I’ve finally got my hands on the iPhone Air!

At last month’s Mobile World Congress, I encountered a range of bizarre phones: robot phones, cameras masquerading as phones, and even phones designed for dogs. However, the one that truly surprised me was the iPhone Air that my friend Sam brought to dinner.

“Seriously? You actually use that?” I asked, half-joking.

“Absolutely,” he replied. Then he revealed a second device — the Xiaomi Leica Leitzphone — which he was also using.

Got it, I thought. The secret to enjoying the iPhone Air is to always have a superior phone on hand. I found this amusing and shared the story with anyone who would listen. But here’s my confession: I think Sam might be onto something; the iPhone Air could actually be decent.

To be fair, I never considered it outright bad. I rated it a 7 in my review last year. Its slim design and lightweight feel are impressive, and it certainly makes an impact when you hold it. But with a lackluster battery life, a single rear camera, and just one speaker, I initially dismissed it as a quirky detour on the path to an Apple folding phone.

After MWC, I picked up my iPhone Air review unit again to compare its camera with the 17E’s. After reviewing the 17E, I switched my eSIM to the Air to see if extended use would change my perspective. I expected to tire of it after a week, but surprisingly, I found myself enjoying it.

It helps that I’m not traveling much right now and rarely away from a charger for long. My laid-back, remote-work lifestyle is forgiving to a phone with a weak battery. Even so, it managed to last through a lengthy outing last week. I did plug it in for a recharge when I got home, as the battery was hovering just above 20 percent, and I’m not a fan of low power mode.

Apple thoughtfully sent me the super-slim MagSafe battery pack along with the Air for review. I’ve been using it while revisiting the Air, not just as a backup when I go out, but also to top off the battery while using it at home without being tethered to a wall charger. This got me thinking: maybe MagSafe is the key here.

One of my personal gripes with the Air is its screen size. It’s a slim phone, not a small one, and I still find it cumbersome to use one-handed. But what if I added a magnetic ring grip for those times when I want to do some serious scrolling? I started keeping one on a side table next to the couch for easy access. When I’m done, it comes off, and the Air remains light and pocket-friendly.

I also began using a MagSafe wallet with the Air. I like the concept of a wallet on the back of my phone, but they often feel too bulky, even without a case. However, since the Air is so slim, I don’t mind the extra bulk of the wallet. It’s a convenient way to carry a couple of essential cards for quick errands, and when I’m back home, I can just drop it onto the key tray.

You could even leverage MagSafe to address one of the Air’s other shortcomings: the mediocre speaker. AirPods are a solid option for me, but if you want to dive into the modularity aspect, you could grab a MagSafe Bluetooth speaker to attach to the back. Suddenly, this isn’t just a quirky, skinny iPhone with a poor battery; it’s a modular device.

The biggest hurdle for the iPhone Air is its camera. Unless Apple introduces a camera lens system that can transform the Air’s rear camera into a telephoto lens, you’re left with a decent wide-angle lens and a limited 2x crop zoom. However, many people are fine carrying a point-and-shoot camera alongside their phone. So if you’ve never been a fan of the iPhone camera, maybe the Air can be your excuse to bring a dedicated camera more often. Personally, I find the built-in camera options sufficient, but I’d be tempted to try an ultrawide adapter if I extended this experiment.

I still believe the iPhone Air is impractical for most users — you know, those who don’t carry two phones or get excited about “Moto Mods.” The battery will only degrade over time, and the novelty of managing a collection of accessories might wear off after a year. As for me, my time with the Air has come to an end, and I’m back to the 17 Pro. Is it nice to have three actual rear cameras and not worry about battery life lasting a full day? Absolutely. But I find myself missing the iPhone Air more than I expected. If it turns out to be a quirky side quest on the way to a folding iPhone, at least it was an entertaining journey.