4 causes I am blowing previous the iPhone Air, and why you must too

As anticipated, the star product of Apple’s September 9 press occasion was the iPhone Air. There wasn’t a lot left for Apple to disclose about it, actually — I already knew, based mostly on leaks, that it could be about 5.6mm thick with a 6.5-inch show, and sport a single rear-facing digicam, regardless of the presence of two or three cameras on the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro. I even knew what it could seem like. Not that there was a lot Apple may’ve achieved about that — accent makers wanted blueprints to have merchandise prepared on time.

The telephone is extra tempting than I assumed it could be, however I am additionally fairly comfy about skipping it. You need to be as properly, and there are a number of the reason why. Here is hoping that Apple kinds issues out by the point the Air 2 rolls round.

4

Thinness comes on the expense of battery life

Kind over operate

Apple / Pocket-Lint

The most important shock is that the battery life on the Air is not as dangerous as rumors predicted. Apple claims that the system can deal with as much as 27 hours of video playback, placing it on par with my iPhone 16 Pro. That is partly attributable to the Air’s customized C1X modem, which is extra power-efficient than the third-party modems in earlier units. Apple’s benchmarks by no means correspond on to actuality, after all — however you must be capable to get by way of a day on a single cost if you happen to’re not enjoying Resident Evil or capturing plenty of 4K video.

What Apple would not let you know is that the Air charges beneath all the pieces else in its 2025 lineup. The iPhone 17 is rated for 30 hours of playback, and the 17 Professional will get as much as 33. The 17 Professional Max delivers as much as 39 hours — that means that with mild exercise, it may legitimately be a two-day telephone.

None of this could matter if it weren’t for the Air’s $1,000 entry worth. You will get a longer-lasting system for much less cash, which is the alternative of how issues usually work. Perhaps Apple will slender the hole subsequent 12 months by switching over to silicon-carbon batteries, which supply increased power density.

3

You are sacrificing digicam performance

Consider carefully about the way you shoot pictures and movies

Apple / Pocket-lint

The Air sports activities a 48-megapixel wide-angle digicam, much like the one on the iPhone 17, with the choice of 2x zoom for filling the body somewhat higher. For some folks, this can be greater than ok, permitting them to snap associates, household, and plenty of different topics in excessive element. However in contrast to the 17, there is not any ultrawide digicam to talk of. Meaning you’ll be able to’t shoot in cramped areas, and even take macro pictures, which could possibly be a dealkiller if you happen to like to make use of your telephone to take group pics, or save pairing codes and serial numbers.

As soon as once more, the Air’s pricetag comes into play. You’ll be able to really save $200 and get an ultra-wide again if you happen to purchase an iPhone 17. Alternately, by spending $100 extra you’ll be able to improve to the 17 Professional, which incorporates each an ultra-wide and a 48-megapixel telephoto digicam with 8x zoom. If you happen to’re contemplating an Air, you’d higher assume lengthy and arduous about your digicam wants — you do not wish to end up lacking key recollections as a result of your telephone lacks primary tools. Even the similarly-designed Galaxy S25 Edge has twin cameras.

2

Sturdiness is a huge query mark

There’s solely thus far materials selections can go

Apple / Pocket-lint

Apple went to nice lengths to emphasize the toughness of the Air throughout its press occasion. The telephone not solely sports activities a titanium physique — in contrast to the iPhone 17 and 17 Professional, which use aluminum — however Ceramic Defend glass on each the entrance and the again, supposed to scale back the specter of scratches and cracks. The entrance particularly makes use of Ceramic Defend 2, claimed to have 3 times the scratch resistance of its predecessor.

None of this immediately addresses the most important concern with ultra-thin telephones: bending. Titanium could also be stiffer than aluminum, but it surely’s not proof against stress, and there is solely a lot structural rigidity Apple can present in a tool so skinny. Presumably Apple has realized the teachings of Bendgate, which plagued the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus — but it isn’t arduous to think about somebody warping or cracking their Air by by accident sitting on it. We’ll have to attend for reviewers to show issues a technique or one other.

I believe I communicate for lots of people after I say that I might quite have a thicker, heavier telephone that is rugged than one which (briefly) impresses me with how slim and light-weight it’s. For the sake of consumers, I sincerely hope that Apple’s advertising and marketing is greater than hyperbole.

1

It skimps on 5G, graphics, and USB tech

The iPhone 16 Professional may very well be a greater deal

One thing I’ve realized over time is to pay shut consideration to Apple’s specs sheets, as a result of the corporate is not all the time clear with its forward-facing press supplies. Whereas it brags in regards to the iPhone 17 having a 120Hz adaptive refresh price, as an example, I needed to delve into specs to verify that this allows always-on show (AOD) features like lockscreen widgets and StandBy. I suppose Apple considers this all customary now, though you continue to get a locked 60Hz with out AOD if you happen to purchase an iPhone 16 or 16e.

If you happen to’re weighing an Air in opposition to a 17 Professional, you could be stunned by a few of its compromises, which transcend digicam and battery tech. Whereas each merchandise use an A19 Professional chip, the Air has one much less graphics (GPU) core, which may harm its efficiency in some video games. It additionally would not assist the quickest model of 5G, mmWave, and may solely sync wired information at sluggish USB 2.0 speeds. That final level is pathetic, frankly. The two.0 spec dates again to the 12 months 2000, so there is not any excuse for any iPhone to have it immediately, given the sizes of contemporary music, video, and backup recordsdata. USB 3.1 ought to be handled at least — not a Professional luxurious.

Contemplate this: the bottom Air is provided with 256GB of storage. USB 2.0 may make some backups take over an hour, whereas USB 3.1 would shorten that to lower than seven minutes. I get that most individuals depend on Wi-Fi and cloud sync nowadays, however that is no excuse for leaving USB customers within the Darkish Ages.