Apple Canned Larger iPhone 17 Air Model Over Fears of Bendgate 2.0

Apple prototyped a larger ultra-slim iPhone 17 Air with a 6.9-inch display, but ultimately decided not to go ahead with the device because of fears that it could be susceptible to bending, according to a new report.

Bent iPhone Air Feature
Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, writing in his latest Power On newsletter:

When it first started work on the phone, it prototyped a device with a 6.9-inch screen — matching the Pro Max. Apple pulled the plug on that over fears that a thin device with a giant screen would be susceptible to bending. The company suffered such a controversy in 2014 — "Bendgate" — when the iPhone 6 Plus would sometimes warp when in a tight pocket.

Earlier this month, we reported on a rumor out of China claiming that the iPhone 17 Air shares the same dimensions as the iPhone 17 Pro Max, with the only difference being in the thickness of the devices. It's quite possible the rumor had its origins in Apple's canned prototype.

Corroborating rumors indicate that the iPhone 17 Air that Apple will launch in September will feature a 6.6-inch display with 120Hz ProMotion support, a Dynamic Island, an A19 chip, a single 48-megapixel rear camera, and Apple's custom-made C1 modem. Gurman has been told that the device may start at roughly $899 in the U.S., which is the same price point as the iPhone 16 Plus that the ultra-thin device is believed to be replacing in Apple's smartphone lineup.

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Top Rated Comments

cicalinarrot Avatar
8 hours ago at 04:08 am
They could have just rebranded it as the rumored foldable.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sehns Avatar
6 hours ago at 05:40 am
Why would you make a "thin and light" phone that's got a larger screen than the base model?

They should have made this 5.8" or even 6" amd it would have been perfect
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Populus Avatar
6 hours ago at 05:38 am
If they fear it could bend, why not make it even smaller? A 6.1” iPhone Air would be great. Even better, a more compact 5.8” iPhone Air, that could be marketed as the most lightweight iPhone.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TSloper74 Avatar
6 hours ago at 06:05 am

('https://www.macrumors.com/2025/03/17/larger-iphone-17-air-referred-to-prototype/')

Apple prototyped a larger ultra-slim iPhone 17 Air with a 6.9-inch display, but ultimately decided not to go ahead with the device because of fears that it could be susceptible to bending, according to a new report.



Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, writing in his latest Power On newsletter ('https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-03-16/apple-iphone-17-air-foldable-iphone-details-ai-crisis-to-haunt-top-100-event-m8bl3a9c'):
Earlier this month, we reported on a rumor out of China ('https://www.macrumors.com/2025/03/07/iphone-17-air-same-size-iphone-16-pro-max/') claiming that the iPhone 17 Air shares the same dimensions as the iPhone 17 Pro Max, with the only difference being in the thickness of the devices. It's quite possible the rumor had its origins in Apple's canned prototype.

Corroborating rumors indicate that the iPhone 17 Air that Apple will launch in September will feature a 6.6-inch display with 120Hz ProMotion support, a Dynamic Island, an A19 chip, a single 48-megapixel rear camera, and Apple's custom-made C1 modem. Gurman has been told that the device may start at roughly $899 ('https://www.macrumors.com/2025/03/16/iphone-17-air-price-battery-life-more/') in the U.S., which is the same price point as the iPhone 16 Plus that the ultra-thin device is believed to be replacing in Apple's smartphone lineup.

Article Link: Apple Canned Larger iPhone 17 Air Model Over Fears of Bendgate 2.0 ('https://www.macrumors.com/2025/03/17/larger-iphone-17-air-referred-to-prototype/')
I'll never understand this obsession with getting as thin as possible. Too thin and it won't be comfortable to hold. If you think it is too heavy, you should probably hit the gym.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rappr Avatar
8 hours ago at 04:16 am
Some YouTube douchebags will still try their best to make the iPhone air the next bendgate anyway. May as well release both sizes.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Col795 Avatar
8 hours ago at 04:16 am
Ummm, it’s aluminum. iPhone 17 Air WILL bend with the right pressure.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)