Every time I have to readjust my iPhone 16 Plus in my pants pocket, I think of my iPhone 17 Air. When I run, when I tie my shoelaces, when I walk down a hill, when I get in a car, when I sit down…I do it all. There is no guarantee that Apple will produce an ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air. But I dream of an iPhone with a larger display, not as big as the Plus or Pro Max.
Ever since the first rumors surfaced that Apple was developing a slimmer iPhone, I kept seeing clues that suggested Apple could produce such a device. Various components are becoming thinner than ever before, such as Samsung RAM modules and ultra-thin batteries for foldable phones.
But you also want an ultra-thin smartphone with the best possible battery life. The iPhone 16 Plus lasts more than a day on a single charge, so I hope the rumored iPhone 17 Air will have that as well. A more energy-efficient iPhone chip could help with that. And it turns out that some modern display technology that may be partially responsible for the Apple Watch Series 10’s improved battery life could be another key element of the iPhone 17 Air. It turns out.
My 42mm Apple Watch Series 10 lasts 30-36 hours on a single charge. This is almost double the official 18 hour estimate provided by Apple. We’ve beaten that estimate before with previous models, but never with such surprising results.
I wear this watch all day long, including while sleeping and during marathon training sessions. It also charges your wearable when its battery life drops to 20% to 30%.
The only thing I do differently than most Apple Watch Series 10 users is that I turn off the Always On display feature. However, other users who left their Apple Watch Series 10 on experienced good battery life as well.
It’s true that the chips inside modern wearables are what give them incredible battery life. But the new screen technology that Apple introduced with Apple Watch Series 10 could also be to blame. This is the next generation of LTPO3 screen technology that allows you to see the screen from a wider angle.
To be honest, I don’t use the always-on feature, so I don’t really care about these wide angles. But the benefits of LTPO3 technology don’t end there. The driving TFT (thin film transistor) that sends electricity to the OLED screen is more efficient than previous versions. This increases efficiency and extends battery life.
You can probably see what I’m trying to do with this. The Apple Watch Series 10’s display technology paves the way for more efficient screens on devices like the iPhone 17 Air, which I want.
Report from The Elec The display industry is keeping an eye on Apple’s LTPO3 advancements for the Apple Watch Series 10, with Apple saying it will likely use the technology in future iPhones.
Apple did something similar with LTPO (Apple Watch 2) and LTPO2 (Apple Watch Ultra). iPhone 13 Pro features proprietary LTPO technology, which enables ProMotion (dynamic 1Hz to 120Hz refresh rate) on iPhone. iPhone 16 Pro has an LTPO2 screen.
The Elec Samsung has said it is considering LTPO3 technology. Samsung may also produce displays for the Apple Watch Series 11 next year. So far, Samsung has distanced itself from the Apple Watch, with LG Display being the main screen supplier for various Watch models.
Unfortunately for my iPhone 17 Air dreams, the report states that Apple will use LTPO2 for all four models of next year’s iPhone 17. LTPO2 is more efficient than LTPO, but not as efficient as LTPO3. But after the first model there should be an iPhone 18 Air. All iPhones should eventually migrate to LTPO3.
And if the reports are accurate, there is a big silver lining to all of this. All four iPhone 17 models will move to LTPO2 technology, meaning all models will support dynamic 120Hz refresh rates. If the iPhone 17 series has Air, it will support ProMotion, a technology that conserves battery life.
The regular iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus do not support refresh rates beyond the default 60Hz.
