You have to hold it to believe it: the logic applies perfectly to the iPhone Air, which is incredibly thin at 5.5mm. But sir, is it strong enough? Even if you apply a lot of weight at the centre of the phone, it won’t crack or bend. When Apple said it would be an “awe-dropping” event, the company perhaps had in mind people accidentally dropping the iPhone Air only to be wowed by its strength.

What makes this the ‘Apple of the eye’ is the fresh direction it has taken compared to the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, though all are powered by the latest A19 Pro processor. Here’s an airy device, while the others pack every top feature one expects from a flagship smartphone.

If you’re wondering how it compares with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge released a few months ago, both feel light and sturdy. But where the iPhone Air pulls ahead is in processing power, camera quality, and Apple’s long-term software update cycle.

Apple clearly remembers the “bendgate” moment from 2014 with the iPhone 6. So it makes sense that the company takes extra care when developing slim designs. When we say you can put a lot of pressure on the phone, it’s no joke. Even if you slip it into your back pocket and sit for hours, there’s zero chance of it bending.

The breakthrough design on this pro-grade phone is made possible by the grade 5 titanium frame — strong yet refined — with an elegant high-gloss mirror finish and a precision-milled plateau on the back that houses the cameras, speaker, and Apple silicon.

All the buttons you expect — Camera Control, Action button, and volume rockers — have been retained. The back of the iPhone Air is protected with Ceramic Shield, while the front features Ceramic Shield 2, offering three times better scratch resistance, making it more durable than any previous iPhone. Yes, you read that right: “any previous iPhone.”

All this is delivered despite a 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion up to 120Hz — a large screen with all the technology you’d want in a premium device.

The iPhone Air’s design is likely the first step in a broader strategic makeover in the months and years ahead. Rumours already point to a foldable iPhone next year. If that’s true, it must be slim yet strong — and the design technology is already here.

Slim phones will also help Apple attract users who value lightness and sleekness over a full pro-grade camera setup. It expands the company’s appeal and widens its demographic.
Crucial to the Air’s design is Apple’s N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, along with a faster, more efficient version of its in-house 5G modem, the C1X, which succeeds the C1 modem introduced with the iPhone 16e earlier this year.

The C1X has enabled the phone’s ultra-slim form factor, and Apple managed to deliver it just months after the C1 debuted. If foldables are indeed in Apple’s plans, the C2 chip may be the secret ingredient.

If the single rear camera (besides the selfie snapper) makes you hesitant, think again. We tried the phone briefly at launch. On the front is Apple’s new 18MP Centre Stage selfie camera, which works seamlessly in both landscape and portrait modes. It’s highly impressive.

On the back, the 48MP Fusion lens shows plenty of promise. Most users rarely touch an ultra-wide, and the powerful main camera allows enough cropping flexibility.

The versatile new 48MP Fusion system essentially gives users four lenses in one. The custom main lens supports the popular 28mm and 35mm focal lengths, offering more framing options, while the large 2.0um quad-pixel sensor with sensor-shift OIS shines in low light. Users can also zoom closer with the optical-quality 2x telephoto, enhanced by an updated Photonic Engine that captures more lifelike detail and colour.

A new image pipeline built for the iPhone Air enables next-generation portraits with Focus Control, matching the quality of multicamera systems. It automatically records depth information so photos can be transformed into portraits later in the Photos app. The iPhone Air also supports the latest generation of Photographic Styles, including a new Bright style that lightens skin tones and adds vibrance across the image.