Apple has introduced the 'iPhone Air,' its first-ever ultra-slim smartphone form factor. At just 5.6 mm thick, it's the thinnest iPhone to date. Despite its svelte design, it boasts a processor on par with the top-tier Pro models, delivering high performance and enhanced durability.
On September 9 (local time), Apple held an event at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, to launch a host of new products, including the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 series, Apple Watch 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and AirPods 3 Pro.
Ultra-Thin Design and Advanced Camera System
The iPhone Air achieves its remarkably thin 5.6 mm profile and lightweight feel while maintaining exceptional durability thanks to a Grade 5 titanium frame. The design cleverly maximizes battery space to extend the device's lifespan despite its reduced thickness.
The device features a 16.6 cm (6.5-inch) Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion technology, which offers a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz—a feature previously exclusive to Pro models. Other display innovations include an Always-On Display (AOD) and a peak brightness of 3000 nits.
Durability is a major focus, with a Ceramic Shield 2 front cover that's three times more scratch-resistant and has enhanced anti-reflective properties. For the first time, the back of the phone also features Ceramic Shield, which is now four times more resistant to breakage compared to its predecessor.
To achieve its slim form, the iPhone Air uses a single-lens camera. However, it introduces a new 48-megapixel Fusion Camera System that Apple claims delivers the performance of a four-lens setup. This system includes a custom main lens with popular 28mm and 35mm focal lengths, a large 2.0µm quad-pixel sensor with sensor-shift OIS, and 2x telephoto capability. An updated Photonic Engine ensures more true-to-life details and colors.
The front camera is a square sensor, a first for the iPhone, providing a wider field of view and up to 18-megapixel resolution. It also supports both portrait and landscape shooting without needing to physically rotate the phone. A new Center Stage feature uses AI to automatically expand the view and reorient the camera from portrait to landscape to keep all subjects in the frame during group selfies. Additionally, the front camera offers powerful video stabilization and Dual Capture, which records from both front and rear cameras simultaneously.
Video recording supports 4K Dolby Vision at 60fps, Action Mode, spatial audio, and enhanced noise reduction for wind and background sounds.
A19 Pro Chip and Optimized Power Efficiency
The iPhone Air is powered by Apple's custom-designed Apple Silicon chips, including the A19 Pro, N1, and C1X, which are designed for maximum power efficiency. The A19 Pro features a new 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU, which significantly boosts gaming performance. Each GPU core includes a Neural Accelerator, providing three times the peak GPU computing performance of the previous generation, making it ideal for running generative AI models.
Connectivity is handled by Apple's new N1 wireless networking chip, supporting Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. The new C1X cellular modem is two times faster and 30% more energy-efficient than its predecessor, the C1.
While the physical battery capacity is likely reduced to accommodate the thinner design, the new 'Adaptive Power Mode' in iOS 26 intelligently conserves battery life. This feature learns a user's habits and predicts when the battery might run low, adjusting power consumption accordingly to ensure it lasts all day.
The iPhone Air will ship with iOS 26, which includes the new Liquid Glass design, real-time translation, and a new Visual Intelligence system as part of the "Apple Intelligence" AI suite. iOS 26 will be available as a free software update on September 15 (Pacific Time).
The iPhone Air is available in Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, and Sky Blue, with storage options of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. Pricing starts at ₩1.59 million in South Korea.
Following its inclusion as a Tier 1 launch country last year, South Korea will again be among the first to get the new iPhone. Pre-orders begin at 9 PM on September 12 in over 63 countries and regions, including South Korea, Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Japan, the UK, the US, and Vietnam. In-store and online sales will start on September 19.
"The new iPhone Air is incredibly powerful yet unbelievably thin and light," said John Ternus, Apple's Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering. "It's a fantastic new addition to the iPhone lineup, packed with pro-level performance, the 48-megapixel Fusion Camera System, a Center Stage front camera, and outstanding battery life. This breakthrough design feels like the future in your hands."
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