Huawei’s Mate 70 Air stretches the meaning of “ultra-slim”
The Huawei Mate 70 Air isn’t quite as slim as it sounds.
Note: This article was first published on 10 November 2025.
The ultra-slim smartphone category is getting crowded with Huawei joining the fray with the new Mate 70 Air.
However, unlike its peers, Huawei’s take on an “Air” device brings a bit more heft than expected for a phone in this class. Measuring 6.6mm, the Mate 70 Air isn’t quite as slender as its rivals – the 5.6mm Apple iPhone Air, the 5.8mm Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, and the 5.99mm Motorola Edge 70. While it may lose out slightly in the thinness race, Huawei seems to be betting that users will value endurance and screen real estate over bragging rights for the thinnest frame.
To that end, Huawei compensates with impressive hardware. The Mate 70 Air packs a massive 7-inch AMOLED display and a whopping 6,500mAh battery – both of which outclass its rivals. For context, the iPhone Air sports a 6.5-inch display and a 3,149mAh battery, the Galaxy S25 Edge has a 6.7-inch screen with a 3,900mAh battery, and the Edge 70 comes with a 6.67-inch display paired with a 4,800mAh battery.
Under the hood, performance comes from Huawei’s in-house processors. The Mate 70 Air is powered by the Kirin 9020A for the 12GB RAM variant and the Kirin 920B for the higher-end 16GB model.
On the camera front, Huawei goes with a quad-camera setup featuring a 50MP f/1.8 main lens with OIS, a 12MP RYYB telephoto lens offering 3x optical zoom, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, and a 1.5MP colour sensor..
Rounding up the specs sheet are HarmonyOS 5.1, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.2 with LE, NFC, and reverse wireless charging at 5W.
While it may not win the “thinnest phone” title, the Huawei Mate 70 Air seems determined to prove that slim phones can still deliver a bigger battery capacity, larger screen, and a quad-camera rear setup – even if it means carrying a few extra millimetres.
Availability and Pricing
The Mate 70 Air is currently available for purchase in China through its official online store. Consumers can choose from three colour options: black, white, and a premium gold-and-white brocade finish. It is available in several configurations with different prices:
- 12GB/256GB: 4,199 yuan (~S$767)
- 12GB/512GB: 4,699 yuan (~S$858)
- 16GB/256GB: 4,699 yuan (~S$858)
- 16GB/512GB: 5,199 yuan (~S$950)
Source: Huawei