Apple iPhone Air hands-on: thin yet power-packed

With the midnight launch of the 2025 iPhone series coming this week, there’s much anticipation for the base iPhone 17 model and the iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max. We don’t hear much about the iPhone Air because it seems like its main selling point is the thin form factor.

After using it for an entire afternoon, I am making the case that this phone is an executive-class device not just because of its design but also features made specifically for the C-suite. Bold prediction: we will be seeing more of the iPhone Air in the boardroom. Here’s why:

Gone with the Gen Z selfie
The Gen Z selfie, also known as “0.5” is a trademark of the current generation’s take with group shots. For the older millennials and Gen X executives, the behavior for selfies with colleagues still tends to gravitate towards the front facing camera – a more traditional selfie. The iPhone Air makes use of the 18-megapixel Center Stage camera to automatically zoom in and out of front-camera portrait shots.

The Air mindset
The iPhone Air will be attractive to those who have embraced the philosophy of the MacBook Air and the iPad Air. You’re getting a thinner and lighter footprint in your C-suite pocket with the same power as the iPhone 17 Pro. The iPhone Air MagSafe Battery accessory is an optional but highly recommended add-on, as it doesn’t add too much weight, yet extends the battery life by 65%.

If I were to pick the most innovative iPhone product for 2025, it would be the iPhone Air, but not for the reasons you think.

Pro-level performance without the bulk
Apple has marketed this phone as the thinnest iPhone ever made, and this is factually correct. They’ve highlighted design and aesthetics as the two pillars of what this phone is all about. After handling the iPhone Air for about half a day, I have come to the conclusion that this is their version of the “AI Phone” without saying it. Before all this I was a little skeptical of the Air, thinking it was more of a marketing gimmick to have another “thin phone” at 5.6mm like most other smartphone brands. The push to only having one camera felt like a step down, just to get everything thinner. But then if that was the case, why did the iPhone Air come with the same A19 Pro chip as the iPhone 17 Pro? That wouldn’t make sense. I also found out that most of the phone’s hardware is located inside the plateau, the upper 20% of the device. Everything else is battery and screen.

The A19 Pro chip is the quiet powerhouse behind the iPhone Air — the same silicon that drives Apple’s flagship, now packed in a slimmer frame. The 48MP Fusion Camera brings flagship-level versatility into a single lens, using computational processing to pull in more light, sharpen detail, and simulate optical zoom without the bulk. You get clean 1x low-light shots, 2x optical-quality zoom, and a Center Stage front camera that automatically adjusts for portraits or group calls.

After moderate use, I was surprised with the heat management, with most of the heating concentrated on the plateau. The battery itself does not heat up. Although the iPhone Air does not need a case, I’m seeing the return of the bumper case from way back and a low profile case is probably the best case to highlight the thin form factor. — Jayvee C. Fernandez