Apple Unveils Ultra-Thin iPhone Air with Titanium Frame

Lead: Apple revealed its new iPhone Air-the thinnest iPhone ever-yesterday at its Cupertino event, boasting a 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display, A19 Pro chip, and all-day battery life.

Nut Graf: Combining a breakthrough grade-5 titanium design, advanced camera systems, and Ceramic Shield front and back, the iPhone Air marks Apple’s most significant redesign in years and sets new standards for smartphone thinness and durability.

A Breakthrough Design

The iPhone Air measures just 5.6 mm thin and weighs under 166 g, thanks to a precision-milled titanium frame and an innovative internal layout that maximizes battery space. Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and Ceramic Shield on the back deliver up to 3x better scratch resistance and 4x better crack resistance than previous models. An Action button offers quick access to customizable functions, while Camera Control launches the camera or enables visual intelligence with a single press.

Pro-Level Performance

Powered by Apple’s A19 Pro chip, the iPhone Air features a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU with integrated Neural Accelerators, delivering the fastest CPU performance in any smartphone and up to 3x peak GPU compute over its predecessor. The new N1 networking chip adds Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread support, while the C1X modem provides cellular speeds up to 2x faster than the prior generation modem with 30 percent greater energy efficiency.

Innovative Camera Systems

  • Rear: 48 MP Fusion Main camera offering the equivalent of four lenses and 4K Dolby Vision HDR recording.
  • Front: 18 MP Center Stage camera with a square sensor for seamless landscape and portrait selfies, ultra-stabilized 4K HDR video, and Dual Capture mode to record front and rear video simultaneously.

All-Day Battery Life

Thanks to its high-density battery, internal architecture optimizations, and software tuning in iOS 26-featuring Adaptive Power Mode-the iPhone Air delivers all-day battery life, rivaling larger-profile models despite its slim build.

Availability and Pricing

Pre-orders open September 12, with availability beginning September 19. The base 256 GB model starts at $999, with 512 GB and 1 TB configurations priced at $1,199 and $1,399, respectively. It will be offered in space black, cloud white, light gold, and sky blue finishes.

“iPhone Air is a brand-new member of the iPhone family that delivers advanced features our users will love-all in a breakthrough design that feels like you’re holding the future,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering.

Context and Market Reaction

Unveiled at Apple’s annual hardware showcase in Cupertino, the iPhone Air stands out as the marquee announcement amid broader lineup updates, including the iPhone 17 series and new Apple Watches. Analysts believe the thin profile and premium materials underscore Apple’s focus on design innovation to distinguish its products in a competitive smartphone market.

  • Pre-orders start September 12
  • In-store availability from September 19
  • Starting price: $999 (256 GB)