Apple Inc.’s new iPhone Air is a stark departure from the standard iPhone. It’s thin, lightweight, with a few comprises in its first version.

First, the iPhone Air is a stunning piece of engineering. At 5.6mm thin, it’s like holding a sheet of glass in your hand. A strong titanium frame chassis holds together Ceramic Shield glass on the front and back for a tough build despite its fragile perceived exterior.

On the front is a 6.5-inch OLED display with 120Hz ProMotion for a large and fluid experience. The Air is also the first to include the N1 networking chip for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth, in addition the C1X, a updated version of the Apple-developed C1 model that debuted in the iPhone 16e said to be 2X faster than its predecessor. Used around Sydney, Australia and the Los Angeles area, the modem had no issues with fast 5G speeds.

The combination of three Apple chips results in the phone’s super efficiency to drain as little juice as possible from the meager 3,149mAh battery. While all-day performance will vary on usage, a typical day of social media, media playback and 2 hours of 5G yielded roughly 60+ percent battery at the end of the day. To prepare for battery drain Apple sells a MagSafe battery pack to extend the battery life to the 17 Pro Max.

A single 48MP fusion camera lens takes great photos and video with up to a 2X cropped zoom. On the front is a new 18MP Center Stage camera to allow for landscape photos and videos when held vertically. Also new is a dual camera mode to capture both front and back cameras simultaneously to capture reaction shots.

In addition, to having only one main camera lens, the iPhone Air also has only one speaker housed at the top of the device. When users view videos in landscape mode, sound with come from only one side of the device for a limited audio experience of mids and highs.

With a standout design, the iPhone Air is a great option for moderate phone users. Despite a single camera and speaker, its large display, better-than-expected battery life, and lightweight frame make the future ready for takeoff.