Huawei Mate 70 Air vs. Apple iPhone Air
Selecting between the Mate 70 Air and iPhone Air received me considering—do I need modern design or extra energy for much less?
China’s smartphone manufacturers are stepping as much as problem Apple in 2025, and now it’s Huawei’s flip. The Mate 70 Air goals on the similar crowd that loves the iPhone Air for its modern design however isn’t keen to splurge. Regardless of being slim and fairly inexpensive, the Mate 70 Air doesn’t lower corners just like the iPhone does. However do the perks of the Huawei Mate 70 Air outweigh the Apple expertise?
Design
The Mate 70 Air measures 6.6 mm thick and weighs 208 grams. Whereas the iPhone Air is available in thinner at 5.6 mm and lighter at 165 grams, the Mate 70 Air delivers strengths in different areas that I’ll dive into beneath.
I used to be considering the opposite day that the iPhone Air appears like a extra polished model of the iPhone X, with simply sufficient up to date design particulars. It’s like Apple remembered what their telephones used to seem like earlier than the Professional fashions took over—a refreshing change from the recycled iPhone 11 by way of 16 fashion.
The Mate 70 Air’s digital camera setup is much like the Mate 70 Professional/Professional+, with a spherical bump and 4 lens openings. Once we speak about slim telephones, it’s all about distinctive design. When it comes to appears to be like, I’ve to present Apple the win.
The iPhone Air has clean, rounded edges and a shiny titanium body. It collects fingerprints fairly a bit however feels robust. The USB-C port is 3D-printed, and the buttons and digital camera controls stretch virtually from edge to edge.
I spent a while deciding between the Huawei colours—Black, White, or Turquoise. In the long run, I went with White. I’ll admit although, every colour had its personal pull for me. The iPhone Air affords colours like Sky Blue, Gentle Gold, Cloud White, and House Black. Whereas the alternatives lean extra towards enjoyable and youthful vibes, I had a tricky time choosing one which felt extra “me” as a person in my mid-20s. However hey, Apple’s aiming at individuals who love that wow issue, and there’s nothing incorrect with that.
Show
Huawei’s self-developed Kunlun glass protects the Mate 70 Air’s show, however the true standout is the 18.8:9 side ratio and spacious 7-inch actual property. Because of the vast structure, studying e-books and articles turns into simpler and requires much less scrolling. And my favourite half: video games like Name of Obligation: Cell and PUBG really feel clean due to the bigger contact zones. I’m stunned, although, that Huawei doesn’t embody a stylus for a display this huge.
Display screen brightness has change into a key characteristic for smartphones, alongside CPUs and cameras. The Mate 70 Air delivers right here too, reaching 4,000 nits at peak, protecting the show clear even in vivid daylight. Apple chases the identical purpose, so Huawei faces stiff competitors.
For comparability, the iPhone Air sits in the midst of the iPhone 17 lineup with a 6.5-inch show. Customers love the Tremendous Retina XDR display, which reaches 3,000 nits at peak and stays simple to see in each scenario.
Digital camera
The Mate 70 Air has a spherical digital camera setup on the again with 4 lenses. The primary digital camera is a 50 MP sensor, and there’s a 12 MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom and OIS. You additionally get an 8 MP ultrawide/macro lens and a 1.5 MP multispectral pink maple sensor to spice up colour and element in numerous lighting.
However, the iPhone Air’s digital camera setup is one in all its weaker factors. It comes with a single 48 MP digital camera on the again and an 18 MP selfie digital camera with Centre Stage tech from the iPhone 17 sequence. With out an ultrawide or telephoto lens, the photograph choices really feel restricted. It’s a bit disappointing, once you examine the iPhone Air to Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge, which affords two cameras. However that’s a dialogue for one more time.
Gaming and audio
It’s unusual that the Huawei Mate 70 Air makes use of two variations of the Kirin chip—the Kirin 9020A and the Kirin 9020B. The primary one runs with 16 GB of RAM, whereas the opposite has 12 GB. Each chips are simply barely slowed-down variations of the common Kirin 9020.
The primary distinction between the common Kirin 9020 and the Air’s 9020A is that the massive and medium cores run at 100 MHz decrease speeds. So, the 9020A has 2 massive cores at 2.4G Hz, 6 medium cores at 2.0 GHz, and 4 small cores at 1.6 GHz. The efficiency hole? Solely about 5%. As for the Kirin 9020B, it packs 6 cores and 9 threads, which you’d anticipate from a midrange chip.
The iPhone Air runs the A19 Professional, near the chip within the iPhone 17 Professional, however with one fewer GPU core. That trim hits sport energy a bit, and the identical goes for heavy graphic work. I don’t advocate anybody shopping for the iPhone Air or the Mate 70 Air for sport periods anyway. The iPhone Air zips by way of fundamental duties, but warmth builds up quick close to the digital camera bump when the cellphone churns on demanding duties.
Speaker setup takes a flip. The Mate 70 Air throws out sound from a few stereo models. In shooters, steps begin from the left, sweep to the fitting, and allow you to observe motion round you. The iPhone Air goes with one earpiece unit close to the highest. The sound from that spot works tremendous, however the absence of stereo hits the vibe throughout exhibits or clips.
Battery
Samsung and Apple missed the mark with battery life on their slim smartphones, however not Huawei. The Mate 70 Air comes with a 6,500 mAh silicon carbon-anode battery. From what I’ve learn, many customers are getting round 35-40% by bedtime after heavy use. That’s stable for a slim cellphone.
In distinction, the iPhone Air’s battery is smaller (3,149 mAh) to maintain the design skinny. Whereas the battery life isn’t so long as different iPhones, it’s nonetheless manageable. You must get by way of most days with a nightly cost, however when you’re gaming or working demanding apps, you may want to change to low energy mode.
Value and verdict
I see how Huawei’s skinny cellphone stays sturdy in spots the place the ultrathin Apple cellphone falls quick. The Mate 70 Air brings a giant display, punchy stereo sound, and an enormous energy cell. The $799 tag for Mate 70 Air feels honest to me. Apple asks for $999 for the iPhone Air, and also you add $99 for a snap-on energy pack that Apple frames as a bonus merchandise, although I see it as a should for lengthy days. As soon as the overall hits close to $1,100, I urge care.
Yearly, Apple drops new iPhones, and more often than not, every mannequin is only a small improve from the final—higher cameras, a number of new options, however not an enormous change. In case you select the iPhone Air, the trade-offs could be price it, relying on what issues most to you.