Apple’s “impossibly thin” iPhone Air is now official

September 10, 2025

Apple just dropped the iPhone Air. And its biggest highlight, most definitely, is how thin and light it is. So without any further ado, let’s dive into this article, which will discuss everything about the latest iPhone Air, including its expected price in Nepal, specifications, and availability.

iPhone Air Overview

Design and build quality

Measuring 5.64mm thick and weighing just 165 gm, the iPhone Air is Apple’s thinnest iPhone ever. The company’s clearly betting big on the ultra-thin form factor, banking on the “wow” factor, which most phones have failed to deliver in recent times.

Its grade 5 titanium frame gets a high-gloss mirror finish, and there’s this new “plateau” design on the back that houses the camera, speaker, and chips while maximizing battery space.

And as for durability, the iPhone Air’s display gets Ceramic Shield 2 with 3x better scratch resistance. While its backplate is protected by last-gen Ceramic Shield, which still offers 4x better crack resistance. Similarly, the Action button and Camera Control are both present here.

To save internal space, the iPhone Air doesn’t have a physical SIM slot either. Meaning it will be eSIM-only worldwide.

Display

The 6.5-inch LTPO display is bigger than the regular iPhone 17‘s 6.3-inch display. Apple’s using a Super Retina XDR OLED panel with “ProMotion” technology for a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. And since it’s also an LTPO panel, it can dynamically adjust down to 1Hz when not in use as well. Other highlights of this screen include 3,000 nits of peak brightness and Always-on display support.

Performance

Regarding performance, the iPhone Air packs the A19 Pro (3nm) instead of the regular A19 in the standard iPhone 17. The A19 Pro brings a 6-core CPU that Apple claims is the “fastest CPU in any smartphone,” plus a 5-core GPU with upgraded architecture for AAA gaming. Which is actually one less GPU core compared to the A19 Pro on the iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

The iPhone Air also enjoys a healthy 12GB of RAM and a couple of custom Apple chips. There’s one called “C1X”, which is a cellular modem that is reportedly twice as fast as the C1 modem on the iPhone 16e. While also using 30% less power. Then there’s Apple’s new “N1” chip to handle wireless connectivity like WiFi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread.

Camera system

Getting into optics, you’re getting a single 48MP main camera with f/1.6 aperture and sensor-shift OIS technology. While there’s an 18MP “Center Stage” front camera, as the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup. This thing has a square sensor design that lets you shoot landscapes while holding the phone vertically. While its auto-framing and dual-capture features are nice touches as well.

But despite carrying only two cameras, Apple positions this as “the equivalent of four lenses”. By offering 28mm and 35mm focal lengths, plus “optical-quality” 2x telephoto cropping from the rear camera.

Battery life and charging

Despite the ultra-thin profile, Apple’s claiming “all-day battery life” with the iPhone Air. We know that it has a 3,149 mAh battery, an efficient A19 Pro chip, and an optimized internal architecture to maximize battery space. That being said, we have doubts about whether Apple can actually deliver on that promise.

Especially since Apple has designed a separate MagSafe battery accessory for this phone. And talking about MagSafe, the iPhone Air supports 20W wireless charging via both MagSafe and Qi2.

Software

The iPhone Air debuts with iOS 26. Which brings the “Liquid Glass” design language. It also supports Apple Intelligence, with features like Live Translation for real-time text and audio translation, plus updated visual intelligence features. The on-device foundation model works offline, whereas new screening tools could help filter calls and messages.

iPhone Air Specifications:

Design, build: 156.2 x 74.7 x 5.64 mm, 165 gm, IP68 rating
Display: 6.5-inch OLED screen, FHD+, 120Hz refresh rate (LTPO)
Chipset: Apple A19 Pro (3nm mobile platform)
Memory: 12GB RAM, 256/512GB/1TB storage (non-expandable)
Software & UI: iOS 26
Rear Camera: Single (48MP camera)
Front Camera: 18MP “Center Stage” camera (Dynamic Island)
Security: Face ID (via the front camera)
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (eSIM), WiFi 7 (dual-band), Bluetooth 6, GPS / Glonass / Galileo / BeiDou / QZSS / NavIC, USB-C, 4G LTE, 5G
Sensors: Accelerometer, Barometer, Dual ambient light, Gyroscope, Proximity
Battery: 3,149 mAh with 20W wireless charging (no power adapter in the box)

iPhone Air Price in Nepal and Availability

Starting at USD 999, the iPhone Air definitely feels a bit expensive for now. Especially given that the not-so-thick iPhone 17 with better cameras and better battery life costs a lot less. That said, we expect the price of the iPhone Air in Nepal to start at around NPR 183,000 when it launches here shortly.