Real-world test of iPhone Air’s bend-resistance — shockingly sturdy

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Technology Insights Daily
September 24, 2025

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Apple’s iPhone Air, with its ultra-slim profile (around 5.6 mm at its thinnest point) and a titanium frame, has undergone bend tests to determine just how durable it is. In lab tests simulating ~130 pounds of pressure applied at the phone’s center, the device flexed but bounced back without permanent warping. Apple executives also performed live demonstration bend tests, pushing the device hard yet observing no lasting damage. The design uses titanium and Apple’s Ceramic Shield, materials touted for strength and scratch resistance. What’s especially impressive is how the phone retains functionality even under stressful mechanical load, maintaining flatness and no visible damage after flex. While bend tests aren’t wholly reflective of all real-world abuse (drops, twists, etc.), these results suggest Apple has prioritized durability in the iPhone Air despite its thin build—addressing past concerns about phones bending under everyday stresses.

With watchOS 26, Apple introduces an “Adaptive Power” mode specifically targeting battery life improvements for Apple Watches used by children. When a watch is set up through Apple’s Family Setup system for a child user, the Adaptive Power mode activates automatically. It works by making background performance trade-offs—reducing non-urgent activity, dimming display or slowing animations, among other tweaks—to extend usage between charges. Parents can also disable it if they prefer full responsiveness over battery savings. While many have been expecting general battery-saving modes across all users, this child-only restriction is surprising: other modes like Low Power are available broadly, but this new tiered automatic mode seems designed with safety, usage patterns, and battery concerns specific to younger users in mind. For families, this could be valuable; for others, it could feel limiting.

Rumours about the iPhone 18 Pro / Pro Max suggest Apple may experiment with semi-transparent components in the device’s design—possibly parts of the rear shell or internal layers being visible in some way. Such a design would be visually striking and could evoke nostalgia (transparent electronics have a retro-tech appeal) but also risk being more fragile or harder to manufacture. If Apple pursues this, they’ll need to balance aesthetics with durability, weight, cost, and ensuring the visible components are still protected. The implementation could be purely cosmetic (e.g. under-glass or faux transparency) or more functional (showing real internals or lighting effects). Given Apple’s history, likely they’ll use clever materials or coatings to give the look of transparency while hiding fragile parts. As with any rumours, these features may shift or be abandoned before release.

According to the latest detailed study by OpenAI (in collaboration with economists), women now slightly outnumber men among ChatGPT users—about 52% are female, a shift from earlier years when the majority were male. The report analyses 1.5 million messages from roughly 130,000 users between May 2024 and July 2025, showing evolving usage patterns. More than half of all interactions are now “non-work” related, where people ask for guidance, information, creative output, or everyday help, rather than purely technical or professional tasks. Younger adults (18-25) form a large chunk of usage. The finding is notable because it implies widening reach and usage of AI tools among demographics previously less engaged. It also suggests OpenAI’s features, content, and user experience may be becoming more relevant to broader audiences beyond early adopters. The shift could influence how AI products are marketed, the kinds of features prioritised, and what content is created for users.

The idea that the Mac Studio with Apple’s M3 Ultra chip might not be able to install the upcoming macOS “Tahoe” raises important compatibility and support questions. If true, it would be surprising, since high-end Apple silicon machines are usually among the first to receive compatibility with major macOS upgrades. Reasons for such a limitation could range from hardware architecture mismatches, driver support, firmware constraints, or performance considerations. Perhaps features in macOS Tahoe require certain neural engine or display engine components that M3 Ultra doesn’t have, or there could be thermal or power constraints. For users with Mac Studio, this could create frustration or force them to stick to earlier macOS versions or consider different hardware. On the other hand, such rumours may be incorrect or based on incomplete leaks; Apple tends to standard-ise key support for latest OS on recent hardware. It’s worth keeping an eye on official compatibility sheets from Apple to confirm or dispel this claim.

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