Air: The thinnest iPhone is actually thicker – with camera bump and accessories
The thinnest iPhone ever: the Air shrinks to 5.64 mm. However, not at its thickest point.
iPhone Air: The camera module makes it thick after all.
(Image: Apple)
The thinnest iPhone of all time – and even Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge has been (slightly) beaten: Apple's new Air is only 5.64 mm thin in its entirety, as the company has now officially announced in its specifications. However, there is a small catch, which Apple has dubbed the "Camera Plateau". The film and photo unit is located in the upper area of the back across the entire surface, which, according to previous images, doubles the thickness of the Air.
How thick is the camera platform?
Apple itself has not yet provided any information on this, as the device is only shown from the front in the specifications. What is also clear is that, as is typical for iPhones, it is likely to be quite shaky: The single lens of the Air protrudes a little further than the "Camera Plateau" itself. Incidentally, Apple is very complimentary about the new area itself: it has succeeded in integrating important device components into the platform. In addition to the camera and the Face ID module, the A19 Pro chip is also to be located there so that there is more space in the base area for the (nevertheless comparatively small) battery.
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The iPhone Air – Apple is skipping the 17th generation here, by the way – is said to be the most robust iPhone ever thanks to its titanium frame. It remains to be seen whether the guaranteed bending tests will prove this. Apple has also installed two variants of its "Ceramic Shield" coating (variants 1 and 2, which differ in terms of scratch resistance) to make the device even stiffer.
Comparison with the iPhone 6
Apple's thinnest iPhone to date was the iPhone 6, for which Apple went down to 6.9 mm. However, at that time there was no "camera bump" (a less flattering word for "plateau"), but the lens was flush with the back. If you wanted to avoid the wobbling effect, you had to use a case for your iPhone to compensate for this. Cases are a particular issue with the Air: after all, you don't want to lose any thinness here.
Apple therefore sells a particularly thin Clear Case in two colors ("Shadow", "Frost"). However, the "camera plateau" remains in this case and then sticks out. At least the Air wobbles less with the case, as there is also a flat surface around the lens. It is commendable that Apple has also revived its once infamous bumper. This is a kind of bumper made of "reinforced polycarbonate" that protrudes slightly. Unfortunately, it only protects the sides and the display, as it does not extend beyond the "camera plateau". However, the thinness of the Air is retained outside the camera platform. Incidentally, the device weighs 165 grams – just 5 grams less than the iPhone 16.
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