4 causes I am blowing previous the iPhone Air, and why you need to 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, in truth — 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 digital camera, regardless of the presence of two or three cameras on the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro. I even knew what it could appear like. Not that there was a lot Apple may’ve performed about that — accent makers wanted blueprints to have merchandise prepared on time.

The telephone is extra tempting than I believed it could be, however I am additionally fairly snug about skipping it. You ought to be as effectively, and there are a selection of explanation 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 perform

Apple / Pocket-Lint

The largest shock is that the battery life on the Air is not as unhealthy as rumors predicted. Apple claims that the gadget 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 need to be capable to get by a day on a single cost for those who’re not taking part in Resident Evil or capturing a whole lot of 4K video.

What Apple would not let you know is that the Air charges beneath every thing 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 — which means that with gentle 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 value. You may get a longer-lasting gadget for much less cash, which is the other of how issues usually work. Possibly Apple will slender the hole subsequent yr by switching over to silicon-carbon batteries, which supply larger vitality density.

3

You are sacrificing digital camera performance

Consider carefully about the way you shoot photographs and movies

Apple / Pocket-lint

The Air sports activities a 48-megapixel wide-angle digital camera, 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 adequate, permitting them to snap buddies, household, and plenty of different topics in excessive element. However not like the 17, there isn’t any ultrawide digital camera to talk of. Meaning you’ll be able to’t shoot in cramped areas, and even take macro photographs, which could possibly be a dealkiller for those who 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 possibly can really save $200 and get an ultra-wide again for those who 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 digital camera with 8x zoom. In case you’re contemplating an Air, you’d higher assume lengthy and arduous about your digital camera wants — you do not wish to end up lacking key recollections as a result of your telephone lacks fundamental tools. Even the similarly-designed Galaxy S25 Edge has twin cameras.

2

Sturdiness is a huge query mark

There’s solely to this point 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 — not like the iPhone 17 and 17 Professional, which use aluminum — however Ceramic Protect glass on each the entrance and the again, meant to scale back the specter of scratches and cracks. The entrance particularly makes use of Ceramic Protect 2, claimed to have 3 times the scratch resistance of its predecessor.

None of this instantly addresses the largest concern with ultra-thin telephones: bending. Titanium could also be stiffer than aluminum, however it’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 chance sitting on it. We’ll have to attend for reviewers to show issues a method or one other.

I feel I communicate for lots of people after I say that I would somewhat have a thicker, heavier telephone that is rugged than one which (briefly) impresses me with how slim and lightweight it’s. For the sake of consumers, I sincerely hope that Apple’s advertising 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 through the years is to pay shut consideration to Apple’s specs sheets, as a result of the corporate is not at all times 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 permits always-on show (AOD) capabilities like lockscreen widgets and StandBy. I suppose Apple considers this all commonplace now, although you continue to get a locked 60Hz with out AOD for those who purchase an iPhone 16 or 16e.

In case you’re weighing an Air towards a 17 Professional, it’s possible you’ll be shocked by a few of its compromises, which transcend digital camera 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 help the quickest model of 5G, mmWave, and might solely sync wired information at sluggish USB 2.0 speeds. That final level is pathetic, frankly. The two.0 spec dates again to the yr 2000, so there isn’t any excuse for any iPhone to have it at this time, given the sizes of recent music, video, and backup recordsdata. USB 3.1 needs to be handled at least — not a Professional luxurious.

Think about this: the bottom Air is supplied 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 as of late, however that is no excuse for leaving USB customers within the Darkish Ages.