Two expected iPhone Air ‘weaknesses’ now look surprisingly great

Apple’s new iPhone Air has been in users’ hands for several days, and even longer with reviewers. And so far, there’s been a surprisingly positive consensus on two key areas expected to be weaknesses for iPhone Air: durability and battery life.

iPhone Air’s durability and battery life have impressed

I’ve been using my iPhone Air since early Friday morning, and so far am loving it.

But despite reports of high demand for the base iPhone 17 and 17 Pro line, sales for the iPhone Air don’t seem to be going as well.

This may, perhaps, have to do with misinformation around the Air’s expected weaknesses.

For example, it makes sense that users on TikTok would take one look at the ultra-thin design and assume the iPhone Air will:

1. Bend easily
2. Have terrible battery life

Yet among those who have actually used Apple’s new ultra-thin model, the consensus I’m seeing has actually been quite different.

iPhone Air’s durability has consistently impressed even the most bend-determined YouTubers.

JerryRigEverything couldn’t get it to bend using sheer human force, and ended up resorting to help from a machine.

Battery life, meanwhile, has been another area of strength.

iPhone Air’s battery life has been shown across several tests to be very comparable to the base iPhone 17 and last year’s iPhone 16 Pro—just like Apple’s estimates said.

My own experience has definitely reflected this. iPhone Air is lasting me just as long as my iPhone 16 Pro did on iOS 26, and surprisingly even longer some days.

Would I get even better battery life with an iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max? Of course.

But the Air’s ultra-thin design has somehow not resulted in compromised battery life. It’s about as good as the 16 Pro that users generally saw as having great battery life last year.

If you’re concerned about having fewer rear cameras, or worse built-in speakers, then iPhone Air might not be for you.

But if you decided against iPhone Air largely due to assumptions about it bending or having poor battery life, it might be time to rethink that choice.

If you own an iPhone Air, how’s it working out for you? If not, why did you decide against it? Let us know in the comments.

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