New Delhi – I have been using the iPhone Air for the past 15 days, and while using it, the thought kept coming that Apple has made a great product, but you will have to make some compromises after buying it. You may recall that in 2008 Apple launched its first and lightest Mac laptop, the MacBook Air, which was lightweight and powerful, but still had some compromises. Similarly, now we have the iPhone Air. It looks premium and is slim to hold, but being an eSIM-only Apple smartphone, is it really a great deal?
Looks & Design
The biggest USP of iPhone Air is its design. Compared to standard iPhone models, it feels much more premium. At just 5.6 mm thin, you get a distinctly different experience. Though it is 0.2 mm thinner than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, it weighs 2 grams more. In real-world use, the curved design and robustness of the iPhone Air make it clear you’re holding a high-value smartphone.
It uses titanium (unlike the 17 Pro models, which do not), and Apple has reworked everything from the camera unit to the mono speaker and chip to deliver the thinnest, most premium iPhone. On the rear, there’s a single camera sensor surrounded by a ring, though it doesn’t protect the camera. You also get an LED flash and the Apple logo, looking very striking. The rear panel uses a ceramic shield for drop protection, and the front has the new Ceramic Shield 2, which Apple claims is three times more scratch-resistant. The iPhone Air comes in four colors: Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, and Sky Blue. We reviewed the Cloud White variant.
Display
It features a 6.5-inch LTPO OLED Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion technology offering a 120 Hz refresh rate and peak brightness of 3000 nits. The display is clear even in bright sunlight, making texts and images easy to see. The top screen has an anti-reflective coating that performs excellently in glare. With minimal bezels, multimedia apps, browsing, gaming, and movie watching are all great experiences.
Performance
Apple claimed the iPhone Air is the thinnest smartphone with performance not compromised compared to Pro models. The A19 Pro chipset is very powerful, providing smooth daily use. iOS 26.1 runs smoothly. The one downside is the phone heats up during 1-2 hours of gaming but cools down after resting for 10-15 minutes. It has a 5-core GPU, whereas Pro models have 6 cores. It handles multitasking, gaming, photo, and video editing easily. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and second-generation Ultra Wideband.
The phone supports only eSIM connectivity, which may disappoint those who want physical SIMs, but eSIM offers advantages like theft safety and supports two active eSIMs simultaneously. You can store up to 8 eSIMs for easy international travel.
Camera Performance
Some may be disappointed by just a single rear camera – even the iPhone 17, cheaper than Air, has two. Apple states this single camera has dual fusion technology, equivalent to four lenses, with OIS and two optical zoom options (1x and 2x). The camera performs superbly in both bright and low light. The front camera is 18 MP with an f/1.9 aperture and supports Center Stage.
Battery
Due to the slim design, Apple has compromised the battery with a 3149 mAh unit, smaller than the Samsung S25 Edge. But thanks to the A19 Pro chip, it still delivers decent battery life, lasting around 12 hours with heavy use. It supports 30W fast charging, capable of reaching 50% charge in 30 minutes.
Verdict
The iPhone Air starts at Rs 1,19,900 for the 256 GB, Rs 1,39,900 for 512 GB, and Rs 1,59,900 for 1 TB variant. Apple has left no stone unturned in design, performance, and brand value, making this phone a good value for money. However, if a better camera or larger battery matters to you, you may be disappointed here.
