Apple unveils new smartphone lineup, puts spotlight on ultra-thin iPhone Air

It’s that time of year again when all eyes are on Apple, waiting to discover what’s next. This time, the company unveiled something entirely new—the iPhone Air—the thinnest iPhone ever made.

The "Awe Dropping" event held at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, commenced with a quote from Steve Jobs: “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” Approximately forty minutes later, CEO Tim Cook unveiled the iPhone Air, which sets a new benchmark in design.

Among those cheering the arrival of the iPhone Air was a familiar voice, OpenAI chief Sam Altman, who took to X to say, “first new iphone upgrade i have really wanted in awhile! looks very cool.”

Measuring just 5.6mm, the iPhone Air is Apple’s slimmest phone to date, combining a lightweight build with a 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display. The screen delivers smooth motion at up to 120Hz, dropping to 1Hz when idle to save power, and reaches up to 3000 nits for clear outdoor viewing. Its polished titanium frame and raised back panel house the cameras, speaker, and processor, creating extra space for the battery. An Action button and Camera Control make key features quickly accessible, while the strengthened glass not only improves scratch resistance, but also reduces glare, and boosts overall durability.

The phone is powered by Apple’s latest chips: the A19 Pro, the N1 networking chip, and the C1X modem. The A19 Pro features a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU for fast everyday performance and graphics-intensive tasks, while neural accelerators support on-device AI. The N1 chip enables Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread, improving wireless reliability, and the C1X modem combines speed with energy efficiency, making the device highly power-efficient.

The front camera uses an 18MP square sensor with a wide field of view, allowing portrait and landscape shots without rotating the phone. AI automatically adjusts the frame for group photos, and video recording supports 4K HDR and stabilisation, including the ability to capture with front and rear cameras simultaneously.

On the back, a 48MP Fusion system provides the flexibility of four focal lengths, including 28mm and 35mm, while a 2x telephoto option delivers optical-quality zoom. Advanced portrait effects and new Photographic Styles enhance skin tones and overall vibrancy, giving users more creative control over their images and videos.

The iPhone Air uses an eSIM-only design, which saves internal space and contributes to its light, slim form.

Apple also introduced the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery, an accessory that attaches magnetically to the back of the phone, charging the device when needed and helps extend battery life, providing up to 40 hours of video playback when used together.

The iPhone Air will be available in Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, and Sky Blue, starting with 256GB of storage, with 512GB and 1TB options also available. Prices begin at Rs 119,900.

Pre-orders open at 5:30 p.m. IST on Friday, September 12, with availability from Friday, September 19. The iPhone Air MagSafe Battery will be sold separately for Rs 11,900.

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max

The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max use a brushed aerospace-grade aluminium unibody with a raised back plateau, creating space for a larger battery. A built-in vapor chamber channels heat from the A19 Pro chip into the frame, allowing sustained high performance for gaming, video editing, and AI tasks. Both models charge up to 50% in 20 minutes with Apple’s high-wattage USB-C adapter.

The devices feature 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR displays with ProMotion up to 120Hz and Always-On display, with the same peak outdoor brightness, strengthened glass, scratch resistance and durability as the iPhone Air.

The A19 Pro has a 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU, integrated Neural Accelerators, and a 16-core Neural Engine for graphics, AI, and gaming. It comes with the N1 chip and C1X modem.

The rear cameras on the Pro models include three 48MP Fusion cameras and a new 48MP Telephoto lens, offering 4x optical zoom at 100mm and 8x at 200mm, plus 40x digital zoom. These higher-resolution sensors, combined with the Photonic Engine, improve detail, colour, and low-light performance. Next-generation Photographic Styles, including Bright, provide enhanced creative options.

The front Center Stage camera retains the AI-assisted framing, portrait, and landscape flexibility, 4K HDR video, and Dual Capture features from the iPhone Air, now with a higher-resolution 18MP sensor for sharper images and video.

The iPhone 17 Pro will be available in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB variants, while the Pro Max adds a 2TB option for the first time. Both models come in Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue, and Silver, with prices starting at Rs 134,900 for the Pro and Rs 149,900 for the Pro Max.

iPhone 17

iPhone 17 keeps a contoured design with thinner borders and a 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display. ProMotion up to 120Hz, Always-On display, with the same peak outdoor brightness, strengthened glass, scratch resistance and durability as the iPhone Air.

The A19 chip offers faster performance and improved efficiency compared with iPhone Air’s A19 Pro, while the 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU deliver next-level mobile gaming. Neural Accelerators support on-device AI. The N1 networking chip improves wireless performance and reliability, same as iPhone Air. Fast charging up to 50% in 20 minutes with a high-wattage USB-C adapter is also available.

The device gets the new Center Stage front camera with an 18MP square sensor, with AI automatically adjusting framing, and Dual Capture. Video is stabilised in 4K HDR — same as iPhone Air.

All rear cameras now feature 48MP sensors, with a Fusion Main camera that includes a 2x Telephoto option and a Fusion Ultra Wide camera offering higher resolution for wider shots or macro photography. Next-generation Photographic Styles, including the Bright style in iOS 26, allow real-time colour adjustment, highlights, and shadows—just like on iPhone Air. Video features like Cinematic mode, Action mode, Spatial Audio, Audio Mix, and wind noise reduction remain.