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
27 weeks ago
They could have just rebranded it as the rumored foldable.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sehns Avatar
27 weeks ago
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: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rappr Avatar
27 weeks ago
Some YouTube douchebags will still try their best to make the iPhone air the next bendgate anyway. May as well release both sizes.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Populus Avatar
27 weeks ago
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)
abatabia Avatar
27 weeks ago
I’ll stick to the 17Pro. You know what they always say about first gen of a new product.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TechRunner Avatar
27 weeks ago
I'm no engineer, but in the context of bending is .3 inches on the diagonal going to make that much of a difference when it comes to the possibility of bending?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)