• Source:JND
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Apple unveiled its latest addition to the smartphone family on Wednesday at its Awe Dropping event in California — the new iPhone Air. Set as a successor to the previous generation’s iPhone 16 Plus, the iPhone Air is aimed to not just be another plus-sized model, but a redesigned centerpiece focused on thinness, power, and the future of connections. Barely-there industrial design and top-drawer innards makes the iPhone Air Apple’s first real stab at a super-thin flagship, and it’s a straight-up rival for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.

Design: Slimmest iPhone Ever

Apple has always been a big driver of industrial design, and The iPhone Air continues that tradition. Measuring a mere 5.6mm, it’s now the thinnest iPhone ever produced by a wide margin and notably slimmer than the iPhone 17 and its Pro kin. The tool is made of 80% recycled titanium, proving that sustainability and strength can go hand-in-hand.

For the first time, Apple has applied Ceramic Shield 2 protection to the front and back, boasting four times the resistance to cracking compared with the previous generation. While ultra-slim in your hand (and pocket), the iPhone Air remains untouchable in how tough it is, making it sleek and durable.

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Display: Bigger and Brighter

The iPhone Air gets a 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with ProMotion support (10–120Hz variable refresh rate). Similar to the iPhone 17 lineup, it has 3,000 nits peak brightness which makes it perfect for outdoors, HDR streaming or gaming. In conjunction with the thinner body, the screen gives an IRR experience that feels even more immersive.

Performance: A19 Pro Chip and N1 Connectivity

Under the bonnet, the iPhone Air houses the A19 Pro SoC chip, the same powerhouse processor you will see in the iPhone 17 Pro versions. The chip houses a six-core CPU, six-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine optimised for performance-intensive processes and on-device Apple Intelligence operations.

  • Second-generation Dynamic Caching accelerates real-time performance of even the most demanding apps and games.
  • Common image compression contributes to clearer images and less workload of processing.

Apple is also introducing its new N1 chip in the iPhone Air. This co-processor manages Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread protocol support; this keeps the iPhone Air poised for the future when it can support a smart home. The device also features the C1X modem which is theoretically twice as fast as the C1 iPhone 16e modem and with lower power consumption.

Cameras: Familiar but Reliable

No shortage of optics happening here for the iPhone Air. It makes the 48MP Fusion main camera (f/1.6 aperture, sensor-shift OIS, 2X telephoto zoom) of the iPhone 17 line more affordable. It lacks the periscope zoom of the Pro Max, but this configuration is still versatile in most shooting conditions.

There’s an 18MP Centre Stage-enabled selfie camera on the front of the iPad, helping to keep video calls smooth, plus dynamic framing during FaceTime.

Apple Intelligence and iOS 26

Powered by iOS 26, the iPhone Air is Apple Intelligence compatible, a series of artificial intelligent features Apple announced earlier this year. Offering features from realtime translations and contextual reminders to AI-driven photo editing, the iPhone Air harnesses the power of the Neural Engine to provide an intelligent, privacy-led user experience.

Battery Life and Charging

Apple has yet to confirm the iPhone Air’s battery size, but says it offers “all-day battery life”. Users can expect based on official figures:

  • Up to 27 hours of video playback.
  • 50% charge in just 30 minutes with fast charging.

They’re not very high numbers, and this may even be something Apple is taking into account, but it seems as though the 11in version has superb battery life —even by ultralight standards- but even so, it looks as though Apple has found a careful balance between thickness and staying power.

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iPhone Air Price and Availability in India

The iPhone Air comes at a premium, reflecting its design-first philosophy:

  • The pricing starts at Rs. 1,19,900 for the base variant of 256GB.
  • Colours: Sky Blue, Light Gold, Cloud White, and Space Black.
  • Pre-orders open September 12, with deliveries starting September 19 worldwide, including India.

Final Thoughts

The iPhone Air is among the most exciting products on Apple’s January 2025 lineup. By marrying the simple raw power of the iPhone 17 Pro’s internals into a super thin, futuristic form, Apple isn’t just targeting the people who want the best performance — it’s going after those that want the thinnest premium flagship money can buy.

At $999, it’s definitively a premium device, but for those who appreciate design and the latest tech, the iPhone Air might well be the most lust-worthy iPhone in years.