I’m back in Cupertino, waiting iPhone Air launch worldwide what it has in store. Last year, the buzz in Steve Jobs’ Theatre could be felt in the clear morning air. It was AI day and we were all agog at the prospects of an iPhone with Apple Intelligence. This year, it’s a different story. The atmosphere is staid, with dark clouds hanging over the theatre.

A year ago, Apple’s competitors were out of its sight and sound. Now they’re up close and personal and, in some cases, gaining ground. Android brands are more vocal than ever, in a concerted bid to lure iOS users out of the Apple walled garden. At the Pixel event in August, with Jimmy Fallon on the red carpet, Google’s executives were unapologetically comparative, drawing attention to the ways in which Android was said to trump iOS.

The Apple iPhone Air 17 is it. I’ve been sitting on it for a few weeks now, and I’m blown away by how great it is. Weighing in at 5.33mm thick, it’s the slimmest iPhone of all time and slimmer than the thinnest Samsung and Pixel devices. iPhone Air features are still managed to keep the phone tough, reinforcing it with a Grade 5 titanium frame, as well as Ceramic shield front and back.

Inside, there’s a beefed up A19 Pro chip, along with Apple iPhone 2025 N1 wireless chip and C1X modem. Collectively, they offer a faster, more efficient experience than last year’s A18 Bionic or, for that matter, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Camera improvements include a 48MP fusion system, now with dual capture video that will appeal to content creators who want to record two different perspectives at the same time. Fewer phones in the mainstream offer the feature.

With the iPhone 17 Air, Apple has made it clear. It might be on pause mode with iPhone Air vs AI, but where innovation in design and build is concerned, there’s no brakes on the gas.