The new shapes of iPhone Air are stylish, and the thin new shapes look great, but you may not want to invest in daily driver ventilation, new phones.
The new device announced Tuesday is thinner and lighter than other models, 5.6mm, and displays 6.5 inches. But for the moment, it isn’t as capable as the base model iPhone 17 in some areas, which could deter potential buyers.
For example, the air’s battery lasts up to 27 hours, while the iPhone 17 lasts for 30 hours. It lacks the iPhone 17’s ultra-wide camera. It also does not support macro photography. Meanwhile, the air price of $999 is 22% higher than the base model of $17, which starts at $799. For another $100, you can upgrade to the iPhone 17 Pro ($1,099).
Despite these shortcomings, the air is convincing: it hints at the direction of iPhone hardware design, including new forms such as folding.
Over the years, Apple is still chasing thinner iPhones, not just because it can make devices that look better. Apple needs to experiment on a platform that uses its own technology to improve hardware design and phone performance.
As an Apple explainiPhone Air has the most Apple-designed chips in iPhone, including the A19 Pro (a CPU with a 5-core GPU), N1 (a wireless network chip), and the new C1X (Cellular Modem). Apple notes that the latter is 30% faster than modems in 16 Pros. By building the design of a phone around its own silicon, Apple can handle challenges such as performance and battery life – which is still important with the range of the phone’s photography, cameras and even AI.
Especially battery life, as battery technology is improving, the powerful capabilities of these devices are a stop point Slow speed Instead of other iPhone components and technologies. Unfortunately, the iPhone Air debut version Didn’t make things better In this regard, it is due to its battery life being worse than that of other models.
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Instead, when it comes to iPhone design, air should be seen as a starting point, which can help companies better understand how to optimize battery life for their other devices.
Meanwhile, Apple recommends consumers to use MAGSAFE batteries attached to now-plastic phones to maximize battery life. In the past, people might have used the battery on their phones all day, but it was actually Apple encourage It says that when the battery remains connected, the air will get longer battery life.
Everything about the air demonstration shows that efficiency is a key point. Citations to the term appeared six times in Apple’s press releases. For example, as Apple notesiPhone Air is the most “power generation efficiency” iPhone it has made. It goes on to point out why: new modems, a new approach to new cameras to maximize battery space, redesigned internal architecture, adaptive power mode options in Apple’s iOS 26 software, and other optimizations.
Learning from the sky and its future iterations will eventually be translated in Apple’s iPhone series, and can even pave the way for new forms, Like the rumored foldable iPhone.
Air has influenced design choices in Apple’s iPhone Pro.
For the first time, Apple has added the Ceramic Shield 2 to the back of the iPhone Air, which is also a design choice for the iPhone 17 Pro. The Air’s horizontal camera “Bar” similar to Google’s Pixel also seems to inspire Camera layout of iPhone 17 Pro.
Over time, air may even become the basic model for Apple, and professionals remain an upgraded version of power users and professionals. This will make room for new devices, such as foldable or any other device.
