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iPhone Air

Shares rank 9 of 60 smartphones by recommenders

People praise its thin, light build, good battery life and solid build quality; the most common caveat is the single camera.

People praise its thin, light build, good battery life and solid build quality; the most common caveat is the single camera.

91 people gave an opinion

recommend it
44
criticize it
47
approval share
48%
Each figure is one person. RecommendsCriticizes

Recommended in 9 of 13 months

  1. November 2025: recommended
  2. December 2025: not recommended
  3. January 2026: recommended
  4. February 2026: not recommended
  5. March 2026: recommended
  6. April 2026: not recommended
  7. May 2026: recommended
  8. June 2026: recommended
  9. July 2026: recommended
  10. August 2026: recommended
  11. September 2026: recommended
  12. October 2026: recommended
  13. November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)

Owned for 1 month

Median of the 3 owners who said how long they have had it.

Each square is one year.

Why it doesn’t carry the badge

  • 44 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
  • 0.9 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, not met.
  • Recommended in 9 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.

The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works

What people say about it

The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.

Why people recommend it

Each mark is one comment

What people warn about

Each mark is one comment

  • Poor sales and reception

    “It was badly priced and both too close and too far in capabilities from the other phones in the lineup.”

    Comment from 28 Jan 2026 in “Apple, Suppliers Are Counting the Cost of iPhone Air Failure”

    “Their last two tech products (Vision Pro and iPhone Air) were colossal and unexpected failures”

    Comment from 11 Nov 2025 in “iPhone Pocket”

    “The current Air is leaps and bounds better in every way to the iPhone 6 but it doesn't sell.”

    Comment from 10 Sep 2026 in “iPhone Duo”
  • No SIM slot or video out

    “I'd buy it if it had a SIM-card slot and video-out. Shame those had to be sacrificed for thin-ness.”

    Comment from 30 Jul 2026 in “I Have Thoughts on the iPhone Air”

    “The one thing I don’t see criticized enough is the lack of a SIM card slot in international models.”

    Comment from 11 Nov 2025 in “iPhone Pocket”

    “it also didn’t have video output, no SIM card slot and it had a titanium housing”

    Comment from 8 Aug 2026 in “Apple Introduces Leasing Program for iPhones and Other Devices”
  • Single camera is weak

    “The single camera on the Air is too much of a compromise for me.”

    Comment from 30 Jul 2026 in “I Have Thoughts on the iPhone Air”

    “the best phone I've ever owned, the battery life doesn't bother me but the camera isn't ideal at all”

    Comment from 9 Sep 2026 in “iPhone Duo”

    “Especially if it has the worst camera of all of the phone models like the Air does.”

    Comment from 3 Mar 2026 in “Apple Introduces iPhone 17e”
  • Still too big in dimensions

    “the Air was only thinner, and still big in the dimensions I wanted it to be smaller in”

    Comment from 11 Nov 2025 in “iPhone Pocket”

    “The Air doesn't even fit in my jeans comfortably, I have to carry it in my jacket now”

    Comment from 11 Nov 2025 in “iPhone Pocket”

    “From holding both I prefer the iPhone 17 over the Air when it comes to dimensions.”

    Comment from 30 Jul 2026 in “I Have Thoughts on the iPhone Air”

Other smartphones people recommend

The four most recommended other smartphones, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.

iPhone Air compared with 4 alternatives
ProductRecommendCriticizeApprovalMonthsOwnedBadge
Apple iPhone70688244%137 yrs107 owners—
Fairphone16810761%133 yrs19 owners—
Apple iPhone Pro14415548%124 yrs26 owners—
iPhone 13 mini1415173%121.5 yrs4 ownersApproved
iPhone AirThis page444748%91 mo3 owners—
See all 60 smartphones, ranked

What people said

40 of the 116 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.

“Even though its 25g heavier than the Mini, it feels lighter because it's less dense.”

RecommendsComment from 27 Oct 2026 in “New iPad mini”

“After 3 weeks of using it now, I completely agree.”

RecommendsComment from 26 Oct 2026 in “New iPad mini”

“a super thin strong Titanium phone that doesn’t need any case to feel complete”

RecommendsComment from 26 Oct 2026 in “New iPad mini”

“The iPhone, iPhone Pro, Air and now Duo is a crazy strong lineup.”

RecommendsComment from 10 Sep 2026 in “iPhone Duo”

“The key thing is that it's a lot lighter”

RecommendsComment from 10 Sep 2026 in “iPhone Duo”

“its a great form-factor and pretty tough as well”

RecommendsComment from 10 Sep 2026 in “iPhone Duo”

“The current Air is leaps and bounds better in every way to the iPhone 6 but it doesn't sell.”

MixedComment from 10 Sep 2026 in “iPhone Duo”

“it's the iPhone I love the most by far”

RecommendsComment from 9 Sep 2026 in “iPhone Duo”

“I have an iPhone Air and the ONLY issue I've had is accidentally tapping the screen since the screen is so close to the edge of the device.”

MixedComment from 9 Sep 2026 in “iPhone Duo”

“The iPhone Air is my favorite phone I've ever had”

RecommendsComment from 9 Sep 2026 in “iPhone Duo”

“Build quality, screen, and performance are all fantastic.”

MixedComment from 9 Sep 2026 in “iPhone Duo”

“the thinnest, lightest feeling, nicest to hold iPhone ever made”

RecommendsComment from 9 Sep 2026 in “iPhone Duo”

“as demonstrated by the iPhone Air’s good battery life”

RecommendsComment from 9 Sep 2026 in “iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max”

“the best phone I've ever owned, the battery life doesn't bother me but the camera isn't ideal at all”

MixedComment from 9 Sep 2026 in “iPhone Duo”

“I just don't want an unwieldy bigscreen that I can't hold easily like the iPhone Air”

MixedComment from 9 Sep 2026 in “iPhone Duo”

“the iPhone Air was indeed super durable with it”

RecommendsComment from 9 Sep 2026 in “iPhone Duo”

“It was a reluctant switch and I would go back in a heartbeat”

MixedComment from 20 Aug 2026 in “Pixel 11 Pro Fold feels like the end of an era”

“it also didn’t have video output, no SIM card slot and it had a titanium housing”

CriticizesComment from 8 Aug 2026 in “Apple Introduces Leasing Program for iPhones and Other Devices”

“Air finally doesn’t feel like a brick while having a large enough screen.”

RecommendsComment from 8 Aug 2026 in “Apple Introduces Leasing Program for iPhones and Other Devices”

“I love the iPhone Air. Apple better not discontinue it.”

RecommendsComment from 30 Jul 2026 in “I Have Thoughts on the iPhone Air”

“From holding both I prefer the iPhone 17 over the Air when it comes to dimensions.”

CriticizesComment from 30 Jul 2026 in “I Have Thoughts on the iPhone Air”

“It still has that distinctly over-processed look plaguing modern smartphones”

MixedComment from 30 Jul 2026 in “I Have Thoughts on the iPhone Air”

“Pretty good: 8/10. I have no interest in photos, don't need long battery life, and the lighter/thinner the better.”

MixedComment from 30 Jul 2026 in “I Have Thoughts on the iPhone Air”

“the price difference between an air and a 17 is only $50 which imo makes it great value”

RecommendsComment from 30 Jul 2026 in “I Have Thoughts on the iPhone Air”

“It's under appreciated because of the "Pro" label of the Pro, and because of battery-hell.”

MixedComment from 30 Jul 2026 in “I Have Thoughts on the iPhone Air”

“The single camera on the Air is too much of a compromise for me.”

MixedComment from 30 Jul 2026 in “I Have Thoughts on the iPhone Air”

“I'd buy it if it had a SIM-card slot and video-out. Shame those had to be sacrificed for thin-ness.”

CriticizesComment from 30 Jul 2026 in “I Have Thoughts on the iPhone Air”

“until my phone got ridiculously hot and thermal throttled down to 10-12fps”

MixedComment from 20 Jun 2026 in “Coding a Brick Tower [video]”

“The thinness and low weight of the Air is also great though”

RecommendsComment from 9 Jun 2026 in “WWDC 2026: Apple is Folding”

“Especially if it has the worst camera of all of the phone models like the Air does.”

CriticizesComment from 3 Mar 2026 in “Apple Introduces iPhone 17e”

“Yes the Air is lightweight compared to the Pro, but that's a low bar.”

MixedComment from 2 Mar 2026 in “Apple Introduces iPhone 17e”

“I have found the iPhone Air much easier to hold than the iPhone 13 Pro it replaced because of how light it is”

RecommendsComment from 2 Mar 2026 in “Apple Introduces iPhone 17e”

“my wife upgraded from a 13 mini to an Air and she loves it.”

RecommendsComment from 2 Mar 2026 in “Apple Introduces iPhone 17e”

“The weight and form factor are worth it alone for some usage patterns.”

RecommendsComment from 28 Jan 2026 in “Apple, Suppliers Are Counting the Cost of iPhone Air Failure”

“It was badly priced and both too close and too far in capabilities from the other phones in the lineup.”

CriticizesComment from 28 Jan 2026 in “Apple, Suppliers Are Counting the Cost of iPhone Air Failure”

“The iPhone Air is the most recent proof that consumers don't actually care about thinness.”

CriticizesComment from 12 Dec 2025 in “Smartphone without a battery (2022)”

“the Air was only thinner, and still big in the dimensions I wanted it to be smaller in”

CriticizesComment from 11 Nov 2025 in “iPhone Pocket”

“Their last two tech products (Vision Pro and iPhone Air) were colossal and unexpected failures”

CriticizesComment from 11 Nov 2025 in “iPhone Pocket”

“The Air doesn't even fit in my jeans comfortably, I have to carry it in my jacket now”

CriticizesComment from 11 Nov 2025 in “iPhone Pocket”

“The one thing I don’t see criticized enough is the lack of a SIM card slot in international models.”

CriticizesComment from 11 Nov 2025 in “iPhone Pocket”

Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.