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15 pro was average though

The phone usually still has 40+% at the end of the day even with charging capped to 90%. That's good enough for me.

The Plus/Pro Max iPhones are too big and heavy for my liking. Even if those have better battery life, I wouldn't want to use them anyway.

I already carry a cellular iPad mini when I want a larger display on the go and okay with using the device 2-handed.

P.S. I'm probably returning the Air for the regular 17. Battery life isn't an issue but the phone is still too big for my liking.
 
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The phone usually still has 40+% at the end of the day even with charging capped to 90%. That's good enough for me.

The Plus/Pro Max iPhones are too big and heavy for my liking. Even if those have better battery life, I wouldn't want to use them anyway.

I already carry a cellular iPad mini when I want a larger display on the go and okay with using the device 2-handed.
I have a mini 7 and 16 pro, just pointing out going back to a 15 pro battery in 2025 is average.
My 16 pro is excellent = to that would be ok.
I wouldn't be spending $1800AUD to go backwards.
 
I have a mini 7 and 16 pro, just pointing out going back to a 15 pro battery in 2025 is average.
My 16 pro is excellent = to that would be ok.
I wouldn't be spending $1800AUD to go backwards.

My Air is currently beating my wife’s 16 Pro as far as battery life goes. Not a perfect comparison, given obviously different people means different apps on device and different usage patterns (not to mention her battery isn’t brand new), but she has to charge in the middle of the day and I don’t.
 
As someone else said, it’s a different sensor in the Pros. The Air and the base 17 share the same sensor. Does it matter? Not much, judging by comparisons and reviews I’ve seen.

That makes sense, I bet it is because of heat requirements. It would be strange to have different lenses in them and still call them the same.
Anyway I can’t tell any difference between them.
 
The phone usually still has 40+% at the end of the day even with charging capped to 90%. That's good enough for me.

The Plus/Pro Max iPhones are too big and heavy for my liking. Even if those have better battery life, I wouldn't want to use them anyway.

I already carry a cellular iPad mini when I want a larger display on the go and okay with using the device 2-handed.

P.S. I'm probably returning the Air for the regular 17. Battery life isn't an issue but the phone is still too big for my liking.
With that mind set regarding size of phone then move $100 up for the smaller pro instead of $200 down for the regular 17 because you gain so much and gain the same screen size as the base 17. Go for the higher ram, bigger battery, and even the vapor cooling chamber
 
My Air is currently beating my wife’s 16 Pro as far as battery life goes. Not a perfect comparison, given obviously different people means different apps on device and different usage patterns (not to mention her battery isn’t brand new), but she has to charge in the middle of the day and I don’t.
Same here with my wife’s 16 Pro. I am averaging just under 9 hours screen time with 94-96% battery usage. On wifi for most of the day and usage skews to Safari (50%ish) and social apps with a bit of YouTube. No gaming. My wife watches a lot more video content than I do. I do a small top up charge late afternoon as I try to avoid the battery going below 20%. I notice the battery usage is a bit higher on days I’m out more on 5G. I’m in between clients at the moment plus the “new phone” so my usage is higher than normal, but the battery has exceeded my expectations and is vastly better than my 14PM was.
 
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With that mind set regarding size of phone then move $100 up for the smaller pro instead of $200 down for the regular 17 because you gain so much and gain the same screen size as the base 17. Go for the higher ram, bigger battery, and even the vapor cooling chamber

Already have the 17 Pro. Too heavy as a daily driver. Note, I'm coming from a 144g SE3.
 
I did have a snafu with my first iPhone Air. After one day in my hand, in a pocket, and on my desk.. it was full of scuffs and microscratches! I mean, something fierce. I'm certain there was something wrong with the batch of glass on this particular phone as I've never seen this happen on any iPhone I've owned

Apple actually made a case of it for research! My replacement is acceptable, and to be safe, I installed a screen protector (only)

I've been stunned by battery life, not sure why it lasts as long as it does (I was already prepared for worse, expecting to charge it half-way through the day)

Everything about this first-gen, back to elegance design.. has been phenomenal. I've always used Pro phones, figuring I'd just have a year of a 'glorious mistake' - as I upgrade yearly via Apple's IUP. At this rate however, I think I'll be good for another iA next year =)
 
Yeah, I miss carrying around a 4 pound brick just to get an ultra wide shot lolol.
The 16e has one, and so did every non-Pro iPhone since the 11. The incredibly light 12 with 164g has one. Stop being silly.
I’ve just had two family events where I couldn’t have gotten the shots I did, whole family and all, without the ultra wide camera.
Literal memories that couldn’t have been saved otherwise.
You do you though, if you never happen to need an ultra wide, weird, but good on you.
 
The 16e has one, and so did every non-Pro iPhone since the 11. The incredibly light 12 with 164g has one. Stop being silly.
I’ve just had two family events where I couldn’t have gotten the shots I did, whole family and all, without the ultra wide camera.
Literal memories that couldn’t have been saved otherwise.
You do you though, if you never happen to need an ultra wide, weird, but good on you.
Wish my 16e came with an ultrawide.
 
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The 16e has one, and so did every non-Pro iPhone since the 11. The incredibly light 12 with 164g has one. Stop being silly.
I’ve just had two family events where I couldn’t have gotten the shots I did, whole family and all, without the ultra wide camera.
Literal memories that couldn’t have been saved otherwise.
You do you though, if you never happen to need an ultra wide, weird, but good on you.
Wish my 16e came with an ultrawide.
I stand corrected. The 16e does not have an ultra wide fusion camera. The iPhone 17 does.
Thanks for pointing that out.
 
There’s a lot of conflicting info floating around about the Air. I’m definitely sceptical of Apple’s battery claims, especially since they’re based on newer efficiency features that don’t reflect typical usage. That said, I don’t think the Air’s battery is awful either; it’d likely get me through half the time without needing a battery pack. My concern is more long-term; I suspect that a year from now, battery life could become a serious issue.
i am using the Air as my main phone.

its been a week now. i can say i have begun to not be so worried about if it will last a full day for me or not. it does last the day for me.
but your point about long term use is well taken.
when i bought the Air, i resigned myself to getting the battery replaced about 2 to 2.5 years from now - and paying tor the replacement by myself - thinking that it still might be around 87% or 85% battery health in two years. which means that apple care+ would not cover at it at the minimal replacement lower cost.

to me, its still worth it. in every way. not a serious issue here.
 
Thanks for the thoughts everyone. I’ve read them and slept on it a couple of times, and while I still have a couple of days to change my mind, I’ve decided to keep the Pro. It really came down to the camera system, I use the other two lenses enough that it would be hard to give up, at least the ultra wide. I use the telephoto less, but I did snap some cool photos of family this weekend and noticed the improvements over last year there. Maybe if the Air 2 gets a spec bump on the camera, it’ll be a no brainer for me at that point. Also have to say I experienced real life heat dissipation improvements during a prolonged camera session this weekend, too. That played a small factor into it as well.
 
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Look at the metadata for the past few months of your photos and see how much you’re actually using the ultrawide and telephoto. I found I was using the main Fusion camera 95+% of the time, so went with the Air. I’ve been very happy with the switch after many years of lugging around a Pro Max.

EDIT: I see you just posted your usage numbers above.
Where can you find that information?
 
Where can you find that information?
Not sure if/how you can do it directly from your iPhone, but I used my MacBook. From the photos app I created a smart album and filtered by the lens used. I edited the filter each time to see the photos taken with Main, Ultrawide, and Telephoto lenses. I used that to get the numbers and also to gauge the type and quality of shots I took with each (and if I can settle for less or live without them).
 
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I bought the 17 Pro after having the Pro Max every year since the 12. I wanted a more one hand friendly device in weight and size. I have enjoyed it so far, but my mind keeps going back to the Air. It is so beautiful. I held one briefly in store and it was enjoyable, but I was hesitant to change my decision and continued with picking up the Pro. I've had it for a week, but I still find myself thinking about the Air, I have even dreamt about it three times since pre-order (no lie).

The speaker, the battery, the potential heat issues are not a concern for me. It really comes down to no ultrawide and wondering if it's just a hair too big for one hand. But, do those things really matter? Am I going to continue to have FOMO until next September when I upgrade again?

What to do, what to do. My wife says it's just FOMO and to just settle in with the Pro. Especially since I am the family's designated photographer when we have events or go on trips. Maybe I just skip the Air this year and hope the next version has an ultrawide or upgraded camera system.
You're an adult, with your own hard earned money. Buy the phone you want. End of story.
 
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Where can you find that information?
On my Mac I created a Smart album, looks like this

Screenshot 2025-09-30 at 7.33.39 AM.png
 
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As someone else said, it’s a different sensor in the Pros. The Air and the base 17 share the same sensor. Does it matter? Not much, judging by comparisons and reviews I’ve seen.

But but but... the power of Pro!
 
I just want to say how incredibly profound and important I found this reply.
I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not. 😅

But in all seriousness, a lot of people put a lot of time and energy into rationalizing their purchases when at the end of the day you're just spending your own money that you earned yourself. If you want to spend it on something you shouldn't have to justify it.
 
I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not. 😅

But in all seriousness, a lot of people put a lot of time and energy into rationalizing their purchases when at the end of the day you're just spending your own money that you earned yourself. If you want to spend it on something you shouldn't have to justify it.
No one here is trying to rationalize their purchase to other people. They're trying to decide which phone is best for them. That's why saying "buy the phone you want" is not helpful or relevant to this discussion.
 
No one here is trying to rationalize their purchase to other people. They're trying to decide which phone is best for them. That's why saying "buy the phone you want" is not helpful or relevant to this discussion.
But he clearly wants the Air. He's literally dreaming about it. It sounded to me like he's trying to convince himself that switching to the Air is justified. Sorry if I misread.

And to be clear, my point was about rationalizing purchases to ourselves, not other people.
 
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