Life is full of trade-offs. I often think about this in terms of vehicles. If you have a big family, a minivan is probably the right call, even if it means sacrificing performance. A luxury sedan may be nice to sit in, but it will cost you big bucks. You can drive a pickup truck, but you will probably pay for it at the pump.
In the world of technology, trade-offs change nature over time. The first iPhone was amazing, but it was expensive and only ran on AT&T. The original MacBook Air was an incredible piece of engineering, but it ran hot and slow.
After a product matures, those trade-offs begin to shift, especially when it becomes a family of products.
When there was just one iPod, it was easy to know which one to get. Once the iPod mini came along, it changed the equation for many people. For the last several years, iPhone customers have faced similar questions when looking at the Pro and non-Pro models.
The trade-offs between those two devices have always been pretty clear. The Pro has a better camera system and other nice-to-haves, but you have to be willing to pay for them. I think most iPhone buyers knew what camp they fell into and were mostly okay with it.
Last year, the iPhone Air upset the apple cart, adding a new third option that was both better and worse than its more established siblings.
I’ve been using one for the better part of a year, and the trade-offs aren’t as bad as you may think.
What You Know
Right off the bat, I should note that the iPhone Air has not sold well. Compared to its more mainstream siblings, its numbers are downright embarrassing. There are several reasons for that.
First, Apple hasn’t advertised the Air; last cycle’s marketing focused on the cosmic orange 17 Pro. Given how people have reacted to seeing my iPhone Air, I feel like most consumers don’t even know Apple sells it. I’ve had more “Is that an Android?” than “Oh, is that the iPhone Air?” over the last 12 months.
Then there’s the Curse of the Fourth iPhone. Apple has sold two sizes of Pro phones successfully, but finding that same success with non-Pro phones has proven elusive. The Mini and Plus were both on sale for just two years, then Apple took them off the market.
The iPhone Air is very different from those older devices. They were the regular iPhone in a different size; the Air is wholly different from the iPhone 17, yet the curse remains.
Third, Apple made some big trade-offs to make the iPhone Air a mere 5.64 mm thick. The battery life isn’t up to par with other modern iPhones, and the single camera can leave you without the reach of the iPhone Pro. The thin Titanium chassis can become quite warm under load. The single loudspeaker is … not great.
How I Feel
Here’s the thing — I’ve found I can live with all those limitations to have such a thin phone in my hand and in my pocket.
That’s not to say the last year has been perfect.
On days I am at my desk, I can top up the battery, but on weekends or travel days, I’ve had to rely on the Air’s external battery. This isn’t a big deal, but it does require some thinking ahead.
The camera has been my biggest pain point. The 1x lens isn’t bad, but the lack of flexibility is pretty limiting. This is true on both ends of things — the lack of a true macro mode and the limited zoom limit what the Air can capture.
The Air is not a bad phone today, just an imperfect one. It’s not the best phone Apple sells, but it’s the next best thing.
Parts of it are magical.
Remember how light the iPhone 5 felt back when it was new? The Air feels that impossible at first, and it hasn’t really worn off in the months since. I never got into the whole Marie Kondo thing, but this iPhone does spark joy for me.
It’s also affected every other iPhone in my house, at least in my mind. They all feel clunky.
What Comes Next
Every once in a while, a product comes along that shows us a glimpse of the future.
There is a phrase that is often used to describe a failed product that ends up being right in the end:
It was ahead of its time.
Think about the Newton, Apple’s PDA from the 1990s. It foretold much of what we have today in the smartphone age, but it couldn’t reach far enough into the future to grasp it.
Of course, the iPhone Air isn’t really like the Newton, but the point stands—the iPhone Air is a little part of the future we can enjoy now.
One day we’ll look back on it and realize it was the start of a new era. This Air may not be a winner, but one of its successors will surely take the crown.
