Decided to offer us one thing new to speak about, Apple has introduced its ultra-thin iPhone Air. It’s simply 5.6mm thick with a 6.5-inch ProMotion show, a 48-megapixel twin digicam, a selfie digicam that helps Middle Stage, and an add-on MagSafe battery. Amongst different issues.
We requested the employees of The Verge for his or her first impressions of the iPhone Air. We’ll run a full evaluate of the cellphone, in fact, however listed here are some emotions concerning the cellphone from our employees.
Preorders for the iPhone Air start on Friday, September twelfth, and it ships on September nineteenth.
Would you like an ultra-slim iPhone?
The iPhone 17 Air is skinny and beautiful. My iPhone 15 Professional isn’t fairly as skinny, but it surely’s additionally titanium — solely I’d by no means know as a result of it’s all the time inside a thick plastic prophylactic. Except your Air will stay dangerously with no case, you’re most likely higher off with an iPhone 17 or 17 Pro. In any other case, you’ll have hassle remembering why you opted for the Air’s worse battery when you find yourself doubling its thickness with that $99 MagSafe Air battery Apple simply occurred to announce at present. — Thomas Ricker, deputy editor
And it weighs solely 5.8 ounces…
My private cellphone continues to be a Pixel 6 (sure, I do know, I are inclined to postpone these upgrades), which weighs roughly 7.3 ounces by itself and virtually 9 ounces with the relatively rugged case I’ve on it (I’m not solely a procrastinator, however I’m nervous about breaking it). Which implies that each time I drop it into my pocket, it pulls my pants down barely. Having a cellphone this light-weight can be beautiful — though it wouldn’t be fairly as light-weight when you added the additional battery (see Thomas’ remark above). —Barbara Krasnoff, evaluations editor
We’ve been by means of this routine earlier than, Apple.
I simply don’t perceive why Apple goes again to worshipping on the altar of thinness. Between the iPhone Air and Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge, I’m not liking this potential pattern for telephones. It actually makes little sense to me when most individuals need telephones with long-lasting batteries. It’s much more asinine when you think about that, not way back, Apple compromised its MacBooks so severely within the pursuit of thinness that the fraught keyboards failed. (Keep in mind the category motion lawsuit that cost Apple $50 million?) Apple turned issues round by making its MacBooks thicker once more and was heralded for it, and now each MacBook within the lineup has a very good keyboard and a battery that simply lasts an entire day or extra. Why are we doing this song-and-dance once more? —Antonio G. Di Benedetto, reviewer
I like thicc iPhones as a result of they offer me lengthy battery life. That’s why I’ve been shopping for the iPhone Professional Max for the previous… properly, since they launched. Apple says the iPhone Air will provide “all-day battery life,” however my present iPhone 16 Professional Max doesn’t get me by means of an entire day anymore. There’s simply no manner this does. In all probability gained’t even get me by means of brunch. However I do know what’s going to occur. I’m going to see one. Then I’m going to need it. After which I’m going to purchase the battery pack. And I gained’t care about battery life anymore. In all probability. —Todd Haselton, deputy editor, evaluations and commerce
Apple claims 40 hours of video playback — with its battery pack.
I used to be going to say that video playback time is such a foolish metric for cellphone battery life, and that that’s not the primary factor folks do with their telephones. However perhaps it’s now! Outdated man yells at cloud: it shouldn’t be. However past that, it’s so humorous to make a slim cellphone, make a $99 battery pack that’s solely appropriate with that cellphone, then base your battery life declare on how lengthy it lasts with the battery connected. That’s like breakfast cereals placing the “with a cup of two% milk” column within the diet label. —Nathan Edwards, senior evaluations editor
It boasts a 6.5-inch display.
I want to wrap my meaty ogre arms round bigger telephones, so I used to be fairly bummed to listen to that Apple ditched the Plus model of its base iPhone 17. I assume the larger display on the iPhone Air fills that spot spiritually, but when I had to decide on, I’m extra enticed by the extra options (and beautiful orange shade) accessible on the 17 Pro Max. I’m certain the thin, light-weight Air mannequin will sway people who find themselves sick of lugging a brick round, nevertheless. —Jess Weatherbed, information author
A Pixel-style digicam bump
As somebody who hasn’t upgraded to a model new cellphone in a number of years, I’m simply unsure if I may get used to the look — or really feel – of a protruding, pill-shaped digicam bar on the again of my cellphone. In contrast to the digicam bump on the Google Pixel 10, Apple places a single “twin fusion” digicam into the bar, leaving only a single black lens that stands out in opposition to the remainder of the cellphone. It’s onerous for me to take a look at it with out occupied with Cyclops’ visor. —Emma Roth, information author
That Sky Blue shade is wonderful.
I cherished the Sky Blue on Apple’s M4 MacBook Airs, and I feel it appears to be like actually good on the iPhone Air. Is the colour sufficient for me to select the Air over one other mannequin? The Execs have extra of what I’m on the lookout for by way of options, however after I see the Sky Blue for myself, we’ll see if I’m tempted. —Jay Peters, senior reporter
Apple known as it a chunk of the longer term…. Is it?
My galaxy-brained take concerning the Air is that it truly incorporates plenty of secrets and techniques for the way forward for Apple. Execs spent so lengthy speaking concerning the materials design, the work required to make the cellphone sturdy and durable, no matter “Ceramic Protect 2” is, and a lot extra. This can be a little bit concerning the iPhone Air. It’s additionally all the stuff you’ll want to do with a purpose to make telephones that flip, or fold, or do any of the opposite creative issues different corporations are already doing with telephones. Its legacy may find yourself like the unique MacBook Professional, which was a flawed laptop however bundled the first-generation variations of plenty of actually necessary expertise.
I don’t suppose “barely thinner iPhone with a single digicam and an enormous digicam bump” is the longer term. However a few of the stuff contained in the Air? In all probability is. – David Pierce, Editor at Giant
The proof of Apple’s foldable future may lie within the plateau
Apple confirmed an X-ray picture of the iPhone Air’s new “plateau,” which looks as if only a digicam bump however is de facto greater than that. Apple squeezed in its digicam, a speaker, plus its silicon — successfully the entire guts of the iPhone Air, save its battery. I feel it’s simple to level a finger at it and say, “Hey, I may see how this innovation would actually turn out to be useful with a foldable cellphone.”
If rumors of Apple’s foldable iPhone ever come to fruition, having the ability to compartmentalize the componentry, emphasizing a skinny design whereas leaving as a lot house for a battery as doable, appears extremely important to its success. I agree with David — I do know we’re presupposed to be speaking concerning the iPhone Air right here, but it surely’s onerous not to consider the way forward for the iPhone after I take a look at it. —Cameron Faulkner, commerce editor