What iPhone Air sacrificed for slim design

The Apple iPhone Air is the thinnest iPhone ever at just 5.64mm. But achieving this record-breaking slimness came at the cost of several features.

Apple has a history of prioritizing design over practicality – from butterfly keyboards to bendable iPhones – and the iPhone Air follows the same path.

So, what features did the iPhone Air lose? Here are the 9 key sacrifices Apple made:

1. Battery

Only 3,149mAh vs 3,692mAh in iPhone 17 and 4,832mAh in Pro Max. Lower endurance, slower charging.

2. Display size

Just 6.5”, smaller than the 6.7” iPhone 16 Plus and 6.9” Pro Max.

3. Main camera

A single 1/1.56” sensor camera, no LiDAR, no ProRes.

4. No telephoto

Limited to 2x zoom.

5. No ultra-wide

No wide perspective, no macro shots.

6. “Pro” chipset?

Label remains questionable, despite 12GB RAM.

7. No USB 3.0

Restricted to basic USB-C.

8. No stereo speakers

Only a single top speaker.

9. Bumpers return

Apple offers iPhone Air Bumper for added protection.

Bottom line

The iPhone Air looks stunningly slim, but has it sacrificed too much for beauty?