iPhone Air review: Thinness with purpose

The iPhone Air is a tool with shorter battery life, fewer cameras and a price ticket that’s $200 greater than a base iPhone 17. Certain, it’s received an even bigger display screen and it is unbelievably smooth, however irrespective of the way you slice it, that worth proposition doesn’t make sense. At the very least on paper. That’s as a result of as quickly as you maintain an iPhone Air, you immediately get a way that this handset represents far more than a easy quest for thinness. The iPhone Air is a tool with a mission: To push the corporate’s design and engineering additional than ever earlier than whereas doubling down on fashion. Plus, it’s doubtlessly laying the muse for one thing much more radical down the road.

Editor’s notice (on September 19, 9:00AM ET): The iPhone Air is now formally out there in shops, and people who have pre-ordered their units will likely be receiving them beginning in the present day. As you make your choices on whether or not or which of those you should purchase, ensure that to take a look at our evaluations of , , in addition to the and the . We additionally printed a better take a look at the function, which has some impressions of what it’s like to make use of in actual life.

What’s the iPhone Air?

New iPhones usually do not must be defined, however the Air is a special kind of iPhone. On a purely sensible stage, it may very well be considered as a (very) glowed-up alternative to the iPhone 16 Plus. Nevertheless, the Air begins at $999, which is $100 greater than the launch worth of final yr’s closest Apple equal (or $200 extra after its current worth drop). Moreover, the Air has a smaller 6.5-inch show (versus 6.7 inches on the 16 Plus) and solely a single rear digicam as an alternative of the 2 you sometimes get on a base mannequin iPhone. Then, to make issues a contact extra complicated, the Air has practically the identical A19 Professional chip utilized in Apple’s Professional sequence this yr as an alternative of an everyday A19 processor. However most significantly, the Air’s design is not like any iPhone that is come earlier than it, and it might find yourself turning into a bridge to Apple’s subsequent period of smartphones (whereas additionally being irresistibly skinny and trendy in the present day).

Design: Merely gorgeous

Even with the arrival of Samsung’s tremendous smooth Galaxy S25 Edge earlier this yr, Apple is setting new highs for cellular design with the iPhone Air. Not solely is it even skinnier at simply 5.6mm (versus 5.8mm for the S25E), it is the most effective instance but of what I wish to name “the sci-fi area pebble look” because of its rounded corners and superbly polished edges. It is a correct marvel of engineering and whereas I usually don’t love saying this, you actually do have to carry one to completely admire Apple’s craftsmanship.

Regardless of its dimensions, the Air is not all sleekness and no power. You continue to get a full IP68 score for mud and water resistance, whereas the titanium body makes the entire handset remarkably sturdy. On high of that, the Air has a display screen coated by a brand new Ceramic Defend 2 panel that additionally comes with an anti-reflective coating. And whereas it would not utterly remove glare, it does a great job of stopping annoying shiny spots.

As for the show itself, there’s not a lot to complain about right here both. The Air’s display screen has a peak brightness of three,000 nits and it has ProMotion assist with a refresh fee that varies between 1Hz and 120Hz relying on the scenario. However the true influence is that whenever you put a show this good in a tool this skinny, typically it actually does appear to be somebody has ripped a web page out of {a magazine} and made it float in your hand. It is type of uncanny and I am unable to get sufficient. To be honest, Samsung’s S25 Edge does produce an identical impact however it is not fairly as pronounced.

I additionally admire that Apple nonetheless discovered room for the iPhone’s Motion button and a flush Digital camera Management key. Round again, there’s delicate sophistication in the way in which the Air’s Ceramic Defend rear panel slopes up gently to create Apple’s digicam plateau (although I do not love that title). And weighing simply 5.82 ounces (165 grams), the Air’s heft (or lack thereof) provides much more to its ethereal in-hand really feel.

My most important concern with the Air’s design is that it solely has a single mono speaker. Granted, it packs a punch each when it comes to quantity and presence, however after years of stereo sound being the de facto tools on premium smartphones, one-sided audio would not sit fairly proper. The opposite potential sore spot is that the Air’s USB-C port is not completely centered within the backside edge. However I absolutely admit that that is probably the most minor of nitpicks, and when you think about that because of the Air’s thinness Apple needed to 3D-print the connector out of titanium (a primary for the corporate), I am not bothered.

Efficiency: Manner higher than adequate

In comparison with the bottom iPhone 17, the Air has a extra highly effective A19 Professional chip. Nevertheless, not like the silicon out there within the iPhone 17 Professional line, the Air’s processor has one fewer GPU core (5 as an alternative of six). However even with that small shortfall, the cellphone was by no means hurting for velocity. Flipping between apps is actually instantaneous and due to the brand new Liquid Glass visible design in iOS 26, doing so appears to be like higher than ever.

Extra intense duties like gaming did not do a lot to sluggish it down both. Body charges remained steady in demanding titles like Future: Rising whereas extra informal fare like Sword of Convallaria regarded effortlessly fluid. The one time the cellphone appeared mildly taxed was when utilizing instruments like Apple’s Picture Playground. Simply be careful if when do you any excessive efficiency duties for a chronic time, as a result of the the Air can get a bit heat — notably on its digicam bump. Fortunately, in my expertise, it by no means received too sizzling to the touch.

Elsewhere, the addition of Apple’s new N1 and C1X chips rounds out the bundle that the corporate claims makes this probably the most power-efficient iPhone but. That is vital as a result of with out a vapor chamber like on the Professional line, or room for a big battery, the Air would not have a lot leeway for extra warmth or energy draw. The draw back is that Apple’s C1X modem would not assist mmWave 5G. This might not be a difficulty relying on the place you reside or what community you are on, however for these demanding peak cellular information speeds, it’s one thing value contemplating earlier than upgrading.

Digital camera: Crisp pictures however is one lens sufficient?

The photographs and movies the iPhone Air takes are wonderful. However on the finish of the day, there nonetheless is not an actual alternative for extra glass, and with solely a single lens in again, Apple’s lone 48MP rear digicam could be the cellphone’s largest limitation. In a shot of some home made cookies, particulars have been sharp and colours have been so wealthy that my mouth was nonetheless watering lengthy after the treats have been eaten. Similar goes for a difficult photograph at sundown, the place the Air nonetheless managed to seize the heat and delicate tones of the day’s fading gentle. And at evening, it stored tempo with and even outshot its largest rivals, together with the Pixel 10 Professional and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge — like in my picture of a neighborhood mural and flower in low-light. Nevertheless, when you’re the type of one that loves a great telephoto shot or the additional discipline of view an ultra-wide lens supplies, the Air’s 2x optical high quality zoom means you’re out of luck.

Impressively, regardless of solely having a single rear digicam, the Air nonetheless manages to take portrait pics that look virtually simply nearly as good as these from iPhones with two. Apple says that it reengineered its portrait pipeline to work with out the necessity for stereo cameras for the Air, and it completely works. Now, when you do some critical pixel peeping, you would possibly discover some small discrepancies between the iPhone 17 and the Air on issues like flyaway hairs. However ultimately, it is good to see that even with out the identical variety of lenses, there is not a significant drop in high quality.

Nevertheless, in entrance, Apple’s Heart Stage function and the Air’s new 18MP selfie cam may be the following massive photograph revolution that different firms will copy quickly. Through the use of a sq. sensor as an alternative of an oblong one, the cellphone can flip between wider panorama pictures or taller portrait-style pics at a second’s discover. Actually, there’s even an auto setting that permits the cellphone to change between the 2 by itself, relying on how many individuals are within the body.

As somebody who’s selfie-averse, the occasions that I do need to take a photograph of my face are normally after I’m standing in entrance of a giant vista and need to seize myself and the surroundings. Heart Stage lets me do exactly that with no need to awkwardly flip the cellphone on its aspect. Moreover, whereas the photographs you see right here have been taken with Apple’s default “Commonplace” Photographic Fashion, I need to admit I like the brand new “Vibrant” choice in iOS 26, which provides simply sufficient pop and colour to your photographs with out going overboard.

Battery life and charging: Not an issue

The iPhone Air’s emphasis on thinness means there’s much less room for a giant battery, so that you would possibly suppose longevity could be a priority. However in my expertise, it has been an entire non-issue. Formally, Apple would not present specs for the dimensions of the facility cells in its units, although the corporate does state the Air ought to present 27 hours of steady video playback, which is just three lower than what you get from a base iPhone 17. That is a drop of simply 10 p.c and, contemplating the sleekness of the Air, it is a trade-off I am blissful to make.

Moreover, my outcomes usually line up with Apple’s numbers. In a streaming video rundown take a look at over Wi-Fi, the iPhone Air lasted 23 hours and 39 minutes — barely an hour lower than what I received from a base iPhone 17 (24:45). And in the true world, the Air fared even higher than anticipated. Even on a day with over seven hours of display screen on time (which incorporates operating benchmarks and gaming), the cellphone has 25 p.c juice left within the tank. And on lighter days after I’m not working or continuously checking my cellphone, I typically had 40 to 45 p.c vitality remaining. With regards to recharging, the Air retains issues easy: a 30-minute cost (both wired or wirelessly) can add 50 p.c battery in simply half-hour.

Apple’s MagSafe battery pack: The Air’s finest buddy

I do not usually point out peripherals throughout a evaluate, since I am not a fan of instances however I can perceive wanting additional safety for a $1,000 cellphone. Nevertheless, I would argue that Apple’s MagSafe Battery for the iPhone Air could also be a vital accent for folk who wish to journey gentle however do not need to fear about their electronics dying — even when its $99 price ticket stings.

Consistent with the iPhone Air’s design, Apple’s energy pack is exceedingly slim at simply 7.5mm and it snaps neatly onto the again of the system magnetically, so there are not any wires to fret about. By itself, recharging tops out at 12 watts. Although if there is a twine mendacity round, you’ll be able to enhance speeds as much as the Air’s 20-watt restrict. Alternatively, you may as well use the pack’s built-in USB-C port to energy up any of your different devices. And when you should recharge the transportable battery, all it’s important to do is hold it connected to the iPhone whereas it’s charging and it’ll routinely move by way of juice as wanted.

However my favourite half is that not solely does the battery pack refill the iPhone Air, it may recharge the AirPods Professional 3 wirelessly as nicely. Admittedly, Apple’s slim MagSafe Battery would not have the largest capability at 3,149mAh (which is sufficient to add an additional 65 p.c cost to the cellphone). So although you are paying a premium to maintain issues tremendous skinny and breezy, between the handset, the facility pack and Apple’s newest earbuds, I actually admire the comfort for what may be the last word light-weight journey equipment for iPhone trustworthy.

Wrap-up

Whereas the iPhone Air’s thinness could also be its most putting high quality, it is abundantly clear that this handset is a lot greater than that. Not solely does this system characterize a radical evolution of Apple’s design chops, it compelled the corporate’s engineers to provide you with extra power-efficient options to make all this attainable. And in that respect, the iPhone Air is an enormous success. It is smooth, it is quick and it is wildly fashionable in a method that each fashionistas and individuals who similar to packing gentle can admire.

One fascinating wrinkle in all of that is that the true potential of the Air’s success won’t be really felt for one more yr or two. Whereas Apple won’t need to say so simply but, I am prepared to wager that this system can even be the template for an upcoming foldable iPhone. You slap two Airs collectively, join them with a hinge and a versatile display screen and child you bought stew going. That mentioned, for followers of earlier Plus fashions, the Air’s elevated worth, smaller display screen and single rear cam actually aren’t ultimate. So long as you do not thoughts the shortage of additional lenses, for individuals who admire a strong however nonetheless eminently effervescent cellular companion, the iPhone Air is in one other stratosphere.