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Title: Welcome to the era of thin smartphones (whether you want it or not)

Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:07:29 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/w...

We knew it was coming, and now itΓÇÖs here. The iPhone Air, as rumored, is
only 5.6mm thick and has fewer features than the base iPhone 17, which is
$200 cheaper. Sure, itΓÇÖs not the first slimline reinterpretation of a major
smartphone ΓÇö Samsung beat Apple to the punch with the Galaxy S25 Edge
earlier this year ΓÇö but the influence of Apple canΓÇÖt be underestimated.
ItΓÇÖs too early to tell if the iPhone Air will shake up smartphones as the
MacBook Air did with laptops, but itΓÇÖs definitely a safer evolution. And
hey, perhaps the iPhone Air is merely a pit-stop on the way to the first
Apple foldable.

LetΓÇÖs go back to 2008. With the MacBook Air, Apple ditched the optical disc
drive and many ports, leading to a device that was so thin Steve Jobs pulled
it out of a manila envelope when he first revealed it. The first MBA had some
issues; it was underpowered, used a tiny and slow hard drive and battery life
was pretty awful. But Apple refined the formula, which led to countless
slimmed-down laptops and even a new category, the ultraportable.

Sadly, Apple didnΓÇÖt figure out an equally iconic way to reveal its super
slim iPhone. In fact, it dropped it in a carefully prepared marketing video,
presumably in a bid to show off how confident it is with the hardiness of the
iPhone Air. But it felt like Apple trying to assuage durability fears in a
way that doesn't really work, since this was just part of a carefully-
manicured marketing promotion.

ThatΓÇÖs one of two concerns for thinner phones: durability. AppleΓÇÖs iPhone
Air has a frame made from recycled titanium ΓÇô previously an iPhone Pro
feature. The Air also has the company's Ceramic Shield, which Apple says is
now 3x more scratch-resistant than past versions. It feels like Apple has
engineered a phone less likely to get damaged. And of course, the company is
happy to offer a super-slim 1mm case for the paranoid among us.

The other concern is battery life. A slimmer profile in a smartphone means
less space for the battery. Apple claims that the iPhone AirΓÇÖs internal
architecture ΓÇ£maximizes space for the battery,ΓÇ¥ but the company doesnΓÇÖt
share specific battery capacity figures. Regardless, Apple says the iPhone
Air will deliver ΓÇ£all-day battery life,ΓÇ¥ which remains hugely subjective.

Apple also announced a new $99 MagSafe charging pack to ensure the iPhone Air
can play back video for up to 40 hours. But that charging puck seems even
thicker than the camera unit ΓÇö with the two devices combined, that's no
longer a superthin smartphone, it's an iPhone 17 with one camera. The fact
that it exists at all should give people pause about the AirΓÇÖs longevity.

Apple

Also: that big old camera module. SamsungΓÇÖs S25 Edge has a 5.8mm thick
body, but if you count the camera, it's closer to 10mm. The iPhone Air is
thinner than the S25 Edge, at 5.6mm. But the camera ΓÇ£plateauΓÇ¥ adds a
significant width on top of that, although Apple hasnΓÇÖt said just how thick
it is. Judging by images, it could be almost twice as thick as the iPhone
AirΓÇÖs body alone.

Compared to the MacBook Air, the iPhone Air is unlikely to shake up the world
of smartphones. While packed with tech upgrades, thereΓÇÖs nothing
revolutionary. For example, the iPhone Air still has a USB-C port ΓÇô early
rumors suggested it might ditch all ports for wireless connections and
charging. That single camera will probably take great photos, but the utility
may be limited without a dedicated telephoto lens ΓÇö a point I've been
emphasizing. SamsungΓÇÖs S25 Edge attempted to address that with a 200-
megapixel camera, allowing for substantial digital zoom by cropping in.

Despite these potential pitfalls, IΓÇÖm intrigued to see how the iPhone Air
fares. IΓÇÖve often returned to SamsungΓÇÖs Galaxy S25 Edge, simply because
of the lighter, slimmer profile. The weaknesses of slimmer smartphones IΓÇÖve
outlined here didnΓÇÖt result in a bad phone. Like Sam Rutherford put in his
review, the S25 Edge is arguably a better phone than the S25+.

Are people desperate for a thinner smartphone? The $999 iPhone Air is
cleverly priced between the base iPhone 17 ($799) and the iPhone 17 Pro
($1,099), and the lack of a plus model just might push people towards the
Air.

I think thereΓÇÖs a place for the iPhone Air. ItΓÇÖs lighter, itΓÇÖll fit in
pockets better and itΓÇÖll have all the features of iOS 26 at a time when new
functionality has shifted from hardware to software. Apple has attempted to
address many of the concerns with superslim phones, but the true test of
battery longevity and durability will come with a few months of use.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/w...
smartphones-whether-you-want-it-or-not-150729169.html?src=rss

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