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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.jpg

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.jpg

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.

Article Link: Apple Has Reportedly Considered Releasing iPhone 17 Air Bumper Case
 
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https://www.macrumors.com/2025/08/24/iphone-17-air-bumper-case-rumor/
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I’ve tried bumper cases with larger iPhones, and I’ve found its not a style of case that scales very well. The bumpers on the iPhone 4 were great (if a little cheap). But the bumpers on something the size of the iPhone 7 was just unpleasant.
 
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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)
 
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AntennaGate was never about covering the antennas, it was that the fingers created a bridge between two sets of antennas, thus making them one big antenna and changing the how the RF was working. This was made obvious when the iPhone 5 was released, the gap between the two sets of antennas was moved a little higher on the side of the phone.
 
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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.
 
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I’ve never used a case on my iPhones since 2007. I never understood the urge to cover up the phone so that it doesn’t get damaged but you never actually see the phone anyway because it’s covered. Have I dropped my phone a few times? Yes, but it’s never broken. Apple Care has been my “protective case” and peace of mind.

I’ve got an iPhone 12 Pro Max and it’s like new. I’m eager to get an updated phone with the newest features and I’m leaning towards a minimalist phone like the iPhone Air is rumoured to be. Give me something slim that fits in nicely in a pocket and that’s fast and supports the latest features.
 
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Kottu said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.

IMG_0025.jpeg
IMG_0026.jpeg

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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TriBruin said:
AntennaGate was never about covering the antennas, it was that the fingers created a bridge between two sets of antennas, thus making them one big antenna and changing the how the RF was working. This was made obvious when the iPhone 5 was released, the gap between the two sets of antennas was moved a little higher on the side of the phone.
Click to expand...
The antenna was redesigned and fixed with the iPhone 4S, which had 4 gaps instead of 3. The gap wasn't moved higher on the iPhone 5, the iPhone 5 was a taller phone, shifting to the taller 4" LCD from the 3.5" LCD. A bumper was still needed on the 4S to make sure you didn't accidentally attenuate the RF signal.
 
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ipedro said:
I’m eager to get an updated phone with the newest features and I’m leaning towards a minimalist phone like the iPhone Air is rumoured to be. Give me something slim that fits in nicely in a pocket and that’s fast and supports the latest features.
Click to expand...
It won't be fast and it won't support the latest features. It is a compromised phone to be thin. It won't have the Pro chip due to heat, and it won't support the latest features because it only has a single camera. It will also have lousy battery life which is why Apple will offer a battery case to slap onto the phone to make it last throughout the day. The thin phone, if it is real, won't sell well.
 
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ipedro said:
I’ve never used a case on my iPhones since 2007. I never understood the urge to cover up the phone so that it doesn’t get damaged but you never actually see the phone anyway because it’s covered. Have I dropped my phone a few times? Yes, but it’s never broken. Apple Care has been my “protective case” and peace of mind.

I’ve got an iPhone 12 Pro Max and it’s like new. I’m eager to get an updated phone with the newest features and I’m leaning towards a minimalist phone like the iPhone Air is rumoured to be. Give me something slim that fits in nicely in a pocket and that’s fast and supports the latest features.
Click to expand...
for me it'd not about covering the phone but a bare phone is way too slippery as I have very dry skin, I've dropped various phones (with leather cases) and don't really want to know how many times I'd drop it without a case ...
 
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ipedro said:
I’ve never used a case on my iPhones since 2007. I never understood the urge to cover up the phone so that it doesn’t get damaged but you never actually see the phone anyway because it’s covered. Have I dropped my phone a few times? Yes, but it’s never broken. Apple Care has been my “protective case” and peace of mind.

I’ve got an iPhone 12 Pro Max and it’s like new. I’m eager to get an updated phone with the newest features and I’m leaning towards a minimalist phone like the iPhone Air is rumoured to be. Give me something slim that fits in nicely in a pocket and that’s fast and supports the latest features.
Click to expand...
I have this Casetify case with The British Museum design and it is spectacular where I get stopped all the time. It doesn’t add much bulk and there are far thinner cases.

The current iPhones are ugly without a case. I have an iPhone 16 PM and it is nothing impressive.

I will say that the bezels look so much nicer without a case. Do you even use a screen protector?
 
As a shareholder, I'd love Apple to sell a bumper case! the last one sold for $29. I'm sure it would be more in 2025-6 due to tariff taxes. And $29-39 for what amounts to a rubber band is a cash cow!
 
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