The iPhone Air doesn’t hold significance; it’s merely an experiment.
In a little less than ninety minutes, Apple unveiled its latest lineup of flagship smartphones, alongside substantial updates for various product categories. Perhaps the second-most noteworthy announcement was the launch of the iPhone Air, which seems to be Apple’s answer to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.
Personally, I’ve never been particularly interested in ultra-slim phones, as they often come with poor battery life and lack essential features. I have a feeling the same will apply to the iPhone Air, as the iPhone 17 Pro Max is more aligned with my preferences, especially now that Apple has introduced a brand new orange ink cartridge.
As the Apple event progressed, it became clear to me that the iPhone Air is not just a competitor to Samsung products. It also serves as a preliminary testing phase for something we’ve anticipated for years: a foldable iPhone.
The signs are clear
One aspect of the presentation that caught my attention was the explanation of design modifications. To create a phone this thin while still allowing Apple to market it as having “all-day battery,” components had to be repositioned. Hence, to make this feasible, Apple compacted all of the main components into the camera “plateau.”
And I’m not overstating this. The entire logic board of the iPhone Air is now located within the camera bar, all while accommodating both the front and rear cameras. What about the rest of the chassis? It essentially consists of a large, slim battery and a USB-C port.
So why is this important? If Apple intends to launch a foldable iPhone that isn’t immediately ridiculed, it must be slimmer than prior iPhone models — especially since Apple is late to the foldable phone scene.
Many speculations suggest Apple’s initial foldable phone will adopt a book-style design similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, rather than a flip model akin to the widely popular Razr 2025 series. Initially, I thought the opposite due to the nostalgic appeal and lower cost of flip phones, but the iPhone Air strongly reinforces the book-style conjectures.
To deliver a phone that is sleek, modern, and thin without excessive compromises, Apple had to reset its design approach. This likely influenced the choice to revamp the iPhone Pro lineup while also launching a brand-new device. Additionally, we were due for a real design refresh since previous versions had become outdated, even with the Titanium frame.
That being said, I can’t shake the feeling that the design of the iPhone Air foreshadows a future foldable device. If you were to tape two iPhone Airs together, standing side-by-side, it gives a strikingly good idea of what Apple’s first foldable might resemble. Naturally, that tape would be substituted with an innovative hinge that “only Apple could produce.” At least that’s the narrative we’ll be presented.
Even if that’s not the case, it’s undeniable that witnessing Apple’s ability to reinvent virtually every component to fit within such a slim phone is nothing short of remarkable. The iPhone Air (5.64mm) is lighter than the Galaxy S25 Edge (5.8mm), but not nearly as slender as the forthcoming Pixel 10 Pro Fold (5.2mm) or the Galaxy Z Fold 7 (4.2mm). However, an iPhone foldable could easily achieve that.
The iPhone Air is a commendable beginning for something bigger
Still, observing what Apple accomplished with the iPhone Air and its commitment of resources to create such a device makes me feel more optimistic about Apple’s future foldable phone. Recent leaks indicate it may be revealed this time next year, coinciding with the iPhone 18 series. Speculations also suggest it will fall between 4.5mm and 4.8mm in thickness, indicating Apple still has some work ahead, but the iPhone Air is certainly an encouraging start.
Android Central contributor and devoted thin-phone enthusiast, Brady Snyder, likely articulated the essence of the iPhone Air best: “The entire body of the iPhone Air is just the battery, and the camera bump actually contains the full logic board. That’s mind-blowing.”
Mind-blowing, indeed.
