The Super-Skinny iPhone Air Is Peak Apple (For Better And Worse)

"Design is at the core of everything we do," Apple CEO Tim Cook said to kick off the company's September 2025 event. Underscoring that statement, Apple took the wraps off the latest models in its most successful hardware lineups, including the new iPhone 17 series, and the long-rumored iPhone Air that took center stage. This marks the first time an Air model has been made available in the iPhone lineup, joining alongside the MacBook Air and iPad Air options first launched more than a decade ago.

According to Apple, it designed the iPhone Air to "feel like a piece of the future," boasting a thickness of only 5.6 mm — making it the thinnest iPhone unveiled to date — and an overall ultra-tough design. Despite the massive reduction in size, Apple managed to pack an array of high-end features into the slim frame, promising the new model marks several "firsts" for the iPhone series as a whole, including being the most durable and efficient it has ever offered.

Apple, likely anticipating the onslaught of questions about the iPhone Air's ability to withstand drops and other daily hazards, emphasized that the thinner frame does not compromise robustness. In addition to the use of 80% recycled grade 5 titanium, Apple said the iPhone Air sports its new Ceramic Shield 2 coating on the front for enhanced scratch resistance. Ceramic Shield is also being extended to the back of the phone, as well, making the rear glass more resistant to scratches and cracks.

Overall, Apple said that the iPhone Air "exceeds" its own requirements for resisting bends. The model packs a 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion up to 120 Hz and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. Users will likewise get access to Bluetooth 7, the new N1 chip, and the latest version of Apple's modem, the C1X. The 48 MP Fusion camera array, meanwhile, is akin to packing four lenses into the handset, despite what looks to be a single camera on the rear of the device.

The iPhone Air marks a major turning point for the iPhone's design, but it's yet to be seen whether consumers will embrace the ultra-slim smartphone. Real-world battery and strength tests will show whether the model is able to meet the demands of the average user, and whether any compromises have been made. Regardless, for those wanting the latest and greatest (and slimmest) hardware available, the iPhone Air is hard to resist.