Apple iPhone Air first impressions: Is the 5.6mm phone too thin?

Note: This article was first published on 10 September 2025.

The magic number is 5.6. That’s how thick the new iPhone Air is. Up until this point, the thinnest iPhone ever had been the 6.9mm thick iPhone 6 (which is the same time when Bendgate showed up). The new iPhone Air convincingly trumps that. It’s also thinner than Samsung’s ultra-thin phone, the Galaxy S25 Edge. Coincidence? I think not.

Unsurprisingly, the first thing that strikes you about the iPhone Air is how thin and light it is. It weighs 165g, which is considerably lighter than the Pro iPhones that I’m used to handling. However, it’s only 5g lighter than the iPhone 16. It comes in four finishes: Sky Blue, Light Gold, Cloud White, and Space Grey. To my eyes, Sky Blue is the most attractive.

The display is 6.5 inches, and it’s a high-quality Super Retina XDR display with a resolution of 2,736 x 1,260 pixels and a pixel density count of 460ppi. Crucially, it has a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, and it supports ProMotion, which means refresh rates of up to 120Hz. As you’d expect from a high-end Apple device, it looks fantastic.

To get the iPhone Air this thin and light, Apple had to employ clever engineering to ensure the user experience isn’t compromised. The frame is made of strong and light grade 5 titanium, and it uses many in-house components to ensure power consumption is kept to a minimum. Apple claims the iPhone Air has “all-day battery life” and that it’ll last up to 27 hours when watching videos. To put this figure into context, the new iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro can last up to 30 and 33 hours, respectively, when watching videos. It’ll be interesting to see how it holds up in real-world use.

Speaking of in-house components, the iPhone Air uses Apple’s own in-house designed cellular modem, the C1X, and networking chip, the N1. C1X is said to be an even more powerful and efficient version of the C1 used in the iPhone 16E, while N1 is Apple’s first custom wireless networking chip. N1 supports the latest in wireless technology, including Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread.

Inside, the iPhone Air is powered by the new A19 Pro chip. This isn’t quite the same as the one found in the Pro models. It has the same number of CPU cores – 6 – but makes do with one less GPU core – 5. In my very brief time with it, it feels just like any other iPhone, which is to say it’s fast and responsive. I’m very keen to see how it will cope with sustained use, and if thermal throttling will be an issue.

Sadly, there are some compromises. I’m saddened to learn that it only has speakers on one side, and I’m sure some will be bothered by its lack of a physical SIM card slot – it’s eSIM only. But perhaps the most significant compromise is that the iPhone Air only has a single camera. It’s a 48-megapixel Fusion camera, which means Apple is able to simulate focal lengths with it. They are 26mm, 28mm, 35mm, and 52mm.

Given that we are so used to phones with multiple cameras now, the iPhone Air’s single camera system might be the one thing that could turn people away. We’ll need more time to evaluate the camera to say for certain. As a long-time Pro iPhone user, I’m sure I’ll miss the telephoto camera at times.

However, I would also have to point out that the iPhone Air isn’t targeted at the same group of people who have always been opting for an iPhone Pro that delivers all of the best capabilities Apple has to pack. The Air is certainly a new option for those who don’t mind sacrificing certain attributes in exchange for a larger, slimmer and lighter phone, though dialling back to rely on just one camera might be cutting it too close to what might be perceived as acceptable.

Based on initial impressions, it’s hard not to be impressed by how thin and light the iPhone Air is. It fully deserves its name. That said, I’m very curious how its slim form factor will impact real-world use, whether it’s battery life will truly last an entire day, and if it’s possible to get used to its single camera system and not feel like you are missing out. For that, stay tuned for my full review.

Availability and pricing

The iPhone Air starts at S$1,599 for the 256GB version. Pre-order begins on 12 September, and the phone will go on sale on 19 September. It launches alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. To pre-order, head over here.

Here’s the complete pricing table for the iPhone Air: