Tuesday September 1, 2026 4:35 pm PDT by Juli Clover
It's been almost 12 months since Apple launched the iPhone Air, and because MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been using it daily since launch, he decided to do a one-year review covering what it's like using Apple's super-thin iPhone on a long-term basis.
The iPhone Air is the thinnest iPhone Apple has released to date, and the form factor doesn't get old. It's pocketable, can be used with one hand, and it's much lighter than the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. There's not much compromise on screen size since it has a 6.5-inch OLED display.
Apple used a smaller battery in the iPhone Air, and it doesn't last as long as the iPhone 17 Pro models. Some people might be able to get through the day on a single charge, but others will need an external battery pack like the one Apple built for the iPhone Air.
There's a single camera, which is one of the compromises with Apple's super-thin iPhone. You only get the Wide lens, with no option for the Ultra Wide or Telephoto lenses that come with the other iPhone 17 models. No Ultra Wide also means no macro images.
Price was and continues to be the biggest iPhone Air issue. At $999, it's more expensive than the iPhone 17, which has two cameras and nearly the same processor, and only $100 less than the three-camera iPhone 17 Pro. The iPhone Air's price wasn't worth it to a lot of people, and rumors suggest that it didn't sell well.
Make sure to watch Dan's video to see all of his thoughts on the iPhone Air.
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