Apple iPhone Air: A daring reimagining of the iPhone

Apple’s iPhone Air is an formidable reimagining of the iPhone, making it each particular and controversial. I don’t imply to make use of the phrase ‘reimagining’ flippantly right here. For occasion, think about this: Apple has not christened this gadget because the iPhone 17 Air, however the ‘iPhone Air’ — the primary technology of Air in a smartphone type issue. I couldn’t assist however reminisce how Steve Jobs unveiled the MacBook Air in 2008.

This cellphone, to a big extent, is a brand new paradigm on the planet of Apple. At simply 5.6mm thickness, the iPhone Air is impossibly skinny and light-weight. In hand, it feels shockingly minimal: so skinny you’ll preserve checking your pocket to substantiate it’s nonetheless there. Despite the paper-thin construct, the gadget maintains a wonderful stability and luxury, largely because of shiny titanium sides that add a contact of grip and luxurious.

Apple’s engineering helps you to simply seize the cellphone from any floor with out slippage, making the iPhone Air really feel such as you’re holding nothing however a display screen. The end, and color choices, exude an understated luxurious. The buttons are thinner than ever whereas retaining their tactile high quality.

The 6.5-inch ProMovement show, boasting a 120Hz refresh price, stands out as a key function
| Photo Credit:
John Xavier

One notable design change is the presence of a single speaker. While audio stays acceptable for on a regular basis use, count on much less loudness and readability than the sooner technology Pro fashions.

Apple has additionally eradicated the bodily SIM tray in favour of an eSIM. Transitioning is fast and simple for these already utilizing eSim. You can swap proper firstly when organising your iPhone Air, or later, via the settings. But if you’re switching from a bodily sim you’ll have to watch for not less than a day to get your textual content messaging help activated. So, I recommend making the swap after finishing duties that depend on one-time-passwords.

A daring inner rethinking

Apple’s inner rethinking pushes practically all bodily parts to the digital camera bump up on prime, leaving a lot of the physique as battery. The titanium body stays strong, and a easy display screen protector suffices for scratch safety.  

Gaming runs easily on the iPhone Air with solely minor body dips. The battery additionally holds up whereas gaming and the A19 Pro gives graphics on par with the iPhone 17 Pro Max, attaining near-console-quality rendering on the highest cell settings
| Photo Credit:
John Xavier

The 6.5-inch ProMovement show, boasting a 120Hz refresh price, stands out as a key function. It delivers vibrant colors, distinctive brightness of three,000 nits, and a cutting-edge anti-reflective coating that ensures flawless out of doors viewing. The always-on show seamlessly transitions to a 1Hz mode for battery conservation, whereas iOS 26’s “Liquid Glass” visuals are completely suited to the display screen’s capabilities.

Trade-offs are clear: The iPhone Air incorporates a single broad 48MP rear digital camera, the identical sensor because the iPhone 17. Daytime images and people shot in well-lit environments shine with stunning colors and sharpness, low-light efficiency noticeably lags behind the multi-camera Pros. 

Video recording is great with 4K 60fps, nice stabilization, and dynamic vary, however you lose out on optical zoom and ultra-wide prospects. The lack of ultra-wide can be pronounced if you wish to seize expansive scenes or take a look at artistic angles. But if you’re somebody who just isn’t a lot into images, the iPhone Air’s 48MP rear digital camera is nice sufficient for many random photographs.

Picture shot on iPhone Air’s primary digital camera – f/1.6, 1/94 sec, ISO 50
| Photo Credit:
John Xavier

The entrance digital camera, in the meantime, will get reward for autofocus and a intelligent broad mode that lets customers take panorama selfies whereas holding the cellphone vertically. Dual seize mode additional enhances content material manufacturing.

Picture shot on iPhone Air’s primary digital camera — f/1.6, 1/60 sec, ISO 400, 
| Photo Credit:
John Xavier

Is iPhone Air’s Pro efficiency hampered by smaller battery life? 

Battery life emerges as a dividing line. When Apple claimed the iPhone Air comes with an ‘all-day battery’, I believe they meant it actually. For occasion, this cellphone will final you a day — from dawn to sundown. For me, on a single cost, this cellphone lasted from 7:30 a.m. to six p.m. I used it as my major cellphone with average multi-media use.

Picture shot on iPhone Air’s primary digital camera – f/1.6, 1/404 sec, ISO 50
| Photo Credit:
John Xavier

If you’re a type of heavy customers, like content material creators, video aficionados, players, or these coming from Pro Max fashions, the smaller battery could imply needing a noon top-up. Apple provides an identical slim Magsafe battery pack. Fast charging and iOS optimizations assist, however endurance stays a step behind bigger fashions.

Performance, powered by the A19 Pro chip, is excellent. Everyday use, multitasking, and media enhancing. And even gaming runs easily with solely minor body dips. The battery additionally holds up whereas gaming — I misplaced about 5% cost after like ten minutes, and heating wasn’t a difficulty. The A19 Pro gives graphics on par with the iPhone 17 Pro Max, attaining near-console-quality rendering on the highest cell settings.

Apple Intelligence and cellphone mirroring situation

I wasn’t certain the place to convey this quirky situation into my assessment, so I’ll clarify it right here. While Siri arrange was simple and the voice assistant was working effective, I felt like Apple Intelligence was lacking within the iPhone Air. So, I looked for Apple’s hypocycloidal emblem, after which clicked open Notes, Email and Pages apps to search for Writing Tools. But none of those apps had the writing device help.

This appeared weird as roughly six gigabytes of cellphone storage was already taken up by Apple Intelligence, and now that function is lacking in motion. Thinking this might be a ‘turn off or turn on’ situation, I checked whether or not Apple Intelligence was toggled on within the Settings app. And that’s once I observed the absence of the Apple Intelligence swap in Settings.

Picture shot on iPhone Air’s primary digital camera – f/1.6, 1/181 sec, ISO 125
| Photo Credit:
John Xavier

After attempting a number of work arounds, together with updating iOS 26 with the most recent beta updates, I lastly modified language and area settings. I had arrange the gadget in India with English (India) language setting. I switched to UK area with English (UK) language setting. After switching, I restarted the gadget, after which opened Notes and Pages apps to test for Apple’s hypocycloid emblem. And I lastly discovered Writing Tools function in these apps.

I count on Apple to repair this iOS 26 bug quickly. For now, I’ve switched again to India area, and Apple Intelligence works effective.

Apart from the Apple Intelligence misadventure, I additionally confronted connectivity situation when attempting to cellphone mirror with my MacBook Air. When I attempted to set it up, the gadget prompted that this help was not obtainable.  

Who ought to think about shopping for the iPhone Air?

So, after utilizing this cellphone for a couple of week now, I’ve bought to confess that this isn’t a tool for a mainstream purchaser or an influence consumer. This is the iPhone for individuals who worth design above all. This is a tool for the minimalists, or anybody who desires a press release gadget that doesn’t weigh them down.

The type issue evokes type, and its end attracts admiring glances. One does need to sacrifice multi-camera images, battery life, and stereo sound, however in return, they’ll achieve an impossibly skinny construct, premium supplies, and one of the crucial putting screens on any smartphone. And, little question, for some individuals, this gadget could convey again recollections of iPhone customers carrying round energy banks to increase the gadget’s battery life. If you’re a average consumer, then I don’t suppose battery needs to be an enormous concern.

The iPhone Air is a daring try by Apple that showcases future prospects the place much less can actually be extra. If you prize design, portability, and show high quality over technical abundance, this cellphone excels. But in case your workflow calls for all-day battery, multi-lens versatility, or professional audio, you could be higher served by the extra typical iPhone 17 or the Pro. The Air is about admiration, and for these Apple diehards this gadget is geared toward, the trade-offs could really feel completely value it.