Shortly after the thin and light iPhone Air launched in September, we crowned it the 2025 Phone of the Year – not because it was the best phone ever, but because it was the most talked about handset at the time (and, arguably, I think it still is today).
That’s right, we’ve published plenty of stories about the iPhone Air that either praised or criticized the phone to varying degrees – our full iPhone Air review called it a “new kind of Pro handset”, another of my colleagues called it “confusing”, while a third said they were conflicted about it (after using it for six months).
One of the main sticking points for the iPhone Air in our coverage was its AU$1,799 MSRP over spec, as it’s intended to replace previous iPhone Plus models. My colleagues’ concerns centered around the camera’s single lens and small 3,149 mAh battery.
Exactly how thin and light is the iPhone Air? It measures only 5.64mm, which is a far cry from the 8mm thickness of the iPhone 17 and the 8.8mm of the 17 Pro. Even the budget iPhone 17e is still much thicker at 7.88mm. It also weighs 165g, much lighter than the iPhone 17’s 177g and the Pro’s 206g.
The real question here is whether its size affects its performance.
As mentioned earlier, the iPhone Air is powered by the Apple A19 Pro chipset which is similar to the processors in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, performing better than the base iPhone 17. And given that it’s now cheaper than the latter, it’s surely a no-brainer.
My favorite iPhone Air spec is its titanium chassis, similar to my iPhone 16 Pro Max, which may be an interesting option if you’re not a fan of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max’s return to aluminum.
Like my colleagues, I have reservations about the iPhone Air’s single-camera setup, because I like having the flexibility of having at least a second ultra-wide lens (and a telephoto lens is always handy). If you’re not too concerned about cameras, the iPhone Air still has a 48MP shooter that’s solid enough to snap a few photos here and there.
If you’ve been wanting to get your hands on the thin and light iPhone Air, but have been put off by the high suggested price, don’t pass up this opportunity.
