u/Southern-Bad-1270

Title pretty much sums it up, I love this phone. I will say it's a backup to my fold 7 and moto razr ultra so those kind of cover most of it's shortcomings (speaker, no ultra wide camera, battery). I generally prefer android phones for customization, and mostly folding phones for the novelty. This is the first iPhone and non folding phone I've been this excited about in years (coming from both an iPhone 14 pro, base 15, and 16e in the last few years). Basically using it twice as much as I did my 16e (which I carried because I need apple services but also was backup line).

Pros

Obviously the build. It's 6.5 inches yet still easy to use one handed due to the thinness and weight. It's a joy to use and even after a month of use (the novelty hasn't worn out), and I really can't see myself going back to a slab sized iPhone anytime soon unless the 18 is mind-blowing as far as features. I just really hope they can improve battery and I'd gladly get an iPhone air 2, but if not, can see myself using this for the next 3 years, maybe 4, and that's coming from someone who switches phones yearly.

Cons

For me only battery. Battery is good on Wi-Fi but just decent on LTE. I don't use 5g or always on display unless plugged in to save power (and I have a shortcut for this to enable/disable both automatically). I can't speak on cameras and speaker as I rarely use either and when I do photos have looked great. And when I need better zoom or ultra wide I use my fold 7 or someone else's phone. I'd also say pricing was it's biggest com. Having this $200 more than the base iPhone yet a smaller battery, less cameras, and less speakers put people off. Reviewers also didn't do this phone justice based on it's pricing and compromises. Had this started at $799 it may have sold like hotcakes. I essentially got mine for $750 plus tax new from Apple plus through some dealing, so not as disappointed on pricing as I could have been paying MSRP.

But every time I pick this up it's a joy to hold. It's such a breathe of fresh air from phones that feel like bricks, heck even the 16e with a case on it feels weird compared to the air with an aramid case on it. I guarantee you if you're on the fence about this just give it a chance. You just need to know what to expect. Decent battery but definitely not pro or pro max level cameras or battery. I also used the base iPhone 17 for 3 weeks back in November and the Air ironically had better battery than it did in my opinion 🤷🏾‍♂️

Tips (really more iOS tips then anything)

Use shortcuts when possible to automate. Also use them to make control center toggles. I have toggles for AOD and 5g. Phone automatically goes into battery saver between 10pm-7am and also when below 45 percent. Charging automatically turns off battery saver, and turns on AOD and 5g (and disables when not charging all due to shortcuts).

Turn off background app refresh. I'm not sure what this even does as I've had it off for years and never miss notifications. I also use Gmail and have fetch either off or set to manual in mail settings.

Dark mode can also help save lots of battery. And only having location services "while using app" except for stuff you need it to be always on like maps, weather, and findmy.

Also if coming from Android, Microsoft Swiftkey keyboard is a must. Ios keyboard sucks so having better word prediction, themes, built in gifs, long press punctuation for symbols, clipboard, and a dedicated number row is great (things you miss from android). I also have Google photos, chrome, keep, tasks, calendar all installed to sync easily between my iPhone and Android devices with notes and tasks.

Thinborne, Fiberborne, Jason Bourne; Lakers in 5 🤷🏾‍♂️😂

Jokes aside, thin is in (no pun intended because the case also came today). Part of the reason I got the Air was for the thinness and weight, so while I do have a few other cases, I tend to gravitate mostly towards the Aramid fiber ones on the regular. I also use Aramid cases on all my foldables too for minimal bulk and to add magsafe. I just added the Thinborne crimson case to my iPhone air case collection, and here are my thoughts below:

Look and Feel

Compared to my other Aramid cases that have a smooth textured back, there's a ribbed pattern feeling on the Thinborne (my sunrise case also has a similar ribbed texture that feels good in the hands and makes it less slippery). As with all Aramid cases, you won't even notice the Thinborne when it's on the phone as it is extremely lightweight, the closest you can get to that bare no case feeling (plus I think it adds a little more grip than being completely caseless). The crimson red color is beautiful, but somewhat darker in person and in pictures (including mines) than I expected. Lastly, the ring around the camera has a nice matte black finish, different from the other cases that have more of a shiny painted looking finish. Overall the look and quality of the case are both premium. 

Communication

Customer service seemed pretty good so far. It shipped from Texas and only took 2 days to arrive when going through the website (though I only live one state over so yours could take an additional day or 2 to arrive in the US). They also have the case available on Amazon with prime shipping, but if you use the website you can get 10% off clicking the gift icon on the left (might save you a few dollars 🤷🏾‍♂️). I received emails when my order shipped, emails about instructions for installation and case removal (it's a case bro, calm down Karl🤣), and emails the day it was out for delivery and when it was delivered. There's no reason for you not to know your case isn't coming unless USPS happens to lose it (I use the aftership app to track all my packages so I'm updated every time one gets scanned, but it was nice to have the additional updates in my email). I'm hoping after sales customer service and warranty is just as good should I need it. It comes with a 6 month warranty, which I wish was at least 12 months for the price, but oh well. 

Pricing (Speaking of)

"You can't put a price on something looking right" - Fabulous. Well he's wrong 😅. You absolutely can put a price on something this premium and beautiful, and it's $69. Probably the only reason you could complain about this case considering similar cases are $20-$30 cheaper on AliExpress an Amazon (in the black 600d). But those may or may not have warranties, and some of the AliExpress cases I have all eventually have paint peeling/scratching around the camera (at least on my fold 7). So in this instance it's quality over quantity, but you also won't find this specific crimson red color on any of those knockoff AliExpress cases. One positive though is that the Thinborne case does come with one screen protector and camera protector in the box also.

Protection and Expectations

Minimal protection. No front protection except for the aforementioned glass screen protector included. But you buy a case like this knowing it has little drop protection which you trade for the lightweight profile. It does attract fingerprints that can be easily wiped (all Aramid cases do), but they seem to be less pronounced on the crimson color. And of course it has magsafe built in (which is the only way to get magnets on other Android phones without adding bulk since they aren't native on anything but pixels and iPhones). 

Conclusion

Overall, it's a premium case with a premium price, but treat yourself don't cheat yourself (heck that's the reason I treated myself to an iPhone air in the first place knowing it had only one speaker and one camera despite the price 🤷🏾‍♂️). If you want a thin and lightweight case to compliment your thin phone, especially if you're in the States and don't want to go through Amazon or wait 2 weeks to import cases from AliExpress, then the Thinborne is probably as good as it gets.

Lastly, the handwritten note with scribbles on it that came with the case is a nice touch too, as it makes the purchase feel a little more personal than just feeling like you bought a product.

I paid $500 for the wood ⏸️ mountain trail color, but they sent the cabaret pink instead. Phone was new sealed in box and factory unlocked, so I ended up just keeping it and they took $50 off for the mixup (ordered on ebay). I honestly settled on the color because pink is my second least favorite after green plus I'm a guy, but oh well. 🤷🏾‍♂️

Battery is pretty good and even better on Wi-Fi. If you have a Samsung watch beware, it chewed through battery so much I disconnected it and I'm just using the pixel watch for now with it.

I had the razr 2024+ and the flip 7, and I prefer the razr cover screen's software but the Samsung frame. I hate that I have to use the old 3 button navigation bar because the gestures are basically unusable on the front screen with a case. I also hate I have to use a tpu protector on the front screen because of the slight curve, so for now it has no external screen protector. Also, may be a gboard issue but if I have the keyboard in right one handed mode on the inner screen, it forces the external keyboard to left one handed mode with 0 way to fix it. And lastly, auto brightness is still an issue from like 2 years ago 🤦🏾‍♂️ these are my only real gripes so far.

But other than that, still a great phone for a great price. Performance is great, charging is great, battery is great, everything is great 🤷🏾‍♂️😂 except software support. How is a $1400 msrp phone still stuck on the December 2025 security patch 😭

I may eventually trade it in but only if moto gives a great deal on the upcoming razr fold but if not, guess I'll probably keep it. Seems like a paid a great price considering the 2026 ultra is exactly the same as the 25 ultra with a slightly bigger battery (4700 vs 5000mah). However, there's no 1tb version of the 26 ultra so if you need that extra space, 25 it is and $450 was too good a deal.

In short, this case is basically similar to the Apple clear case but half the price and has the convenience of a built in kickstand. The sides are exposed so it doesn't add too much width when gripping one handed, and the case itself doesn't add much weight (a tad heavier than the carbon fiber case in been using for weeks, but way thinner and lighter than regular cases).

Pros: Price, weight, and kickstand. The convenience of having a kickstand without having to carry an extra magsafe accessory shouldn't be understated. The kickstand doesn't rotate, so it would just be for portrait viewing, but just being able to watch or scroll on the phone without any additional accessories is nice. Plus when I got it, it was only $24 (currently $28 as that deal ended yesterday on Amazon), but still way cheaper than the Apple version at $50 (though I think best buy and Amazon have them cheaper now).

Cons: As with all clear cases, prone to scratches and fingerprints. Fingerprints are not really a deal breaker, but I've noticed a couple micro scratches (only when looking really hard) within a day of use. I won't mention yellowing as a con because I've NEVER had an issue with yellowing from Torras clear cases compared to others. I rocked a clear Torras case on my 16e for months before upgrading to the Air and had 0 yellowing issues.

Overall, at this price, I'd recommend trying it. I know most Air users prefer no case + apple care, but with this case you still get a somewhat naked feeling from the exposed sides. Plus it doesn't add too much weight or thickness, but does add some protection and the convenience of a kickstand.

Just for comparison, I put it next to my s25fe with an aramid fiber case on, and the thickness was about equal. So with this case it would feel about the same as a base iPhone caseless. Then, I took my wife's 16e with a regular case on it and noticed it was still significantly thinner than a regular phone with a regular case on it, but you would have to try it for yourself.

But when you couple it with the gold iPhone, it's such a beauty to look at 🔥😍. I almost forgot how nice that gold back looked because of the carbon fiber case I've had on it the last couple weeks.