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Apple Has Reportedly Considered Releasing iPhone 17 Air Bumper Case

orbital~debris said:
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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The bumpers were a very nice and practical accessory almost perfect.

Except for the crap elastomer that Apple specified (not unlike Apple silicone phone cases) which would be attacked by hand oils and embrittlement around 1-2 years of age and then fail very rapidly.

This is a deliberate materials decision by Apple to use substandard elastomeric material to achieve what Steve Jobs called The Sony Timer (product fails just outside of warranty). (Leading to new case sales or the decision to upgrade phone).
 
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Think there will be plenty of third party case manufacturers that will offer a bumper case. However I would not go with such a case as I don't think it will be offering much protection. Would prefer to go case-less than to use a bumper case alone.
 
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I feel like this would defeat the purpose of the iPhone Air. Super thin phone. And then you make it "feel" just as thick as any other phone by increasing width specifically of the edge.

But then I've never been a fan of bumper cases.
 
JPack said:
What a great way to bump up Genius Bar service revenue.

Modern slabs of glass don't do well with such minimal casing.
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I don't use cases at all and havent for years, the glass apple uses is super strong against cracks
 
benwiggy said:
Assuming that thinness is still something that people care about, perhaps the fact that it's really thin will mitigate the extra thickness of a case, making it normal size again.
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I am only upgrading my phone because the air exists, I hate how thick and heavy modern phones are. And no I will not be using a case.
 
One advantage of having a bumper around the 4 was that both front and back glass didn’t make contact with the table it was on. The same was true for the camera lens. If you look at the supposed side profile of the iPhone Air, then any bumper will not protect the cameras.

Those camera warts are getting uglier every generation. And the re-arrangement of the lenses is just a marketing gimmick to show which version you’ve got.
 
ipedro said:
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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I understand where you're coming from but it's debatable if it's "better" across the board unfortunately. Many of us would not want that extra step needed to constantly loop our hand in and out of a lanyard dozens of times a day if not every hour when at work or out and about. Plus it offers no protection from any falls from a table, etc.
 
For my past couple of iPhones I've used a combination of bumper case and MagSafe wallet - the wallet helps protect most of the back surface that the bumper case does not, without adding (much) extra width, and the bumper case helps prevent the wallet from sliding off. Win-win!
 
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rweiser said:
For my past couple of iPhones I've used a combination of bumper case and MagSafe wallet - the wallet helps protect most of the back surface that the bumper case does not, without adding (much) extra width, and the bumper case helps prevent the wallet from sliding off. Win-win!
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You could accomplish the same thing with the rubber bands the post office gives away for free!
 
JohnC1959 said:
While over 70% of phone users use a case, I'm betting that will drop to under 40% for the 17 Air. A large part of the whole point of the Air is to be seen.
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And felt. A big part of the appeal is how a thin phone feels in you hands. Don’t want a case to bulk it up.
 
nathansz said:
Personally I would prefer the first option!

Would probably shave half the price off of the phone as well

Any photographers I know, hobbyist or professional, use standalone cameras not phones
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Then the iPhone 16e is made for you.
 
sigma7 said:
Apple's thinking: Since I know how to create a thin device, I have to do it, even at the expense of battery life.
I hope consumers respond decisively and refuse to buy this device.
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Why? What is wrong with having a thinner phone if you don’t need massive battery reserve. Not every one uses their phones the same and needs all that battery. Some of us only use about half a charge on most days and on “heavy” days, chargers are all around. If you, personally need a massive battery, you probably want the Pro Max anyway.
 
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