The iPhone Air represents Apple's most ambitious attempt at an ultra-thin smartphone. With a thickness of just 5.6mm and a weight of 165g, it is a marvel of industrial design. However, the pursuit of thinness has forced significant compromises. This review analyzes the device's performance, thermal management, single speaker setup, and camera limitations based on extensive long-term testing and community feedback from global tech forums.
Design and Display
Ultra-Thin Build Quality
At 5.6mm thick and 165g, the iPhone Air is 0.2mm thinner but 2g heavier than its main rival, the Galaxy S25 Edge. The device features a unique 'plateau' camera bump made of a single piece of glass with a dual-tone finish. The sides are polished, giving it a premium look that many users on Reddit have compared to the Nexus 6P. The device is surprisingly sturdy, with better flex resistance than other iPhone 17 models, though drop tests suggest the glass is more prone to cracking.
Display Excellence
The 6.5-inch display is the only one in the lineup with a 1260 x 2736 resolution. It boasts a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, 120Hz ProMotion, and an anti-reflective coating that significantly reduces glare compared to previous generations. Display quality is universally praised across tech communities.
Performance and Thermal Throttling
A19 Pro Chip: Not All Cores Are Equal
The iPhone Air uses an A19 Pro chip, but with a 5-core GPU instead of the 6-core version found in the Pro Max. In Geekbench 6.5.0, CPU scores are similar, but the GPU is 17% slower. More critically, the device suffers from severe thermal throttling due to inadequate heat dissipation. In the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test, the peak score is 15% lower than the Pro Max, and the sustained score drops by 32% after the first loop. This is worse than both the standard iPhone 17 and the Galaxy S25 Edge, which uses a vapor chamber.
| Model | Peak Score (3DMark) | Sustained Score | Throttle % |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone Air | 4,200 | 2,856 | 32% |
| iPhone 17 Pro Max | 4,940 | 4,200 | 15% |
| Galaxy S25 Edge | 4,500 | 3,825 | 15% |
Data from community benchmarks confirms that the Air's performance is not suitable for sustained gaming or heavy workloads. Additionally, the device lacks USB 3.0 and DisplayPort output, features present on the S25 Edge.
Battery Life: Surprisingly Efficient
Despite a small 3,149mAh cell, the iPhone Air achieves 8 hours 40 minutes of screen-on time with cellular web browsing. This outperforms the Galaxy S25 Edge (7.5 hours) despite the latter having a much larger battery. However, charging is slow: 57% in 30 minutes and a full charge in 1 hour 40 minutes with a 60W charger. Wireless charging is capped at 20W, taking 1 hour 50 minutes to full.
Camera and Audio: The Biggest Compromises
Single Camera System
The single 48MP sensor is identical to the one in the iPhone 17. It delivers consistent results in all lighting conditions, with 2x optical-quality zoom and up to 10x digital zoom. However, the lack of an ultra-wide lens is a significant limitation. Macro photography is not supported, as it relies on the ultra-wide autofocus system. Spatial video and cinematic mode are also absent.
Single Speaker: An Unforgivable Flaw
The iPhone Air has only one downward-firing speaker. Audio comes from the top earpiece for calls, but for media playback, only the bottom speaker works. This creates a highly unbalanced and distracting experience when watching videos in landscape. Sound quality is poor, with significant distortion at higher volumes when bass and treble are present simultaneously. The Galaxy S25 Edge features a proper stereo setup, making this a critical differentiator.
The iPhone Air is a device of extremes. Its ultra-thin design and impressive battery efficiency are commendable. However, the severe thermal throttling, single speaker, lack of an ultra-wide camera, and eSIM-only configuration are major drawbacks that overshadow its strengths. According to market reports, the device has poor resale value and lower-than-expected sales, leading Apple to reportedly delay a successor and consider a price reduction. For most users, the Galaxy S25 Edge offers a similar thin profile without the critical compromises.
๐ ์ ๋ณด ๊ธฐ์ค์ผ: 2024-05-24
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