Apple iPhone Air review: Thinner is my winner

Apple hasn’t followed other smartphone trends over the last couple of years, most notably it still doesn’t have a foldable phone like Samsung and others. But with the iPhone Air, it hops on the skinny phone bandwagon, joining the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge in slimming down the frame and reducing the overall weight. It’s basically been on Mounjaro and it looks great for it.

If you’re sitting there questioning why on earth you need a slim phone rather than one with the best camera or best battery life then the iPhone Air isn’t for you. This is a phone focused on design, though it makes far fewer compromises than I expected. I’m usually an iPhone Pro Max user but I’ve been reviewing the iPhone Air since it was announced and I can’t help but love it.

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The Disconnekt Downlow

The Apple iPhone Air is an excellent phone, for the right person. If you like zoom on your camera, you’re not that person. If you’re a gamer and looking for sustained performance, it’s not for you either. If you’re clumsy and can’t bear the thought of no case, you’ll lose exactly what makes the Air special as soon as you put that bit of plastic or silicone on it. But if you’re someone who is fed up of big, thick and heavy phones, the iPhone Air is a breath of fresh air. You make a couple of compromises for its skinny build (predominantly the number of camera lenses) and it’s far from cheap, but the iPhone Air is gorgeous and an absolute pleasure to use. Kate Moss once said “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” and in this case, you might not be eating it anytime soon, but damn skinny feels good.

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The reasons you should choose the Apple iPhone Air

I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect to like the iPhone Air as much as I do. I thought it would cut too many corners. But every time I pick it up, I’m pleasantly surprised. Its super slim build is a genuine delight and its weight is a refreshing change to the iPhone 16 Pro Max I moved into it from. There have been a number of rumours to suggest Apple is working on a folding iPhone and while that’s not confirmed, the Air does look like half of what that foldable could be in the future.

The polished titanium frame gives off a very premium look and though I’m a matte finish fan really, the mirrored finish is one that works on this phone. Much to my surprise, Apple managed to squeeze in the Camera Control button on the right edge and the Action Button on the top left edge too so you don’t miss out on either of those compared to the Pro models or standard iPhone 17. The soft-to-touch rear is lovely too and the 6.5-inch display hits the sweet spot for me in terms of size and usability. 

It’s also the same screen technology as the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models, resulting in plenty of punch from the colours and decent vibrancy. Viewing angles are good, there’s a smooth scrolling experience thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate and overall, there’s really not much to complain about. Dynamic Island, which Apple announced on the iPhone 14 Pro, is on board too and still one of the features I use most regularly, though Camera Control and the Action Button are up there these days. 

Speaking of camera, I tested the iPhone Air’s single main sensor against the iPhone 17 Pro Max and the Google Pixel 10 Pro. It does produce slightly warmer images than the Pixel but on the whole, it handles a multitude of situations and lighting well. If you’re someone who uses zoom regularly then it’s not for you as you only get 2x optical here and there’s no secondary ultrawide camera like the iPhone 17. But for a single main camera, the iPhone Air more than holds its own. There’s good colour balance and plenty of detail in good lighting and even low light shots are decent. 

The front camera is great too, featuring the same sensor as the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro. It takes lovely selfies (subject dependant) but switching between portrait and landscape without having to rotate the phone is brilliant for making sure you don’t have the weird side-eye vibe going on. The front camera also has a dual video capture mode and while third party apps already offered this on iPhone, having it built into the camera app is handy.

Battery life isn’t awful either. I know, shock. I finished my reviewing days (between 6AM and midnight) on between 25 and 35 per cent, which given I was heavily testing various features like the camera, I’d say is pretty good going. That involved going into London too, using apps like Citymapper and listening to music on my commute.

Based on my experience, the battery will see you through a working day and into the evening no problem but if you’re planning on staying out until 3am after getting up at 6am, I’d probably give it a top up just to be sure. Also keep in mind that while the battery life is good now, it might not be in a few months time so the iPhone Air’s dedicated MagSafe charging pack might be a worthwhile investment.

Last thing to mention is performance. The iPhone Air is lovely use. It’s buttery smooth with no jitters. It occasionally got a little warm at the top on the rear just under the flash but I’m not talking warm enough to fry an egg on, just a little toastier than the iPhone 17 Pro models that now have a vapour chamber and are naturally a little more efficient at cooling.  

What the Apple iPhone Air could do better

I mentioned the polished frame and while it looks good, I’d love to have seen a matte finish because the mirrored frame absolutely loves a fingerprint. Make no mistake, you will be wiping the iPhone Air down multiple times a day unless you put a case on it. And that leads me to my second point. Put a case on it, even Apple’s bumper case designed for it, and you immediately lose the Air’s appeal. I’m not someone that likes a case on my phone, but I know a lot of people that do and with this phone more than others, a case takes a lot away from the design.

Of course a case can help with durability but it’s a risk you take if you want to be able to appreciate the iPhone Air for what it is. I’ve not noticed an issue when it comes to durability so far, by which I mean bending, and I’ve seen the iPhone Air have a 60kg weight pressed onto it with a machine. I’ve also tried my best to bend it myself but it doesn’t budge. That’s not to say it won’t ever so if you are someone prone to sitting on your phone, it’s something you should consider, but my testing suggests the slim frame is as durable as you could hope for. 

What I would have liked to see is a second camera. Even just the ultrawide from the iPhone 17, or better yet, ditch the ultrawide and give me the telephoto from the 17 Pro models. But alas, it’s a single camera situation here. It’s not a deal breaker as the camera is good but it’s an area you compromise and the main area at that.

I also can’t make up my mind about the “plateau” as Apple is calling it. In other words, the raised bump on the back that houses the camera lens and increases the 5.6mm thickness for part of the iPhone Air. It’s something you get used to and the smooth finish of the rest of the back means I can overlook it somewhat, but I don’t think it looks as premium as the rest of the phone.

Apple iPhone Air software

The iPhone Air runs on iOS 26 like the rest of the latest iPhone models, as well as some older models. The software offers quite a big redesign compared to previous versions of the iPhone software and it gives a nice fresh look. That can be said for older iPhones running it too, of course, but I really like the translucent look of the ‘Liquid Glass’ design.

I’ve written all about the new features on iOS 26 separately but a few of my favourites include the ability to change the default snooze time on your alarm from 9 minutes to anything between 1 and 15 minutes. Any iPhone user has been used to 9 minutes now, but how was this not an option before?

The Camera app has also had a redesign to make it much simpler to use and there’s been a shake up to the Phone app too, though you can choose whether you opt in to that new design or stick with the old one. Apple barely mentioned Apple Intelligence during the iPhone Air announcement, placing less of a focus on it than other brands are. Perhaps that’s because it is a little behind, or perhaps that’s because AI doesn’t need to be at the forefront of every single discussion.

There are some new Apple Intelligence features with iOS 26, like the ability to search on your iPhone’s screen and add a calendar event from a screenshot, for example. That’s known as Visual Intelligence and it’s not too dissimilar from Circle to Search on Android phones. There’s also Live Translate for real-time translation of phone calls and messages. Many of my favourite AI features are the ones that happen in the background, though. Priority Notifications is one I particularly enjoy with my iPhone pulling out the messages and notifications it thinks are important. I also like Notification Summaries where notifications are summarised into a couple of lines so I know whether to click on them.

Should you buy the Apple iPhone Air?

Well isn’t this the thousand dollar question. Yes, is the short answer but there are a couple of things to consider before you do. If you use zoom on your camera a lot then it’s not the right phone for you. If you’re a big gamer and you’re looking for sustained performance, buy the Pro instead. If you are someone who has to have a case on your phone then don’t bother – it ruins it (though Apple’s bumper case is better than a full case). 

But if you want a slim, light, iPhone that is a pleasure to use, the iPhone Air is gorgeous. You make a couple of compromises for its skinny build and it’s far from cheap (the iPhone 17 is the real bargain this year) but I’ve loved reviewing this iPhone. The change is refreshing and one I’ve got used to, so the other models in the line up feel very thick and heavy all of a sudden. 

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