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Apple CEO Tim Cook appeared to be channeling his predecessor and design visionary Steve Jobs on Tuesday when unveiling the iPhone Air, the thinnest model the company has ever released and the most significant update in eight years for a lineup many believed was stagnant.
He began the company’s annual product launch event at its Cupertino headquarters in California with a quote from Jobs: “For us, design goes beyond just how something looks or feels. Design is also how it works.”
The iPhone Air is encased in a remarkably slim 5.6 mm (0.22 inch) chassis, making it even thinner than Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge at 5.8 mm. Inside, the circuitry has been miniaturized to the size of a few postage stamps, supporting Apple’s claim of providing “all-day battery life.”
Initially, many industry experts expected a dull and predictable announcement, but some noted that the new models—Air, 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max—are likely to appeal to a broad range of consumers with different budgets.
Share prices for Apple have stagnated, down 6.4% so far in 2025, in contrast to double-digit gains posted by tech giants like Microsoft and Nvidia. The company’s current market value stands at $3.5 trillion, ranking it as the third most valuable company on the S&P 500, behind those two.
Questions remain about whether the new phone will meet its battery capacity promises and if consumers will accept losing a camera on the Air model. The device will feature Apple’s latest A19 Pro processor, optimized for AI tasks, along with two new custom communications chips.
“The crowd responded with applause as soon as it was announced,” said Gaurav Chaudhary, a YouTuber with nearly 24 million followers known as “Technical Guruji.” He praised the Air’s titanium frame and ceramic shield glass, which Apple claims makes the phone more durable.
Chaudhary admitted that despite leaks revealing many details beforehand, he was still impressed after handling the phone at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino. However, he remains eager to verify if the battery life claims hold up under real-world use.
Seventeen years ago, Steve Jobs famously introduced the original MacBook Air by pulling an ultra-thin laptop out of an interoffice envelope, emphasizing its portability. The new iPhone Air, bearing its name and design cues from that laptop, might fulfill what Apple fans have been longing for: a unique device that combines innovative hardware design with distinctiveness from competitors.
“Amidst a market where many products look alike, it’s exciting to see Apple introducing something new,” said Paolo Pescatore, a tech analyst at PP Foresight. “It reinvigorates the entire iPhone segment.”
However, the Air drops from the lineup with only one camera, compared to two on the standard iPhone 17 and three on the Pro models. Some technologists caution that whether it can truly deliver on its battery life promises will be a critical factor for sales.
Apple’s custom chips—including the new A19 Pro—are expected to aid efficiency, given the company’s decade-long focus on designing chips that prioritize energy savings and smaller sizes.
While the event did not showcase artificial intelligence innovations—unlike competitors such as Google’s Gemini AI—the new iPhone could still drive significant upgrades, especially during the holiday season.
Market watchers believe the iPhone Air could help Apple regain ground in China, where it has lost market share to thinner and less expensive rivals. Nevertheless, concerns about its sales potential in that region persist.
“Expectations for strong sales are muted,” said Will Wong, senior smartphone analyst at IDC. “Apple compromised on battery, camera, and audio features to maintain the slim profile, which are vital to consumers.”
Priced mid-range within the iPhone family and about $100 below Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge—a device that shipped one million units in its second quarter—the iPhone Air is positioned to attract buyers, according to IDC’s Nabila Popal.
She predicts better-than-expected sales, noting that the previous Plus model, which the Air essentially replaces, accounted for 5-7% of Apple’s shipments. “Apple may be late in the game, but when they do release a product, they tend to do it bigger, louder, or better than anyone else,” she added.
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