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iPhone Air First Look: Apple's Thinnest iPhone Feels Premium

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Apple introduced the super thin iPhone Air today, and MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera was able to test it out after Apple's event. He shared some initial thoughts, giving us a first look at the device in the real world.


Unsurprisingly, the iPhone Air is indeed "Awe Dropping" at first touch just because it's so lightweight and thin in the hand despite the 6.5-inch display. Even though it's light, it still feels like a premium device, which is expected at the $999 price point. The iPhone Air is 5.6mm thick, which makes it the thinnest iPhone to date, and it weighs 165 grams.

Apple added a new 18-megapixel front-facing camera that has a square sensor, so you can get more into the field of view. It's useful for group selfies and video calls.

There's a camera "plateau" at the back of the iPhone Air for the single-lens 48-megapixel rear camera. According to Apple, that area holds the front-facing camera, rear-facing camera, and some other hardware, enabling the thin design. The frame is titanium, and Apple says it won't bend. The OLED display offers 120Hz ProMotion refresh rates.

Other features include Face ID, Camera Control, and an Action button.

Apple added a custom N1 networking chip for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, a new C1X modem, and the A19 Pro chip to optimize battery life. The iPhone Air battery lasts for up to 27 hours when watching videos, and you can extend that if you pay another $99 for a MagSafe battery pack. The other iPhone 17 models have longer battery life, but the iPhone Air does have a better battery than the prior-generation iPhone 16.

The iPhone Air will be available for pre-order this Friday, and it'll launch on the 19th.

Article Link: iPhone Air First Look: Apple's Thinnest iPhone Feels Premium
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/09/09/iphone-17-air-hands-on/
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I have to admit, I'm mostly impressed by the design of the iPhone Air. I think it looks really good. However, we Europeans are getting screwed again with that €1229 price tag, especially considering the euro is stronger than the dollar. I’ll need to see it in the Apple Store first before placing my order.
 
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He calls it gorgeous and awe dropping but I'm struggling to see that. It looks like a minimalist iPhone with a tumor on the back. I prefer the Pixel style where the camera band is a different color than the rest of the body so the camera stands out less

Edit: Disagree all you want 🤣. For $999 and no mmWave they could have swung harder to knock it out the park.
 
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if it sells well,

my guess is that they are going to stop releasing non pro and non air iPhones every year.



because they successfully raised the price (air) as a new category while reducing the overall cost of the phone


so they wont want to sell regular, non air, non pro iPhones anymore.


e.g. next year


iPhone 18 pro
iPhone air "2"

iPhone 16e
 
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Reactions: TheMountainLife
Look I think it's cool.. I guess I don't understand the tiering of the phones. Is this just to appeal to those that want form factor? I guess what I am saying is, why not get the pro.. do we need an air phone? Does it really fill in some gap that was in the lineup previously? Obviously its not for me - it's pretty though.. I'll give it that.
 
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Personally I feel like it is a pointless product with the huge camera bump. But that is just me. I dont care for the bump on any of the lineupS for ages. But bragging about how thin your phone is, when actually it looks 2x to 3x thicker than the number you conveniently measure for your marketing team you is just stupid. Does anyone know the measurement for the thickest part of the phone?
 
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Reactions: attila, idrewuk, flybass and 6 others
I guess the days of Apple coming out with something later excuse with something better is over.
The S25 EDGE beats it. 5.65mm vs 5.8mm. 163gm vs 165gms. 6.7 I inch vs 6.5 inch. One camera vs 2.
Apple is rumored to be coming out with a fold, flip, ring etc. Samsung has them. Now.
Apple is being left behind. Sad really. They used to be good.
 
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Reactions: crawfish963, Stormshadow, McWetty and 17 others
The title of this is a little odd to me. Everything apple does, even going back to the iPhone 5C and before, feels premium. They are known for producing products that feel expensive. So proclaiming that the Air is premium seems obvious.
 
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It’s very impressive. Definitely getting the air. The Pro looks more and more for the professional photographer and videographer and less for the hobbyist. All I cared about was getting a decent camera and the 120 Hz display. I don’t need that battery life or 3 48MP Fusion cameras. 1 will do.

So happy to trade all those extras for a thin and light design.
 
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magicschoolbus said:
Look I think it's cool.. I guess I don't understand the tiering of the phones. Is this just to appeal to those that want form factor? I guess what I am saying is, why not get the pro.. do we need an air phone? Does it really fill in some gap that was in the lineup previously? Obviously its not for me - it's pretty though.. I'll give it that.
Click to expand...
The pro models are much thicker and heavier. My 16PM feels like a brick sometimes and the new models are even bulkier.

There are probably too many compromises this year for me (e.g. one speaker, usb 2, no mmWave) but a second generation model that addresses those concerns and maybe adds in the macro camera from the regular model would be a killer phone and way more appealing than this year’s pro.

The camera bar still brings the ick but the 17 Air in cloud white with polished titanium looks way better than I thought it would and makes the clunky pro design look terrible in comparison. Still embarrassing to ape the pixel’s design but c’est la vie.
 
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doach said:
I guess the days of Apple coming out with something later excuse with something better is over.
The S25 EDGE beats it. 5.65mm vs 5.8mm. 163gm vs 165gms. 6.7 I inch vs 6.5 inch. One camera vs 2.
Apple is rumored to be coming out with a fold, flip, ring etc. Samsung has them. Now.
Apple is being left behind. Sad really. They used to be good.
Click to expand...
One more camera we'd be having a totally different conversation.
 
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doach said:
I guess the days of Apple coming out with something later excuse with something better is over.
The S25 EDGE beats it. 5.65mm vs 5.8mm. 163gm vs 165gms. 6.7 I inch vs 6.5 inch. One camera vs 2.
Apple is rumored to be coming out with a fold, flip, ring etc. Samsung has them. Now.
Apple is being left behind. Sad really. They used to be good.
Click to expand...
You do not have to be first, because that "new, revolutionary product" is already on the market.
... you just need to be better than others. So maybe step two will be it.
 
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kepler20b said:
if it sells well,

my guess is that they are going to stop releasing non pro and non air iPhones every year.



because they successfully raised the price (air) as a new category while reducing the overall cost of the phone


so they wont want to sell regular, non air, non pro iPhones anymore.


e.g. next year


iPhone 18 pro
iPhone air "2"

iPhone 16e
Click to expand...
You’re forgetting iPhone “fold” but the stream line lineup sounds better. I doubt that will be the case though.
 
doach said:
I guess the days of Apple coming out with something later excuse with something better is over.
The S25 EDGE beats it. 5.65mm vs 5.8mm. 163gm vs 165gms. 6.7 I inch vs 6.5 inch. One camera vs 2.
Apple is rumored to be coming out with a fold, flip, ring etc. Samsung has them. Now.
Apple is being left behind. Sad really. They used to be good.
Click to expand...
I have no interest in using Android.
 
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