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No one has been persistently asking for slimmer phones. If anything, most of us have been begging for bigger batteries, faster charging, and more durable builds. But phone makers are stubbornly chasing thinness again, and now Apple has joined the runway with its boldest attempt yet: the iPhone Air, its slimmest iPhone ever at just 5.6 mm, launched alongside the iPhone 17 series.

This isn’t just another Apple launch. It’s a carefully timed clapback at Samsung, whose Galaxy S25 Edge (5.8 mm) was unveiled a few months ago. With the iPhone Air, Cupertino is basically saying slim is suddenly sexy again, and Apple doesn’t want to be left out of the fashion show.

The iPhone Air May be Thin, but Not Fragile

At first glance, the iPhone Air looks like Apple has shaved off everything unnecessary. But it’s not all looks. The device brings:

Design & Build: Grade 5 titanium frame with a mirror finish, plus Ceramic Shield 2 on both the front and back, making it 3x more scratch-resistant and 4x more crack-resistant than before.
Display: 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR with ProMotion (1–120 Hz), 3,000 nits peak brightness, and always-on display.
Performance: Powered by the A19 Pro, the new N1 networking chip (Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thread), and the C1X modem that Apple claims is faster and 30% more efficient.
Cameras: A 48 MP Fusion main shooter, and a new 18 MP Center Stage selfie cam that can auto-frame group shots, shoot in portrait/landscape without rotating the phone, and even record from front and back simultaneously with Dual Capture.
Battery: Despite the slimness, Apple insists on “all-day life,” boosted by a redesigned internal architecture and a new Adaptive Power Mode in iOS 26.
Extras: eSIM-only design, Action button, Camera Control shortcut, and Apple Intelligence baked into iOS 26.

Starting at $999 (~KES 130K before Kenyan resellers work their magic), it’s available in space black, cloud white, light gold, and sky blue. Pre-orders in select markets (excluding Kenya) open on September 12th, with availability on the 19th.

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Slim Phones Are Suddenly Everywhere

Here’s the thing: nobody was complaining about thick phones. In fact, what most people want are bigger batteries, faster charging, and affordable devices. But manufacturers seem to have rediscovered their obsession with thinness.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge arrived first, flexing its 5.8 mm profile.
TECNO has the Spark Slim (5.93 mm) and POVA Slim (5.95 mm).
Infinix followed with the HOT 60 Pro+ at 5.95 mm, becoming the world’s thinnest 3D curved smartphone and grabbing a Guiness World Record while at it.
Honor even clapped back at Samsung, pushing its foldable Magic V3 at just 4.35 mm when unfolded, while mocking competitors for cutting corners on battery.
OPPO also has its own contender, the foldable Find N5, in the battle of the slim.

Now Apple has entered the chat with the iPhone Air. And when Apple joins a trend, you can bet the whole industry will double down. Expect slim phones to keep rolling out, whether consumers asked for them or not.

For Kenyan buyers, this is where things get interesting. While the iPhone Air looks futuristic, its local price will likely push above KES 180K–200K after taxes and reseller markups. Meanwhile, slim devices from TECNO and Infinix hover under KES 40K, offering style without breaking wallets.

The trade-off, of course, is battery anxiety. Thin phones almost always mean smaller cells. Apple claims to have solved it with efficiency gains, but anyone who’s struggled to keep their phone alive on a matatu from Nairobi to Kapenguria knows software tricks aren’t always enough.

The iPhone Air isn’t just another iPhone. It’s Apple’s answer to Samsung’s slim gamble, and the company has packaged it with all the usual Apple polish — titanium, Ceramic Shield, flashy cameras, and enough performance headroom to run circles around rivals.

Still, the big question remains: will Kenyan consumers care more about slimness or stamina? Because while Apple and Samsung duel for bragging rights, many Kenyans might just stick to TECNO or Infinix, where “slim” doesn’t come at the cost of empty wallets or empty batteries.