It seems as if 2026 is set to be the year of the thin phone, with Apple and Motorola leading the charge with the iPhone Air and Edge 70.
But how do the impossibly thin smartphones compare? To help you choose between the two, we’ve compared our reviews of the Motorola Edge 70 and iPhone Air below.
Keep reading to see what’s different about the lightweight handsets and whether either have a chance at making it into our best smartphones list.
Price and Availability
The Motorola Edge 70 is the cheapest of the two, with an RRP of £699 for the 512GB model. At the time of writing, the Edge 70 is not available to buy in the US.
Starting at £999 / $999 for 256GB, the iPhone Air is a considerably more expensive option. However, unlike the Edge 70, the iPhone Air offers up to 1TB of storage although at £1399 / $1399 it’s certainly not an affordable choice.
Design
- At 5.64mm, the iPhone Air is thinner than the Edge which measures at 5.99mm
- Edge 70 weighs slightly less at 159g compared to 165g
- Both sport an IP68 rating and respective durable glass fronts, but the Edge 70 also benefits from an IP69 rating
Although both handsets are impressively thin, the iPhone Air is the thinnest at just 5.64mm whereas the Motorola Edge 70 is slightly thicker at 5.99mm. The difference may seem negligible but if you want the absolute thinnest of the two, then the iPhone Air is the clear winner.
However, the Edge 70 is actually lighter than the iPhone Air. Again, the difference between the two is pretty small at 159g compared to 165g, but it’s still worth noting. Not only that but the Edge 70 has a slightly larger 6.7-inch display while the iPhone Air’s is 6.5-inches, meaning it sits as the middle child between the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Speaking of the 2025 iPhone series, despite its thinness the iPhone Air still manages to retain both the Action and Camera Control buttons found on its counterparts, although the latter can be a bit fiddly to use at times.
Such thinness might be a cause for concern, however Motorola and Apple have packed their respective handsets with plenty of certifications for extra peace of mind. The Edge 70 benefits from both IP68 and IP69 ratings, and Gorilla Glass 7i to keep the screen protected from scratches.
While the iPhone Air only sports an IP68 rating (but seriously, don’t let this put you off the phone) it also benefits from Ceramic Shield on the back and the updated Ceramic Shield 2 on the front too.
Lastly, it’s worth pointing out that the iPhone Air doesn’t ship with a physical SIM slot, and instead needs an eSIM. Fortunately it is easy to turn your SIM into an eSIM, but you’ll have to make sure your network provider supports this.
It’s difficult to choose a winner here, as both the Edge 70 and iPhone Air really do feel brilliant to hold and use in everyday use. While we’ll give the iPhone Air the edge thanks to its slightly trimmer design and glass shield on the back, the Edge 70 should still be praised.
Winner: iPhone Air
Screen
- Edge 70’s display is slightly larger at 6.7-inches
- iPhone Air benefits from Apple’s ProMotion screen tech
- Edge 70 boasts a higher peak brightness
We concluded that the Edge 70’s 6.7-inch pOLED screen is a “thing to behold” and offers a “big-screen experience without the associated bulk”. This is thanks to its 1.5k resolution that offers 446ppi, HDR10+ support and a whopping peak brightness of 4500 nits.
While it does sport a 120Hz refresh rate, unfortunately this isn’t LPTO-enabled which means the phone isn’t as efficient as it could be. We also found ourselves frustrated with the fingerprint scanner that’s built directly into the display, as its placement is slightly too far down than feels natural.
In true Apple fashion, the iPhone Air also sports a brilliant display. Like the entire iPhone 17 series (a first for Apple), the iPhone Air sports ProMotion technology which enables its 120Hz refresh rate and an always-on display too.
Although the iPhone Air doesn’t quite hit the maximum peak brightness of the Edge 70, it still reaches a solid 3000 nits which means you can comfortably use the handset in bright conditions.
Finally, the Air also sports Apple’s Dynamic Island. The inclusion of this is understandable, however we did find it has a tendency to get in the way when a full-screen video is playing.
Winner: Tie
Camera
- Edge 70 has two 50MP rear lenses while the iPhone Air only has one 48MP
- iPhone Air is not as versatile as other iPhones, but it can capture good photos in both bright and low lighting
- iPhone Air misses out on many videography tools, such as Cinematic Mode, Dolby Vision and more
At first glance you might assume the Motorola Edge 70 is fitted with a quad-camera setup, however the reality is there’s just two proper lenses at the rear. The other two “lenses” actually house a flash and a PDAF sensor.
That slight deception aside, the Edge 70 is fitted with two 50MP lenses, one being the main OIS-enabled sensor and the other being ultrawide. Naturally, the main lens is easily the best of the two, as it captures plenty of light and detail, while the PDAF sensor helps to quickly focus images too.
Having said that, we were still impressed with the ultrawide lens – especially its ability to snap in low-light conditions which is a rarity for such sensors. Sure, we concluded the results weren’t “quite as detailed as the main sensor” but at the same time, they were impressively close.
The iPhone Air, on the other hand, is fitted with just one camera at its rear. Instantly, those used to snapping ultrawide shots, across multiple focal lengths and the versatility that comes with even just a second lens, will feel at a loss here.
In fact, we concluded that the iPhone Air feels like “jumping back a decade in terms of iPhone camera versatility”. So, if phone photography is important to you, then you’re definitely better off with one of our best camera phones instead.
Even so, the iPhone Air can still snap detailed pictures with rich and vibrant colours, and even low-light performance is admirable too. Although there’s no telephoto lens, you can also zoom in 2x to get that bit closer. It’s not much, but in the iPhone Air we’ll take what we can get.
Finally, compared to the rest of the iPhone 17 series, the iPhone Air misses out on a lot of Apple’s photography and videography tools including Cinematic Mode and spatial photos.
Winner: Motorola Edge 70
Performance
- Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 vs A19 Pro
- During our review, we never noticed the Edge 70 to get hot, whereas we did with the iPhone Air
- Both are speedy, everyday performers regardless of their chip
When looking at the benchmark test scores, the iPhone Air boasts a convincing win over the Edge 70. For example, in our Geekbench 6 single-core test, the Edge 70 scored 1325 while the iPhone Air boasted a result of 3795.
Perhaps those scores are unsurprising when you consider the respective chips that power each phone. While the iPhone Air is powered by the A19 Pro chip, the Edge 70 runs on the mid-range Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 instead.
There are some benefits to the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, though. As it’s considerably less powerful than the A19 Pro, it never gets quite as warm as mightier chipsets, like the A19 Pro. In fact, while we noticed the iPhone Air heat up during intense gaming sessions, the Edge 70 remained comfortably cool throughout our testing period.
Not only that but despite its low scores, the Edge 70 still feels as rapid and responsive as you’d hope, with no stuttering or lag when scrolling between apps. It can even handle basic games too.
It’s worth noting here that although it may appear the iPhone Air boasts the same chip as the iPhone 17 Pro series, this actually isn’t quite the whole truth. Instead, the iPhone Air has one less GPU core and doesn’t sport the better cooling chamber. Even so, we still found the iPhone Air ran beautifully during most uses and only heated up during gaming.
Winner: iPhone Air
Software
- Android vs iOS
- Edge 70 is fitted with Moto AI tools, while iPhone Air sports Apple Intelligence
- Edge 70 is promised four OS upgrades and six years of security patches
Motorola offers close to a stock Android experience albeit with a few Moto-themed tweaks such as many customisation options and Moto AI tools.
Those tools range from audio recording transcription, Update Me for notification summaries and Remember This which stores screenshots, videos and thoughts for later. Realistically, while they can be useful, we don’t think the Moto AI tools should be the reason alone to opt for the Edge 70.
Similarly, the iPhone Air embraces iOS 26’s Liquid Glass update, as the design feels very much at home on the handset. However, what we did note is it feels as if Apple Intelligence was an afterthought. Again, much like the Edge 70, we don’t think the inclusion of the AI-powered toolkit should be the sole reason you choose the iPhone Air.
Both Motorola and Apple offer a brilliant software experience, so perhaps deciding between the two will come down to whether you personally prefer Android or iOS generally.
Battery
- Edge 70 has a 4800mAh cell
- iPhone Air’s battery is smaller at just 3149mAh
- Edge 70 supports faster, 68W speeds
When choosing an ultra-thin phone, it’s fair to assume that the battery will take a beating as there’s physically not enough space to house a mighty cell. However, the Edge 70 offers a surprisingly impressive battery life.
Sure, its 4800mAh cell may fall short compared to most of the best smartphones, but it’s much larger than the iPhone Air’s measly 3149mAh capacity. The result? We found that it got us through an average day, with up to four hours of screen time, without complaint.
Plus, if you do find yourself running low then its 68W charging will deliver a full charge in just 50 minutes. There’s also 15W wireless charging for slow but convenient charging on the move.
Although its cell is much smaller, it’s still worth noting that the iPhone Air still performed well during our tests. We concluded that light phone users will likely end the day with around 15-20% charge left, while heavier users will likely need to recharge by the evening.
Winner: Motorola Edge 70
Verdict
Visually, both the Motorola Edge 70 and iPhone Air are stunning examples of ultra-thin phones. While the Edge 70 is surprisingly lighter, the iPhone Air is thinner and both have a sleek, futuristic finish that is a sight to behold.
If phone photography is important to you, and you’re used to more versatile camera systems, then we would recommend the Edge 70 over the iPhone Air. While the iPhone Air will likely suit casual snappers, its single rear camera is undoubtedly limiting compared to the Edge 70.
On the other hand, if sheer power is important to you, then the iPhone Air’s A19 Pro chipset will likely excite you more than the Edge 70’s mid-range Snapdragon offering. Having said that, we still found the mid-ranger performed well in everyday use.
