What’s happened? The Lenovo-owned smartphone brand Motorola has launched its iPhone Air rival, the X70 Air, making it the latest mainstream entrant to the new and emerging ultra-thin smartphone category.
Although Motorola has revealed the exact thickness of the phone, it says that the X70 Air is thinner than 6mm, which brings it in the same ballpark as the S25 Edge (5.8mm) and the iPhone Air (5.6mm).
At 159 grams, the phone is lighter than its direct competitors, let alone the regular flagships. Despite maintaining such a thin and light profile, the handset features a 4,800 mAh battery (the biggest in the category) that supports 68W wired charging.
Other specifications include a 6.7-inch pOLED display (120Hz refresh rate, 4,500 nits peak brightness), runs on the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 SoC (with Adreno 722 GPU), up to 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage, and three 50MP cameras.
Why is this important? The Motorola X70 Air brings the thin-phone design to the mid-range segment, making it accessible to more buyers. Although there’s no official price, the phone could cost a fraction of the $999 iPhone Air or the $1,099 Galaxy S25 Edge (when and if it arrives in the United States).
The X70 Air seems to address a significant issue in the emerging thin smartphone category: battery life.
Both options available in the United States, including those from Apple and Samsung, don’t last as long as regular phones, making buyers question their decision even before they get the phone in their hands.
However, the X70 Air solves the issue with its close-to-normal 4,800 mAh battery (for the mid-range segment). In theory, the battery should outlast those on the premium offerings, mainly since the phone features a less powerful chip.
Why should I care? If you’ve been eyeing the ultra-thin form factor for a while, but the price tag has held you back, the X70 Air’s arrival in the United States could give you a taste of it without emptying your wallet. Practically speaking, the phone should be able to handle all your day-to-day tasks without feeling too heavy or bulky in your hand or pocket. Additionally, it carries an IP68/IP69 rating and complies with the MIL-STD-810H standard, making it exceptionally durable.
OK, what’s next? For now, the Motorola X70 Air will go on sale in China on October 31, 2025 (via The Verge), and an ‘Edge’ model that’s arriving in Europe on November 5, 2025. I’m hoping that the handset comes to the United States in the coming months, introducing a high-capacity battery and an affordable price tag to the thin-phone category, effectively changing consumer expectations. This could also encourage other brands to jump onto the thin-phone bandwagon in the future.