Adaptive Power in iOS 26 Could Save the iPhone 17 Air From This Major Pitfall
There's one feature Apple unveiled during WWDC on Monday that didn't get the attention I think it deserves: Adaptive Power.
This AI-powered feature can help your iPhone battery last longer by lowering your display's brightness and making "small performance adjustments" like "allowing some activities to take a little longer," according to Apple. It'll also turn on Low Power Mode automatically when your battery drops to 20% to limit background activities and further extend battery life.
Adaptive Power can come in clutch no matter what phone you have (as long as it can run iOS 26), but where it really has the potential to be a game changer is with the rumored iPhone 17 Air.
Apple's thinner iPhone is expected to debut in the fall, though the company has yet to confirm reports about its imminent arrival. A skinny iPhone would join the ranks of other slim phones like Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge and the Oppo Find N5, which both came out earlier this year. And on Monday, hot on the heels of WWDC, Samsung also shared a teaser about its upcoming Galaxy Z foldable series, calling it "the thinnest, lightest and most advanced foldable yet."
Now Playing: Hey, Apple: Steal These S25 Edge Features for a Skinny iPhone
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Thin phones can come across as gimmicky (who asked for them, really?), but they're undoubtedly having a moment as companies look for new ways to lure your dollars. And after using devices like the Galaxy S25 Edge and Oppo Find N5, I can attest that holding a slim, lightweight phone really is quite refreshing, and I'm eager to see what Apple has in store.
But there's also a major downside to building a phone with such a slim profile, as I experienced recently with the S25 Edge: battery life takes a hit. A thinner phone also means a smaller battery, which means shorter battery life. The S25 Edge, for instance, definitely needs a recharge at the end of the day -- no spillover battery there. If Apple can find a way to make the iPhone 17 Air last beyond that bare minimum amount, that can really help its slim offering stand out.
Adaptive Power may be the superpower Apple needs to appeal to anyone who won't sacrifice battery life for a thinner phone. But whether this feature truly is a breakthrough is up in the air -- along with the reality of the iPhone 17 Air itself.
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