TL; DR
- The iPhone Air does not have a speaker at the bottom, as it only uses the earpiece for audio output.
- iPhone Air is likely the only 2025 flagship with a single built-in speaker, unlike others that ship with stereo.
- Apple cut the second speaker to achieve a 5.64 mm thickness and 165g weight, the thinnest iPhone ever.
Apple’s newly launched iPhone Air makes a rather odd move in 2025, as it ships with just one built-in speaker. The official technical diagrams confirm that the device only has a side speaker, with the bottom edge housing microphones but no second speaker grille.
This is a clear break from Apple’s usual stereo speaker setups found in almost every iPhone, including the latest iPhone 17 series. Even Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge, which is also ultra-thin, still manages stereo speakers alongside a larger battery and an extra lens.
At just 5.64 mm and 165 grams, the iPhone Air is the slimmest iPhone to date. Battery life remains okay, as per Apple’s claims, with up to 27 hours of video playback, showing efficiency gains despite the reduced hardware.
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The compromise, however, is sound depth. Without stereo output, media playback directly from the phone will lack the richness and perhaps even the loudness found on competing flagships. Also, using the earpiece as a speaker is a very, very odd decision from Apple.
The iPhone Air is already available on pre-order starting at $999 / ₹1,19,900 for 256 GB, $1,099 / ₹1,39,900 for 512 GB, and $1,299 / ₹1,59,900 for 1 TB. The sale for the iPhone Air starts on September 19.
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