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When I started using iPhone Air A month ago, I prepared myself to reach a compromise. Can I handle one rear camera? Will I constantly worry about the phone bending? Such a thin battery would certainly keep me searching for a charger. right?
It turns out that my experience with Apple’s thinnest phone wasn’t so black and white.
This wasn’t the first time I’d used an ultra-thin phone. I also tested Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge earlier this year and had similar concerns that were generally mitigated. But things could always be different with Apple trying a thin phone. However, I fell in love with the sleek design of the $999 iPhone Air The moment I first carried it into Apple Parkwhich prompted me to keep an open mind about the apparent trade-offs compared to The rest of the new iPhone lineup.
I soon realized that I could live with them just fine – for the most part.
The single 48MP rear camera does some of the heavy lifting.
The single camera (mostly) pulls its weight
Go from iPhone 16 Pro Max As for the iPhone Air, I felt like it would be a big step down in terms of camera, since the Air only has a single 48MP wide-angle camera on the back. But it turns out that I don’t use an ultra-wide or telephoto lens at all Which a lot.
Don’t get me wrong: I like having the option to drill down to 0.5x to get more sweeping landscape shots. When I went to a Jonas Brothers concert a few weeks ago, I kept my iPhone Air securely in my pocket most of the time, instead opting for the 5x optical zoom on the iPhone 16 Pro Max. (You can get an 8x closer shot on iPhone 17 Pro Max(But I worked with what I had.) And honestly, if you’re spending close to $1,000 on a phone, you should have more flexible camera options than you’ll get on the Air.
Watch this: iPhone Air, one month later: Camera and battery concerns are over
But I could probably count on one hand the number of times I felt like the Air Camera wasn’t enough for what I needed. It definitely took a while for me to stop pulling out the 16 Pro Max to take photos and videos. But once I fully embraced the Air, I came to appreciate the crisp, detailed shots that were consistently captured, leaving nothing to be desired. I’m also glad that features like Center stagewhich can automatically switch your selfie from portrait to landscape orientation without rotating your phone, is available on the iPhone Air (as well as the base iPhone 17), rather than just the 17 Pro models.
Here are some of my favorite shots I’ve taken on the iPhone Air over the past month:
Tea time + Portrait mode = Abrar’s signature shot.
This portrait shot deftly maintains focus not only on the candles in the foreground, but also on each bar in the cage – although things get a little fuzzy in the upper right corner due to the cage’s curved metal decorations.
Get some spooky seasonal vibes in this dark room. The image remains sharp and clear in the dark.
The fragility of this shot is so satisfying.
Even on a cloudy day, the colors here are bright.
Center Stage can automatically adjust the selfie frame so everyone is in the shot.
However, I’m not letting Apple off the hook completely. If Samsung could pack as wide and An ultra-wide camera in a slim design Galaxy S25 EdgeI’m confident Apple can do the same. Maybe next year.
The iPhone Air is only 5.6mm thick.
iPhone Air is thin but powerful
When Apple first launched the iPhone Air in September, there was something generic about it Fear of how long it will last It could be the slim device. Even with its titanium frame, the phone’s 5.6mm thickness has led to concerns that it might bend or break. Those fears were largely dispelled when Apple and a handful of reporters showed me how much power the phone could handle.
In the demo room at Apple Park after the company’s fall keynote, I watched a machine apply more than 130 pounds of force to the middle of an iPhone Air. It was bent due to the pressure to avoid breaking, but once the force was up, the phone returned to its correct shape, as if nothing had happened. I looked at the front and back of the phone afterward and didn’t see any cracks or breaks. I was impressed, and thought this meant I could put it in my back pocket without bending it.
In fact, I’ve bravely been out without a case for the past month, and the air has held up surprisingly well. It didn’t bend, even when I tried to distort it just to see what it could handle. Aside from some minor scratches on the corners when I tested submersion in water in what happened to be a stone-bottomed fountain, I didn’t notice any scratches.
If you want to sue for peace of mind, here it is Lots of kind options to choose from. I tried clear Apple’s MagSafe option For a few days. It’s less than 1mm thick and has the added advantage of blocking out the protruding camera bump so the phone doesn’t flop around on the table. But if you don’t want anything to come between you and your snazzy new iPhone, my experience should provide some assurance.
The iPhone Air battery can usually last through a day of regular use.
The battery is solid. Except when that’s not the case
Battery life is where I felt the biggest difference between the iPhone Pro Max and Air, and that’s not surprising. But it wasn’t as glaring an issue as I expected.
On light usage days, especially when I stay home and use Wi-Fi, the iPhone Air usually has about 20% battery reserve by the end of the night. But on busier days when I was out and about, I definitely had to charge my phone when I got home.
Somehow, that wasn’t as much of a downside as I expected. If you’re like me, you’re probably used to charging your phone at night anyway (or before heading out in the morning). So having to deliver air every day probably won’t affect your routine. I continued to use and charge the Air as I would any other phone, and there were only a handful of times I looked at the battery level anxiously while walking around town.
It helps that the Air charges quickly, despite the meager 20W max charge. In the 30-minute charging test, the charging percentage increased from 54%. It also supports air Qi2 wireless charging Up to 20 watts, rose from 17% to 64% in half an hour. So you can discharge the battery very quickly when it’s time to recharge.
Apple also sells it for $99 Slim MagSafe battery pack Made specifically for iPhone Air. I don’t like the idea of relying on an external battery to keep my phone alive, no matter how smooth it is, and fortunately I’ve only had to use it twice in the past month. In fact, I rarely carry it with me, but it’s nice to know it’s there, like if I needed to get out the door quickly and couldn’t charge my phone. On the rare occasions I used the MagSafe battery, my phone took anywhere from 1% to 69% before dying.
I’m a consistent heavy phone user, and I like knowing that my phone’s battery will last longer than a day of regular (and slightly more intense) use. So, while I can certainly make do with the iPhone Air’s battery, and it’s holding up well for me, I’d still prefer the larger capacity on something like the iPhone 17 Pro Max, so I don’t have to monitor battery levels as much. But I’m happy with how well the iPhone Air holds up due to its thinness, and if you’re a light to moderate phone user, you won’t have any issues.
For a closer look at the battery life on each of Apple’s latest phones, check out CNET Deep collapse.
Holding the air up to watch videos is a more comfortable experience due to the lightness of the phone. But the single speaker is a major drawback.
One of the biggest trade-offs surprised me
There’s one flaw with the Air that wasn’t even on my radar before I started using it: The slim phone only has a single speaker, instead of the dual stereo speakers you’ll get on other iPhones.
Most of the time, I don’t notice that the sound is any quieter than it is on iPhone 17 Or 17 professional models. But when I’m lying in bed bingeing Better Call Saul or watching YouTube videos instead of sleeping in at a normal hour, I notice how unbalanced the sound is. That’s why I usually end up reaching for another phone to watch movies and TV shows, even though I prefer the lighter air tolerance.
It’s not a big red flag, and the phone’s sound is still clear and loud enough, but I’d prefer a more balanced sound. If you’re not as meticulous as I am about these things, it probably won’t be a problem. But it’s good to know if you’re buying a nearly $1,000 phone.
I’ve gotten so used to how sleek the iPhone Air feels that switching to anything else requires some adjustment.
Broadcast my final thoughts
The testament to the iPhone Air’s design is that it made me reconsider my priorities around long battery life and top-notch cameras. To be clear, the Air didn’t impress me by completely neglecting the importance of those features. But it showed me that I was willing to give up more than I thought for something lightweight and stylish.
Like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, it was refreshing to use something that felt different from most phones on the market. I quickly got used to the Air’s build, but I was reminded of how special it was every time someone else marveled at it. (My favorite description someone has given is “delicious.”)
Ultimately, the iPhone Air is a first-generation product, and there will be some kinks to work out in future models. I hope Apple adds more rear cameras, extends battery life, and doubles the speakers to deliver a more premium experience that matches the Air’s price. Or, as analysts predict, this could be a stepping stone towards making it happen Foldable iPhonewhich will also be a welcome – and long-awaited – release.
Even then, though, the iPhone Air pretty much pulls its weight.