Apple’s iPhone Air is the thinnest iPhone to date at 5.64 mm, built with a titanium frame and a 6.5-inch ProMotion OLED. It feels impressively light in hand at 165 g, and Apple positions it as a design-first alternative to the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro. That thinness comes with meaningful trade-offs that will matter to users who care about connectivity, speakers, camera flexibility, and endurance.
The Air does inherit fast silicon and Apple Intelligence support, but several core hardware choices make it less versatile than the iPhone 17 line. Before opting for the thinnest model, it helps to understand exactly what you give up compared to the standard and Pro variants in this cycle.
Some of the biggest cons of using iPhone Air include:
- Single camera: a single 48 MP rear camera means no ultrawide or telephoto. You get 1x and 2x “optical-quality” from one lens, but miss true multi-lens shooting found on iPhone 17 and 17 Pro.
- Slower wired I/O and no DisplayPort: the USB-C port is USB 2 (up to 480 Mb/s) with charging only. There’s no USB 3 or DisplayPort video out, which you do get on iPhone 17 Pro and partial DP on iPhone 17.
- Sub-6 5G only: Air does not list mmWave 5G band support, while iPhone 17 and 17 Pro include mmWave in supported markets. If you rely on mmWave hotspots, this is a real constraint.
- Single speaker: Air lists one built-in speaker instead of the stereo speaker system on iPhone 17 and 17 Pro. Audio sounds less full and less directional at higher volumes.
- Battery and fast charging: Apple rates Air at up to 27 hours of offline video playback, lower than iPhone 17 and 17 Pro. Air’s fastest wired claim is 50% in 30 minutes using a 20 W adapter, whereas iPhone 17 and 17 Pro advertise 50% in 20 minutes with a 40 W adapter.
- Value: Air starts from $999 in the U.S., while iPhone 17 starts from $829 and adds a second rear camera, stereo speakers, and broader wired features. Unless thin and light are top priorities, iPhone 17 or 17 Pro will feel more rounded for most buyers.
Here is how the thin smartphone compares against its thicker siblings:
| Feature | iPhone Air | iPhone 17 | iPhone 17 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thickness | 5.64 mm | 7.95 mm | 8.75 mm |
| Weight | 165 g | 177 g | 206 g |
| Battery capacity* | ~3,149 mAh | ~3,692 mAh | ~4,252 mAh |
| Battery life (video) | Up to 27 hrs | Up to 30 hrs | Up to 33 hrs |
| Rear cameras | Single 48 MP main | Dual 48 MP main + 48 MP ultrawide | Triple 48 MP main + 48 MP ultrawide + 48 MP telephoto |
| Wired fast charge | 50% in 30 min (20 W) | 50% in 20 min (40 W) | 50% in 20 min (40 W) |
| Speakers | Single | Stereo | Stereo |
| USB-C | USB 2, no DisplayPort | USB 2 + DisplayPort | USB 3 (up to 10 Gb/s) + DisplayPort |
| 5G | Sub-6 only | Sub-6 + mmWave | Sub-6 + mmWave |
| Starting price (US) | $999 | $799 | $1,099 |
*Battery capacities reflect regulatory listings and third-party reporting; Apple quotes battery life hours rather than mAh.
In short, iPhone Air is a striking showcase of thin-and-light engineering with capable performance and a lovely display. The sacrifices are very specific: single camera, single speaker, slower wired I/O, no DisplayPort, and sub-6-only 5G. If you want a minimal, ultra-slim iPhone, Air fits the brief. If you want the most balanced everyday device at a lower price, iPhone 17 is the safer pick; for creators and power users, iPhone 17 Pro remains the better long-term choice.
