Technologies

I Held Apple’s Wildly Thin iPhone Air. I’m Both Impressed and Intrigued

Apple’s thinnest iPhone is just 5.6mm thick and weighs 165 grams. But it scales back on some features to accomplish that sleeker build.

Apple debuted its super-slim iPhone Air on Tuesday, and after getting my hands on the device at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, I can confirm it’s quite striking to hold. At just 5.6mm thick and 165 grams, it’s one of those phones you may just have to feel to understand its appeal. I look forward to finding out if what’s on the inside lives up to that show-stopping design.

With the iPhone Air in one hand and my iPhone 16 Pro Max in the other, the difference between the two devices is striking. The former feels refreshingly airy and slick compared to my heftier current phone, although there are trade-offs in specs like camera and battery (more on that in a moment). Like Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge, which I reviewed earlier this year, it’s a phone you’ll hardly feel in a pocket or bag. It feels sturdy enough, and I look forward to doing the Back Pocket Test to see just how well it holds up.

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The highly anticipated iPhone Air starts at $999 (£999, AU$1,799). It has a titanium frame for a durable, lightweight build. The company’s Ceramic Shield 2 covers the front, with Ceramic Shield on the back. An anti-reflective display and 3,000-nit peak brightness should make it easier to see the screen in bright sunlight — which I look forward to testing once I get it outdoors.

For now, though, I can tell you that the iPhone Air may give other thin devices like Samsung’s S25 Edge a run for their money — and potentially help the niche category get more attention by stirring up interest among more consumers.

«The iPhone 17 Air takes center stage today,» Nabila Popal, senior research director at IDC, said in a statement. «It is also the first step in a strategic design makeover, paving the road to a foldable iPhone possibly next year. While it may not drive mass volume, it is not meant to. It will draw in users who prioritize a lighter and sleeker device over function, expanding Apple’s user appeal and demographic. There are plenty of consumers eagerly waiting for the slim and sexy new iPhone Air.»

The Air has a generous 6.5-inch screen and fits nicely in my hand; it doesn’t feel too small or too big. And like the baseline iPhone 17, it has a ProMotion display with a 120Hz variable refresh rate, meaning it supports an always-on display (a feature I personally can’t live without) so you can see your notifications without waking the screen. It’s a welcome change, as previously, only Apple’s Pro model phones had that 120Hz display.

The iPhone Air packs an A19 Pro chip. It also has Apple’s N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, as well as a faster and more efficient version of its in-house 5G modem, the C1X, which is an update to the C1 modem it debuted on the iPhone 16E this year.

Apple on Tuesday called the Air the «most power-efficient iPhone we have ever made,» and says it has all-day battery life — although you can buy a MagSafe battery that Apple is already touting to extend that life. Adaptive Power in iOS 26 can also help conserve battery life by automatically adjusting your iPhone’s performance based on how you’re using it at that moment, according to Apple. I look forward to testing the battery in my day-to-day life, and seeing how it compares to the 3,900-mAh battery on the Galaxy S25 Edge, which is one of that phone’s main drawbacks.

On the back, the iPhone Air has a 48-megapixel fusion camera, which also allows for 2x telephoto pictures. On the front, you’ll find Apple’s new 18-megapixel Center Stage selfie camera that works in a landscape and portrait orientation. I played with this feature in Apple’s demo room and was impressed with how well it adjusted the frame from portrait to landscape as more people came into view. I’m eager to keep using that feature and seeing just how much that solo 48-megapixel fusion lens on the back can accomplish.

Preorders for the iPhone Air and the entire iPhone 17 lineup begin Friday, with the new device hitting stores the following Friday, Sept. 19.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for March 15, #1730

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for March 15, No. 1,730.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a fairly common word, but the beginning letter is one I rarely guess. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

Today’s Wordle answer has two vowels.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with G.

Wordle hint No. 4: Last letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with E.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to a mark that a student receives in a class.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is GRADE.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, March 14, No. 1729, was ANKLE.

Recent Wordle answers

March 10, No. 1725: SHOAL

March 11, No. 1726: TEDDY

March 12, No. 1727: SMELL

March 13, No. 1728: EATEN

What’s the best Wordle starting word?

Don’t be afraid to use our tip sheet ranking all the letters in the alphabet by frequency of uses. In short, you want starter words that lean heavy on E, A and R, and don’t contain Z, J and Q.

Some solid starter words to try:

ADIEU

TRAIN

STARE

NOISE

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for March 15, #538

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for March 15, No. 538.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today is Selection Sunday, and the Connections: Sports Edition puzzle is all about the NCAA basketball tournament. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Oops!

Green group hint: Not the second word.

Blue group hint: They direct the team.

Purple group hint: They made it to the Big Dance.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Basketball fouls.

Green group: First words in NCAA tournament rounds.

Blue group: Women’s college basketball coaches.

Purple group: Teams qualified for the 2026 Men’s NCAA tournament.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is basketball fouls. The four answers are block, charge, hold and reach-in.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is first words in NCAA tournament rounds. The four answers are elite, final, second and sweet.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is women’s college basketball coaches. The four answers are Auriemma, Close, Ivey and Staley.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is teams qualified for the 2026 Men’s NCAA tournament. The four answers are Gonzaga, High Point, Queens and Troy.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Sunday, March 15

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for March 15.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Today’s wasn’t terribly tough, but read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.