Rumor is that the 17 will have an Air edition that will be thinner/lighter. It won't help the reach issues much but will make them nicer to hold for extended periods of time. IME the minis are nice because of both weight and the ability to comfortably use with one hand.
Size/dimension is the problem!
The Air model will be 6.6”. It will be lighter than the Plus model it replaces, but I wouldn’t necessarily expect it to be lighter than the regular models. And certainly not usable with one hand.