Abidur Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi-origin industrial designer at Apple, took the stage in Cupertino to unveil the new iPhone Air and his clear, confident presentation quickly drew attention from the audience and from young designers watching at home. The iPhone Air is Apple’s slimmest smartphone so far and it uses a titanium case to stay light and strong in daily use. Apple said the phone is about one third thinner than earlier models and showed a cleaner camera layout and thinner edges. The phone includes a redesigned camera system and AI features that help take better photos, and Apple said the device keeps all-day battery life even with a smaller battery size. The company also introduced the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max with larger screens, improved cameras and the new Apple A19 Pro chip to boost speed. Chowdhury’s role at the event stood out because Apple usually has senior executives present new products, and his turn on stage felt like a vote of confidence in the design team. He has worked at Apple since 2019 and is based in San Francisco, though he was born and raised in London and has roots in Bangladesh. He studied Product Design and Technology at Loughborough University and won awards such as a James Dyson Foundation bursary and a Red Dot Design Award while building a name for thoughtful product work. Before joining Apple, he worked at design firms including Layer, Cambridge Consultants and Curventa, and he also ran his own consultancy called Abidur Chowdhury Design. Chowdhury says he loves to make innovative products and joyful experiences, and that view guided how he spoke about the Air’s feel, materials and everyday use. Local reports noted a price for the 256 gigabyte iPhone Air model in Bangladeshi taka, which helped readers picture how the new phone fits local markets. The moment felt like a sign for young makers that design work can reach global stages, and it gave many students and junior designers fresh motivation to study product design, learn hands-on skills and aim for user-friendly solutions. The wider launch showed how design and technology come together to make devices that are both useful and pleasing to hold, and Chowdhury’s presence underlined that diverse talent is helping shape the next wave of everyday tech. Many people in Bangladesh felt proud to see someone with Bangladeshi roots on a global stage. Young designers said they felt inspired and want to learn more about product design. Teachers can point to his path as proof that study and practice lead to big chances. Simple skills like sketching, prototyping and user testing help new designers stand out. The moment shows diverse talent shapes future gadgets.
