Inside the iPhone Air: teardown of Apple’s thinnest phone

iFixit specialists have disassembled Apple’s ultra-thin new iPhone Air.

As expected, most of the phone’s internal components are housed in the raised “plateau” section of the chassis, which also contains the main camera.

This design has its advantages, since it offers extra protection for critical parts against bending attempts.

In practice, the titanium frame makes the device nearly impossible to bend—intentionally or by accident.
However, the frame itself is less resilient when tested in isolation, without the support of other components.
It bends at certain weak points, where plastic reinforcements are embedded into the chassis to strengthen connections.

Another notable discovery: the iPhone Air’s battery can be swapped via the back cover without removing the entire assembly through the screen. The unit’s capacity is 12.26 Wh.

iFixit also confirmed that the external MagSafe power bank for iPhone Air uses the exact same battery as the phone itself. The power bank’s cell can be installed directly into the handset.

Interestingly, the iPhone Air turned out to be far easier to repair than many expected. The thin chassis isn’t a drawback—if anything, it’s an advantage, as the simplified design leaves fewer layers where components could get lost.

Fun fact: the USB-C port is 3D-printed, making it simple to remove and replace.

Overall, the iPhone Air scored a solid 7/10 on iFixit’s repairability scale. The high mark is largely due to simplified access to the battery and ease of display replacement. Apple has also reduced the number of software locks on component swaps and published a detailed repair guide for the model.