The iPhone Air is a thin flagship phone from Apple. Apple announced it on September 9, 2025, and sales began on September 19, 2025. It launched at $999 for 256GB, which placed it between the iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Pro. In the lineup, it took the slot of the earlier Plus model. On September 9, 2026, Apple raised its US starting price to $1,099.
Design and display
The phone measures 5.64 mm thick and weighs 165 grams. It has a polished grade 5 titanium frame. Ceramic Shield 2 covers the front, and Ceramic Shield protects the back for the first time on an iPhone. A raised plateau across the top of the back holds the camera, the speaker and the chips. The phone is rated IP68 for water and dust.
The 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display has a resolution of 2736 x 1260 pixels at 460 ppi. ProMotion adjusts the refresh rate up to 120Hz, and the screen also supports Always-On mode. Apple rates it at 1,000 nits typical, 1,600 nits for HDR and 3,000 nits peak outdoors. It can also dim down to 1 nit.
Performance
Inside is the Apple A19 Pro chip, the same chip family as in the iPhone 17 Pro. Here, however, it has a 5-core GPU instead of six cores. The CPU has six cores: two performance and four efficiency cores. Apple’s Xcode tools show 12GB of RAM, and storage options are 256GB, 512GB and 1TB. The phone also uses Apple’s own C1X modem and N1 wireless chip, with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.
Cameras
The back has a single 48MP Fusion Main camera with an f/1.6 aperture and sensor-shift stabilization. It also produces 12MP 2x telephoto shots by cropping the main sensor, so there is no separate telephoto or ultrawide lens. Rear video goes up to 4K at 60 fps in Dolby Vision. On the front, an 18MP Center Stage camera can widen the frame and switch to landscape without turning the phone. It also records 4K at 60 fps.
Battery and charging
The battery is rated at 3,149 mAh, according to MacRumors and Notebookcheck. Apple quotes up to 27 hours of video playback, or up to 40 hours with the optional iPhone Air MagSafe Battery. Wired charging reaches 50% in about 30 minutes with a 20W or higher adapter. MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging run at up to 20W. The box includes only a USB-C cable, and the port is limited to USB 2 speeds.
Software and updates
The iPhone Air shipped with iOS 26 and supports Apple Intelligence. Apple does not publish a fixed number of update years for its phones. The phone uses eSIM only in every market, so it has no physical SIM tray. It supports up to two active eSIMs. Satellite features include Emergency SOS, Messages and Find My.
Should you buy the iPhone Air?
The iPhone Air suits buyers who want a large screen in a very thin and light body, along with a fast chip. It also fits people who already rely on eSIM. On the other hand, it has a single rear camera, a mono speaker and USB 2 speeds. Its battery is smaller than the batteries in the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro. Buyers who need an ultrawide lens, longer battery life or a SIM tray should look at those models instead.
