Apple’s New iPhone Air: Is Being Super Thin Worth ₹89,900 in India?

Well, you can officially stop dreaming. It finally happened. After years of being a mythical creature whispered about on the internet, the iPhone Air is real. Apple just announced it on stage. But before you get too excited and pull out your credit card, we need to talk. This isn’t the budget-friendly champion we were all hoping for.

Apple’s iPhone Air Is Here, But It’s a Reality Check for Our Dreams

For years, the idea of an “iPhone Air” represented a hope. A hope for a phone that would sit perfectly in the middle of Apple’s lineup—a cheaper, lighter, modern iPhone for the rest of us. We pictured a spiritual successor to the colourful iPhone 5c. What Apple delivered today is… different.

The iPhone Air is here, and it is stunningly, unbelievably thin. But it’s not a mid-range phone. It’s not a budget flagship. It is a premium device with a premium price tag, and it seems to have a very specific person in mind. The question for us in India is, are we that person?

So, What Exactly IS the New iPhone Air?

Let’s get the facts straight. The new iPhone Air replaces the “Plus” model in the lineup. It’s the large-screen version of the standard iPhone 17. Its entire reason for being, its headline feature, is its thinness. At just 6.1mm, Apple is calling it their thinnest iPhone ever.

Under the hood, it’s basically an iPhone 17. It has the same new A18 chip and the same advanced 48-megapixel main camera and ultrawide lens. The screen is a gorgeous 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display. It does not, however, have the 120Hz ProMotion display or the telephoto camera of its Pro siblings. It’s wrapped in an aluminum frame with a new matte finish that looks fantastic.

The Good News: It Feels Like Holding Nothing

I have to give credit where it’s due. The engineering here is incredible. One of the biggest complaints I hear about the Pro Max models is their weight. My friends and family who use them often say they feel like a brick in their pocket and can be tiring to hold during long video calls.

The iPhone Air is Apple’s answer to that problem. It’s for the person who wants a massive screen for watching videos and scrolling through Instagram but hates the heft that usually comes with it. I can already imagine that holding this phone will feel amazing. It promises a big-screen experience without the wrist workout, and that’s a genuinely appealing idea.

Now, The Bad News: That ₹89,900 Price Tag

And now for the reality check. The iPhone Air starts at ₹89,900 in India for the base model. Let that sink in.

This is not the ₹60,000-ish disruptor we were hoping for. This is a full-blown premium flagship. To put it in perspective, the standard iPhone 17, with the exact same chip and cameras, starts at ₹79,900. This means you are paying a ₹10,000 premium purely for a larger screen and a thinner design. Ten thousand rupees for thinness. In a market like India where value is everything, that is a very tough pill to swallow.

Let’s Be Honest: It’s a Brilliant Rebrand of the iPhone Plus

Here’s my take, and it might be a bit cynical. For years, the “Plus” model has felt a little… boring. It was just the “big version” of the regular iPhone. It didn’t have its own cool identity.

Apple is smart. They saw us all talking about a mythical “iPhone Air” for years, building up hype for a product that didn’t exist. So what did they do? They took the iPhone Plus, made it ridiculously thin, and slapped the “Air” name on it. It’s a brilliant marketing move. They took all that free, user-generated hype and cashed it in. But don’t be fooled. Functionally, this phone serves the exact same purpose as the old Plus model. It’s not a new category; it’s a rebranding.

Who Should Actually Buy the iPhone Air in India?

Okay, so who is this for? The price makes the decision-making process very important.

You should buy the iPhone Air if:

• You must have a large 6.7-inch iPhone screen.
• You genuinely dislike heavy phones and prioritize a lightweight design above all else.
• You primarily use your phone for social media, videos, and casual photos, and you don’t need a telephoto zoom lens.

You should probably skip it if:

• You want the best value. The standard iPhone 17 gives you 95% of the experience for ₹10,000 less.
• You are a serious mobile photographer. The telephoto lens on the Pro model is a huge step up.
• You love super-smooth scrolling. The 120Hz ProMotion display on the Pro is a feature that, once you use it, is hard to live without.

A Quick Reality Check Before You Buy

• This is not the affordable ‘Air’ from the rumors: It is a premium phone that starts at ₹89,900, placing it firmly in the high-end segment.
• You’re paying a premium for thinness: The main difference between this and the standard iPhone 17 is the size and thickness, and that difference costs ₹10,000.
• The camera is good, but not Pro-level: The dual-camera system is fantastic for most people, but it lacks the versatility of the triple-camera setup with a zoom lens on the Pro models.
• The battery life is still a question mark: Apple claims the A18 chip’s efficiency will maintain great battery life despite the thinner chassis, but this needs to be tested in the real world on India’s demanding 5G networks.

How the New Lineup Stacks Up

Frequently Asked Questions