4 causes I am blowing previous the iPhone Air, and why it’s best 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 seem like. Not that there was a lot Apple might’ve executed 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 have to be as effectively, and there are a number of explanation why. This is hoping that Apple types issues out by the point the Air 2 rolls round.

4

Thinness comes on the expense of battery life

Type 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 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 gadgets. Apple’s benchmarks by no means correspond on to actuality, in fact — however it’s best to be capable of get via a day on a single cost if you happen to’re not enjoying Resident Evil or capturing lots of 4K video.

What Apple would not inform you is that the Air charges under all the things 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 mild exercise, it might legitimately be a two-day telephone.

None of this is able to matter if it weren’t for the Air’s $1,000 entry worth. You may 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 yr by switching over to silicon-carbon batteries, which provide greater vitality density.

3

You are sacrificing digital camera performance

Think twice 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 slightly higher. For some folks, this can be greater than adequate, permitting them to snap mates, household, and lots of different topics in excessive element. However not like the 17, there is not any ultrawide digital camera to talk of. Which means you may’t shoot in cramped areas, and even take macro photographs, which may very well 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 truly save $200 and get an ultra-wide again if you happen to purchase an iPhone 17. Alternately, by spending $100 extra you may improve to the 17 Professional, which incorporates each an ultra-wide and a 48-megapixel telephoto digital camera with 8x zoom. If you happen to’re contemplating an Air, you’d higher assume lengthy and onerous about your digital camera wants — you do not wish to end up lacking key recollections as a result of your telephone lacks primary gear. Even the similarly-designed Galaxy S25 Edge has twin cameras.

2

Sturdiness is a huge query mark

There’s solely up to now materials decisions 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 Defend glass on each the entrance and the again, supposed to cut 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 straight addresses the largest concern with ultra-thin telephones: bending. Titanium could also be stiffer than aluminum, nevertheless 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 is not onerous to think about somebody warping or cracking their Air by unintentionally sitting on it. We’ll have to attend for reviewers to show issues a technique or one other.

I feel I converse for lots of people once I say that I might slightly 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 patrons, 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 at all times clear with its forward-facing press supplies. Whereas it brags in regards to the iPhone 17 having a 120Hz adaptive refresh charge, for example, I needed to delve into specs to verify that this permits always-on show (AOD) features like lockscreen widgets and StandBy. I suppose Apple considers this all commonplace 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 might 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 might damage its efficiency in some video games. It additionally would not assist the quickest model of 5G, mmWave, and might solely sync wired knowledge at sluggish USB 2.0 speeds. That final level is pathetic, frankly. The two.0 spec dates again to the yr 2000, so there is not any excuse for any iPhone to have it in the present day, given the sizes of contemporary music, video, and backup recordsdata. USB 3.1 must be handled at the least — not a Professional luxurious.

Take into account this: the bottom Air is provided with 256GB of storage. USB 2.0 might 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 lately, however that is no excuse for leaving USB customers within the Darkish Ages.