A budget alternative to the iPhone Air? A new domestic Air phone is here.

A few days ago, Xiaomi came up with a series of new models, directly targeting the entire Apple product line. They launched the Xiaomi 17, Xiaomi 17 Pro, and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max. However, the Air version is missing from this series.

Lenovo filled this "gap".

On September 29th, Lenovo announced that its moto X70 Air will be launched at the end of October. It is touted as the "Air with AI" and is directly targeting the iPhone Air.

01 You're also called Air?

From the pre - release posters, the moto X70 Air follows a minimalist style. The rear camera module only slightly protrudes, and the physical volume and power buttons are retained on the right side, continuing moto's consistent classic design.

However, the official hasn't released the specific parameters yet. Let's make a comparison with the iPhone Air.

The iPhone Air starts at 7,999 yuan. With a thickness of 5.6mm and a weight of 165g, it has become Apple's thinnest model ever. The body uses a titanium alloy frame and ultra - ceramic crystal glass.

To achieve extreme thinness and lightness, it has made many compromises: the physical SIM card slot is removed, and it only supports dual eSIM (currently only China Unicom is compatible in China). The battery capacity has been reduced to 3,149mAh, which is lower than most Android flagship models.

Industry insiders speculate that the thickness of the moto X70 Air may break through 5.5mm, the weight may drop below 160g, the battery capacity will be between 4,500 - 5,000mAh, and the physical SIM card slot will be retained, which is more in line with the usage habits of domestic users.

In terms of chips, the iPhone Air is equipped with the A19 Pro chip. The moto X70 Air is expected to use the Snapdragon 8 Gen4 or Dimensity 9400, and its performance will be slightly inferior to the A19 Pro.

With the iPhone Air setting a high standard, apart from the advantages in battery life and weight, the expectations for the moto X70 Air in other aspects are not very high. It seems that it is just riding on the popularity of the name.

It's worth mentioning that this is Lenovo's first time using the "Air" naming for a mobile phone.

Actually, Lenovo's YOGA Air series of laptops has long been known for its thin and light models. This time, it obviously wants to transfer the experience of making thin and light laptops to mobile phones.

For example, the YOGA Air series is very good at balancing performance and battery life in an ultra - thin body. Take the YOGA Air 14, for instance. It manages to fit a 70Wh large - capacity battery into a 13.9mm - thick body, thanks to the staggered layout of the battery and the heat dissipation system.

The moto X70 Air may follow this idea, combining the ultra - thin battery packaging technology accumulated from foldable screens with the layout experience of the YOGA series, allowing the phone's battery to avoid the camera module and the motherboard area, thereby reducing the overall weight of the phone.

02 From the acquisition of Motorola to the moto X70 Air

Looking back, in 2014, Lenovo's mobile phone business acquired Motorola Mobility. Now, it has formed a product layout centered around moto with multiple series working in synergy.

Among them, foldable screens are the focus of Lenovo's mobile phone business. For example, the ice - diamond limited - edition jewelry small foldable phone in the moto razr 60 series this year was co - branded with Swarovski. Many people were attracted to it as a Qixi Festival gift, and some even customized it into a "pain machine", which is priced from 5,499 yuan.

In terms of straight - screen models, the edge 60 series covers the price range from 1,445 yuan to 2,295 yuan. It has bold and diverse color schemes, and the texture is close to leather. Some models also feature nylon and sandpaper textures, showing obvious differentiation and appealing to many student users.

In terms of sales, Lenovo's mobile phones show a trend of "strong overseas, catching up at home".

In the second quarter of this year, the market share of Lenovo's moto foldable phones doubled from 14% in the same period last year to 28%. This means that for every four foldable phones sold globally, one is from Lenovo's moto.

Meanwhile, in the overseas market, Lenovo's moto not only ranks among the top four in terms of revenue but also ranks among the top five in terms of shipments.

But in the domestic market, its presence is not very strong, and it has long been in a less prominent position.

03 Domestic mobile phone manufacturers are eyeing Apple

Besides Lenovo, other domestic mobile phone manufacturers have also set their sights on Apple recently.

For example, Xiaomi skipped the number 16 for this generation of flagship phones and named it Xiaomi 17. The entire series is comprehensively targeting the iPhone 17.

Models such as OPPO's Find X8 and Reno 13 adopt a straight - screen, right - angled frame, and an integrated cold - carved glass lens module similar to those of the iPhone. They are called "OPhone" by everyone. Instead of being offended, OPPO's official even applied for this trademark specifically.

Vivo is similar. The appearance design of some of its models is becoming more and more similar to Apple's. It also launched a vivo OriginOs theme whose interface is very similar to the Apple system. At first glance, it's really hard to tell them apart.

Moreover, sometimes when domestic brands launch new products, they will specifically emphasize how compatible the products are with the Apple ecosystem.

It's undeniable that while domestic phones are targeting Apple, they also integrate their own advantages. They have even surpassed Apple in aspects such as photography and battery life. They offer high cost - performance and more choices for consumers, making the mobile phone experience better and better.

But in the long run, this excessive targeting can easily make a brand lose its uniqueness. Brands that can truly stand firm in the high - end market never rely on imitating their competitors but on sticking to their own path.

This article is from the WeChat official account "Technology Daily Push" (ID: apptoday). Author: Huang Wanyi, Editor: Zhou Weipeng. It is published by 36Kr with permission.