All the fun of the Air?

Super-thin, super-light... but is there enough substance to the iPhone Air to make it worth recommending as an alternative to the 17 Pro and Pro Max?

- Dan Grabham

Putting the iPhone Air in my hand gave me the same feeling as when I first picked up the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: How can a high-end smartphone possibly take up so little space?

With the S25 Edge, the compromise was the lack of a telephoto camera and short battery life... as well as the four-figure price.

The iPhone Air compromises in one key area still further, as we'll see shortly. But is it a workable option? Good question...

That aside, what is clear is that it's an eSIM-only phone, which is the way everything is going (maybe the iPhone 18 lineup will go full eSIM?), so you'll need to check with your network that you will be able to use an eSIM with your current number if that's important to you.

Apple has been taking the opportunity recently to add more options to its product line. The iPhone 16e gave us a value latest-generation phone earlier this year (expect a 17e in 2026) and now the iPhone Air – note there's no '17' – is a way to step out of the numbered sequence as a fresh alternative to the Pro models. At 6.5in it sits nicely between the 6.3in 17 Pro and the 6.9in 17 Pro Max, which is tested on p32.

We can almost certainly expect an iPhone Air 2 this time next year, complete with improvements that will (hopefully) answer some of my criticisms here. Turn the page to find out what they are.