In the past, I’ve found that iPhones have a tendency to all look the same, but Apple’s surprised me with the iPhone 17 series, especially the new iPhone Air.
For those that aren't aware, the iPhone Air is the new thin version of the iPhone that appears to be replacing the less popular iPhone Plus version. While there were a lot of rumors about what this new phone would bring, I don't think any of us quite expected what Apple eventually unveiled. alongside the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro devices.
I was expecting a lot of tradeoffs when it came to a thinner iPhone, but Apple has created a phone that is not only thinner than the other phones but could nearly match them in power. The phone comes with the same A19 Pro chip as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the new Fusion and center stage selfie cameras and more.
With all that's great about the phone, I have to be honest, I have some concerns about the overall design. So, let’s break down what works for me, and what doesn’t, when it comes to the iPhone Air.
What I like about the iPhone Air
The first thing that I have to note is the 6.5-inch display, which looks fantastic and helps to differentiate the Air from the 6.3-inch iPhone 17, beyond just being thinner. The display looks bright and colorful, with the same thin bezels seen on the other models. It also comes with the ProMotion display and can reportedly hit a peak of 120Hz and a minimum of 1Hz when using the always-on display.
I'm also really impressed with the battery life, with Apple claiming the iPhone Air can manage up to 27 hours of video playback. In the interest of fairness, this doesn’t quite match the other models, with the iPhone 17 Pro Max promising 39 hours of video playback and the iPhone 17 offering 30 hours. Still, it looks promising, and if you want more, you could invest in the MagSafe battery case to increase the iPhone Air's battery life to forty hours of video playback.
Finally, of course, there’s the thickness of the phone, which is frankly outstanding. The iPhone Air measures 5.6mm, which is thinner than the 5.8mm Galaxy S25 Edge. Usually, I’d be worried about durability, but the phone is remarkably resistant to bending. Add to that the addition of Apple’s Ceramic Glass 2, and you're looking at a phone that could stand up to a fair amount of abuse.
However, that same thickness, and what was done to achieve it, is also my biggest issue with the phone.
What I don't like about the iPhone Air
Here’s the problem: yes, the iPhone Air is very thin, mostly. However, in my eyes, this is nearly ruined by the camera "plateau." At a glance, it looks like this section of the case almost doubles the thickness at the top. This is an issue because it not only could unbalance the phone, but it also mars the outline and feel when you have it in your pocket.
This plateau does more than just house the camera, as it also contains the speaker, camera and Apple silicon. In concept, this makes sense as it allowed Apple to add a bigger battery to the phone, but doing so comes with its own risks.
Additionally, because the camera plateau sticks out, it becomes the most vulnerable part of the phone to any damage. Considering how durable Apple says Ceramic Shield 2 is, this might not be a big issue, but it does nothing to address my concern about temperature.
The problem is that Apple has placed some of the iPhone Air silicone into the plateau, and that is also the hardware that generates the most heat in a phone. This is a problem for two reasons: firstly, the iPhone Air doesn't have the vapor chamber seen in the iPhone 17 Pro series. Secondly, one of the big issues with ultra-thin designs is that they have a tendency to limit heat dissipation. As such, I worry that we might see iPhone Air models suffering from heat-based issues as time goes on.
The other notable trade-off is that the iPhone Air has a single rear camera. Yes, the 48MP main shooter looks great, but you don't get an ultrawide lens. And that also means no macro shots. And without a telephoto lens, you're limited to 2x "optical quality zoom."
iPhone Air outlook
All in all, I want to love the iPhone Air, and there's a lot to like, but I think it might be sensible to hold off on grabbing one for now. The fact is that we'll have to wait and see how it performs in our iPhone Air review, as well as see what customers are saying about the phone and how it's holding up in the coming months.
Even then, it’s refreshing to see Apple trying to innovate, and if there are some trade-offs along the way, then maybe that’s the price we need to pay. Let me know what you think. Do you love the new design, or are you going to wait for the first users to report what the phone is like before you decide to upgrade?
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