DXOMARK announced its imaging evaluation for the Apple iPhone Air last Friday. The tester praised the device for its stable shooting performance, with standout scores in exposure, colour accuracy, and video stabilisation. However, due to the absence of telephoto and ultra-wide lenses, it earned a final score of 141, ranking 41st globally.
Hardware specs: The iPhone Air features a single 48MP primary camera (1/1.56" sensor, 1.0µm pixels, 26mm f/1.6 lens), equipped with dual-pixel autofocus and sensor-shift optical image stabilisation.
In terms of imaging quality, the device delivers accurate subject exposure and a wide dynamic range, with natural colour rendition in most lighting conditions. It strikes a good balance between detail and noise control in bright light, while maintaining solid exposure and detail in low-light shots. Video mode shines particularly in stabilisation, producing smooth, fluid footage.
That said, the lack of a multi-camera setup is a clear drawback for the iPhone Air. Compared to the iPhone 17 Pro with its triple-camera system, it falls short in shooting versatility—especially against same-tier competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge (which includes an ultra-wide lens).
In high-contrast scenes, the camera occasionally under-exposes highlights. The shallow depth of field can also cause subjects in the back row of group photos to go out of focus. Portrait mode shows minor errors in exposure, detail rendering, and background separation.
DXOMARK's verdict: The iPhone Air's photo quality is on par with the iPhone 17 Pro's primary shooter, offering excellent daytime detail and low noise. However, it still lags slightly in low-light performance compared to the Pro model. Autofocus speed is a tad slow during stills, and video recording occasionally exhibits minor focus pulls, along with some exposure and white balance instability.
Video capabilities: The iPhone Air supports up to 4K 60fps and 1080p 240fps. DXOMARK's tests focused on 4K/60fps HDR, where it excelled in terms of wide dynamic range, vibrant colours, and a strong balance of texture and noise. Overall video quality is robust and impressive.
The above content is compiled by ModeZone, a fashion and entertainment magazine.
