# iPhone Air Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/iphone-air/ 23 people recommended iPhone Air in Hacker News comments, 17 had mixed feelings and 46 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 7 of 12 months, in 10 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule. **Verdict:** More people criticize it than recommend it. People praise its thin, light build, good battery life and solid build quality; the most common caveat is the single camera. Summary written by Claude from the comments below. ## What people warn about - Poor sales and reception (4 comments in the sample): "It was badly priced and both too close and too far in capabilities from the other phones in the lineup." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46799692)) "Their last two tech products (Vision Pro and iPhone Air) were colossal and unexpected failures" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45890974)) "The current Air is leaps and bounds better in every way to the iPhone 6 but it doesn’t sell." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49637812)) - No SIM slot or video out (3 comments in the sample): "I’d buy it if it had a SIM-card slot and video-out. Shame those had to be sacrificed for thin-ness." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49107330)) "The one thing I don’t see criticized enough is the lack of a SIM card slot in international models." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45890382)) "it also didn’t have video output, no SIM card slot and it had a titanium housing" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49221604)) - Still too big in dimensions (3 comments in the sample): "the Air was only thinner, and still big in the dimensions I wanted it to be smaller in" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45891170)) "The Air doesn't even fit in my jeans comfortably, I have to carry it in my jacket now" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45890826)) "From holding both I prefer the iPhone 17 over the Air when it comes to dimensions." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49107796)) - Single camera is weak (2 comments in the sample): "The single camera on the Air is too much of a compromise for me." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49107358)) "Especially if it has the worst camera of all of the phone models like the Air does." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47226718)) ## Why people recommend it - Thin, light, easy to hold (6 comments in the sample): "I have found the iPhone Air much easier to hold than the iPhone 13 Pro it replaced because of how light it is" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47225124)) "I just don't want an unwieldy bigscreen that I can't hold easily like the iPhone Air" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49631116)) "Air finally doesn’t feel like a brick while having a large enough screen." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49221297)) - Loved as favorite phone (5 comments in the sample): "It was a reluctant switch and I would go back in a heartbeat" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49371957)) "my wife upgraded from a 13 mini to an Air and she loves it." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47223671)) "I love the iPhone Air. Apple better not discontinue it." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49108699)) - Solid build and durability (2 comments in the sample): "a super thin strong Titanium phone that doesn’t need any case to feel complete" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50244892)) "Build quality, screen, and performance are all fantastic." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49633740)) - Good battery life (2 comments in the sample): "the best phone I've ever owned, the battery life doesn't bother me but the camera isn't ideal at all" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49631138)) "as demonstrated by the iPhone Air’s good battery life" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49632240)) ## Other smartphones people recommend - [Apple iPhone](https://hackerapproved.com/p/iphone/): 438 recommend, 190 mixed, 789 criticize - [Fairphone](https://hackerapproved.com/p/fairphone/): 110 recommend, 42 mixed, 94 criticize - [iPhone 13 mini](https://hackerapproved.com/p/iphone-13-mini/): 105 recommend, 32 mixed, 44 criticize - [Apple iPhone Pro](https://hackerapproved.com/p/iphone-17-pro/): 90 recommend, 45 mixed, 138 criticize ## Where to get it - [Visit the official site](https://www.apple.com/iphone-air/) ## The badge A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged. ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "iPhone Air", https://hackerapproved.com/p/iphone-air/ (23 recommend, 17 mixed, 46 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026). Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.