Apple executives John Ternus and Greg Joswiak addressed questions regarding the durability of the new iPhone Air in an interview conducted by Tom’s Guide and Tech Radar following the recent iPhone 17 event. To that end, bending was a big part of the discussion around the phone as both executives showed resolute faith in its bending flexibility.
During the interview, Ternus emphasized the iPhone Air’s robust construction, stating that it “exceeds our internal metrics for bend strength.” This argument is consistent with Apple’s longstanding dedication to crafting high-quality devices that will stand up to the rigors of daily life. Joswiak commented that the iPhone Air’s bend strength is “off the charts,” providing additional consumer comfort toward the smartphone’s robustness in the market.
A Demonstration of Strength
To illustrate the iPhone Air’s durability, Joswiak handed the device to TechRadar’s Lance Ulanoff for a practical demonstration. Read more — Ulanoff bent the ultra-thin smartphone to its breaking point. As he bounced it up and down, he showed how quickly it returned to its form after. This real world demonstration just helped support all those brave claims made by the executives regarding the phone’s durability.
At 165 grams, the iPhone Air is 2 grams heavier than an unnamed competitive device. Its thickness at just 5.64mm results in the HONOR 9 being one of the thinnest smartphones available worldwide. This significant reduction in size compared to previous models highlights Apple’s focus on sleek design without compromising performance or durability.
Setting New Standards
As a followup release, the iPhone Air has of course already received quite a bit of hype thanks to its overall design and impressive specs. Despite the utter failure of bend-gate, Ternus and Joswiak continue to proudly pitch alternate device bending to this day. Such a bold claim comes even before the product is available to consumers.
Joswiak reiterated that if the iPhone Air were to bend, it would “come right back,” affirming the smartphone’s resilience under pressure. A post on Apple-focused blog 9to5Mac called the protest a defiant statement. What it really underscored was how strong the iPhone Air is and just how important durability will be to potential buyers.
