Okay, so I’ve had some sleep to rest up (just a little) from the craziness of yesterday’s Apple Event, but also time to collect some thoughts on the iPhone Air (starting at $999) that I got to try out after the keynote. There’s no doubt in my mind that Apple has captured the same type of attention with the iPhone Air’s super-thin design as it did when Steve Jobs pulled out the original MacBook Air from a manila envelope. The iPhone Air is just so unbelievably thin—I felt like I could easily snap it in half (more on durability later)—and yet I couldn’t resist drooling like the hundreds of other members of the media, creators, and influencers fondling it at the Steve Jobs Theater.
See iPhone Air at Apple.com
First look at all four iPhone Air colors in hand. And the new $99 MagSafe Battery Pack for it and how it compares to the older Lightning MagSafe battery pack #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/tnaIGbhdgN — Ray Wong (@raywongy) September 9, 2025
I got to get up close and personal with all four colors of the iPhone Air. The “cloud white” and “space black” are my favorite; the latter reminds me of the “jet black” iPhone 7 that I adored. “Light gold” looks good and neutral, too. “Sky blue” is my least favorite; it’s just not my vibe, though it can look white or light gray at certain angles and under different lighting.
Despite having a 6.5-inch 120Hz “ProMotion” display that’s larger than the 6.3-inch screen that I’m used to on my iPhone 16 Pro, the 5.64mm thinness and 165g (5.82 ounces) made the footprint feel more compact than it objectively is. I brought along a Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge for comparison and the iPhone Air, despite being 0.16mm thinner feels skinnier because of its curved titanium frame that melts into the Ceramic Shield 2 front glass and matte Ceramic Shield backside glass. The S25 Edge’s boxier design and straight rails dig more into your palm and make the device look thicker.
iPhone Air thinned comparison with Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/BlujtA6wV1 — Ray Wong (@raywongy) September 9, 2025
I feel confident the iPhone Air can cut cake like the S25 Edge…
It’s clear that the iPhone Air is Apple’s new premium smartphone, at least in terms of design. Whereas the iPhone 17 and 17 Pros are more function over form than previous generation models, the iPhone Air looks the most jewelry-like with its polished titanium frame. That shiny finish does mean the metal gets covered in fingerprints fast, but it’s also a luxury aesthetic that Apple hasn’t used since the iPhone 14 Pros, which had polished stainless steel frames. Cover the iPhone Air in a case or Apple’s official bumper, and none of this matters. As a case hater, I appreciate the raw feel of the iPhone Air.
See iPhone Air at Apple.com
In terms of durability, while I did feel like I might snap the iPhone Air and Apple would have an iPhone 6 #bendgate situation all over again, the phone is surprisingly sturdy. I lightly pressed into the screen in the hands-on area, and it didn’t flex. Clearly, Apple made sure the structural design was solid.
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