Apple iPhone Air

CNET loves the Air's slim, light and durable design and finds battery better than feared, but the single camera, single speaker, slow charging and $999 price are real compromises.

PCMag finds the Air a beautiful, joyful ultra-thin phone, but it sacrifices battery life, camera range and thermals, and most buyers are better off with the iPhone 17.

After a month of use the reviewer wholeheartedly recommends the Air, finding its lightness, camera and battery work better than expected.

After a week of testing, the critic finds the Air stylish, durable and better than expected on battery and camera.

After a week of use the reviewer finds the Air a striking, compromise-laden phone that delivers an unmatched in-hand feel.

A delightful, lightweight phone with a capable camera and surprisingly decent battery, ideal for the right person.

After under a week with it, the reviewer finds the phone gorgeous with surprisingly good cameras and would happily keep using it, provided you plan around its short battery life.

A remarkable piece of engineering that performs well and is very durable, though the high price brings real trade-offs such as a single camera and slow charging.

After two weeks as a daily driver, the reviewer finds the design stunning and performance strong, but says the camera, speaker and battery compromises make it a niche device.

Offers Pro-level performance in the thinnest, lightest iPhone yet at a competitive price, with the trade-offs of one camera, average battery and a single speaker.

After two weeks the reviewer likes the lighter feel and the capable camera, and finds battery acceptable.

The reviewer enjoys the light, striking design and the improved selfie camera, but her phone died before the day ended and the camera system is limited.

The reviewer admires the light, thin titanium design and solid performance but calls the battery a severe limitation and finds the single camera underwhelming.

Six months in, the reviewer adores the design and feel but is conflicted about recommending it because of weaker battery life and an entry-level camera setup at a high price.

A return visit finds the Air more enjoyable than expected, especially when treated as a modular MagSafe phone.

A remarkable piece of engineering that feels special in the hand, but the reviewer finds the camera and battery cuts too steep for most buyers at this price.

Enjoyable and beautifully built with a great screen and speed, but the reviewer says weak zoom, poor speakers, slow charging and high cost make it hard to recommend over the iPhone 17.

The reviewer admires the design and finds the camera, display and battery better than feared.

The reviewer finds the thinness genuinely transformative but says the compromises in camera, battery, speaker and performance add up, so you pay more for less.