Iphone Air Review: Thinness With Purpose

The iPhone Air is simply a instrumentality pinch shorter artillery life, less cameras and a value tag that’s $200 much than a guidelines iPhone 17. Sure, it’s sewage a bigger surface and it's unbelievably sleek, but nary matter really you portion it, that worth proposition doesn’t make sense. At slightest connected paper. That’s because arsenic soon arsenic you clasp an iPhone Air, you instantly get a consciousness that this handset represents overmuch much than a elemental quest for thinness. The iPhone Air is simply a instrumentality pinch a mission: To push nan company’s creation and engineering further than ever earlier while doubling down connected style. Plus, it’s perchance laying nan instauration for thing moreover much extremist down nan line.

What is nan iPhone Air?

New iPhones mostly don't request to beryllium explained, but nan Air is simply a different benignant of iPhone. On a purely applicable level, it could beryllium viewed arsenic a (very) glowed-up replacement to nan iPhone 16 Plus. However, nan Air starts astatine $999, which is $100 much than nan motorboat value of past year's closest Apple balanced (or $200 much aft its caller value drop). Furthermore, nan Air has a smaller 6.5-inch show (versus 6.7 inches connected nan 16 Plus) and only a azygous rear camera alternatively of nan 2 you typically get connected a guidelines exemplary iPhone. Then, to make things a touch much confusing, nan Air has astir nan aforesaid A19 Pro spot utilized successful Apple's Pro bid this twelvemonth alternatively of a regular A19 processor. But astir importantly, nan Air’s creation is dissimilar immoderate iPhone that's travel earlier it, and it whitethorn extremity up becoming a span to Apple's adjacent era of smartphones (while besides being irresistibly bladed and stylish today).

Design: Simply stunning

Even pinch nan presence of Samsung's ace sleek Galaxy S25 Edge earlier this year, Apple is mounting caller highs for mobile creation pinch nan iPhone Air. Not only is it moreover skinnier astatine conscionable 5.6mm (versus 5.8mm for nan S25E), it's nan champion illustration yet of what I for illustration to telephone “the sci-fi abstraction pebble look” acknowledgment to its rounded corners and beautifully polished edges. It's a due marvel of engineering and while I mostly don't for illustration saying this, you really do person to clasp 1 to afloat admit Apple's craftsmanship.

Despite its dimensions, nan Air isn't each sleekness and nary strength. You still get a afloat IP68 standing for particulate and h2o resistance, while nan titanium framework makes nan full handset remarkably sturdy. On apical of that, nan Air has a surface covered by a caller Ceramic Shield 2 sheet that besides comes pinch an anti-reflective coating. And while it doesn't wholly destruct glare, it does a bully occupation of preventing annoying agleam spots.

As for nan show itself, there's not overmuch to kick astir present either. The Air's surface has a highest brightness of 3,000 nits and it has ProMotion support pinch a refresh complaint that varies betwixt 1Hz and 120Hz depending connected nan situation. But nan existent effect is that erstwhile you put a show this bully successful a instrumentality this thin, sometimes it really does look for illustration personification has ripped a page retired of a mag and made it float successful your hand. It's benignant of uncanny and I can't get enough. To beryllium fair, Samsung's S25 Edge does nutrient a akin effect but it isn't rather arsenic pronounced.

I besides admit that Apple still recovered room for nan iPhone's Action fastener and a flush Camera Control key. Around back, there's subtle sophistication successful nan measurement nan Air's Ceramic Shield rear sheet slopes up mildly to create Apple's camera plateau (though I don't emotion that name). And weighing conscionable 5.82 ounces (165 grams), nan Air's heft (or deficiency thereof) adds moreover much to its ethereal in-hand feel.

My main rumor pinch nan Air's creation is that it only has a azygous mono speaker. Granted, it packs a punch some successful position of measurement and presence, but aft years of stereo sound being nan de facto instrumentality connected premium smartphones, one-sided audio doesn't beryllium rather right. The different imaginable sore spot is that nan Air's USB-C larboard isn't perfectly centered successful nan bottommost edge. But I afloat admit that this is nan astir insignificant of nitpicks, and erstwhile you see that owed to nan Air's thinness Apple had to 3D-print nan connector retired of titanium (a first for nan company), I'm not bothered.

Performance: Way amended than bully enough

Compared to nan guidelines iPhone 17, nan Air has a much powerful A19 Pro chip. However, dissimilar nan silicon disposable successful nan iPhone 17 Pro line, nan Air's processor has 1 less GPU halfway (five alternatively of six). But moreover pinch that mini shortfall, nan telephone was ne'er hurting for speed. Flipping betwixt apps is fundamentally instantaneous and acknowledgment to nan caller Liquid Glass ocular creation successful iOS 26, doing truthful looks amended than ever.

More aggravated tasks for illustration gaming didn't do overmuch to slow it down either. Frame rates remained unchangeable successful demanding titles like Destiny: Rising while much casual fare for illustration Sword of Convallaria looked effortlessly fluid. The only clip nan telephone seemed mildly taxed was erstwhile utilizing devices for illustration Apple's Image Playground. Just watch retired if erstwhile do you immoderate precocious capacity tasks for a prolonged time, because nan the Air tin get a spot lukewarm — peculiarly connected its camera bump. Thankfully, successful my experience, it ne'er sewage excessively basking to touch.

Elsewhere, nan summation of Apple's caller N1 and C1X chips rounds retired nan package that nan institution claims makes this nan astir power-efficient iPhone yet. That's important because without a vapor enclosure for illustration connected nan Pro line, aliases room for a ample battery, nan Air doesn't person overmuch leeway for excess power aliases powerfulness draw. The downside is that Apple's C1X modem doesn't support mmWave 5G. This whitethorn not beryllium an rumor depending connected wherever you unrecorded aliases what web you're on, but for those demanding highest mobile information speeds, it is thing worthy considering earlier upgrading.

Camera: Crisp images but is 1 lens enough?

The photos and videos nan iPhone Air takes are excellent. But astatine nan extremity of nan day, location still isn't a existent replacement for much glass, and pinch only a azygous lens successful back, Apple's lone 48MP rear camera whitethorn beryllium nan phone's biggest limitation. In a changeable of immoderate homemade cookies, specifications were crisp and colors were truthful rich | that my rima was still watering agelong aft nan treats were eaten. Same goes for a tricky photograph astatine sunset, wherever nan Air still managed to seizure nan warmth and subtle tones of nan day's fading light. And astatine night, it kept gait pinch aliases moreover outshot its biggest rivals, including nan Pixel 10 Pro and nan Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge — for illustration successful my image of a section mural and flower successful low-light. However, if you're nan benignant of personification who loves a bully telephoto changeable aliases nan other section of position an ultra-wide lens provides, nan Air's 2x optical value zoom intends you’re retired of luck.

Impressively, contempt only having a azygous rear camera, nan Air still manages to return image pics that look practically conscionable arsenic bully arsenic those from iPhones pinch two. Apple says that it reengineered its image pipeline to activity without nan request for stereo cameras for nan Air, and it wholly works. Now, if you do immoderate superior pixel peeping, you mightiness announcement immoderate mini discrepancies betwixt nan iPhone 17 and nan Air connected things for illustration flyaway hairs. But successful nan end, it's bully to spot that moreover without nan aforesaid number of lenses, location isn't a awesome driblet successful quality.

However, successful front, Apple's Center Stage characteristic and nan Air's caller 18MP selfie cam mightiness beryllium nan adjacent large photograph gyration that different companies will transcript soon. By utilizing a quadrate sensor alternatively of a rectangular one, nan telephone tin flip betwixt wider scenery shots aliases taller portrait-style pics astatine a moment's notice. In fact, there's moreover an car mounting that allows nan telephone to move betwixt nan 2 connected its own, depending connected really galore group are successful nan frame.

As personification who is selfie-averse, nan times that I do want to return a photograph of my look are usually erstwhile I'm opinionated successful beforehand of a large vista and want to seizure myself and the scenery. Center Stage lets maine do conscionable that without needing to awkwardly move nan telephone connected its side. Additionally, while nan photos you spot present were taken pinch Apple's default “Standard” Photographic Style, I must admit I for illustration nan caller "Bright" action successful iOS 26, which adds conscionable capable popular and colour to your photos without going overboard.

Battery life and charging: Not a problem

The iPhone Air's accent connected thinness intends there's little room for a large battery, truthful you mightiness deliberation longevity would beryllium a concern. But successful my experience, it's been a complete non-issue. Officially, Apple doesn't supply specs for nan size of nan powerfulness cells successful its devices, though nan institution does authorities nan Air should supply 27 hours of continuous video playback, which is only 3 little than what you get from a guidelines iPhone 17. That's a driblet of conscionable 10 percent and, considering nan sleekness of nan Air, it's a trade-off I'm happy to make.

Furthermore, my results mostly statement up pinch Apple's numbers. In a streaming video rundown trial complete Wi-Fi, nan iPhone Air lasted 23 hours and 39 minutes — hardly an hr little than what I sewage from a guidelines iPhone 17 (24:45). And successful nan existent world, nan Air fared moreover amended than expected. Even connected a time pinch complete 7 hours of surface connected clip (which includes moving benchmarks and gaming), nan telephone has 25 percent juice near successful nan tank. And connected lighter days erstwhile I'm not moving aliases perpetually checking my phone, I often had 40 to 45 percent power remaining. When it comes to recharging, nan Air keeps things simple: a 30-minute complaint (either wired aliases wirelessly) tin adhd 50 percent artillery successful conscionable 30 minutes.

Apple's MagSafe artillery pack: The Air's champion buddy

I don't usually mention peripherals during a review, since I'm not a instrumentality of cases but I tin understand wanting other protection for a $1,000 phone. However, I'd reason that Apple's MagSafe Battery for nan iPhone Air whitethorn beryllium an basal accessory for folks who for illustration to recreation ray but don't want to interest astir their electronics dying — moreover if its $99 value tag stings.

In keeping pinch nan iPhone Air's design, Apple's powerfulness battalion is exceedingly slim astatine conscionable 7.5mm and it snaps neatly onto nan backmost of nan instrumentality magnetically, truthful location are nary wires to interest about. On its own, recharging tops retired astatine 12 watts. Though if there's a cord lying around, you tin boost speeds up to nan Air's 20-watt limit. Alternatively, you tin besides usage nan pack’s built-in USB-C larboard to powerfulness up immoderate of your different gadgets. And erstwhile you request to recharge nan portable battery, each you person to do is support it attached to nan iPhone while it’s charging and it will automatically walk done juice arsenic needed.

But my favourite portion is that not only does nan artillery battalion refill nan iPhone Air, it tin recharge nan AirPods Pro 3 wirelessly arsenic well. Admittedly, Apple's slim MagSafe Battery doesn't person nan biggest capacity astatine 3,149mAh (which is capable to adhd an other 65 percent complaint to nan phone). So moreover though you're paying a premium to support things ace bladed and breezy, betwixt nan handset, nan powerfulness battalion and Apple's latest earbuds, I really admit nan convenience for what mightiness beryllium nan eventual lightweight recreation kit for iPhone faithful.

Wrap-up

While nan iPhone Air's thinness whitethorn beryllium its astir striking quality, it's abundantly clear that this handset is truthful overmuch much than that. Not only does this instrumentality correspond a extremist improvement of Apple's creation chops, it forced nan company's engineers to travel up pinch much power-efficient solutions to make each this possible. And successful that respect, nan iPhone Air is simply a monolithic success. It's sleek, it's accelerated and it's wildly stylish successful a measurement that some fashionistas and group who conscionable for illustration packing ray tin appreciate.

One absorbing wrinkle successful each of this is that nan existent imaginable of nan Air's occurrence mightiness not beryllium genuinely felt for different twelvemonth aliases two. While Apple mightiness not want to opportunity truthful conscionable yet, I'm consenting to stake that this instrumentality will besides beryllium nan template for an upcoming foldable iPhone. You slap 2 Airs together, link them pinch a hinge and a elastic surface and baby you sewage stew going. That said, for fans of erstwhile Plus models, nan Air's accrued price, smaller surface and azygous rear cam surely aren't ideal. As agelong arsenic you don't mind nan deficiency of other lenses, for those who admit a powerful but still eminently effervescent mobile companion, nan iPhone Air is successful different stratosphere.