my iPhone’s battery life. I simply want like 1.5× on occasional phone-heavy days (like subsequent Monday’s WWDC keynote), and Apple’s does simply that. No third-party magnetic battery pack I’ve tried comes even near attaching as securely to the again of the iPhone as Apple’s. And Apple’s has particular integration with iOS, which supplies you a cool animation on the display when it’s first hooked up, and updates the battery lifetime of the pack within the Battery widget alongside the iPhone’s personal battery. (Apparently some newer third-party packs do now present the full-screen animation when first hooked up, however none but combine with the Battery widget — somebody higher name the European Fee.) Most significantly, with Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack, iOS is wise, and doesn’t preserve sucking juice when the telephone has recharged as much as 70% or so. By solely slurping juice when it’s extra environment friendly to take action, you get simpler battery life out of a noticeably slimmer battery again. It’s simply so significantly better than every other battery pack I’ve tried.
This supposed iPhone “Air” looks as if the proper time to carry again the MagSafe Battery Pack, this time with USB-C — and in contrast to a model-specific case, it’d work with all MagSafe iPhones, not simply the Air. (Sorry, 16e homeowners.) See additionally:
★ Wednesday, 4 June 2025
