Apple has announced the latest iPhone, the iPhone Air, a lightweight and thin product which does not carry the “17” tag but launches alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Unlike the other models, “Plus” in Apple’s series, which has now been replaced, it also has Pro performance contained in an ultra-thin and ultra-durable body.
At just 5.6mm thick, the iPhone Air is the thinnest iPhone in history — over 3mm thinner than the iPhone 17 Pro and slimmer than Samsung’s 5.8mm Galaxy S25 Edge. Its 6.5-inch display sits between the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Max, while a polished titanium frame ensures strength and rigidity. Apple claims the iPhone Air is its most durable iPhone ever, designed not to bend under pressure.
Innovative Design: The Camera Plateau
Apple engineered a clever camera “plateau” on the back of the iPhone Air to house:
- 48-megapixel rear camera
- 18-megapixel front camera
- TrueDepth Face ID system
- Speaker
- Apple silicon chip
This innovative design allowed Apple to achieve the phone’s slim profile. Even the USB-C port and other components are 3D-printed, saving space, reducing material use, and increasing durability.
The frame itself is Grade 5 titanium, polished to a mirror-like finish. Both the front and back feature Ceramic Shield 2, offering improved scratch and crack resistance. The iPhone Air is available in Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, and Sky Blue.
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Display and Buttons
The display on the iPhone 17 models is carried over to the iPhone Air, maintaining:
- 1000 nits maximum brightness
- 1600 nits interior peak HDR brightness
- 3000 nits outdoor peak brightness
It boasts a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate, an Always-On display, and an anti-glare outdoor coating.
Apple continues to use the Action button and the Camera Control button:
- Action button: assign a variety of functions
- Camera Control button: allows fast access to Visual Intelligence aids
The iPhone Air is water-resistant to IP68, allowing submersion for up to half an hour.
Performance: A19 Pro Chip
The iPhone Air utilises the A19 Pro chip, just like the iPhone 17 Pro, albeit with one GPU core downgraded. Its specs break down as:
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| CPU | 6-core (2 performance + 4 efficiency cores) |
| GPU | 5-core with Neural Accelerators |
| Neural Engine | 16-core |
| Cache | Second-generation dynamic caching, larger size |
| RAM | 12GB |
This synthesis enables AI, high-performance computing, and seamless multitasking.
Camera System
The iPhone Air comes with one 48-megapixel rear Fusion lens, which supports Dual Capture, allowing users to record videos using the front and rear cameras simultaneously. The lens does not have Ultra Wide or Telephoto capabilities; Dual Capture compensates for this by enabling simultaneous front and back recording.
The 18-megapixel front camera allows effortless selfies in portrait or landscape mode by automatically widening the frame. During video calls, Centre Stage actively tracks users, maintaining perfect balance framing.
Next-generation portrait mode with a single rear camera and Polaroid Focus Control tracks and captures depth automatically. This is enhanced by Apple’s Photonic Engine, which improves detail and colour accuracy in low-light conditions.
Connectivity and Battery
The iPhone Air features Apple’s C1X modem, twice as fast as the previous C1, supporting only sub-6GHz 5G. The new N1 networking chip adds Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread with improved energy efficiency.
- Battery life: up to 27 hours of video playback, 22 hours of streaming, extendable to 40 hours with Apple’s $99 MagSafe battery pack
- Adaptive Power mode in iOS 26 conserves energy intelligently
- Wireless charging: 20W (reaches 50% charge in 30 minutes with 20W or higher adapter)
Standard iPhone Features
Despite its thin frame, the iPhone Air supports:
- Emergency SOS via satellite
- Crash Detection
- Messages via satellite
- Dual-frequency GPS
- eSIM only (device too thin for physical SIM tray)
Pricing and Availability
Pricing on the iPhone Air starts at $999 for 256GB of storage, but 512GB and 1TB storage options are also available for an additional fee.
The iPhone Air will be available for pre-order on Friday, September 12 at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time, and it will launch on Friday, September 19.
