Disclosure: 7NEWS was invited by Apple as a guest for a one-on-one interview with Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing, Kaiann Drance.
The headliner — iPhone Air gets thin, light and… controversial
Apple’s new iPhone Air is the thinnest iPhone to date at 5.6 mm and 165 g, with a 6.5-inch ProMotion display and a titanium frame. Apple says the sturdier front and back glass improve scratch and crack resistance, and a new internal “plateau” layout shifts components to open up space for the battery in a slimmer shell. That’s the claim. Real-world drop and scratch results will tell the story.
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“So if you’re someone who values that pro performance but you also want this streamlined thin and light design. iPhone air might be the phone for you,” Drance said.
One rear lens: smart compromise or hard sell?
The talking point is on the back. Air has a single 48 MP Fusion camera that doubles as a 2x telephoto using the centre of the sensor. It keeps iPhone staples like 24 MP default shots, upgraded Portrait mode, Action mode and Dolby Vision 4K60. That will suit most everyday photos and video, but heavy zoomers and low-light obsessives may still want a Pro.
“It still has an advanced camera system,” Drance said.
“48 megapixel fusion camera with 2 x telephoto, centre stage front camera, fantastic battery life, and you know — pro motion display, great durability.”
The quiet star: a front camera that reframes selfies
Air (and the rest of the range) shifts to a Center Stage front camera built on a square sensor. Translation: you can hold the phone vertically and shoot portrait or landscape selfies without rotating. It can widen for group shots, keep you centred on video, stabilise your walking pieces-to-camera, and even record Dual Capture with front and rear at once. Front photos jump to 18 MP. It is a meaningful lifestyle upgrade because it fixes how people actually take selfies.
eSIM-only in Australia: cleaner inside, messier for some users
Air is eSIM-only here. No physical SIM tray. That helps Apple slim the phone, and it’s harder for thieves to tamper with.
Day to day, it is mostly fine if your carrier supports quick transfers. The caveat is travel and edge-case carriers. If you rely on swapping plastic SIMs on the fly, you will need to adjust. Prices start at A$1799 for Air.
“E sim was a key enabler to bring the thin and light iPhone air to market,” Drance said.
“Also it’s easy to use, more secure than a physical sim, can’t be popped out and take your two-factor off with you or anything like that. And it saves space in the phone, and it’s got great travel options.”
Best value this year: iPhone 17 at A$1,399
For most Aussies, iPhone 17 looks the smarter buy.
It stays at A$1,399, brings a slightly bigger high-refresh display than last year, faster performance, and a clearer everyday camera. You also get that Center Stage selfie upgrade. If you do not need the Air’s thinness or eSIM-only body, 17 is the safe pick.
iOS 26 refreshes the look with Liquid Glass, tidies up core apps, and adds quality-of-life tools like Call Screening, Hold Assist, Live Translation in calls and Messages, plus new “visual intelligence” tricks for what’s on screen. The fuller Apple Intelligence experience and a more helpful Siri are not all live on day one.
“There will be additional Apple Intelligence features as part of the ios26 update,” Drance said. “And of course we’re working to bring the other updates to iPhone as soon as possible. We’re on track to be bringing it, next year.”
Apple rates Air for up to 27 hours of video playback. There’s a new MagSafe Battery option that can extend that to about 40 hours of playback, plus a slim case, a minimalist bumper and a cross-body strap. As always, the extras add to the bill.
Under the hood, Air moves to A19 Pro with a new GPU design and Neural Accelerators for AI tasks. The C1X modem and N1 wireless chip aim to improve cellular efficiency, Wi-Fi 7 reliability, Bluetooth 6 and hotspot multitasking. Satellite Emergency SOS, Find My and Roadside Assistance remain on the spec sheet, along with Crash Detection. Useful if you need them, hopefully you never do.
Apple says Air uses 35 per cent recycled content by weight, 80 per cent recycled titanium, 100 per cent recycled cobalt in the battery, and 3D-printed titanium for a thinner USB-C port that uses less material. The company also cites 45 per cent renewable electricity across its supply chain. Positive directions, but longevity and repairability will matter more to buyers than manufacturing stats alone.
Should you upgrade?
Upgrade to Air if:
You want the lightest, thinnest iPhone and can live happily with eSIM-only.
Your camera needs are everyday shots and 2x framing.
The selfie and creator tools matter more than long zoom.
Buy iPhone 17 if:
You want the modern design, new selfie system and better value at A$1,399.
You do not care about chasing the thinnest body.
You want fewer eSIM headaches.
Hold if:
You rely on physical SIM swapping when you travel.
You want to see how Apple Intelligence actually lands before spending.
Your current phone still runs the apps you need and holds a charge.
Bottom line: Air is a bold design statement with a smarter selfie system and a cleaner interior that forces the eSIM-only future. It will delight minimalists. For most Australians, iPhone 17 is the sensible pick on price and features while Apple’s bigger AI story rolls out across iOS 26 over the next year.
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