Making the iPhone Air Transparent (the Hard Way)

This would look absolutely amazing transparent but there’s a catch. The iPhone Air’s design looks simple on the outside, but under the glass, it’s a whole different story.

Usually, the camera bump on an iPhone sticks out only on the exterior, while the inside of the back glass stays flat. That flat surface is perfect for scraping off paint to get that clean transparent look. But the iPhone Air changes the game.

The Problem: Curved Camera Glass

Apple decided to give the iPhone Air a curved “camera plateau,” which means the entire area around the camera lenses is now part of a single curved glass piece. It’s not just a bump glued on top—it’s molded into the back itself.

That might not sound like a big deal, but for modders like me, it’s a nightmare. When the glass is curved, it’s almost impossible to evenly scrape off paint or use solvents without risking cracks or cloudy streaks.

In other words: no more easy paint removal.

The Plan: Trying Something New

So, in this video, we’re going to have to try out some… uh, new methods. Normally, I’d grab a blade and start carefully scraping off the back paint, maybe with some heat to make it easier. But with curved glass, that method’s basically a recipe for disaster.

The curve means the blade won’t stay even, and one wrong move could crack the entire piece. So instead, I might have to rely on some chemical options, maybe even gallium to dissolve the paint layer instead of scraping it off manually.

That’s the plan, at least. We’ll see if it actually works.

Final Thoughts

The iPhone Air’s new design looks simple on the outside, but underneath, it’s a whole different story. Making this thing transparent isn’t going to be easy, but I’m determined to find a way.

Let’s see if we can pull it off.

See you in the next article!