Pay attention to the name, as I’ve been using the Apple iPhone Air, not the iPhone 17 Air. That’s right, the thinnest iPhone ever isn’t a member of the new iPhone 17 series in name, meaning it’s technically out on its own. Does this signify the start of a new era, or label it as a one-off because, well, who wants a thin phone? I know which one I want it to be, as I’ll explain in my review.

Price, specs, and availability

The Apple iPhone Air comes with three different storage capacities, which affect the price. The standard 256GB iPhone Air costs $999, the 512GB iPhone Air is $1,199, and the top 1TB iPhone Air is $1,399. There are four colors to choose from: Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, and Sky Blue. The iPhone Air is available through Apple’s online store, as well as all major carriers and many retailers that sell consumer electronics.

The most obvious alternative to the iPhone Air is the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, if you’re after a really thin Android phone. Otherwise, your $1,000 will buy an iPhone 17 Pro, a Google Pixel 10 Pro, or a Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus.

All about the thinness

Design is important again

The Apple iPhone Air is 5.64mm thick and weighs 165 grams, making it a revelation. It’s the least intrusive, easiest to handle, most comfortable to hold smartphone I’ve used in ages. Not since phones like the Oppo Find X, LG G Flex, and Motorola Moto X have ergonomics been taken so seriously.

Why does this matter? We hold our phones a lot, so why shouldn’t they be nicely designed and expertly shaped? I finish what I’m doing on the iPhone Air and put it in my pocket, where it just disappears. It adds no significant bulk and doesn’t drag my jeans down at an awkward angle.

Think I’m exaggerating? The Galaxy S25 Ultra is more than 50 grams heavier, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra is 70 grams heavier. It’s a significant difference, and it makes owning and using the iPhone Air a happier, more enjoyable experience. I can rest the iPhone Air on my pinky finger and browse apps for ages without fatigue, unlike pretty much any other modern phone.

It has strong durability credentials with a titanium frame, Apple’s Ceramic Shield 2 glass on the front, Ceramic Shield glass on the back, and an IP68 dust and water resistance. It doesn’t feel fragile either, and I’ve had confidence in treating it just like any other expensive phone. I have used it without a case, and there’s plenty of grip, despite the thin frame.

The 6.5-inch screen size sits in the middle of Apple’s current range, and it’s a sweet spot, never feeling too massive or too restrictive. The 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate is super smooth throughout the system; it’s really bright with a typical 1,000 nits brightness (1,600 nits peak), and the 2736 x 1260 pixel resolution and 460ppi make it sharp.

It’s not all about the camera

One camera limits appeal

The iPhone Air has a raised section with a flat top on the back, which at first appears overkill for a single camera and a flash unit. In reality, it balances the exterior design and allows Apple to fill the extra internal space with components, ready for a larger battery to be fitted in the thin body.

However, wizardry inside the iPhone Air doesn’t change the fact that it has a single 48-megapixel camera, which means it has more in common with the $599 iPhone 16e than the iPhone 17. There's no optical telephoto, no wide-angle, not even a lowly macro camera here, making it clear this is not a smartphone for camera obsessives, and no-one who wants iPhone 17 Pro Max camera ability should consider it.

Does this mean the camera is rubbish? No, not at all. Provided a single camera fits in with your lifestyle, you’re going to enjoy the iPhone 17. Using the Standard style, photos are balanced with good contrast and natural, but still vibrant, colors. It can create a lovely depth of field, and does an acceptable job in low light.

In the app you can zoom to 2x, which returns decent quality and sharpness, but beyond this, it is pointless as it’s obvious a heavy digital zoom is at work. There are multiple different Photographic Styles, but it’s bizarrely complicated to actually switch between them. Why hide such a fun feature, Apple?

The same new 18MP selfie camera found on other iPhone 17 models is here, with its clever Center Stage mode which aims to keep you in the frame during video calls. It works really well, and people are so surprised when they see the camera "follow" you around when you move. The selfie camera also has the option to choose portrait or landscape orientation, allowing you to better frame shots and video, depending on your requirement.

Finally, there’s the Camera Control, the physical button on the side of the iPhone Air. It’s admirable Apple fitted the button to the slim iPhone Air, but I rarely find a reason to use it. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just not as fast and convenient as the touchscreen controls. I press it by accident more than I purposely use it.

Performance and software

The full Apple experience, good and bad

The iPhone Air has Apple’s A19 Pro chip inside, but it’s not exactly the same as the A19 Pro chip in the iPhone 17 Pro series, just to confuse everyone. There’s one less GPU core, and some other small alterations such as an inability to shoot and process ProRes video.

For the people who are attracted to the iPhone Air, this probably won’t matter. If you want the full GPU experience, there are two other, better-equipped Apple phones for you to choose from. That said, this is a $1,000 smartphone, and I don’t really expect a watered-down GPU.

Using apps like Threads, Reddit, Instagram, and Chrome, along with simple work apps, the iPhone Air performs just like any other top smartphone. Apps switch smoothly, pages refresh without a stutter, and you can get things done quickly and smoothly.

I have noticed a little extra heat buildup on the back, specifically around the camera module, when the phone is working hard. This also extends to non-gaming activities, such as using GPS, the camera, and music streaming simultaneously through headphones. It’s not excessive, but it’s not something that affects the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

The iPhone Air comes with iOS 26, and I covered it extensively in my iPhone 17 Pro Max review. My opinion of it hasn’t changed. It’s fast and reliable, but the Liquid Glass design feature can be distracting, plus it’s far more customizable and, unfortunately, more complex than ever before.

The Apple App Store is packed, and every app I’ve used has worked faultlessly. There are some idiosyncrasies to get used to, such as confusion when using passwords from both Google's and Apple’s password managers, and how unnecessarily complicated it is to save a screenshot. However, the benefits — from Apple Pay to AirDrop — outweigh the drawbacks.

Provided you’re not going to play games for hours or expect to hammer the software for work (there’s still no split-screen mode for multitasking in iOS, for example), the iPhone Air will suit you. It’s certainly not lacking in power or performance, but there are better options if you regularly push your phone hard.

Battery and charging

Not as bad as it could have been

The iPhone Air’s battery life is nowhere near as short as you may expect. I’ve used it as my main phone, and with three to four hours screen time each day from early morning until about midnight, the battery will end the day with around 30% remaining.

If you don’t play games, the limit seems to be around five to six hours screen time per day, making the iPhone Air a one-day battery life phone for general use.

Is that bad? I don’t think so, and for a lot of people (me included), it’s more than acceptable enough. To replicate graphically intensive gameplay, I used the 20-minute 3DMark Steel Nomad stress test benchmark, which reduced the battery only by a respectable 12%, indicating good efficiency.

The iPhone Air can be recharged using a USB C cable or wirelessly using MagSafe. Wired charging takes 40 minutes to reach around 50%, and a full charge takes 90 minutes, so it’s not fast. My preferred method is to use MagSafe overnight and enjoy iOS’s brilliant StandBy Mode, which turns the display into a bedside clock.

A final point on the iPhone Air’s battery is Apple’s Adaptive Power Mode, which, like other iPhone 17 series phones, is on by default. It automatically adjusts background app activity, screen brightness, and other system features to manage battery life. If it negatively affects performance, I haven’t noticed, and seeing as the battery life is decent, it looks like it does a good job.

Other things you should know

A lot to enjoy, and key points to understand

It can be easy to think the iPhone Air is a Lite version of the iPhone 17, but it’s not the case. Everything I listed about the iPhone 17 Pro Max, outside some hardware features, still applies, and you’re getting 100% of the Apple device ownership experience here.

What do I mean? I’ve already mentioned Apple Pay, AirDrop, and MagSafe, which are superb added-value features that work really well. I’ll also mention how seamless using Apple AirPods is, as they connect immediately and remain rock-solid, seemingly regardless of how far away I am from the phone.

The Apple Watch is the best smartwatch you can get, and obviously, it works with the iPhone Air, making it a fantastic pairing for those who want to monitor health and fitness. However, both the AirPods and the Apple Watch use multiple Apple apps — Music, iTunes, and Podcasts, plus Health and Fitness, respectively — and I’d rather these were streamlined for simplicity.

There’s no SIM tray in the iPhone Air, regardless of which region it’s sold in, and this was my first time using an eSIM. I converted my physical SIM over using the instructions on the phone, and it worked without a problem. I’m hopeful I won’t encounter any when I swap back over to my iPhone 17 Pro Max.

I have to mention Apple Intelligence. There, I’ve mentioned it, as I’ve got nothing else to say about it. It’s still barely noticeable and of limited everyday use. Another issue is the iPhone Air’s speakers, where the audio is heavily pushed through the main speaker used for calls, resulting in a lopsided soundstage that is distracting.

Should you buy the iPhone Air?

The right person will love it

If a thin, convenient, powerful smartphone that prioritizes ergonomics over outright performance and camera ability appeals, I highly recommend the iPhone Air. You're going to compromise camera ability and battery life the most, but I think the design tells you that before buying, so it shouldn't come as a surprise.

Throughout my time with the phone, I’ve repeatedly asked myself if I could personally live with it if I hadn’t purchased the iPhone 17 Pro Max. I’m genuinely very close to saying yes, and it’s only the basic camera that puts me off. I get a lot of enjoyment taking photos, and I’d rather have a more capable camera by my side.

But that’s really the only thing. The battery life is fine, the performance more than adequate, the screen gorgeous, and the design unique and eye-catching. However, all the things I said are negative about the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s software still apply, from iOS 26’s odd glitches and increased complexity, to Apple Intelligence’s lack of purpose.

Is the iPhone Air a one-off, or the start of something new? Time will tell, but I’d like the iPhone Air to mark the start of a new wave of design-led, lifestyle-oriented smartphones that still pack a punch, but do so in a convenient, made-for-everyone package. If you’re the slightest bit tempted by the iPhone Air, I think you’ll be very pleasantly surprised at how effortlessly it fits into your life.