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Apple Has Reportedly Considered Releasing iPhone 17 Air Bumper Case

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Apple has "considered" releasing a bumper case for the upcoming iPhone 17 Air, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

iPhone 17 Air Thumb 2 Blue Electric Boogaloo
Similar to the bumper case that Apple introduced for the iPhone 4 in 2010, Gurman said the iPhone 17 Air version of the case would cover the edges of the device, but not the back of it. Those bumper cases were made of rubber.

Given that the iPhone 17 Air is expected to have an ultra-thin design, customers who purchase the device might be reluctant to put it inside of a regular case, due to the added thickness. A bumper case would be a fitting compromise, as it would provide some level of protection against drops and scratches, without being overly thick.

product red iphone bumper e1344951167763
Apple eventually ended up offering customers a free iPhone 4 bumper case, due to the infamous "antennagate" issue, which related to spotty cellular signal reception when the iPhone 4 was held in a way that covered the device's antenna bands.

The Information's Wayne Ma previously reported that Apple also plans to release an iPhone 17 Air battery case, for extra battery life on the go.

Apple last released battery cases for the iPhone 11 lineup, followed by the since-discontinued MagSafe Battery Pack for iPhone 12 models and newer.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series and any related accessories in September.

Related Roundup: iPhone Air
Tag: Mark Gurman
Buyer's Guide: iPhone Air (Buy Now)

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Top Rated Comments

S
SD449
7 months ago
Image has been leaked…

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Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
G
gpat
7 months ago
Just release the 4 again, with full-screen front. Such an amazing design.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipedro Avatar
ipedro
7 months ago

Apple could easily add a tiny lanyard hole to the iPhone and charge $50+ for the strap. Plenty of people would line up to buy a Hermès version for $249. The iPhone 17 could then be marketed as a fashion accessory instead of a phone—since with its short battery life and single camera, it wouldn’t serve much other purpose anyway.
I get that you’re joking but I’m on board with that idea. iPod Touch had a little pop out button for a lanyard.


It was honestly better to me than a case. Loop it around your wrist when in use and it won’t fall. Adds a little individual style without covering it up. I remember that people even attached charms to the loop.

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Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
turbineseaplane
7 months ago
How long until:

"Apple no longer planning to release bumper cases for iPhone 17 Air"
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacUserFella Avatar
MacUserFella
7 months ago
This was the one thing that could’ve convinced me to buy the 17 Air, if we don’t get this, iPhone 17 Pro it is then
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
orbital~debris Avatar
orbital~debris
7 months ago
Ah cool! I loved Apple's previous bumper cases for iPhone 4.
Would love to see them reintroduced for a modern model.

The sides of the Apple bumper were a mix of grippy rubber/silicone and hard glossy plastic of some sort – it made them very versatile because:

* thanks to the raised edge you could be sure the back & front surface of your iPhone was raised away from things that might scratch them
* the hard glossy plastic made them easier to slide in/out of pockets etc. than if they were solely made from silicone or rubber
* the back of iPhone was still visible
* there was minimal case to bulk up iPhone
* because of the uniformity of the bumper, iPhone would lay flat whichever way it was placed on a table (this would probably not be possible with today's larger camera lenses, but it did use to make it easier to get reflection-free photos of things inside glass museum cases or through windows)
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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