The iPhone Air: the thinnest ever and as thin as a pencil

At just 5.6 millimeters thick, the new iPhone Air is the thinnest smartphone Apple has ever made. The launch, which for the first time reached Colombia simultaneously with the United States, marks a turning point not only in terms of logistics but also in terms of design: the Air is thinner than a wooden pencil and almost as light as a pocket notebook.

For the first time, Colombian users were able to get their hands on an iPhone on the same day as Americans. On September 19, alongside the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro, the iPhone Air debuted at the Mac Center as part of Apple's so-called "Wave 1."

“We've been working with Apple for almost 12 years, building trust in the Colombian market. That effort, along with double-digit growth year after year, gave Apple the confidence that Colombia deserved the same launch date as the United States,” explains Jorge Rubio, CCO of Mac Center.

The gamble was no small feat: Mac Center placed a blind order for 10,000 units in July, without knowing the final lineup. Apple delivered an initial batch of between 3,000 and 4,000, which sold out in pre-orders. The sky blue color of the Air was one of the most requested, along with the orange of the iPhone 17 Pro.

The iPhone Air measures 5.6 mm thick, the thinnest profile in Apple history. To put that into perspective, it's 1.3 mm thinner than the iPhone 6, which held the record for thinness at 6.9 mm for a decade; it's nearly 2 mm thinner than the iPhone 12, famous for its slim design; and it's even 2.6 mm thinner than the iPhone 15 Pro, despite its titanium chassis.

For historical perspective, the first iPhone in 2007 measured 11.6 mm, twice as thick as the Air. Apple achieved this slimming thanks to a titanium frame, the elimination of the SIM tray— the Air is eSIM-only worldwide —and an internal redesign that concentrates components in a slight rear bulge while keeping the main body ultra-thin.

Beyond the numbers, the Air is surprising when compared to everyday objects. A credit card is 0.76 mm, so it would take seven or eight to match the Air's thickness. A number 2 graphite pencil measures about 6.3 mm in diameter, so the Air is thinner than a regular pencil.

A pocket-sized Moleskine notebook is about 10 to 15 mm thick, making the Air almost three times thinner. Even a 14-count box of gum, at about 10 mm, is thicker than this phone.

Holding it feels more like a slide than a device, and some reviewers describe it as “feeling like it’s about to fly” because it’s so light and thin in the hand.

Although its lightweight, minimalist design might make it look like an entry-level iPhone, Rubio clarifies that the Air is designed for a young-professional niche : recently graduated executives or users looking for design, power and a camera without the robust size of the Pro Max.

With a titanium body, 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display, 48-megapixel main camera, and Apple Intelligence features, the Air doesn't compromise on specs. "It has very pro-grade features in a sleek form factor. For us, it's the most important announcement of the year," says the executive.

The simultaneous arrival in Colombia is not only a symbolic achievement: it reduces the technological gap, prevents buyers from fleeing to informal imports, and strengthens the official distribution chain.

"It's the result of many years of work and a financial ecosystem that allows users to access installments of up to 24 months with 0% interest," Rubio concludes. With the iPhone Air, Apple not only set a record for thinness in its portfolio, it also consolidated Colombia at the forefront of its global launches. An achievement that literally fits in just 5.6 millimeters.