Tim Cook on the New iPhone Air: 'It Does Seem Like It's Going to Fly Away' [Report]

Following the debut of its impossibly thin iPhone Air, Apple CEO Tim Cook and members of his design team sat down with The Wall Street Journal to discuss the philosophy behind the new device. The interview highlights the trade-offs between style and function, positioning the Air as a chic alternative to the more powerful Pro models.

At just 5.6mm thick—thinner than three quarters stacked together—the iPhone Air is Apple's slimmest handset yet. Cook described the device as so light, "It does seem like it's going to fly away when you're holding it." Alan Dye, Apple's vice president of human interface design, framed the Air as another step "towards that singular piece of glass that Steve Jobs talked about back in the day."




Molly Anderson, Apple's vice president of industrial design, said the team had "dreamed about it for a long time — to make just an incredibly, shockingly thin iPhone." She acknowledged that the Air's slim profile comes with compromises to battery life and camera quality compared to the new iPhone 17 Pro. But rather than seeing that as a drawback, Anderson embraced the dilemma: "I like that it's a hard choice," she said, contrasting the Air with the workhorse Pro series, which now comes in a striking "cosmic orange" finish.

The trade-offs were the subject of pre-launch rumors, with reports revealing Apple was developing a MagSafe battery to address potential runtime issues. Anderson also suggested a phone is not just a tool but something you wear, a concept underscored by Apple's new line of cases and cross-body straps released alongside the Air.

The Air may also hint at Apple's longer-term ambitions, with some analysts predicting it could be a precursor to a foldable iPhone. When asked about this, Cook deflected, saying only: "We're really good at keeping secrets."

The new iPhone lineup will be available for pre-order starting September 12, and will be released in stores on September 19.