iPhone Air 7 months later - why you should buy one.
You leave your house and you realize you forgot something - your phone. You can tell it’s missing due to the comfort you feel in your trousers. There’s no feeling of a brick a few inches away from your crotch, so surely you forgot your phone.
Except you didn’t. When you turn around to go back inside to grab your phone, you realize with a silly grin on your face, “Oh wait, I didn’t forget my phone. It’s just so damn thin that I didn’t realize it is in my pocket.”
This is the joy of owning an iPhone Air. It’s like waking up on a Saturday morning thinking you have to go to work, but then remembering it’s Saturday, your day off. The tranquility and joy you feel overcomes you as you plop back down in bed and snooze for another few hours. As a famous thinker once said:
Joy is more joyous when it’s preceded by anxiety.1
Owning the iPhone Air has been a privilege, and it provides a great experience every single time I hold the device. I believe it is a worthy device, and one with potential to gain more traction in the Fall of 2026.
Design and culture
The iPhone Air might not be the best value for the buck, but when it comes to design, feel, and premium looks, it’s $999 starting price tag is justified. The iPhone Air is once again more than just a technological marvel. It is a call back to Apple of yore - when they had a cult status that was not for the masses. Quirky, limited, but immense joy and satisfaction. Ironically, the more expensive iPhone Pro lineup has become more ubiquitous, but those that still crave a beautiful experience, great performance, and exclusivity can still get that feeling with iPhone Air. Apple took a risk with this device, and I think it provides more value and inspires more confidence in the company that is willing to not play it safe.
The front of all phones look the same, but the back of this phone really does take your breath away. It isn’t really the back as much as it is the polished shiny sides and buttons that contrast with the muted, matte back glass. The camera plateau is also simplified, giving it an elegance and simplicity that makes it the best looking iPhone in years, with the iPhone 17e being a close second. The 17e takes minimalism to another level with no plateau and a single camera lens being the only thing stopping the 17e from being a flush device.
Speakers…um speaker
The speaker on iPhone Air gives you quite a bang considering its thin profile, and to be honest is more than adequate. Let’s be realistic - the target audience for the iPhone Air is more than likely to have some sort of wireless headphones, but even if they forget their wireless headphones, the single speaker works just fine in most scenarios. The only time where it was not adequate for me was in loud environments, and that’s par for the course for any smartphone.
The speaker is also in the top earpiece, meaning it is a front facing speaker. There is no way to accidentally cup your hand and block the sound like it would be on the bottom speaker of every other iPhone.
Cameras…um camera
The single rear camera performs great in most scenarios for what it is, and actually has a closer focusing distance than the iPhone 17 Pro’s main camera. Of course the 17 and 17 Pro have an ultra wide lens, which will be superior for close up shots. I do miss macro shots, but I don’t miss the distortion you get from the ultra wide. I do miss the telephoto lens as well, but it is a compromise I was willing to make. You’re buying the two-door convertible, not the 8-passenger SUV. A side benefit - you don’t have to deal with the phone auto-switching between the ultra wide and wide camera lenses when getting close to a subject.
Apple did excel with the 18MP Center Stage front facing camera, and I believe this camera will be used more than the rear camera. The front facing camera is the ultimate selfie camera, and leads to great group shots with friends and family. As a parent, no longer do you have to be the designated photographer. You can be part of the shot and frame it just right. These group photos end up being more memorable than landscape photos devoid of human joy and affection.
Battery life
It shouldn’t be a surprise that a thinner phone will have worse battery life. What is surprising though, is iPhone Air has the same battery life as iPhone 16 Pro. If you were fine with the battery life of the smaller iPhones in the past few years, you’ll be fine with iPhone Air, and will have a bigger display for it. This is even less of an issue if you have what I call great phone hygiene, planning ahead and charge your device on time.
Fast charging is a huge plus and a necessity on a device like this, and thankfully we get that:
Up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher (available separately) paired with USB-C charging cable, or 30W adapter or higher paired with MagSafe Charger (both available separately).
The other thing we should all be thinking about when it comes to battery life is the idea of using your phone less. Every single one of us uses their phone more than ever before, and that increased usage will naturally lead to worse battery life. Battery life may be an issue for road warriors, but once again if that’s you, you have solutions and battery banks in hand to be prepared.
What I’m trying to say is, do we really need more battery life, or is the real problem our overconsumption?
Durability
My iPhone Air has been case-less since day 1, and I have dropped my phone a handful of times. Most of these drops are from 3 feet or less, but I never had to worry about any dents because it is made out of titanium, not aluminum. Ceramic Shield 2 is also great and the screen is still flawless after 7 months. I would be nervous dropping a 17e, 17, or 17 Pro due to its softer body that is more prone to dents and scratches. Absolutely no issues here.
Performance
For most regular tasks, this phone handles them without any hiccups or issues. You will not notice any lag or slowdowns. It is as Pro as an iPhone can be. I don’t play intense games on my phones so I couldn’t tell you the experience, but if you are a mobile gamer, you would be better off with an iPhone 17 Pro that has much better cooling with its stainless steel vapor chamber. If you’re the average iPhone user, this phone won’t disappoint from a performance point of view. If you’re a content creator and you need every ounce of performance, you already know this isn’t for you.
Display
I would call the 6.5-inch display on iPhone Air the Goldilocks size - not too small, not too big, just right. Apple might have been forced into this size as well due to the camera plateau housing the brains of the device, and the space for the battery also had to be large enough to make sure they achieve “All Day Battery Life.” They couldn’t go smaller, and going bigger would take away from the thinness aspect, so the perfect size was the only size.
Should you buy one?
The great thing about iPhone Air is that there aren’t any unpleasant surprises. You know battery life will be a challenge, and you know extensive gaming will be a challenge, both from a thermal and battery life standpoint. You also know there is a single rear camera, with no deceptive black circles that give it the illusion of having additional cameras. Everything is spelled out front and center. When you go in with these expectations, you know the sacrifices you are making, and the value spectrum for this device leans more heavily towards the visceral experience.
It’s not about numbers and facts, but about touch and feel. Many decisions we make are illogical and are based on personal preference, and if your heart is speaking towards the iPhone Air, you won’t be disappointed. The 17 Pro is a Tim Cook iPhone - a safe choice, an efficient device, and meets all the numbers. After all, Tim Cook is a numbers guy, but I’m pretty damn sure Steve Jobs, a visionary, and John Ternus, a hardware engineer, would go iPhone Air.
1 - OK, OK, I made that up myself.