Is the iPhone Air battery weak?

Apple claims the iPhone Air can deliver “all-day battery life,” and with the addition of MagSafe, the battery life will be “longer than all other iPhone models.”

The iPhone Air has the same A19 Pro chip as the iPhone 17 Pro, a 6.5-inch screen, and a 48MP main camera, but its battery life is shorter than the iPhone 17, and it's more expensive. Photo: The Verge .

On the night of September 9th, Apple officially unveiled the iPhone Air, an ultra-thin model measuring only 5.6 mm thick and weighing 165 grams. According to official specifications, the iPhone Air achieves 27 hours of offline video playback and 22 hours of online video streaming. These figures are lower than those of the iPhone 17 series, which was heavily promoted for its battery life.

Specifically, the basic iPhone 17 achieved 27 hours of streaming, while the 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max achieved 30 hours and 35 hours respectively. However, the iPhone Air matched last year's iPhone 16 Pro (22 hours for streaming), outperforming the iPhone 16e (21 hours) and iPhone 16 (18 hours). Compared to older generations, the iPhone Air also performed significantly better than many iPhone 15, 14, and 13 models, except for the Pro Max version.

To achieve this, the company stated that it equipped the device with a C1X modem and an N1 chip for wireless connectivity, along with an Adaptive Power Mode in iOS 26. The internal chassis design was also optimized to accommodate more battery space.

According to previous analysis by TrendForce, the iPhone Air most likely uses silicon anode battery technology, replacing part of the graphite with silicon in the anode. Unlike traditional lithium-ion batteries, this type of battery with a silicon anode offers higher energy density in the same space. This is also a solution that Xiaomi, Honor, and Oppo have adopted.

According to Gadget Hacks , although the iPhone Air's battery capacity is about 15-17% lower than the iPhone 16, thanks to a combination of anode silicon, power-efficient C1 modem, simplified camera configuration, and optimized iOS, the actual battery life can approach, or even surpass, some Android competitors with larger batteries. For example, the Galaxy S25 Edge with 3,900 mAh.

However, the American company also acknowledges that some users will need more battery capacity. The company has launched the MagSafe Battery Pack accessory specifically for the iPhone Air at a price of $99 .

According to Apple, it can add approximately 65% ​​more battery capacity, extending usage time "beyond any other iPhone model." Specifically, with the removable battery attached, the iPhone Air can achieve up to 40 hours of video playback and 35 hours of streaming, surpassing even the iPhone 17 Pro.

The new MagSafe accessory helps extend the battery life of the iPhone Air, but it also makes the device thicker, somewhat negating the advantage of its ultra-slim design. Photo: The Verge.

The Verge reports that the new MagSafe battery has a longer and thinner design, fitting snugly against the back of the iPhone Air without feeling bulky like its predecessor. However, this accessory is not compatible with the iPhone 17 or 17 Pro models. Initial testing by reporters shows that this removable battery makes the phone more balanced to hold but sacrifices the advantage of its "ultra-thin" design.

In terms of other specifications, the iPhone Air has a larger 6.5-inch screen than the iPhone 17 (6.3 inches), is lighter, and uses the A19 Pro chip with a 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU. However, this is not the same Pro chip as in the iPhone 17 Pro.

In terms of cameras, the iPhone Air employs new computational photography technology, allowing a single lens to function as multiple lenses, even supporting simultaneous shooting with both the front and rear cameras. However, it lacks the 48MP Ultra Wide lens found on the iPhone 17.

Source: https://znews.vn/pin-iphone-air-manh-den-dau-post1583997.html