Apple unveils “impossibly thin” iPhone Air, costs $1229
As expected, Apple unveiled four new iPhones at its keynote event, including the all-new iPhone Air. At just 5.6 mm thick, it is the thinnest iPhone yet. In addition to being thin, it is also very expensive.
Made of 80% recycled titanium, for extra strength, and just 5.6 millimeters thin, the iPhone Air is the most striking iPhone in years. At 6.5 inches, the screen sits between an iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max and is protected by the new Ceramic Shield 2 that is four times more resistant to cracking and three times more scratch-resistant than the first generation Ceramic Shield.
Apple has had to (re)design quite a few components to make the iPhone Air as energy efficient as possible. For example, there's the updated Apple A19 Pro chip that uses less power in addition to being faster. In addition, there is a new proprietary modem; the C1X. This succeeds the first proprietary modem after only six months; the Apple C1.
Apple claims day-long usage anyway
In addition, the Apple iPhone Air is the first to contain the Apple N1 chip responsible for handling WiFi, Bluetooth and Thread. And through an updated power management system called Adaptive Power Mode, Apple still promises one-day battery life, despite the undoubtedly small built-in battery. For this, even the physical SIM card had to give way; the device is eSIM-only.
Center Stage selfie camera
The single camera is equipped with a 48MP sensor, making it large enough to zoom in up to 2x. Your photos will be 12MP in size but Apple still promises plenty of detail and color. Up front is an 18MP selfie camera that Apple calls Center Stage Front Camera for the occasion. Because it is equipped with a larger square sensor, it doesn't matter how you hold your iPhone, it always delivers high resolution.
Apple is releasing the iPhone Air in four colors; sky blue, light gold, cloud white and space black. Memory starts at 256GB and goes up to 1TB. The cheapest version will cost you $1229, the most expensive $1729. Especially for the Air, Apple is releasing matching accessories including a thinner MagSafe battery and, of course, several cases including an extra-thin clear case and a bumper case.
Preorder available starting Friday
Pre-orders open on Friday, September 12, with delivery scheduled for Friday, September 19. As is customary with new iPhones, this one comes with three months of Apple TV+, three months of Apple Music, and three months of Apple Arcade.
