Apple unveiled the iPhone Air, the thinnest iPhone model yet. At 5.6mm thick, it is 0.1mm thinner than the slim model "Edge" of the Samsung Electronics Galaxy S25 and 100,000 won more expensive.
At 10 a.m. on the 9th (2 a.m. on the 10th Korea time), Apple held its "Awe Dropping" event at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, and introduced the iPhone Air, the iPhone 17 series, next-generation AirPods, and Apple Watch. The iPhone 17 series launched in four lineups: standard, Pro, and Pro Max.
◇ 5.6mm, thinner than Samsung Electronics' "Edge"… "performance is pro level"
The iPhone Air, which drew attention even before its unveiling, features an ultra-slim 5.6mm design and a 6.5-inch display. To achieve a light yet sturdy frame, Apple used grade 5 titanium, the same used in spacecraft, on the iPhone Air and gave it a polished finish. For the first time in the series, a Ceramic Shield wraps the titanium frame to enhance durability. Apple said of the iPhone Air, "It's the thinnest iPhone ever, but its performance is pro level."
The screen is a Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion technology that supports a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz. Peak brightness has been increased to 3,000 nits, improving outdoor visibility. It also offers an Always-On Display (AOD) feature and a 1Hz low-power mode.
Apple equipped the iPhone Air, Pro, and Pro Max with the latest chipset, the "A19 Pro" chip. According to Apple, the chip's performance cores improve fronts-and bandwidth and branch prediction, making the A19 Pro the fastest CPU in smartphone history.
The A19 Pro's GPU was also upgraded. Apple said it equipped each GPU core with a Neural Accelerator, increasing computational performance by up to three times compared with the A18 Pro.
Apple said, "The iPhone Air needs the most efficient high-performance chip of any iPhone we've made," adding, "That's the A19 Pro." It also noted, "MacBook Pro-level computing power is coming to iPhone," and emphasized it is "ideal for GPU-intensive AI tasks."
Apple also applied its proprietary "N1" chip to the iPhone Air. Apple had previously installed the N1 only in Apple Watch and AirPods. The N1 supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread, and enables Personal Hotspot and AirDrop performance.
In addition, the cellular modem "C1X" applied to the iPhone Air and the iPhone 17 series is twice as fast as the previous C1 while reducing energy consumption by 30%. The eSIM-only form factor secures both space efficiency and security and supports more than 500 global carriers. Apple said, "The iPhone Air is the most power-efficient iPhone ever."
◇ Shoot in landscape even in portrait view… battery lasts 24 hours
The camera features have also changed. The iPhone Air and iPhone 17 series have a "Center Stage" front camera with a square sensor. Center Stage uses AI to automatically widen the field of view. It supports up to 18MP shooting, and even in portrait mode, the screen can expand as if shooting in landscape. "Dual Capture," which supports simultaneous front and rear recording, was also introduced.
The rear camera features a 48MP Fusion main camera. The new Photonic Engine improves performance in low light and supports a 2x optical zoom along with selectable focal lengths of 28mm and 35mm. When shooting portraits, using "Focus Control" allows you to adjust the depth between the subject and background even after shooting, enabling studio-like effects.
The iPhone Air and the standard model have a battery life of about 24 hours. Apple said the "Adaptive Power Mode" introduced in iOS 26 learns user habits to perform prediction-based energy management.
The iPhone Air comes in four colors: Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, and Sky Blue. Storage options are 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. The iPhone 17 standard model comes in Lavender, Mist Blue, Sage, White, and Black, with 256GB and 512GB storage options.
The Pro and Pro Max come in Deep Blue, Cosmic Orange, and Silver. Capacities are 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB, with the Pro Max adding a first-for-the-series 2TB option.
In Korea, preorders begin at 9 p.m. on the 12th, and the official release date is the 19th, the same as in the United States. The Air starts at 1.59 million won, about 100,000 won more than the Galaxy Edge's 1.496 million won list price. The standard model starts at 1.29 million won.