Apple said all the right things in the lead-up to the launch of the iPhone Air. Now that it's here, all doubts have been laid to rest: Apple has ushered the iPhone into its Air atmosphere, and we expect this to trigger another front in the smartphone game.
It begs the question: is the product as good as the hype? It seems it is. The National takes a deeper dive into the iPhone Air.
Design: Thin as Air
We're saying this because when Apple uses “Air”, it means it touts a device's compactness.
The iPhone Air does scream slim: at 5.6mm, it beats out the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge's 5.8mm. Though that's the thickness of a strand of hair, numbers are numbers, and so are bragging rights.
And unlike previous cycles in which some iPhones were left out, the iPhone Air has the full suite of buttons, and by that we mean it also has the Action Button and Camera Control, which we'd like to call “convenience buttons” as they're shortcuts to specific functions.
Up front is a 6.5-inch (16.5cm) display, which has a max brightness of 3000 nits – perfect under the desert sun – and Apple's updated Ceramic Shield 2, which the company says provides significantly more toughness. And, in a first, that coating has also been applied on the back for all-around protection.
At the back you'll find the defining design change: a camera block that now spreads across its width. Now this is more than an aesthetic preference: that bigger and longer bump allowed Apple to cram more hardware into the iPhone Air to soup up its different features.
Do note, however, that the iPhone Air does not have Apple's new device-cooling vapour chamber – that is exclusive to the 17 Pro models.
Deeper inside, and without getting too technical, Apple says the combination of boosted efficiency, advancements in artificial intelligence capabilities and a “big upgrade” to the GPU compute abilities of its Neural Engine resulted in what is akin to having a laptop in your palm.
We definitely felt that with its speed and precision. And combined with the fluidity of iOS 26's Liquid Glass, it's just a smooth experience overall.
How tough is it? We had to bend it ourselves
Now, as slim and fragile as it looks, Apple says the iPhone Air is one tough cookie.
Apple went to great lengths to ensure that the iPhone Air is, according to them, its toughest iPhone. In video demonstrations, they sent the device through a gauntlet of stress tests, including simulating drops from various heights and on to different surfaces, which left the iPhone Air unscathed.
But probably the biggest flex Apple did was a bend test with a pressure of 60kg; the results did show the device bend, but it wasn't enough to do anything and the iPhone Air just snapped back to its usual shape as if nothing had happened. According to studies, that's well above the 50kg a human hand can dole out.
So, we gave it a try. And believe us, it was nerve-racking – risking wrecking a 1TB, Dh6,000 device. Well, we did give it a lot of effort and it barely budged. Kudos. (Memories of bendgate on the iPhone 6, anyone?)
Camera: No frills but all thrills
Here's where we're left wondering: the iPhone Air has only one camera – though it has a 48MP sensor with some tricks: at 1x, you get a focal length of 26mm, while 1.5x nets you 35mm; the digital zoom can go all the way to 10x.
The key here is Apple's Fusion technology, which combines hardware, the power of the A19 Pro and artificial intelligence to produce professional-grade photos. Our initial testing showed that the iPhone Air does make good on its promises, with the right balance of colours, brightness and minimal grain in lower-light situations.
Up front is an 18MP camera with Centre Stage, the AI-powered feature first introduced in the M-powered iMacs that automatically detects subjects and adjusts the frame to fit everyone. You won't even need to rotate your phone to landscape orientation as that will be automatically done when needed.
Battery: The best … with a little assist
The iPhone Air spec sheet shows that it would last for up to 27 hours of video playback, which is the lowest among the new set of iPhones, but which is, pound for pound, still good. However, there is a way to make it the longest among them – with the new MagSafe battery specially made for the iPhone Air, which is sold separately for Dh399.
With it, the device will be able to last for up to 40 hours – beating out the iPhone 17 Pro Max's 39 hours. No issues with this, as it easily lasted the whole day with nearly half of its juice ready to go the following morning.
The Verdict
The Apple iPhone Air delivers on its promise to be a great start for a slim iPhone. Though given this final result, we're still convinced that this is what we call a beta version.
Why? Because there's definitely room for another camera and better battery life. It's clear here that Apple is testing the water and, as always, isn't afraid of going with the “minimum”.
But if this is that minimum, we're looking forward to the iPhone Air's next iteration. Saying that it has MacBook-level power to begin with is a bold statement and start.
Is this the future of devices? Yes, especially with the possibility of Apple going for a portless phone. For now, we'd like to see Apple test the limits of a device barely edging out the height of a USB-C port – which would require a new name other than Air. iPhone Hair, anyone?
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The five pillars of Islam
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing
In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.
While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.
In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all).
“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”
Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.
"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
CREW
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The five pillars of Islam
More on animal trafficking
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20M3%2C%208-core%20CPU%2C%20up%20to%2010-core%20CPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2013.6-inch%20Liquid%20Retina%2C%202560%20x%201664%2C%20224ppi%2C%20500%20nits%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20wide%20colour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F16%2F24GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201%2F2TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Thunderbolt%203%2FUSB-4%20(2)%2C%203.5mm%20audio%2C%20Touch%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%206E%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2052.6Wh%20lithium-polymer%2C%20up%20to%2018%20hours%2C%20MagSafe%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201080p%20FaceTime%20HD%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Support%20for%20Apple%20ProRes%2C%20HDR%20with%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%20HDR10%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAudio%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-speaker%20system%2C%20wide%20stereo%2C%20support%20for%20Dolby%20Atmos%2C%20Spatial%20Audio%20and%20dynamic%20head%20tracking%20(with%20AirPods)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Midnight%2C%20silver%2C%20space%20grey%2C%20starlight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MacBook%20Air%2C%2030W%2F35W%20dual-port%2F70w%20power%20adapter%2C%20USB-C-to-MagSafe%20cable%2C%202%20Apple%20stickers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh4%2C599%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Squads
Australia: Finch (c), Agar, Behrendorff, Carey, Coulter-Nile, Lynn, McDermott, Maxwell, Short, Stanlake, Stoinis, Tye, Zampa
India: Kohli (c), Khaleel, Bumrah, Chahal, Dhawan, Shreyas, Karthik, Kuldeep, Bhuvneshwar, Pandey, Krunal, Pant, Rahul, Sundar, Umesh
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Cagliari v AC Milan (6pm)
Lazio v Napoli (9pm)
Inter Milan v Atalanta (11.45pm)
Sunday
Udinese v Sassuolo (3.30pm)
Sampdoria v Brescia (6pm)
Fiorentina v SPAL (6pm)
Torino v Bologna (6pm)
Verona v Genoa (9pm)
Roma V Juventus (11.45pm)
Parma v Lecce (11.45pm)
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
