We don’t know how the “Air” phones, a.k.a. ultra-thin phones, are doing for brands like nubia, Tecno, and Infinix. But word on the street is that things aren’t going great for the Galaxy S25 Edge and the new iPhone Air. Never mind the two giants, though; they kind of had it coming with their overconfident pricing.
Meanwhile, over in China, the concept of thin phones seems to be thriving. Another brand has joined the ultra-slim race. Meet the Huawei Mate70 Air, Huawei’s take on the thin phone trend based on its flagship Mate70 series from late last year.
Huawei didn’t try to break the 6 mm mark, though. At 6.6 mm, the Mate70 Air [CH] is slim — just not the slimmest in the shed. It strikes a delicate balance between thinness and functionality. The Chinese phone maker shaved 1.2 mm off the Mate70’s profile without sacrificing battery life or imaging prowess. But here’s the trick: they bumped up the screen size to a rare-for-today 7 inches. That extra space means Huawei didn’t have to sacrifice any key components. For those wondering, it tips the scales at 208 g.
Up front, the phone sports a 120 Hz, 7-inch FHD+ OLED LTPS display (2,760 x 1,320 pixels) with a blazing 4,000 nits of peak brightness, 300 Hz touch sampling rate, and Kunlun glass that’s said to be 10 times more resistant to drops. Under the hood, you’ll find either the Kirin 9020A chip for 16 GB RAM models or the Kirin 9020B for 12 GB RAM versions. Storage options include 256 GB or 512 GB, though the exact RAM and ROM types remain unclear — at least to us.
The Air is the first in the industry to boast both Audio & HDR Vivid certification. It even manages to fit stereo speakers — something many thin phones compromise on. And no, Huawei didn’t skimp on the camera either. The Mate70 Air keeps the series’ signature round camera module, housing a triple-camera setup: a 50 MP 1/1.3-inch main sensor (f/1.8, OIS), a 12 MP RYYB telephoto (f/2.4, OIS), and an 8 MP ultra-wide/macro shooter (f/2.2). Imaging duties are handled by Huawei’s proprietary XMAGE system.
On the front, there’s a 10.7 MP ultra-wide selfie camera (f/2.2) housed in a hole-punch cutout. Like its siblings, it supports Huawei’s iPhone-style Touch-to-Share, which lets you exchange contacts, Wi-Fi passwords, and photos just by bringing two phones close together.
Elsewhere on the spec sheet: Beidou satellite communication, large VC cooling surface, AI bidirectional call noise cancellation, AI face detection (to block scam calls during video chats), Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, USB-C (USB 2.0), and the usual array of sensors — including an IR blaster. Powering all that is a 6,500 mAh battery supporting 66W super-fast charging, multiple charging protocols, and 5W reverse wired charging. Sadly, wireless charging didn’t make the cut.
Running on HarmonyOS 5.1, the Mate70 Air introduces Huawei’s new Harmony AI suite. It’s also surprisingly tough: IP68-rated for 2-meter (6 ft) water resistance and IP69-rated against high-pressure, high-temperature water spray. So yes, it can survive a heavy downpour — or an overzealous shower selfie attempt.
The Huawei Mate70 Air is available in China in three colors and four configurations (12/256, 12/512, 16/256, or 16/512), starting at 4,199 yuan [CH] (about 590 USD).
Images: Huawei [CH].