iPhone Air Review: Four Months Later, is Apple's Thinnest iPhone Worth $999?
Summary
The iPhone Air, Apple's thinnest model, faces disappointing sales, prompting delays for its next generation. While praised for its design and lightweight feel, its single camera and high price tag raise concerns among consumers. Future improvements are anticipated.
Key Insights
Why does the iPhone Air have only a single rear camera when other iPhones have multiple cameras?
The iPhone Air features a single 48MP Fusion camera instead of multiple camera modules due to space constraints imposed by Apple's design goal of creating the thinnest iPhone model. This single lens combines a main 26mm wide camera with a 2x telephoto capability, eliminating the separate Ultra Wide and Telephoto cameras found on Pro models. While this design choice enables the ultra-thin profile, it limits shooting flexibility compared to competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, which includes an ultra-wide module for added versatility.
How does the iPhone Air's camera performance compare to the iPhone 17 Pro?
The iPhone Air uses the same 48MP Fusion main camera sensor as the iPhone 17 Pro and produces similarly bright pictures with very good image quality in bright lighting conditions. However, the iPhone Air's lack of telephoto and ultra-wide modules limits its overall photography experience. In video recording, the iPhone Air is limited to 4K at 60fps with Dolby Vision, whereas the iPhone 17 Pro supports up to 120fps and advanced features like Spatial Video and ProRes recording. Both share the same 18MP Center Stage front camera and features like Night Mode, Photonic Engine, and Deep Fusion.