iPhone Air's battery life could be a big headache for users

There are a lot of compelling reasons to consider the new iPhone Air over the other devices in the iPhone 17 lineup.

The iPhone Air is very thin — just 5.6 mm, compared to the iPhone 17, which measures 7.8 mm. It also has the same A19 Pro chip as the iPhone 17 Pro, a 48MP main camera, a 6.5-inch display, and weighs just 165 grams or 5.8 ounces. What's not to like?

However, there's one major factor that needs to be taken into account before you become an iPhone Airhead — battery life. Apple breezed passed this in the announcement, saying it has "all-day battery life." But what does that mean exactly? Let's break it down.

Without the battery pack (which we'll get to in a minute), Apple says the iPhone Air has up to 27 hours of battery life with video playback and up to 22 hours with streaming video playback.

By comparison, Apple says the iPhone 17 has up to 30 hours with video playback and up to 27 hours of video playback while streaming.

So officially, the iPhone Air has a slightly shorter battery life than the iPhone 17. The iPhone Air starts at $999, while the iPhone 17 starts at $799. So yes, you're getting a better chipset and a thinner, lighter phone, but you're also paying more for a shorter battery life.

To date, other ultra-thin smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge have struggled with battery problems, and we expect the iPhone Air to face the same challenges. Apple has a fix for that, albeit a problematic one.

What's the deal with the MagSafe battery pack?

In case you missed it, at the very end of the iPhone Air unveiling, Apple introduced a slim MagSafe Battery acessory. With the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery attached, your new iPhone Air will get 40 hours of video playback (and up to 35 hours with streaming), Apple says.

That's definitely a boost that gives you even more than the iPhone 17 Pro, which offers up to 39 hours of video playback. If you're buying the iPhone Air, you'll probably want that extra battery, since it already has the shortest battery life of the whole lineup. But you'll have to pay $99 for that extended power.

Plus, adding a MagSafe battery pack kind of defeats the entire purpose of the ultra-slim profile, right?

The battery pack seems to significantly alter the profile of the iPhone 17 Air, as you could see during the livestream.

Ultimately, it's a matter of priorities. If you want the slimmest profile and you're willing to compromise on longevity, the iPhone Air could be a good fit. But if the best battery life possible is the most important factor, prepare to go a little bulkier.

iPhone Air battery life vs. iPhone 16

Let's run another comparison. The iPhone Air has a longer battery life than the iPhone 16, which Apple says is up to 22 hours of video playback. So it's definitely an upgrade from last year's model in that sense. The iPhone 16 just dropped to $699, so the iPhone Air is quite a bit more expensive compared to the iPhone 17 and the iPhone 16, but in the middle in terms of battery life.