iPhone Air
A thin, light iPhone with Pro-level internals. The compromise is usually battery capacity, which is why it sits below the Pro on price.
What it costs, and who it is for
The iPhone Air is a standard bar phone sold unlocked by Apple at $1,099 (Starting price at Apple). That figure is the cash price: no trade-in, no bill credit, no two-year commitment attached.
Anyone who carries a phone in a pocket all day and values weight over battery endurance.
Buying unlocked and pairing the phone with a prepaid plan is usually the cheapest combination, because nothing ties the line to the device. The alternative — a carrier deal with a trade-in — can beat it, but only when the trade-in value is real and you intended to stay with that carrier anyway.
Current price at Apple — the source used for the figure above, checked on 2026-11-02.
Cheapest plans to pair with it
All plansRanked on the real cost over the first 12 months, with activation fees and promotional periods included. The phone is bought separately; none of these plans requires a contract.
Free plan
TextNow · 1 line
- 0 GB data
- 1 line
- T-Mobile
- No contract
12 Months of Light Plan
US Mobile · 1 line
- 2 GB data
- 1 line
- Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile
- No contract
Light Plan
US Mobile · 1 line
- 2 GB data
- 1 line
- Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile
- No contract
Starter 2 GB
Tello · 1 line
- 2 GB data
- 1 line
- T-Mobile
- No contract
We are funded by advertising, not by the plans we list. No operator pays for a position in this comparison. How we work.
Other Apple models
All phonesiPhone Duo
Apple’s foldable iPhone, and the largest display the company has put in a phone. It is the most expensive model in the lineup by a wide margin.
$1,999 Starting price at Apple
iPhone 18 Pro
The current Pro model: Apple positions it on camera and sustained performance rather than on size, with better battery life than the previous generation.
$1,199 Starting price at Apple
iPhone 17
The standard model, still sold new alongside the 18 Pro. It is the point where the price stops rising faster than the capability.
$899 Starting price at Apple
Reading guides before deciding? How to choose a plan explains the data estimate and the coverage check that come before the price.