Well, the iPhone Air is here to challenge that entire vibe of living that heavy “Pro” phone life. I always get the iPhone Pro model over the regular or plus models when available. I like having all the cameras and the fastest processor available. But when Apple announced the iPhone Air, I was intrigued. Is one camera good enough? Is having a thin phone so worth it, where you sacrifice having a third or even a second rear camera?
DESIGN AND BUILD IPHONE AIR
First things first: you have to hold this thing to understand it. You have to hold it to get it. It feels nice! When Apple said this was the thinnest iPhone ever, they weren’t kidding. At just 0.22 inches thick, it feels amazingly slim. It’s nice, and even though it’s just slightly lighter than the iPhone 17 Pro, you can notice the weight difference.
Even though it’s thin and light, you feel the sturdiness. The build quality is exactly what we expect from Apple. They’ve ditched the aluminum used in the standard models and gone with a Grade 5 Titanium frame, like the iPhone Pro line. This keeps it rigid but incredibly light—just 5.82 ounces. It disappears into my smallest sling bags and purses and doesn’t weigh down my wrist during those long doom scrolling sessions. It’s one of those things that you don’t notice till you’re experiencing it.
Apple made an interesting design choice with the back, introducing a raised bar module at the top for the cameras instead of the square bump we’re used to. Honestly? It took some getting used to. The bump gives the phone a distinct silhouette that screams “new,” and it stops it from wobbling when you set it down on a table at brunch. It acts as a nice little ledge for your finger to rest on, making the phone feel secure in your hand despite how thin it is.
The colors are also a huge win this year. I’m testing the Sky Blue color, but it also comes in Cloud White, Light Gold, and a sleek Space Black. I still want these colors for the iPhone Pro lineup. The finish on the iPhone Air is glossy and mirrored, which does attract some fingerprints, but it looks so jewelry-like that I almost don’t want to put a case on it. I wouldn’t trust myself without a case on it long-term.
The phone is thin, but it doesn’t affect the display. Actually, the iPhone Air has a 6.5-inch display, larger than the iPhone 17 and the regular iPhone 17 Pro. It’s still smaller than the iPhone 17 Pro’s 6.9-inch display, though.
The tech is still good, too. The Air gets the Super Retina XDR OLED display with ProMotion. It’s great! Once you go 120Hz, you simply cannot go back to 60Hz. Everything feels buttery smooth. The fluid swiping, gaming, and animations are nice to see on the iPhone side. Brightness is also good. On the sunniest Fall days, I had no issues with visibility and notifications.
DAY TO DAY EXPERIENCE WITH THE IPHONE AIR
I was trying out iOS26 on my older iPhone before transferring over to the Air as my main driver. I feel iOS26 had bugs in the first official version. They have since released updates to address the bugs, but sometimes it just acts up. Using a third-party keyboard on the iPhone Air can get wonky sometimes. But once you switch back to the iPhone’s keyboard, everything works fine. I’m still getting used to the liquid glass update. Gaming on the Air can cause it to overheat over time. Performance on the iPhone Air did not disappoint.
CAMERA ON THE IPHONE AIR
The iPhone Air has just one camera. That is a huge deal for me. I love snapping pics and sharing them in my group chats and across socials. It’s weird not to have an ultra-wide lens. I didn’t realize how much I used it till I didn’t have it. And obviously, zooming in too much reduces photo quality. You get grainy, noisy pics. When it comes to the camera, I feel like I could use it for maybe 65% of my photos. As expected, daytime pics are stellar. They are vibrant and crisp. Again, as long as you don’t zoom more than 1.5x.
BATTERY LIFE ON THE IPHONE AIR
I didn’t come into the review expecting much. Such a large display with just a ~3,149 mAh battery. I didn’t expect it to make it through the day, but after a couple of weeks of learning about my usage habits, it did get a little better. You will definitely need to carry your charger or a MagSafe battery pack with you at all times. Does it make sense to attach a battery pack to a thin phone? I guess it defeats the purpose.
VERDICT
The iPhone Air isn’t for everyone. It’s in a weird place with the pricing and features. It’s for someone who doesn’t care much about pictures and needs a nice screen for some light gaming and media. I need more cameras, and longer battery life. I look forward to the day when we can squeeze more technology into these thinner builds. The price point makes the regular iPhone 17 more appealing. Even though the iPhone Air at $999 is very sturdy, the iPhone 17 offers at least two rear cameras and a thicker build for $200 less. There are some Android alternatives, such as the Tecno Slim or Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.
It’s definitely for someone who is putting style and aesthetics over functionality. The phone is simple yet fashionable. I can’t hate on that.
Apple iPhone Air Smartphone (2025)
$999
Pros
- Thin but sturdy build
- Gorgeous 120Hz display
- Smooth and fluid performance
Cons
- Camera is limited
- More expensive than iPhone 17 which has 2 rear cameras
