iPhone 17 Air could be really slim, but it won’t have poor battery life. Here’s why

The all-new Apple iPhone 17 Air is expected to measure just 5.5mm at its slimmest point and may feature a silicon-carbon battery.

This upgrade could allow the device to deliver battery life similar to what users usually get from the latest iPhones.

Notably, Apple’s “Awe Dropping” event is scheduled for today (September 9), where the California-based company is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 line-up.

Alongside the **new iPhones** , Apple is also likely to introduce updated Apple Watch models, new AirPods, and other accessories.

But what exactly is a silicon-carbon battery, and how useful is it?

Let’s find out:

What is it?

To begin with, silicon-carbon batteries are not the same as regular lithium-ion ones.

In a lithium-ion battery, lithium ions move from the anode to the cathode when the phone is being used. When the device is charged, the ions return from the cathode to the anode, repeating the process. The anode is normally made of graphite.

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Calling it a “silicon-carbon battery” is not entirely accurate. These are still lithium-ion batteries, but instead of using a graphite anode, they use a silicon-carbon one.

Silicon can store about ten times more lithium ions by weight compared with graphite, Rick Luebbe, CEO of Group14, a leading company in silicon battery technology, told Wired.

In a standard lithium-ion battery, the graphite anode makes up around 60 per cent of the space. By replacing it with silicon, the anode takes up less room, which allows for greater energy density as the cathode is expanded.

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Brands like Honor, OnePlus, and Nothing have already added silicon-carbon batteries to their latest phones. These devices generally keep a standard thickness but offer larger battery sizes.

Honor introduced industry's 1st SILICON-CARBON🔋with 12.8% higher energy density.

If size kept same, compared to a normal battery it can store more energy (mAh). pic.twitter.com/eE91KS6WFw

— Debayan Roy (Gadgetsdata) (@Gadgetsdata) March 1, 2023

For instance, the OnePlus 13 carries a 6,000-mAh battery and is slimmer than the model before it, though its 8.5mm thickness is still similar to most regular phones.

Are there any disadvantages?

The main challenge with silicon batteries is expansion. When raw silicon is lithiated, it can grow to nearly three times its original size.

Lithium-ion batteries also tend to swell. You may have come across this or even experienced it yourself. Swelling usually signals that something has gone wrong, turning the battery into a safety concern.

This issue has been the focus of research for decades. The solution lies in the carbon element of silicon-carbon batteries, according to Wired.

Companies such as Group14 rely on silane gas instead of solid silicon, which improves battery performance. However, this approach can be up to ten times more costly, making it harder to sell to battery manufacturers and potentially raising the price of consumer gadgets.

Will Apple’s iPhone 17 Air use silicon-carbon batteries?

Given its slim 5.5mm build, the phone may not have space for a large battery. Reports suggest it could come with a 2,800mAh unit, much like the iPhone 12.

This is where silicon-carbon technology could make a difference. Leaks claim the iPhone 17 Air could be the first Apple phone to adopt advanced silicon-anode batteries.

This would allow Apple to use the space-saving benefits of silicon-carbon anodes while experimenting with a thin and light design, without shrinking the screen size.

It may also become Apple’s test device for a foldable iPhone in the future, ensuring that it remains close in size to standard iPhones.

Expected price for iPhone 17 models

Reports suggest the iPhone 17 series may start at Rs 89,900 for the base model, with the Pro Max possibly reaching Rs 1,64,900. The final prices could still vary depending on currency changes and Apple’s global pricing strategy.

According to JPMorgan, the entry-level iPhone 17 is expected to remain at $799, the same as the iPhone 16.

The iPhone 17 Air is expected to launch in the US at $899, the same price as the iPhone 16 Plus. In India, the price is tipped to be about Rs 89,900, though tariffs and import duties may push it higher. If that happens, it could go up to around Rs 95,000.