I CAN’T REMEMBER the last time a gadget caused a stir when I pulled it out of my pocket, but that’s what has happened over the past week every time I’ve used my phone. I’ve been testing the iPhone Air, the first new (non-budget) smartphone line from Apple since the introduction of the Pro in 2019—and it’s definitely a conversation-starter.
The Air is the slimmest iPhone Apple has ever made. At 5.6mm, it’s also the thinnest smartphone on the market (if you ignore the individual panels in foldable devices). Seeing the familiar frame of the iPhone compressed down into a skinny silhouette spurred my friends and colleagues to ask me a wide range of questions, which all boil down to just one: Does it still work?
I spent almost a week using the Air to find out. Here are my biggest takeaways from the experience—and what you should consider before getting one yourself.
The iPhone Air’s Design
The iPhone Air looks like the smartphones that came before it at first glance—it’s a slab of screen with some glass on the back. And yet… the slimmer frame really is noticeable, and hit me as even more effortlessly cool than anything Apple has put out in years. The simplicity of the single camera lens on the rear of the device, with its wide, sloped hump (Apple calls it a “plateau”) looks much cleaner than the double- and triple-lens arrays of other recent iPhones. The Air’s polished titanium comes in a neutral blue (my test unit), gold, white, and black.
The differences between the Air and other smartphones is even more pronounced once you’re holding it. The new handset is significantly lighter (165 grams) than the new 17 Pro (206 grams), which I also tested. The 16 Pro Max (227 grams), which I had been using immediately prior to the review period, felt like a clunky paperweight in comparison. But the Air doesn’t feel insubstantial—the 6.5-inch display is actually larger than the 17 Pro’s 6.3-inch display, and (at least in my hands) is more balanced than that and the heftier 6.9-inch 16 Pro Max.
Apple has made a big to-do about the Air’s toughness, calling it more durable than any previous iPhone in press materials. When I visited Apple HQ ahead of the launch, I got to see some of the company’s “reliability engineers,” demo the types of quality testing they use to push the phones to the breaking point using drop machines, pressure tests, and more.
The bumper case and cross-body strap to free up your hands.
The iPhone Air’s Performance and Camera
The Air has Apple’s A19 chip, the same as the 17 Pro models, which puts the Air in a tier above the standard iPhone line—and also allegedly explains the $1k price tag. The Air’s performance is zippy; apps open quickly, and navigating in iOS 26’s new Liquid Glass design feels more tactile to me than other touchscreen experiences.
Stuck on a plane with no in-flight console, I watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem on the Air. The film’s contrast of brightly-colored animated characters and dark cityscapes weren’t lost on the small screen—I almost forgot I was stuck watching it on a phone.
My main focus when I test a smartphone is on its cameras. The Air has one rear eyelet, what Apple calls a 48MP Fusion Camera system. I’m no camera nerd, so I’m not going to attempt to explain exactly what that means. What I can say is, the camera has a 2x zoom and it takes pretty damn good photos.
My go-to model, Lielo, posing for the Air’s default camera.
Lielo, with a zoom.
One big photo update comes with the new front-facing camera, which Apple is calling “Center Stage.” The 18MP lens offers a range of four different composition styles, including landscape, without having to turn the phone. For group shots, AI can automatically expand the field of view to fit everyone in. Here’s what that looks like in action:
Another fun feature: you can now record video with both the front and rear cameras simultaneously (called Dual Capture).
The Center Stage camera comes with all the new iPhones, not just the Air. And as a Pro user, I found myself missing the photo capabilities that come with the Pro line and its triple lens rear array and powerful zoom.
The iPhone Air’s Battery Life
The biggest knock on the Air is its battery life. Apple specs estimate the device can provide “all-day” power with regular use; through my testing, I needed a charge closer to three-quarters through the day, two or three hours before bed, all but two of the six days. Granted I am an early riser and heavy user—I averaged about 7.5 hours per day of screen time over the week—but for $1k, I would hope for a device that can survive the day without needing a charge.
Apple seems to want to head this off with an external battery (sold separately for $99), which clips on using magnetic MagSafe connection. The Air winds up being just about as thick as the 17 Pro with the pack connected, and it works well—but it’s still an extra cost to keep the power up. Adding something onto the sleekly-designed Air kind of kills the vibe, too; I’d rather juice up using a cord to keep the phone’s aesthetic clean, and that’s not always feasible.
Should You Get the iPhone Air?
The iPhone Air is really fun. The device could do just about anything I threw at it thanks to its Pro-level pedigree, and its design makes it an aesthete’s dream. Given the response I’ve received in person, I’m guessing it will carry some extra cool points in social settings as more people get their hands on it.
Here’s the but: You’re trading off some functionality for the slim design, even with the elevated performance from Apple’s base model. The Air doesn’t have a camera on-par with the Pro line—and also lacks the Ultra Wide lens of the standard iPhone 17, which is nearly $200 less expensive. And for heavy users, that battery life might be frustrating after the novelty of cool design and a lighter pocket wears off.
You’ll have to decide what exactly you want out of your smartphone. Looks, or super-sharp photos? Saving an extra couple hundred bucks, or stunting on your friends with the newest, sleekest tech? I usually opt for the best camera possible—but the iPhone Air’s combination of design, function, and undeniable cool factor might just win me over.
Brett Williams, NASM-CPT, PES, a senior editor at Men’s Health, is a certified trainer and former pro football player and tech reporter. You can find his work elsewhere at Mashable, Thrillist, and other outlets.
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