The iPhone Air boasts a sleek, thin new design, but it may not be the best choice for a daily driver just yet. Announced on Tuesday, the new device is thinner and lighter than other models, measuring 5.6mm with a 6.5-inch display. However, it is currently less capable in some areas than the base model iPhone 17, which could deter potential buyers.
For instance, the Air’s battery lasts up to 27 hours, while the iPhone 17 lasts up to 30. It lacks the iPhone 17’s Ultra Wide camera and does not support macro photography. Meanwhile, the Air’s price point of $999 is 22% more expensive than the 17 base model, which starts at $799. For just $100 more, you could upgrade to the iPhone 17 Pro at $1,099.
Despite these disadvantages, there is something compelling about the Air. It hints at where iPhone hardware design is going, including new form factors like foldables. After all these years, Apple is still chasing a thinner iPhone, not just for a better-looking device but to experiment with its own technology to improve hardware design and performance.
The iPhone Air contains the most Apple-designed chips in an iPhone, including the A19 Pro CPU with a 5-core GPU, the N1 wireless networking chip, and the new C1X cellular modem. The latter is faster than the modem in the 16 Pro but uses 30% less energy. By architecting the phone’s design around its own silicon, Apple can work on challenges like performance and battery life, which remain important as phones become more capable in photography, videography, and AI.
Battery life, in particular, is a stopping point for how powerful these devices can become, as battery technology is improving at a slower rate than other iPhone components. Unfortunately, the debut version of the iPhone Air did not improve on this front, as its battery life is worse than that of other models.
Instead, the Air should be seen as a starting point in iPhone design that could help the company better understand how to optimize battery life for its other devices going forward. In the meantime, Apple suggests consumers use the MagSafe Battery attached to the now-thinner phone to maximize battery life. Previously, people may have balked at using a battery attached to their phone all day, but Apple now encourages it, stating that the Air will get better battery life when the battery remains connected.
Everything about the Air’s presentation suggests that efficiency is a key focus, with the term referenced numerous times in Apple’s press announcement. The iPhone Air is the most power-efficient iPhone Apple has made. This is due to the new modem, a new way of housing the cameras to maximize space for the battery, redesigned internal architecture, an adaptive power mode option in iOS 26, and other optimizations.
The learnings from the Air and its future iterations will ultimately be translated throughout Apple’s iPhone line and could even pave the way for new form factors, like a rumored foldable iPhone. The Air is already influencing design choices in Apple’s iPhone Pro. Apple added Ceramic Shield 2 to the back of the iPhone Air for the first time, a design choice also made for the iPhone 17 Pro. The Air’s horizontal camera bar, similar to Google’s Pixel, also seemingly inspired the iPhone 17 Pro’s camera layout.
Over time, the Air could perhaps become Apple’s base model, while the Pro remains the upgraded version for power users and professionals. That would make room for new devices, like a foldable or whatever else comes next.