Apple’s new iPhone Air is a unique device by the Cupertino giant which aims to strike a balance between form and function. It might seem more focused on form but the company has attempted to maintain a focus on performance and battery life primarily targeted at a niche audience. The phone itself seems more luxurious compared to the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro but misses out on some important features like multiple cameras, stereo speakers and more. The question is: which type of user has Apple targeted with this device?
Even though iPhone Air technically replaces the previous iPhone Plus model, its price says otherwise. It has a powerful but binned A19 Pro chip, advanced rear and front Center Stage cameras, which are coupled with a battery life that competes with previous generation Pro smartphones as well as a display that is equally as good as the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models. In reality, it doesn’t really replace any existing iPhone but creates its own new category, similar to the MacBook Air when it first launched in 2008.
Having used the iPhone Air for a bit, I can say that its sleek and beautiful design and large display are the most outstanding features of the product. It’s extremely light and thin, so much that it seems more closer to a few Apple TV Siri Remotes in your hand, than other smartphones. I use an iPhone 16 Pro Max, and the different in weight is astonishing. It’s important to note that despite all the media claims, Apple’s focus on thin and light products is not new – Apple did the same with the M4 iPad Pro which is unbelievably thin and light for a product that’s so powerful and features perhaps one of the best displays the company has ever made for a handheld device.
Despite its weight and dimensions, Apple decided to put an A19 Pro under the hood. Yes, it is constrained by thermal limitations in such a thin profile, but no user would miss out the burst performance that will help with photo and video capture, and day-to-day use. It feels as snappy as athe iPhone 17 Pro unless you do a deep dive into numbers and hardcore gaming.
The front Center Stage camera is also impressive as it stands out as a feature that no other smartphone in the market currently has. As much as people use front cameras for selfies, for video calls, it’s a major upgrade. Even for content creators, it enables video capture and vlogging in a way that was not possible before thanks to landscape capture while using the phone in portrait mode.
However, this phone is not for content creators, iPhone photographers or gamers. I would not recommend it at all. That’s why the Pro models exist.
Unless you are a user who is cautious of style, an edge for form over function, or basically one of those who would buy a Motorola Razr back in the day, this phone might disappoint you over time. Basically, you have to be a user who prefers to make a style statement with their phone. A user who buys an Hermes Apple Watch instead of the regular one. At least for now.
But at the same time, Apple did not go overboard and make the iPhone Air a product like the gold Apple Watch that would only be accessible to a few users.
Think of this as the same product class as the MacBook Air. iPhone Air is forward looking and is not the most practical choice for most users. But if Apple sticks to the Air and continues innovating and adding features in the same thin and light profile, eventually, this might become the product that replaces other iPhone models as the preferred choice for most users.
Just image – if Apple can give even better battery life, stereo speakers, and multiple cameras in future generation of the Air, why wouldn’t most people buy it? The company has already gotten rid of any concerns around durability and repairability with the first generation product. Future iterations can use this base to deliver features that are currently lacking.
Right now, MacBook Air the most popular laptop that Apple creates and it took them a couple of years to refine it to become one. The 2008 model is remembered for Steve Jobs pulling it out of a manila envelope, however, the 2010 model is when it fundamentally changed what laptops should be.
Give the iPhone Air a few years, it might end up doing the same. Along the way, we may end up getting a foldable iPhone too based on the Air’s platform.
