YouTube: MKBHDMarques Brownlee, otherwise known as MKBHD, has said he is ‘super impressed’ by the iPhone Air, but has some concerns about the phone’s battery life.
On September 9, Apple revealed a number of new products during its now-annual tech reveal. That included the AirPods Pro 3, iPhone 17 Pro, Apple Watch Series 11, and the iPhone Air.
The iPhone Air caught the attention of most, however, with Apple marketing it as the “thinnest iPhone ever” while still having “the power of pro inside.” They also claimed it would be “more durable” than any other iPhone, too.
That slim design is something that a number of manufacturers have started tackling, and while MKBHD is impressed, he does have some concerns with Apple’s attempt.
MKBHD worries about iPhone Air battery & camera
The tech YouTuber reviewed the iPhone Air on September 22, saying Apple’s rearranging of parts and features is “super impressive” but is “not perfect.”
His biggest complaint is about the battery life. “The battery on the iPhone Air is pretty weak, and there’s no getting around that,” he said. On top of that, it charges “slower” than other iPhone 17 models.
Marques noted that parts of the phone can “underclock” in their performance, so the battery situation isn’t a “disaster.” However, he’d grade it around a C-.
“Ending the day with like 15% left in low power mode in normal use with four hours of screen on time for a brand-new phone is not that great,” he added. “It makes me concerned for how this will look three or four years down the road.”
His other “dealbreaker” is the camera, which is only single-use, compared to other iPhones and rivals, which have multiple lenses.
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“I think casual photo and video takers will mostly be fine with this single camera solution, in a vacuum, but we are not in a vacuum and there are other options out,” he added. “This is one of the reasons I’m not going to be switching to or dailying the Air, but for your parents, they’ll probably be totally fine with this.”
MKBHD also highlighted an issue with the sound. The iPhone Air only has one speaker, which is at the top of the phone, so you can block it quite easily in landscape. It can also sound quite “tinny” at times.
He did give his seal of approval to Apple’s AirPods Pro 3, but also won’t be using those on a daily basis.