Selecting between the Mate 70 Air and iPhone Air acquired me considering—do I need glossy design or extra energy for much less?
China’s smartphone manufacturers are stepping as much as problem Apple in 2025, and now it’s Huawei’s flip. The Mate 70 Air goals on the similar crowd that loves the iPhone Air for its glossy design however isn’t keen to splurge. Regardless of being slim and fairly inexpensive, the Mate 70 Air doesn’t reduce corners just like the iPhone does. However do the perks of the Huawei Mate 70 Air outweigh the Apple expertise?
Design
The Mate 70 Air measures 6.6 mm thick and weighs 208 grams. Whereas the iPhone Air is available in thinner at 5.6 mm and lighter at 165 grams, the Mate 70 Air delivers strengths in different areas that I’ll dive into under.
I used to be considering the opposite day that the iPhone Air seems like a extra polished model of the iPhone X, with simply sufficient up to date design particulars. It’s like Apple remembered what their telephones used to appear to be earlier than the Professional fashions took over—a refreshing change from the recycled iPhone 11 by means of 16 model.
The Mate 70 Air’s digicam setup is much like the Mate 70 Professional/Professional+, with a spherical bump and 4 lens openings. After we speak about slim telephones, it’s all about distinctive design. When it comes to seems, I’ve to present Apple the win.
The iPhone Air has easy, rounded edges and a shiny titanium body. It collects fingerprints fairly a bit however feels powerful. The USB-C port is 3D-printed, and the buttons and digicam controls stretch nearly from edge to edge.
I spent a while deciding between the Huawei colours—Black, White, or Turquoise. Ultimately, I went with White. I’ll admit although, every shade had its personal pull for me. The iPhone Air gives colours like Sky Blue, Gentle Gold, Cloud White, and Area Black. Whereas the alternatives lean extra towards enjoyable and youthful vibes, I had a troublesome time choosing one which felt extra “me” as a person in my mid-20s. However hey, Apple’s aiming at individuals who love that wow issue, and there’s nothing improper with that.
Show
Huawei’s self-developed Kunlun glass protects the Mate 70 Air’s show, however the true standout is the 18.8:9 side ratio and spacious 7-inch actual property. Because of the vast structure, studying e-books and articles turns into simpler and requires much less scrolling. And my favourite half: video games like Name of Obligation: Cellular and PUBG really feel easy due to the bigger contact zones. I’m stunned, although, that Huawei doesn’t embrace a stylus for a display this large.
Display brightness has change into a key function for smartphones, alongside CPUs and cameras. The Mate 70 Air delivers right here too, reaching 4,000 nits at peak, holding the show clear even in vibrant daylight. Apple chases the identical purpose, so Huawei faces stiff competitors.
For comparability, the iPhone Air sits in the midst of the iPhone 17 lineup with a 6.5-inch show. Customers love the Tremendous Retina XDR display, which reaches 3,000 nits at peak and stays simple to see in each state of affairs.
Digital camera
The Mate 70 Air has a spherical digicam setup on the again with 4 lenses. The primary digicam is a 50 MP sensor, and there’s a 12 MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom and OIS. You additionally get an 8 MP ultrawide/macro lens and a 1.5 MP multispectral pink maple sensor to spice up shade and element in numerous lighting.
Alternatively, the iPhone Air’s digicam setup is one in every of its weaker factors. It comes with a single 48 MP digicam on the again and an 18 MP selfie digicam with Centre Stage tech from the iPhone 17 sequence. With out an ultrawide or telephoto lens, the picture choices really feel restricted. It’s a bit disappointing, once you examine the iPhone Air to Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge, which gives two cameras. However that’s a dialogue for an additional time.
Gaming and audio
It’s unusual that the Huawei Mate 70 Air makes use of two variations of the Kirin chip—the Kirin 9020A and the Kirin 9020B. The primary one runs with 16 GB of RAM, whereas the opposite has 12 GB. Each chips are simply barely slowed-down variations of the common Kirin 9020.
The primary distinction between the common Kirin 9020 and the Air’s 9020A is that the massive and medium cores run at 100 MHz decrease speeds. So, the 9020A has 2 giant cores at 2.4G Hz, 6 medium cores at 2.0 GHz, and 4 small cores at 1.6 GHz. The efficiency hole? Solely about 5%. As for the Kirin 9020B, it packs 6 cores and 9 threads, which you’d count on from a midrange chip.
The iPhone Air runs the A19 Professional, near the chip within the iPhone 17 Professional, however with one fewer GPU core. That trim hits sport energy a bit, and the identical goes for heavy graphic work. I don’t suggest anybody shopping for the iPhone Air or the Mate 70 Air for sport periods anyway. The iPhone Air zips by means of primary duties, but warmth builds up quick close to the digicam bump when the telephone churns on demanding duties.
Speaker setup takes a flip. The Mate 70 Air throws out sound from a few stereo models. In shooters, steps begin from the left, sweep to the appropriate, and aid you observe motion round you. The iPhone Air goes with one earpiece unit close to the highest. The sound from that spot works high-quality, however the absence of stereo hits the vibe throughout exhibits or clips.
Battery
Samsung and Apple missed the mark with battery life on their slim smartphones, however not Huawei. The Mate 70 Air comes with a 6,500 mAh silicon carbon-anode battery. From what I’ve learn, many customers are getting round 35-40% by bedtime after heavy use. That’s stable for a slim telephone.
In distinction, the iPhone Air’s battery is smaller (3,149 mAh) to maintain the design skinny. Whereas the battery life isn’t so long as different iPhones, it’s nonetheless manageable. You need to get by means of most days with a nightly cost, however should you’re gaming or operating demanding apps, you may want to modify to low energy mode.
Worth and verdict
I see how Huawei’s skinny telephone stays robust in spots the place the ultrathin Apple telephone falls brief. The Mate 70 Air brings an enormous display, punchy stereo sound, and an enormous energy cell. The $799 tag for Mate 70 Air feels truthful to me. Apple asks for $999 for the iPhone Air, and also you add $99 for a snap-on energy pack that Apple frames as a bonus merchandise, although I see it as a should for lengthy days. As soon as the entire hits close to $1,100, I urge care.
Yearly, Apple drops new iPhones, and more often than not, every mannequin is only a small improve from the final—higher cameras, a couple of new options, however not an enormous change. In the event you select the iPhone Air, the trade-offs is likely to be price it, relying on what issues most to you.
