iPhone Air is a desirable phone, and that is mostly the point

It's not a "practical" phone, but you may want it anyway

Every now and then, you would come across a post that says, “I am still using my iPhone 12 mini.” If you are someone who likes compact phones, you would think that everyone wants small phones, and no one is making them.

Apple tried making Mini a hit, but after poor sales and two iterations, it gave up. It then brought a big-screen phone in the iPhone 14 Plus for the fourth slot in its iPhone lineup. We saw two more Plus phones after that, but the versions performed horribly over the years.

This year, the company launched the sleek and slim iPhone Air. The phone is just 5.64mm thick (vs 7.95mm of the iPhone 17) and weighs 165 grams (vs 177 grams of the iPhone 17).

The phone looks good, and I am sure it gives you a different feeling when you hold it. When Apple made the announcement, many people thought: I want it.

There has been commentary around the iPhone Air pointing towards the “No one asked for this” board.

Specification-wise, this device doesn’t make sense as a purchase. It has only one camera. The battery life on paper seems okay, but it is lower than that of the base iPhone 17. Apple even advertises the phone with an additional MagSafe-based pack that it launched. We don’t know how the battery life will hold up in day-to-day use and long-term ownership.

Just like early foldables, there is a fear that a device this thin might not be durable.

Logically, it might not make sense for you to buy that phone, but the phone is not for people who are thinking logically. This is an impulse purchase for people who can afford it. This is a purchase for people who want a unique-looking device and don’t care about battery life or having multiple lenses to capture photos.

Apple might also be setting itself up for future phones to be thinner. Plus, it could signal prepping for the rumored foldable, slated to release next year.

The Mini and the Plus series were “logical” choices for the fourth slot in the iPhone line up. A compact phone could appeal to an audience that likes the category. When that didn’t work, Apple tried enticing a separate category with a large phone. People didn’t respond to both categories. Either wanted a base phone or wanted to spend more and get a Pro phone.

With the Air, Apple is playing the FOMO card. It wants you to buy it as a fashion statement. For the company, this is a punt on design after playing two supply chain cards for the fourth slot.

Next year, we might see the foldable as the top-of-the-line phone, along with the base model and two Pro phones. If the Air gives better results than Mini and Plus lines, the company may keep it around. We could very well see iPhone SE styled (now the iPhone 16e) updates to the Air in the future, where the company doesn’t release new phones every year. That might be the reason why its called the iPhone Air and not the iPhone 17 Air.