Verdict
Perfectly slim, perfectly powerful, but painfully pricey.
The iPhone Air is a fascinating device because it’s not for everyone, and it doesn’t try to be. It’s not for photography enthusiasts, nor for those chasing all-day battery life. Instead, it’s a status-driven productivity tool for professionals who value portability, elegance, and raw performance above all else. It slips into your pocket without fuss, runs like a dream, and has the Apple polish you expect. For someone who doesn’t care about cameras, it might just be the perfect iPhone ever built. But that perfection comes at a premium, and unless you’re willing to pay for both the phone and its companion battery pack, it’s hard to justify the cost. For the right user, though? The iPhone Air is an indulgence that feels just right.
The Good
- Ultra-slim and lightweight
- Flagship-level performance
- Gorgeous display
The Bad
- No camera versatility
- Low battery life
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Design
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Display
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Sound
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Camera
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Performance
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Battery Life
Smartphone design seems set to go through its “size-zero” moment.
That’s because it’s industry standard to ape Apple and its questionable decisions.
So, as we await a new wave of “thinnest” phones – mind you, this will be like deja vu, given how the likes of Gionee and Micromax had already played the “thinnest” tug of war back in the day – let me give you a detailed evaluation of the new iPhone Air.
Apple’s “thinnest” phone, in many ways, is a statement device. It isn’t about cameras or extra features. It’s about portability and the promise of uncompromised performance in a lighter, thinner form factor.
But who would want to buy such a device, and that too, at a price of Rs 1,19,900? I’ll try to arrive at an answer by the end of this review.
Design
The iPhone Air is, without doubt, the thinnest and lightest iPhone I’ve ever carried. Slip it into a jacket or a pair of slim-fit trousers and it disappears. No bulge, no discomfort.
This, I’d imagine, would make it uniquely appealing to professionals who wear tailored clothing and don’t want a phone disrupting their silhouette.
Apple’s clever engineering is on full display here. The metallic sides and ceramic-like back fold seamlessly into a raised camera plateau, which also houses the processor.
This rearrangement makes the phone ultra-thin without sacrificing rigidity. Despite its svelte profile, it doesn’t feel fragile. I even tested it by applying pressure — the phone flexed slightly but bounced back without issue. That durability is reassuring, given how fragile ultra-thin phones from other brands often feel.
One important shift is that this is Apple’s first eSIM-only iPhone, with no physical SIM tray. It’s a forward-looking move, but one that may frustrate users in regions where eSIM adoption is slower.
In terms of additional protection, you can get an old school bumper case from Apple and I have to say, it’s a pain to remove once fitted.
Display & Sound
Apple hasn’t compromised on the screen. The 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED is as crisp and vivid as anything on the Pro models.
Reading emails on the go, reviewing documents, or catching up on presentations all look sharp. HDR videos look fantastic, with accurate colours and excellent contrast.
At 120Hz, the scrolling feels fluid, and brightness levels are strong enough for outdoor use.
The stereo speakers round out the experience well. They aren’t the loudest, but they’re clean, clear, and adequate for video calls or casual streaming. For the intended audience, it’s more than enough.
Camera
This is where Apple makes its biggest statement.
The iPhone Air ships with just one 48MP camera. No telephoto, no ultra-wide, no 5x optical zoom. And while that will disappoint enthusiasts, I realised it’s not much of a deal-breaker for the target buyer.
Most working professionals I know rarely use their phone cameras beyond scanning documents, making video calls, or the occasional social upload.
For them, the Air’s single lens is more than adequate.
The photos are sharp, colours are natural, and the computational smarts Apple is known for are still in play.
What’s missing is variety; no creative ultra-wide landscapes, no zoom flexibility. But for this audience, those things won’t be missed.
Performance
Despite its thin frame, the iPhone Air is a performance monster.
Powered by the A19 Pro chip, which is the same silicon used in the Pro models, it handles everything you throw at it.
Multitasking is seamless, switching between Slack, email, spreadsheets, and browsers feels effortless, and even graphically demanding apps don’t push it to heat up.
For me, the biggest surprise was how cool and comfortable it stayed, even during long workdays or occasional gaming sessions.
Apple Intelligence features like live translation or on-device AI tasks run flawlessly.
This isn’t a watered-down iPhone. It’s every bit as powerful as the bigger models, just packaged differently.
Battery Life
Here lies the Air’s Achilles’ heel.
That thin design means a smaller battery, and while it manages to last a day with careful use, heavy users will struggle.
Apple’s answer is a separate Rs 11,900 battery pack that’s the same size as the phone’s internal battery.
Together, they double stamina, but the fact that you need to spend extra for decent endurance makes the total cost of ownership steep.
At ₹1,19,900 for the phone plus ₹11,900 for the pack, you’re looking at over ₹1.3 lakh. That’s a big ask, even for professionals who can afford it.
Charging is decently fast, but when you compare it to rivals, Apple still lags behind.