Huawei Introduces the Mate 70 Air With a Focus on Thinness and All-Day Battery Life
It’s a slim phone that doesn’t feel compromised, and that alone makes it stand out this year.
Smartphone brands have been paying a lot more attention to thinness lately. We’re seeing more “Air,” “Slim,” and “Edge” editions appear as separate models, aimed at people who want something lightweight without giving up everyday usability.
This focus has been highlighted by the recent launches of models like the Apple iPhone Air and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, which prioritize a razor-thin aesthetic.
Now, Huawei is joining the train with its Mate 70 Air, which launched in China on November 6 as the latest addition to its lineup.
At 6.6mm thick – slightly thicker than the 5.6mm iPhone Air and the $5.8mm Galaxy S25 Edge – it stands out immediately. It feels light and sleek, almost like it’s designed to look and feel refined rather than just another performance-first slab. The Mate 70 Air features a 6,500mAh battery inside, showing that thin doesn’t have to mean compromised battery life.
Up front, there’s a 7-inch LTPO OLED display that’s bright, crisp, and smooth to scroll through. Text and visuals come through cleanly, which should suit streaming, reading, and general browsing. Inside, the device runs HarmonyOS 5.1 with a Kirin 9020 series chipset. It’s not positioned as a top-tier performance chip, but it’s built for consistent everyday use. Huawei also offers up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The 16GB RAM option, in particular, should help the phone stay responsive when juggling several apps or switching between calls, chats, and social feeds.
Cameras remain an area Huawei invests in, and the Mate 70 Air offers a balanced setup with a quad rear unit. The rear setup includes a 50-megapixel main camera with optical stabilization, a 12MP telephoto for portraits, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 1.5MP multi-spectral color sensor for tuning tones more accurately. It can shoot up to 4K video, and the 10.7MP selfie camera keeps skin detail natural without heavy smoothing.
Despite the slim profile, the build feels secure. The phone is rated IP68 + IP69 for water and dust resistance, and at 208g, it has just enough weight to feel grounded in the hand. The color choices also fit the style. Obsidian Black keeps things understated, Feathered White has a lighter, softer vibe, and Gold & Silver Brocade is there if you want something that stands out.
It supports 66W wired charging, though there’s no wireless charging—likely due to the thin construction. Even so, the 6,500mAh battery is expected to deliver full-day use, which is notable for a phone this slim. The Mate 70 Air is currently available for pre-order in China, with pricing starting at CNY 4,199 and going up to CNY 5,199 depending on the configuration. Global availability is still uncertain, which has been common for Huawei’s recent models.
What sets the Mate 70 Air apart is the philosophy behind it. Instead of pushing heavier frames and bigger specs, Huawei is leaning back into something thinner, lighter, and easier to carry. It covers the basics well and focuses on comfort and everyday use. In a year where a lot of phones feel the same, that choice helps it stand out.
Ogbonda Chivumnovu
