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CNET
06-08-2025
- Business
- CNET
The iPhone 17 Air Could Hint at Apple's Foldable Future
Anticipation is high for the launch of the next iPhone, and so are expectations. Rumors have been swirling for months about the upcoming lineup, which most notably may include a thinner model dubbed the iPhone 17 Air. But speculation isn't stopping there; what Apple reveals this fall could hint at what it has in store for next year, too. Thin phones are undoubtedly having a moment, with companies like Samsung, Huawei, Honor and Oppo debuting slimmer devices in the name of novelty -- and slapping on higher price tags. The iPhone 17 Air, which could make its debut in September alongside the rest of the iPhone 17 series, is rumored to have a 5.5mm-thick profile and a 6.6-inch screen. It would allow Apple to capitalize on the skinny phone hype while also diverting attention from its fledgling AI efforts. It might also help to silence critics who say the iPhone's design has become too predictable in recent years – though consumers don't seem to be demanding skinny phones as much as other attributes like better cameras and longer battery life. "The trend towards thinner smartphones is not necessarily driven by consumer demand," notes Anisha Bhatia, senior analyst at GlobalData. "Slimness is a factor that can be clearly marketed, unlike uncertain use cases for AI." Now Playing: Hey, Apple: Steal These S25 Edge Features for a Skinny iPhone 04:33 Releasing the iPhone 17 Air is also a chance for Apple to mark up the price of its thinner handset, Bhatia notes. Charging more for an innovative design could be a more straightforward pitch than trying to monetize a phone's AI features, especially since platforms like Gemini and ChatGPT have free tiers -- and the smarter, Apple Intelligence-powered Siri that Apple promised in 2024 has yet to arrive. But there might be more to Apple's long-term plan than simply releasing a slimmer iPhone 17. In fact, Samsung's mobile strategy this year, namely the release of the Galaxy S25 Edge in May followed by the Galaxy Z Fold 7 in July, could paint a picture of what might be in Apple's blueprint, too. The Galaxy S25 Edge is refreshingly thin and light -- and the rumored iPhone 17 Air could be as well. Carly Marsh/CNET A page out of Samsung's book(-style foldable) Samsung's debut of the $1,100 Galaxy S25 Edge earlier this year was met with general skepticism -- even, admittedly, by me. What exactly is the point of a thinner phone? But once I held and tested the device, I began to understand the thinking behind it: A slim, lightweight phone actually does feel drastically more comfortable to use and carry around. And the impressive 200-megapixel main camera to match the top-of-the line S25 Ultra certainly helps. But it wasn't until the $2,000 Galaxy Z Fold 7 was unveiled a couple months later that it all really began to click. That phone takes the S25 Edge's slim design and repackages it into a foldable that feels remarkably like a normal slate phone when folded shut. Similarly, Apple could release the iPhone 17 Air to not only demonstrate its hardware advancements, but to also lay the groundwork for its long-rumored foldable, which reports suggest could come out in September 2026 and cost around $2,000. "We won't be surprised if Apple follows a similar path where it first launches a thin iPhone and then, using that, launches a potentially thin foldable," said Nabila Popal, senior research director at IDC. If Apple does follow Samsung's template, it should also ensure a slim foldable iPhone doesn't compromise on essential features consumers expect like battery life, Popal says. She adds that minimizing the screen's crease (which Apple is reportedly doing in partnership with Samsung Display) can help it stand out. If Apple debuts a foldable next year, it could also be thin to compete with phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET Samsung, Google and several Chinese companies may have beaten Apple to the foldables punch, but that's not all that matters. Apple has a history of rolling out products well after its competitors. For instance, the iPhone debuted years after the launch of smartphones from companies like BlackBerry and Palm, and MP3 players, tablets and smartwatches existed well before the iPod, iPad and Apple Watch. Still, Apple quickly dominated those spaces -- and it's possible the rollout of a foldable iPhone could follow suit. "When Apple does come out [with a new device], they tend to come out louder and do it better," Popal said. "It's like making an entrance to the party late, but then stealing the show. They tend to do that, and that's why no one ever minds them showing up late." Still, the clock is ticking for Apple to join its competitors and prove that it's still serious about innovation. For years, rumors swirled about an iPhone Flip, similar to the clamshell devices from Samsung and Motorola. But it appears that's no longer on the immediate roster, as Apple potentially eyes that larger -- and likely more expensive -- book-style foldable. It also faces mounting pressure due to its slower rollout of Apple Intelligence, which is still leagues behind what competitors like Samsung and Google have loaded onto their devices. But it's not too late for Apple to make a statement. Foldables remain a niche category, and Apple's entry could give the form factor a significant boost, thanks to the company's scores of loyal fans and its tendency to usher innovation into well-established categories. It also has the advantage of learning secondhand the hard lessons that Android manufacturers had to absorb as they pushed to make their foldables thinner, more powerful and more durable. Apple can take those findings and any accompanying consumer feedback and make a bigger impact. "It's OK if you come late to the party," Popal said, "but then you better make a grand entrance."
Digital Trends
19-07-2025
- Digital Trends
I love the Galaxy Z Fold 7, but I wish to buy this foldable phone instead
Thin. Thinner. Thinnest. That's been a hot trend in the smartphone industry lately. Is the race to the thinnest phone crown truly meaningful for an average user? I doubt it. But it certainly makes for nice billboard claims and cheeky social media jibes at rival brands. Recommended Videos Ever since Samsung introduced the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the industry has been buzzing about its thinness and how it sets a new standard. Does it set a new record? Honor disagrees. In the context of foldable phones, being thin has its ergonomic benefits. But the situation gets absurd when thinness comes at the cost of utility. By utility, I mean practical features, such as battery life. As the buzz around Galaxy Z Fold 7 was getting hotter, I got my hands on a new phone, the Vivo X Fold 5. And after spending some time with it, I realized that it's a more thoughtful foldable phone than Samsung's sleek new device. Is it all about the waistline? Let's start with the most obvious topic of contention, which is the in-hand feel of the device. Both devices have flat sides, but the Vivo phone has slightly rounded corners, which makes it easier to hold compared to the sharp edges on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. As far as the thinness goes, you won't feel the difference in your hands. Here are the figures for your reference: Unfolded (in mm) Folded (in mm) Vivo X Fold 5 159.68 x 72.60 x 9.2 72.8 x 158.4 x 8.9 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 159.68 x 142.29 x 4.3 143.2 x 158.4 x 4.2 The difference in thickness is just 0.1 millimeters in the unfolded state. When two halves are closed shut while using only the exterior display, the waistlines of the two devices are only off by 0.3mm. That's a negligible gap, and the weight difference between the two phones is also merely two grams, so there's that. But where Vivo marginally lags behind Samsung, it more than makes up for it with a sturdier build. When dealing with an uber pricey foldable phone, every extra layer of protection matters, more so than your average slab-shaped phone. And this is where Vivo races ahead of Samsung. The Galaxy Z Fold only offers an IP48-cleared build, which means it can survive liquid immersion in 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes. Its Vivo rival, on the other hand, comes with an IPX8, IPX9, IPX9+, and IP5X-certified hardware, which means it is more resilient to dust and water exposure. In a nutshell, the Vivo phone can also handle jets of water, though nothing as adventurous as water parks. The hinge and display assembly of foldable phones is notoriously prone to damage. And as our investigation highlighted, Samsung is no stranger to the fragility woes on foldable phones, which culminate in fittingly pricey repair and replacement services. The meaningful parts One of the biggest problems with foldable phones is their shrinking size, which means they are increasingly getting starved of battery space while driving high-resolution screens. Samsung's latest foldable phone doesn't break any new ground, while its Chinese rival makes a massive leap. The Galaxy Z Fold comes equipped with a 4,400mAh battery, despite being equipped with an 8-inch inner flexible OLED panel and a 6.5-inch display on the outside. If you're someone who is investing in a foldable phone to get the best out of its large screen real estate for content consumption, don't expect the battery to last a full day of heavy usage. On the Vivo X Fold 5, you get a much bigger 6,000mAh battery. This is a dual-cell silicon anode battery that is claimed to last over a week in standby mode and can handle over a dozen hours of online meetings without requiring a top-up. But it's not just the capacity where Samsung remains a laggard. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 only supports 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. That's one of the slowest charging speeds on a phone out there, let alone a device that costs as much as two thousand dollars. The Vivo X Fold 5 brings support for 80W wired charging to the table. During my tests, the battery went from 15% to full capacity in just about 45 minutes. Even the wireless charging pace is speedier than Samsung's wired format, as the Vivo fold supports 40W wireless mode top-up. Another crucial benefit is that the 80W fast charging brick comes bundled in the retail package. Samsung, on the other hand, will have you shell out extra cash because the Galaxy Z Fold 7's box doesn't come bundled with a charger inside. A few other pitfalls The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a massive evolution, but only for Samsung fans. The Vivo X Fold 5 leapfrogs it in a few other crucial areas. For example, Samsung offers a 200-megapixel main primary camera, but the ultrawide and zoom snappers rely on fairly non-remarkable 12-megapixel and 10-megapixel sensors. On the Vivo X Fold 5, you get a trio of 50-megapixel cameras at the back. In fact, Vivo has even managed to fit a periscope-style folded lens zoom system that offers much better results at long-range photo and video capture. Samsung serves two 10-megapixel front cameras on its foldable, while the Vivo device offers a pair of 20-megapixel selfie cameras on its latest offering. Vivo's camera prowess has consistently managed to impress, especially with its fantastic color processing and video capture chops. The X Fold 5 is no different. Talking about the display, the Galaxy Z Fold 7's main OLED display goes up to 2,600 nits of peak brightness with the Vision Booster tech enabled. On the Vivo X Fold 5, the flexible 8-inch screen and the cover display, both reach an astounding 4,500 nits. Also, Vivo has figured out a rather cool multitasking experience that looks quite similar to Apple's Stage Manager. Overall, despite the generation-over-generation progress made by Samsung, the Vivo X Fold 5 emerges as the more meaningfully rewarding device over the Galaxy Z Fold 7. The fact that Vivo's sleek phone also happens to be significantly more affordable than its Samsung rival just happens to be the cherry on top.
