For the first time in years, an iPhone truly made me feel something again. When this year’s new devices came out, I picked up the iPhone 17 Pro Max, but I quietly (or not so quietly) harbored envy towards those who bravely picked the iPhone Air. About a week ago, I finally caved and picked up my very own iPhone Air.

I am absolutely smitten with this device in a way that feels foreign yet nostalgic.

The iPhone Air is nothing short of magical. It might just be another iPhone from a functional standpoint. But this device both looks and feels like it shouldn’t plausibly exist. You’ve heard how thin it is over and over, but it never gets old. Every time I reach for it I am astounded that there’s an entire iPhone inside. They jammed nearly all of the core components into the camera plateau and it reminds me an awful lot of when Steve introduced the first MacBook Air, showing off the incredibly small motherboard that blew the audience away. It reminded me that this is the iPhone that Steve would be using.

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I think a lot of us have forgotten what it feels like when something is truly innovative. We’ve had so much of the same for so long that when a true breakthrough is made it can be overlooked. I think this is a true breakthrough in every sense of the word. This is the next tentpole iPhone, following in the steps of the iPhone X, the iPhone 4, and the original iPhone. It sounds crazy to any outside observer, but I’m confident it’s the case. It’s the first iPhone to feel truly new and radically different since the iPhone X.

I am in awe of the dichotomy that is the iPhone Air. It’s simultaneously drop dead gorgeous, like a piece of jewelry or a fine watch, and more durable than you could possibly imagine. Despite any of its shortcomings, it always feels astonishingly special. I’ve yet to notice any sort of battery life compromise, though I imagine that will change over time. For now though, it’s getting through the day better than my iPhone 16 Pro did. It’s clear to me that the new MagSafe battery pack exists not as an essential tool, but as a mental failsafe to give users who can’t believe this is a real product the comfort of a backup power source. On the accessories front, I really like the new bumpers. They’re not quite the same as the iPhone 4 bumpers, which I was a massive fan of back in the day, but they are definitely better constructed. Unlike other cases, the bumper lets you continue to feel the unbelievable thinness of the device. But I’ve opted to go case less. This is a device that needs to be used as it was designed. Much like the iPhone X and the iPhone 4.

I always sort of knew that this was going to be a two iPhone year for me. The most pro iPhone ever being released alongside the coolest iPhone ever was almost diabolical. It was a perfect storm for a fanatic like me to end up with two devices. Thankfully, the iPhone Air essentially disappears no matter where it is. Whether it’s in the pocket, in a bag, on a table, really anywhere.

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I was generally recommending that most people buy the standard iPhone 17 or the iPhone 17 Pro. But that’s changed, if you want an iPhone that feels like something new or as Apple puts it “like a piece of the future” you should get the Air. It’s a paradox in the way you expect from an iconic Apple product. I can’t tell you how often I hear “oh it’s the same as last year” or “when’s the last time Apple did anything cool” from normal folks. Well this is the iPhone for those people.