The iPhone Air seems nice with its smooth, skinny new form, however you could not need to select this cellphone as your every day driver simply but.

The brand new machine introduced at Apple’s {hardware} occasion on Tuesday is thinner and lighter than different fashions, at 5.6 mm with a 6.5-inch show. However in the intervening time, it’s additionally much less succesful in some areas than the bottom mannequin iPhone 17, which may deter potential patrons.

As an example, the Air’s battery lasts as much as 27 hours, whereas the iPhone 17 lasts as much as 30. It additionally lacks the iPhone 17’s ultrawide digicam and doesn’t assist macro images. In the meantime, the Air’s value level of $999 is 22% dearer than the 17 base mannequin, which begins at $799. And for simply $100 extra, you might improve to the iPhone 17 Professional ($1,099).

Regardless of these disadvantages, there’s one thing compelling concerning the Air: It hints at the place iPhone {hardware} design goes, together with new kind components, like foldables.

In spite of everything these years, Apple remains to be chasing a thinner iPhone — and never simply because it makes for a better-looking machine. Apple must experiment on a platform that makes use of its personal know-how to enhance the {hardware} design and the cellphone’s efficiency.

As Apple explains, the iPhone Air has essentially the most Apple-designed chips in an iPhone, together with the A19 Professional (CPU with a 5-core GPU), N1 (wi-fi networking chip), and new C1X (mobile modem). The latter is quicker than the modem within the 16 Professional however makes use of 30% much less vitality, Apple factors out. By architecting the cellphone’s design round its personal silicon, Apple can work on challenges like efficiency and battery life — issues that stay necessary as telephones turn out to be extra succesful by way of images, videography, and even AI.

Battery life, particularly, is a stopping level for the way highly effective these units can turn out to be, since battery tech is enhancing at a slower fee than that of different iPhone elements and applied sciences. Sadly, the debut model of the iPhone Air didn’t make issues higher on this entrance, as its battery life is worse than that of the opposite fashions.

As an alternative, the Air must be seen as a place to begin by way of iPhone design that might assist the corporate higher perceive optimize the battery life for its different units going ahead.

Within the meantime, Apple suggests customers use the MagSafe battery connected to the now-thinner cellphone to maximise battery life. Beforehand, individuals might have balked at utilizing a battery connected to their cellphone all day, however Apple really encourages it, saying that the Air will get higher battery life when the battery stays related.

Every part concerning the Air’s presentation means that effectivity is a key focus; references to the time period seem a half dozen occasions in Apple’s press announcement. As an example, as Apple notes, the iPhone Air is essentially the most “power-efficient” iPhone the corporate has made. It goes on to level out precisely why: the brand new modem, a brand new means of housing the cameras to maximise area for the battery, redesigned inner structure, an adaptive energy mode possibility in Apple’s iOS 26 software program, and different optimizations.

The learnings from the Air and its future iterations will finally be translated all through Apple’s iPhone line and will even pave the way in which for brand spanking new kind components, just like the rumored foldable iPhone.

The Air is already influencing design selections in Apple’s iPhone Professional.

Apple added Ceramic Defend 2 to the again of the iPhone Air for the primary time — a design alternative it additionally made for the iPhone 17 Professional. The Air’s horizontal digicam “bar,” much like Google’s Pixel, additionally seemingly impressed the iPhone 17 Professional’s digicam format.

Over time, Air may maybe even turn out to be Apple’s base mannequin, whereas the Professional stays the upgraded model for energy customers and professionals. That will make room for brand spanking new units, like a foldable or no matter else comes subsequent.