Apple’s iPhone Air shines as AI remains in the shadows
While the Apple iPhone had gone through several transformations over the years, the past few years have been particularly unforgiving
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So, I’m here, in Cupertino, again, to see what Apple’s got in store for its customers around the world. Same time last year, the mood at Steve Jobs’ Theatre was markedly different. The atmosphere was charged with palpable excitement as people eagerly anticipated the arrival of an Apple Intelligence-powered iPhone on a bright, sunny morning. This year, under an overcast sky, the tone feels more tempered. Apple appears to have moderated its AI ambitions, choosing instead to lean into the area that has always been its true strength—design and style.
While the iPhone had gone through several transformations over the years, the past few years have been particularly unforgiving. Competition is no longer a shadow in the rear-view mirror; it’s right next to Apple on the highway, sometimes even trying to overtake.
Android makers are making their case loudly and persistently, trying to pry iOS users from their walled garden. At Google’s Pixel event this August, MC’ed by Jimmy Fallon, executives didn’t mince words. Comparative advertising was front and centre, pointing out where Android supposedly leapfrogs iOS, nudging users to port over. Pixel devices have indeed matured; Gemini-powered AI features give them a distinct personality in the crowded smartphone market
So, I’m here, in Cupertino, again, to see what Apple’s got in store for its customers around the world. Same time last year, the mood at Steve Jobs’ Theatre was markedly different. The atmosphere was charged with palpable excitement as people eagerly anticipated the arrival of an Apple Intelligence-powered iPhone on a bright, sunny morning. This year, under an overcast sky, the tone feels more tempered. Apple appears to have moderated its AI ambitions, choosing instead to lean into the area that has always been its true strength—design and style.
While the iPhone had gone through several transformations over the years, the past few years have been particularly unforgiving. Competition is no longer a shadow in the rear-view mirror; it’s right next to Apple on the highway, sometimes even trying to overtake.
Android makers are making their case loudly and persistently, trying to pry iOS users from their walled garden. At Google’s Pixel event this August, MC’ed by Jimmy Fallon, executives didn’t mince words. Comparative advertising was front and centre, pointing out where Android supposedly leapfrogs iOS, nudging users to port over. Pixel devices have indeed matured; Gemini-powered AI features give them a distinct personality in the crowded smartphone market.
Meanwhile, Samsung plays an entirely different game. The South Korean major isn’t just iterating on hardware, it’s redefining it. Fold and Flip devices, once considered novelties, are now credible showcases of engineering and endurance. In an industry where “slab phones” look nearly identical, Samsung’s form factor experiments have kept it both in headlines and in the hands of adventurous early adopters.
Yet, despite all this noise, Apple’s core base has stayed loyal. That kind of consumer trust is Apple’s moat. And this base is still rooting for Apple even as the company’s AI project feels like it’s buffering.
At just 5.33mm thick, it is the thinnest iPhone ever produced, edging out even the slimmest Android flagships from Samsung and Pixel. Despite the reduced profile, Apple has reinforced the device with a Grade 5 titanium frame and ceramic shield front and back, offering durability without compromise.
Under the hood, the new A19 Pro chip debuts alongside Apple’s first proprietary N1 wireless chip and the upgraded C1X modem, promising faster connectivity and efficiency that surpass both last year’s A18 Bionic and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. On the imaging side, the 48MP fusion camera system introduces dual capture video, enabling creators to record two perspectives simultaneously — a feature rarely seen in mainstream smartphones.
Perhaps the boldest move is Apple’s commitment to an eSIM-only design worldwide, which not only simplifies the device but also frees up internal space for a larger battery. To complement this, Apple has introduced a new MagSafe battery accessory aimed at power users. The result is a device that is thinner than ever, yet more capable, blurring the line between engineering elegance and raw performance
While the star of the “Awe Dropping” event was clearly the iPhone Air, I found the AirPods Pro 3 to have played a great supporting role. The addition of AI-powered live translation could prove transformative for travelers and global professionals, and the built-in heart rate sensor pushes these earbuds deeper into the health-tech space.
Powered by the updated Apple H2 headphone chip, the AirPods Pro 3 are smarter and more efficient, supporting up to 8 hours of listening with Active Noise Cancellation. That’s a modest but meaningful gain over the previous generation, which topped out around 6 hours. Apple has also toughened them up with IP57 dust,
2025-09-10
By
Anushka Tripathi
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