Surprises

Review: Apple Iphone Air - Alike and unique

It is innovative and the same as all the old ones. Both are Iphone Air's strengths.

Published 9 December 2025 - 16:28

I am genuinely surprised at how little I miss having more cameras. It has been a while since the iPhone had only one camera. Both the Pro models and the regular base model have had at least two since the iPhone 11.

Contributes something new

The iPhone Air is something new. Although much is clearly similar to previous iPhone models, the big differences are fewer cameras and a smaller battery. And that it is so thin. If we put the model in context, it takes many of the features from the Pro models and puts them in a thinner shell. The iPhone Air has a titanium frame and the powerful A19 Pro chip, but without the improved cooling that the Pro models have received this year.

In the iPhone Air, despite its thin format, we find many of the innovations that the Pro model has received in recent years. Here is the action button, which is a shortcut to silent mode, voice recording, translation, or something else you choose. Here is the camera control and, of course, the dynamic island on the screen that provides concise information. Thankfully, the screen also has good brightness and a 120 hertz refresh rate, which has finally come to this year's entire iPhone lineup. From Pro via Air to the base model iPhone 17.

The phone has a larger screen than the one we find in the iPhone 17 Pro, and that might be because it practically replaces the previous Plus model. Looking at the thickness, the Air is 35 percent thinner than the Pro and 29 percent thinner than the iPhone 17. When measured without the camera bump on the back.

The thinness makes a difference for better or worse

We can discuss how much difference this thinner design makes. A concern might be that the phone becomes less durable, but Apple seems to have completely avoided that. The phone has proven to be very durable, and many other tests have shown this since the phone was released for sale. I am testing the iPhone Air alongside the new iPhone 17 Pro, and I am surprised that I often think the Air is almost as good. The performance in the Air is sufficient for even the most demanding uses, and although I can notice that the phone gets a bit warm sometimes, it never causes any problems.

When it comes to battery life, the phone lasts a whole day during the entire test period, but that said, the battery life is noticeably shorter than, for example, the iPhone 17 Pro I am testing at the same time. The smaller battery capacity is clearly noticeable.

The only camera - it's enough

Looking at the cameras, or the only camera on the back of the iPhone Air, I am surprised that it often suffices. On paper, the differences between the iPhone Air and the iPhone 17 Pro are clear. In the Air, we are without wide-angle, without optical zoom, and without macro mode. Yet, I rarely miss any of this.

Instead of macro, I can take a small step back and use 2x zoom to get closer to the subject. In the most common scenarios, indoor or outdoor photos, there is rarely a noticeable difference, although I can notice that the iPhone Air has slightly less detail, especially when the light is poorer if I use zoom. The iPhone Air does not have optical zoom, but I find that in good lighting conditions, I can zoom up to about five times magnification and still get acceptable quality in the photos. I think that most of the photos we take fall within the range that the iPhone Air performs well in. Even the portrait mode, which was introduced in the iPhone as an effect of having two cameras side by side, but which increasingly relies on digital post-processing, gives a nice depth despite the iPhone Air only having one camera to work with.

The clearest disadvantages that the format brings are the single camera, battery capacity, weak speaker, and as one can probably always say about a new iPhone: the price. The advantage is that it fits well in the hand and in tight pockets, it is simply visually attractive, the thinness is enticing. That is primarily what you pay for.

An alternative

If you are looking for the more innovative, groundbreaking look, you have to look outside of Apple-land to find alternatives. Samsung has its Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy S25 Edge, both really thin. Otherwise, Nothing today makes many of the phones that dare a little more in terms of appearance and are also much cheaper.

Questions and answers

No space for a physical sim card?

Exactly, Iphone Air only supports esim, to allow more space for the battery.

But how durable is it really?

Everything points to it being sufficiently durable. Apple previously faced controversy when the Iphone 6, the thinnest Iphone before the Iphone Air, was found to bend under heavy pressure. The Iphone 6 was 6.9 millimetres thin and since then Iphones have become thicker and gained more features, until now with the Air. In this case, Apple seems to have learned its lesson as all tests show that it is more durable than ever.

Compromises then, what do I give up with the thinness?

Poorer speakers. The speaker used for calls and located under the screen is the phone's only one. Battery life. The only camera on the back and thus the absence of optical zoom, wide-angle, and macro.

Camera example:

Iphone Air goes a long way in most contexts, including zooming in (not optically then) to around 5 times magnification.

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