iPhone 17 Air case leak shows us how much thicker the phone will be with extra protection

The iPhone 17 Air is shaping up to be unlike any iPhone we've seen before, emphasizing design and looks over everything else. Numerous leaks have revealed how thin the phone might be, but a new claim reveals one key piece of information — how much thickness could be added by a case.

A clip shared over on X claims to show what an iPhone 17 Air looks like when it's actually got a case on it — compared to the rumored iPhone 17 Pro Max for good measure.

Unsurprisingly the case does add some extra thickness, but it's still not as thick as a caseless iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Let's just be clear though; this isn't an official iPhone 17 Air. Most likely it's a dummy unit used by case makers to test their products ahead of the phone's official launch. So that means we should be a little skeptical about what we're seeing.

Considering the main draw of an iPhone 17 Air is its thickness, the fact that using a protective case still keeps the size below that of an iPhone 17 Pro Max is obviously a good thing.

To case or not to case?

Of course the amount of extra thickness you get will likely depend on the case in question. The better the protection offered, the thicker the phone is likely to end up being. The same is true for weight, which leads to a small conundrum — just see our guide to the best iPhone 16 cases for evidence of that.

While I can appreciate aspects of the iPhone 17 Air's design, I'd always be paranoid that it's come at the expense of durability. It wouldn't be without precedent, and reports claim Apple has had to cut the iPhone 17 Air's battery life in order to preserve the aesthetic.

I don't trust a regular-sized smartphone without a case, so I'm not sure I could cope with a super-skinny model that doesn't have adequate protection. But wrapping up a phone like this in too big a case also defeats the purpose of the design.

Here's hoping that the case makers can account for this, and preserve the look of the iPhone 17 Air without putting it at risk of accidental damage. We'll likely find out following the launch of the phone later this year, and until then you can catch all the latest news and rumors in our iPhone 17 Air hub.

More from Tom's Guide

• Google Maps just added a genius time-saving feature for your iPhone
• iPhone Fold 'creaseless' display could make it a day 1 purchase — there's just one problem
• Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge debuts Monday — 3 things we know and 2 we still need to find out