iPhone Air Hands-On: It’s So Hard to Resist the Reality Distortion Field

Okay, so I’ve had some sleep to rest up (just a little) from the craziness of yesterday’s Apple Event, but also time to collect some thoughts on the iPhone Air (starting at $999) that I got to try out after the keynote. There’s no doubt in my mind that Apple has captured the same type of attention with the iPhone Air’s super-thin design as it did when Steve Jobs pulled out the original MacBook Air from a manila envelope. The iPhone Air is just so unbelievably thin—I felt like I could easily snap it in half (more on durability later)—and yet I couldn’t resist drooling like the hundreds of other members of the media, creators, and influencers fondling it at the Steve Jobs Theater.

First look at all four iPhone Air colors in hand. And the new $99 MagSafe Battery Pack for it and how it compares to the older Lightning MagSafe battery pack #AppleEventpic.twitter.com/tnaIGbhdgN

— Ray Wong (@raywongy) September 9, 2025

I got to get up close and personal with all four colors of the iPhone Air. The “cloud white” and “space black” are my favorite; the latter reminds me of the “jet black” iPhone 7 that I adored. “Light gold” looks good and neutral, too. “Sky blue” is my least favorite; it’s just not my vibe, though it can look white or light gray at certain angles and under different lighting.

Despite having a 6.5-inch 120Hz “ProMotion” display that’s larger than the 6.3-inch screen that I’m used to on my iPhone 16 Pro, the 5.64mm thinness and 165g (5.82 ounces) made the footprint feel more compact than it objectively is. I brought along a Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge for comparison and the iPhone Air, despite being 0.16mm thinner feels skinnier because of its curved titanium frame that melts into the Ceramic Shield 2 front glass and matte Ceramic Shield backside glass. The S25 Edge’s boxier design and straight rails dig more into your palm and make the device look thicker. 

iPhone Air thinned comparison with Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge #AppleEventpic.twitter.com/BlujtA6wV1

— Ray Wong (@raywongy) September 9, 2025

I feel confident the iPhone Air can cut cake like the S25 Edge…

It’s clear that the iPhone Air is Apple’s new premium smartphone, at least in terms of design. Whereas the iPhone 17 and 17 Pros are more function over form than previous generation models, the iPhone Air looks the most jewelry-like with its polished titanium frame. That shiny finish does mean the metal gets covered in fingerprints fast, but it’s also a luxury aesthetic that Apple hasn’t used since the iPhone 14 Pros, which had polished stainless steel frames. Cover the iPhone Air in a case or Apple’s official bumper, and none of this matters. As a case hater, I appreciate the raw feel of the iPhone Air.

In terms of durability, while I did feel like I might snap the iPhone Air and Apple would have an iPhone 6 #bendgate situation all over again, the phone is surprisingly sturdy. I lightly pressed into the screen in the hands-on area, and it didn’t flex. Clearly, Apple made sure the structural design was solid.

I had some concerns that the iPhone Air might be top-heavy with the single 48-megapixel Fusion camera mounted on its new elongated island or plateau, but it isn’t. Apple seems to have worked some magic arranging the internal components so it feels balanced in the hand and doesn’t tip over. I forgot to do a table wobble test like I did with the iPhone 17 Pro, though.

There are many things that I couldn’t test in-depth, like the A19 Pro chip. Without my staple of third-party apps, I can only say that the iPhone Air running iOS 26 with the new Liquid Glass user interface felt fast and smooth. Battery life is another feature that’ll have to wait for review testing. It’s reasonable to believe that the iPhone Air may not have the stamina to get you through a full day unless you plug it in or buy Apple’s official $99 iPhone Air MagSafe Battery, which helps give the thin phone up to 40 hours (of video playback). I did get to check out the MagSafe Battery and can confirm three things: 1) it’s got a larger footprint than the discontinued Lightning one introduced alongside the iPhone 12 series, 2) it only works with the iPhone Air, not any other iPhone 17 models or older iPhones because of the bigger dimensions, and 3) it’s pretty dang thin. Snapped to the back of the iPhone Air, it doesn’t add that much thickness or weight. I still love my OG MagSafe Battery, and I think I’ll probably be okay with this one.

A closer look at the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery Pack and how it compares to the old MagSafe Battery Pack. It’s thinner, larger, and charges with USB-C! $99 to add more battery life to the iPhone Air #AppleEventpic.twitter.com/Ssmbo5wScQ

— Ray Wong (@raywongy) September 9, 2025

I’ll need to use an iPhone Air for more than a few minutes overall to really see if everything is up to snuff—the screen, the performance, the battery life, the cameras, and the speakers. But as the new aspirational iPhone, Apple nailed it. I have been an iPhone Pro user since the iPhone 11 Pro. I shoot a lot of photos and video, and want as much battery life and performance as possible without going Pro Max. (I still care about a phone that I can use with one hand and that fits into my pants pockets.) The iPhone Air is stunning to look at and hold, but will any potential compromises be dealbreakers? The only way to find out is to fully test it.