An iPhone Air with a transparent back isn’t exactly new territory. However, one modder has taken the idea further — and it genuinely looks like something Nothing would approve of.
A YouTuber known as Linzin has rebuilt the Apple iPhone Air with a fully transparent rear panel and a working physical SIM slot. The result is a sleek, see-through iPhone that shows off its internals. It also restores a feature Apple has steadily moved away from in some markets.
The transparent look was achieved by stripping the paint layers from the rear glass using a laser — a delicate process that had to avoid damaging the MagSafe charging coil underneath. Once completed, the entire back panel revealed the phone’s internal layout in full view. Therefore, it gives the phone that stripped-back, tech-forward aesthetic popularised by brands like Nothing.
But the bigger change sits inside the frame. The modders drilled into the chassis to create space for a physical SIM tray. This move required removing Apple’s original haptic engine and replacing it with a smaller third-party alternative. After board-level soldering, the SIM slot functioned as intended. As a result, the device booted without issue.
It’s clever, but it’s not without compromise.
Removing the paint layers also meant removing the original heat-dissipation pads, which noticeably affected thermal performance. The handset also lost its dust and water resistance in the process. At one point, a microphone ribbon cable even came loose, forcing the phone back in for repairs.
Still, the finished product delivers something Apple doesn’t currently offer in the same way. It provides a transparent iPhone Air with easier SIM flexibility for users who prefer physical cards over eSIM switching.
Of course, this isn’t an official variant and it voids the warranty entirely. But as a proof of concept, it’s a reminder that there’s still appetite for phones that show their engineering rather than hiding it. Still, whether Apple would ever embrace that aesthetic itself is another question.
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