from iPhone 17 series launch event Earlier this week with The most powerful iPhone – Thinest. At 5.6 mm, or less than a quarter of an inch iPhone Air Stealed the show. Even if it is far from the first mainstream “Thin Phone”, it may start the trend in the next few years.
The mobile industry has a long-term sentiment on Apple’s impact on phone trends: Once iPhone manufacturers make strong design choices, other companies will follow. In 2007, the company made its debut Original iPhone (and others followed the front glass touchscreen design), when the iPad debuted to popularize the tablet format, sadly it was right when it got rid of the headphone jack.
Therefore, the biggest question is: Will iPhone air become the mainstream of thin mobile phones? CNET Senior Tech Reporter Abrar al-Heeti said he was launching events at Apple’s headquarters, with new, with new, Slim iPhone. But now, the skinny phone niche is being strengthened by brands with some of the most loyal fans.
“Apple doesn’t necessarily set trends with iPhone Air, because so many phone manufacturers have developed thin phones,” Al-Heeti said. “But this could legalize the form for those who want thin phones and swear allegiance to Apple’s products.”
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There are two reasons why apples lose weight iPhone. The most obvious thing is: the company believes that consumers want one. When Samsung debuted, it wasn’t alone Galaxy S25 Edge Earlier this year. We are still waiting for official sales to see if buyers are eager to choose a 5.8mm phone among its 7.2mm and S25 series siblings thicker. Leaked information indicates insufficient sales electronicbut Al-Heeti discovered, “I’m so used to its tiny, lightweight design that holding other phones feels like resistance.”
The iPhone Air is the largest iPhone redesign in some time, and from the amount of X-ray luminescence of Apple on new devices during the launch event, Apple performed some technical wizards by tucking all the chips and hardware into the top of the phone to implement its 5.6mm profile. Aesthetically, it’s a new page in the company’s product book and a way for Apple to attract another customer, said Nabila Popal, senior director of the data and analysis team at International Data Corporation.
“The iPhone Air is Apple’s thinnest phone and the boldest design move since the iPhone X,” Popal said. “It will attract users who like leek aesthetics, and the professional lineup will give most users priority to battery and camera performance.”
The analysts I spoke with the analyst agreed that the iPhone Air could be used for some purposes, from replacing the iPhone 16 Plus’ better choice in Apple’s lineup to being a showcase device as the company’s emerging technology (such as its internal C1X modem and N1 connectivity chip). But they also delayed the idea that iPhone air will open the floodgates of thinner phones.
“I think we know thin phones will be coming,” said Anshel Sag, chief analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy.
What role does the iPhone play in the air?
so far Standard iPhone 17 and Galaxy S25 siblings. They are novelty of name change, perhaps reaching the right time without other innovations.
David Naranjo, deputy director of research at Counterpoint, said the iPhone generation is not enough to introduce breakthrough specifications, but more about cleverly rearranging the price boards and distinguishing the design differences of each layer.
“The iPhone Air is a wildcard – if it resonates, Apple expands the middle quality middle cards and improves the margin mix without the need for a professional-grade camera on the entire step,” Naranjo said.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, another incredible thin phone.
The 48-megapixel camera on the back of the iPhone air is its biggest obvious flaw. (We’ll wait for our full review to see how other factors do battery life and performance measurements.) Starting at $999, it has a similar solo camera setup, with $599 iPhone 16e. Even the Galaxy S25 edge manages to retain the super rear camera. Obviously, what you want to lose weight is the price you have to pay.
“I just think this really thin phone will make a lot of compromises, whether it’s battery capacity or camera configuration, which I hope will be resolved over time,” SAG said. “Like we see on the foldable.”
SAG is bullish, air sales are unusually good and thinks its camera and battery capabilities will improve over time. In some ways it’s still the first generation device, and air devices in later years may manage to fill up with more camera and battery capacity.
Apple noted the same design constraints as other phone manufacturers in the past that tried to make thin phones, noted Avi Greengart, president and chief analyst at Techspontential. He pointed to modularity Motorola Moto Z The company launched in 2016 and it itself is 5.2mm thick, but requires its magnetic battery attachment to be sandwiched in the back to add a lot: “Without that accessory, the Moto Z is too damaged and doesn’t sell well,” Greengart said.
Apple sells MagSafe battery accessories for iPhone Air.
Battery life has always been a major concern for thin phones. Losing space inside the phone means something must be given and assumed is the battery capacity. Although they have the same size screen, Galaxy S25 Plus With a 4,900 mAh battery, while the thin Galaxy S25 has 3,900 mAh edges. As for its part, Apple does not have the details of sharing capabilities. But during the iPhone 17 launch, the company promised that the iPhone Air would have all-day battery life…and then immediately introduced the MagSafe charging bag. This made the audience’s media laugh.
Whether iPhone Air is sold in quality or not, it opens up opportunities for Apple – not only for a new subset of customers, but for anything Apple may be developing. IDC’s Popal clearly states that the design of thinner phones paves the “way to iPhones that may be foldable next year.” she is Not one person thought.
“I think many of these thin phones are an engineering exercise that can achieve a better folding style,” Sag said.
Does iPhone Air summarize the basic work of iPhone flip?
Apple has been reportedly developing foldable iPhones, sometimes called iPhone flipas it may have been before the Covid-19 pandemic that began in 1920. While the first foldable phone of that year debuted from Samsung and Motorola, they were in rough shape, but subsequent iterations over the years added their durability and functionality. While leaks and rumors suggest that Apple has been working to implement its own folding device, some of the early reports claiming that it is not possible to reduce creases on the screen (where it folds) delayed release.
iPhone air seen from the side. Please note that the camera where most phone hardware is located is bumpy.
Aside from screen technology, iPhone Air does look like a stepping stone to the iPhone flip, and there are rumors that it is a foldable folding style like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7. Z Flip 6 disassemblythe lower half of the device is essentially just a larger battery pack (the smaller one paired with the chip and the most hardware in the first half).
Reducing the iPhone’s air to 5.6mm thick is also important to ensure that the folded iPhone is not too bulky to flip. Recent books folding shelves released this year are thinner than ever: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is only 8.9mm when folded (or 4.2mm when expanded), while Oppo finds N5 When folded, it is about 8.93 mm thick (or 4.21 mm when opened). Even the Google Pixel 10 Pro is not much thicker when folded (or 5.2mm when expanded).
So Apple has good reason to reduce the thickness of its iPhone, even if sales have not taken off for the first-generation iPhone Air. But besides making a saleable product through R&D milestones, it is also an experiment to see if consumers are attracted to consumers just because of their thinness.
“Apple bets on advanced materials, ESIM and more effective silicon now make the smartphone experience enough to allow consumers’ emotional decisions to take over,” said Greengart of TechSponential. “Ultra-thin, ultra-intensive phones like the iPhone Air and Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge feel very good.”
