After using the iPhone Air for the last 10 days, I can see what everyone is wondering. Yes, it’s really that light and thin. But even more interesting is whether Apple’s thinnest phone, at just 5.64mm, is worth the trade-offs it demands. I have been using my iPhone 15 Pro Max as my primary phone for over 18 months and my secondary phone is often the flagship Android phone. On the other hand, the air on the iPhone is very light, so when I first picked up the iPhone 17 Pro Max after using the Air, the Pro Max suddenly felt heavy too. That contrast tells you something about what Apple has achieved here and what you may be giving up.
A friend who had an iPhone Air says he has gotten how sophisticated it is, despite the phone weighing just 12 grams more than the iPhone 17. I share my feelings. To experience that feeling again, you find yourself picking up a phone from your table. Certainly, the novelty of mobile phone builds is exhausting, but for now I enjoy it.
The phone is not small. It’s thin so it’s easier to keep it (sorry, iPhone mini fan). However, if you have problems operating your phone with a large screen with one hand, this doesn’t change much because it’s a 6.5 inch screen.
As the headline suggests, when the iPhone air is in my pocket, I often forget that it is there. If you have problems installing a large phone in your pocket, your iPhone may fit in. If it’s not a problem, the pocket just feels light.
The phone is thin but quite sturdy. I dropped the phone from the level of the bedside table and it was fine. Once I accidentally sat there, I didn’t lose shape. There are plenty of videos that suggest that it works in most daily conditions.
I usually use most phones without a case, but if I’m planning on using Apple’s new shoulder straps, I didn’t want to add bulk or thickness to my iPhone Air. Also, if you need additional protection, you can use Apple’s bumper case without adding much weight.
Considering the slim build of the iPhone Air, there has been a lot of talk about battery life. After intense gaming and video streaming, especially around the camera plate area, phones often start to get hot, urging them to check their battery percentage more frequently than they need to.
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Your phone has processor chops that allow you to play games with intensive graphics, but if you plan on using your phone extensively during the day, using Apple’s $99 Magsafe battery pack (fits the back of your phone) is a good idea as it will easily pass through the day. One of the advantages of carrying a pack is that you can refill the battery of your Magsafe-compatible airpod if you wish.
Overall, the battery life of your iPhone Air is fine if you are planning to perform tasks like making some phone calls, watching videos, scrolling through feeds, and answering emails when connected to a Wi-Fi network. I carried the phone on a two-hour flight and watched a movie I downloaded on Netflix, but it didn’t drop significantly to battery level. However, please note that this is a new phone and the battery will run out over time. This can be a concern if you plan to keep this phone for more than a year or two.
Another drawback of the iPhone Air is the camera department, with a single lens rear camera setup. The phone, like the base iPhone 17, features a 48-megapixel sensor with an f/1.6 aperture. The 26mm focal length camera has sensor shift stabilization that captures good images in most lighting conditions. Photo details are fine, but I’ve noticed that post-processing on iPhone cameras often causes the background to be much brighter than what you’re seeing with your eyes.
There is no dedicated telephoto camera. You have to make it in time with twice the crop from the main sensor. However, apart from low lighting conditions, the zoom works well. I have three pets and have been grateful for the good Zoom for many years, so I can now capture their goofy, cute poses without moving out of their place. I missed having that option on my iPhone Air.
The omission of wide-angle lenses may pinch you if you travel frequently or go to places where you want to take vast landscape photos.
Apple has changed its selfie camera sensors throughout the new lineup using a new square 18 megapixel sensor. This allows you to take selfies in a variety of formats without having to keep your phone in landscape mode. Thanks to the center stage, when more people cram into the frame, the camera automatically chooses a wider aspect ratio. However, you can also manually control zoom in/out and orientation. When shooting video for various creative channels, the new iPhone also has the option of shooting clips using feeds from both the front and rear cameras simultaneously.
Notes on one side: The air has a camera control button just like the previous iPhone, but I didn’t use it much.
It has a third drawback, which is a single speaker, but it does have a drawback. The iPhone Air is designed to make Apple unable to accommodate the lower speakers. When you play games, listen to music, or call the speaker, you can only hear the sound from the speaker above the screen. I personally use AirPods most of the time, but I missed having dual speakers while watching odd videos without earphones.
Apple nailed the tough parts, which led a stunning mobile phone to engineering, but now there are some difficult parts. Air fills the fourth slot in the company’s four iPhone annual lineup. For Apple, Air’s job is to do better than that. But the question is, who is the phone?
As my colleagues Amanda Silverling and Julie Boat wrote on the day of release, it’s easy to shake in the air on your iPhone. You might be even more sure if you call. When I got my iPhone Air, I told one of my friends it was a “atmosphere phone.”
It completely trusts that it will last all day long without additional battery support, not a phone you can charge in the morning. However, if aesthetics and portability are more important than all-day battery life or multi-lens camera systems, the iPhone Air will deliver. If not, the rest of the iPhone lineup is for you.
