It's been four months since the iPhone Air came out, and it hasn't exactly been a resounding success. Sales are reportedly so low that Apple is delaying the next-generation model. MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera shares what it's been like using Apple's thinnest and lightest iPhone on a daily basis over the last few months.
With its super thin design, the iPhone Air still impresses even months later. It's much lighter than the other iPhone models, and a pleasure to use because of it. The iPhone Air is Apple's best one-handed smartphone, plus it impresses everyone who tries it out.
The frosted glass texture is attractive, and thanks to that titanium frame, it's durable. The glass resists fingerprints, plus it's not slippery, so it can be used without a case. That's a good thing, since a case tends to ruin the ultra thin feel. The iPhone Air is all glass, though, so it's still breakable if dropped and AppleCare+ is recommended.
The iPhone Air has the smallest battery in the iPhone 17 lineup, and there was a lot of concern that it wouldn't last all day. As long as you're not using it for high-end gaming, the battery is totally fine. Dan hasn't had a problem with battery life for day-to-day activities like browsing social media, YouTube, navigating, and using CarPlay.
If you're someone who only uses the Wide camera on the iPhone, you might not miss the Ultra Wide or Telephoto lenses, but having only a single-lens rear camera is one of the iPhone Air's major downsides. You get 1x and 2x zoom, but no 0.5x mode, no macro lens, and no 5x telephoto lens. It's definitely a dealbreaker for some people.
There's also only a single speaker, and while it's fine for use in quiet rooms, if you like to use your iPhone for things like listening to music in the shower, it might not be good enough.
The biggest thing wrong with the iPhone Air is the price tag. Sure, it's light, thin, and has an impressive design, but it's $999. For $200 less, you can get the standard iPhone 17 with two cameras and near identical performance, and for $100 more, you can get the iPhone 17 Pro, which has three cameras and faster performance. The only sacrifice is thinness, and it's clear that most people aren't willing to pay more to lose features for a thin and light design.
At this point, it's not entirely clear when a new iPhone Air is coming out. Rumors originally suggested we'd get the second-generation model in the fall of 2026, but sales were below expectations, so Apple is holding back on a new model to make some changes.
The next iPhone Air could have a second camera and display improvements like a smaller Dynamic Island to make it more appealing, with a potential launch happening in spring 2027.
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