Apple’s brand new slim iPhone is official in the form of the iPhone Air. Pretty much every detail was leaked prior to the big event, including the name. One thing that wasn’t really spoken about, however, was 5G performance.
It turns out that Apple has made one sacrifice in this department, but it’s no reason to avoid the iPhone Air.
The iPhone Air Has No mmWave
Apple’s first-generation iPhone Air uses a refined version of the C1 modem first introduced in the iPhone 16e, known as the C1X. This is a cellular chip that’s been designed by Apple in-house, and it’s only the second time we’ve seen Apple’s take on a 5G modem.
The only snag is that neither the C1 nor C1X supports mmWave 5G communications. This has been a staple feature in the standard iPhone and Pro lineups for years now, so it might come as a shock to see it absent in a device like the iPhone Air, which commands a $200 premium over the thicker iPhone 17.
To understand what mmWave is, take a look at the bands commonly used by cellular networks. These range from so-called low-band communications starting at around 600MHz, running right up to 24GHz high-band frequencies. mmWave exists at even higher frequencies, typically residing somewhere between 24GHz and 100GHz (though the definition extends all the way up to 300GHz).
Higher frequencies offer more bandwidth, but they come at a cost: range. This is why your home router offers faster speeds if you’re using the 5GHz band, but you might find yourself dropping down to the 2.4GHz band if you venture too far from the router. mmWave turns this phenomenon up to 11, providing speeds that could put your home internet to shame over a standard cellular connection.
This could range anywhere from 500Mbps to around 4Gbps under the right conditions, which would enable equivalent theoretical download speeds of 62.5MB/sec and 500MB/sec, respectively. Another hallmark of mmWave is low latency, something slower cellular connections can suffer from even when providing impressive speeds.
Why This Isn’t a Big Deal
Given those numbers, you might think that Apple is leaving a lot on the table in pursuit of an in-house designed 5G modem and the slimmest iPhone ever. But this isn’t necessarily the case. Because the higher speeds demand higher frequencies, the range in which you can make use of these speeds is seriously limited.
A mmWave signal can only travel around 1,500 ft (around 450m) from the base station, and that’s assuming conditions are optimal. In addition to a severely limited range, mmWave also suffers from poor penetration. This means everyday objects like walls, trees, and even other people can impact the technology’s usefulness. Even the weather can make a big difference, particularly moisture from rain or humidity.
The conditions in which you stand to benefit from mmWave are thus limited. The best use is in densely populated areas, since the technology is also suited to handling a high number of subscribers at any one time. Busy airports, for example, are perfect for this sort of technology. While you’re sitting around waiting to board, you’re not likely to venture far from the gate. You might be surrounded by thousands of other people, and since you’re inside in a climate-controlled environment, weather conditions aren’t likely to impact you. Venus for conventions and large exhibitions, shopping centers, and even densely populated streets are other places that stand to benefit from mmWave communication.
The bottom line is that the instances in which you’re likely to “feel” this limitation are few and far between. Given that standard 5G connections and Apple’s inclusion of the N1 chip in the iPhone Air guarantee other means of fast wireless communication, most people will probably never notice mmWave’s absence. Plus, you might reap some benefits from the C1X chip in the form of better energy efficiency, translating to longer battery life.
Apple iPhone Air
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Apple
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A19 Pro chip
The iPhone 17 Air is the newest model to join the iPhone flagship line, and its design is lighter and thinner than ever.
The iPhone Air Has Some Real Drawbacks
Rather than worrying about support for a niche 5G technology that you’ll probably barely make use of, you might want to consider a few of the iPhone Air’s real drawbacks before you buy. For example, the Air only has a single camera with a wide lens (which is capable of a 2X zoom by cropping the photo size in half), compared to two on the iPhone 17 and three on the Pro models.
This model also has the smallest battery of the entire lineup, at 3,149 mAh compared to 3,692 mAh on the iPhone 17 and 5,088 mAh on the Pro Max (these numbers apply to the eSIM models). Apple did announce an iPhone Air-specific MagSafe battery pack which magnetically attaches to the back of the device, but keep in mind that this will undo the benefits of buying a slim iPhone in the first place.
The iPhone Air also costs $999, compared to the iPhone 17’s $799. Though you get a faster A19 Pro chip and slightly larger display, you’re essentially paying more for the form factor, inferior cameras, and worse battery life. It also happens to be a first-generation product.
Ultimately, the lack of mmWave shouldn’t put anyone off buying an iPhone Air. Nor should the other drawbacks I’ve mentioned if you’re in love with the form factor and happy to make the trade. In short: if you want the fancy new slim iPhone, you should probably buy it.
