After using the iPhone Air for the past ten days, I can confirm what everyone has been wondering: yes, it really is that light and thin. The more interesting question is whether Apple’s thinnest phone ever, measuring just 5.64 millimeters, is worth the trade-offs it requires. Having used the iPhone 15 Pro Max as my primary phone for over eighteen months, with various flagship Android phones as my secondary devices, I am very familiar with a substantial feel. The iPhone Air is so light that when I first picked up the iPhone 17 Pro Max again after using the Air, the Pro Max suddenly felt heavy. That stark contrast highlights what Apple has accomplished and what you might be giving up.
Friends who have held the iPhone Air remark on how exquisite it looks and feels in hand, even though the phone weighs only twelve grams less than the iPhone 17. I share that sentiment. I often find myself picking the phone up from my table just to experience that feeling again. Surely, the novelty of a phone’s build will eventually wear off, but for now, I am thoroughly enjoying it.
The phone is not small. It is easier to hold specifically because it is so thin, which may disappoint iPhone Mini fans. However, if you have difficulty operating phones with large screens using one hand, this one will not be much different due to its 6.5-inch display.
As the headline suggests, I often forget the iPhone Air is in my pocket. If you have trouble fitting larger phones in your pocket, the iPhone Air will likely fit with ease. If you do not have any trouble, your pockets will simply feel much lighter.
While the phone is exceptionally thin, it is also quite sturdy. I accidentally dropped it from the height of a bedside table, and it was perfectly fine. On another occasion, I sat on it by mistake, and it did not bend or lose its shape. Numerous public videos suggest it will hold up well under most day-to-day conditions.
I typically use most phones without a case, and I did not want to add any bulk or thickness to the iPhone Air with one. However, you will need a case if you plan to use Apple’s new shoulder strap. For those wanting extra protection, Apple’s bumper case is an option that does not add much heft.
Given the iPhone Air’s slim build, there has been significant discussion about its battery life. I have noticed the phone often begins to get hot after intense gaming or video streaming, particularly around the camera plate area. This frequently prompts me to check the battery percentage more often than I normally would.
The phone has the processing power to handle games with intensive graphics. However, if you plan to use the phone extensively throughout the day, purchasing Apple’s ninety-nine dollar MagSafe battery pack is a good idea. This accessory fits neatly on the back of the phone and will easily get you through the day. An added advantage of carrying the pack is that you can also use it to top up the battery of MagSafe-compatible AirPods.
Overall, the battery life of the iPhone Air is acceptable for tasks like making calls, watching some videos, scrolling through social feeds, and answering emails while connected to a Wi-Fi network. On a two-hour flight where I watched a downloaded movie on Netflix, I did not observe a significant drop in battery level. It is important to remember this is a new phone, and the battery will degrade over time, which could be a concern if you plan to keep the phone for more than a year or two.
Another drawback of the iPhone Air is in the camera department, with its single-lens rear camera setup. The phone features a 48-megapixel sensor with an f/1.6 aperture, identical to the base iPhone 17. This 26-millimeter focal length camera has sensor-shift stabilization to capture good images in most lighting conditions. While the photo details are fine, I have noticed the iPhone’s camera post-processing often makes the background significantly brighter than what you see with your own eyes.
There is no dedicated telephoto camera, so you must rely on a 2x digital crop from the main sensor. This zoom works well except in low-light conditions. As someone with three pets, I have come to appreciate a good zoom to capture their goofy and cute poses without having to move. I found myself missing that option with the iPhone Air. The omission of an ultra-wide-angle lens might also be a drawback if you travel often or visit places where you want to capture vast landscape photos.
Apple changed the selfie camera sensor across its new lineup, introducing a new square 18-megapixel sensor. This allows you to take selfies in different formats without holding the phone in landscape mode. Thanks to the Center Stage feature, the camera automatically chooses a wider aspect ratio when more people enter the frame. You can also manually control the zoom and orientation. For those who shoot videos for creative channels, the new iPhones offer an option to record a clip using the feed from both the front and back cameras simultaneously. On a side note, the Air includes the camera control button found on previous iPhones, but I have not found myself using it much.
A third, though smaller, drawback is the single speaker. The iPhone Air is designed in such a way that Apple was unable to accommodate speakers at the bottom. When you are gaming, listening to music, or taking calls on speakerphone, you will hear sound only from the speaker at the top of the screen. I personally use AirPods most of the time, but I did miss having dual speakers on the occasions I watched a video without my earbuds.
Apple has nailed the tough part of engineering a stunningly thin and light phone. Now comes the harder part: convincing people to buy one. The Air fills the fourth slot in the company’s yearly iPhone lineup, a position previously occupied by the Mini and the Plus models. For Apple, the Air’s job is to perform better than its predecessors. But the question remains: who is this phone for?
As my colleagues wrote on launch day, it is easy to be swayed by the iPhone Air’s appearance. You might be further convinced once you actually hold the phone. When I first got the iPhone Air, I described it to a friend as a “vibe phone”—one that offers more style and sensation than pure practicality. It is not a phone you can charge in the morning and wholly trust to last the entire day without extra battery support. However, if aesthetics and portability matter more to you than all-day battery life or a multi-lens camera system, then the iPhone Air delivers. If not, the rest of the iPhone lineup is likely a better fit for you.