iPhone Air Apple’s ‘Thinnest iPhone Air’ Feels Like a Cheat—Why Skip the Camera Plateau, Apple?

[uacd]

iPhone devotee since the iPhone 11

I had iPhone 4, 5, 6s, 11 Pro (currently) and SE3 (not mine anymore/gave it to my granny). When I got 11 Pro honestly I didn’t really feel like it was an innovation or smth, comparing to my Galaxy S10+ it was like from ancient days. I would have regretted selling it but their edge display at the time was super inconvenient.

I’m not hating—I adore my Apple gear—but leaving out the camera plateau in the measurement?

There is nothing bad in disliking something in gear you have, it is not hate, on the contrary: more true reviews sometimes make manufacturers rethink their moves and finally listen to customers.

This is not a cult or sect to worship something. I would have liked my iPhone if it catered to me more than now, it feels like digital prison much more often than a useful phone.

As a fan, I get why the plateau exists—those huge sensors give us killer photos, and I’m obsessed with the Air’s 48MP shots

Plateau is ugly and was always ugly, like a back notch. And we still have notch!

If only camera was THAT GOOD to actually include that huge bump, but it isn’t. Sensor is not even 1 inch. Moreover, those 48MP are not really true and are half-computational, they are quad bayer, not true bayer and this tech highly depends on software reinterpretation of image. For that reason no software manufacturer gives access to true 48MP RAW data, because it will probably look like ugly, unusable green mess.

As fans, don’t we deserve better transparency

Apple never plays transparency games.

Remember when 6 and 6s iPhones were randomly turning off? Turns out Apple “cared” for users and didn’t tell them that their batteries are so poor that this is done for throttling. Or also infamous butterfly keyboards in MacBooks.

Apple doesn’t even tell the hard truth about iPhone Air, that it will probably have worst battery life ever. Every phone that has battery case or (as now) magsafe powerbank turns out to have poor battery performance

 

[uacd]

iPhone 12 to make your argument.

We all must compare all apples to all apples, not new apples to new apples.

Apple obviously had thinner devices. And their processors were manufactured at older processes, their screens were smaller, and overall maybe those devices were pinnacles of Apple’s industrial design.

iPhone Air in comparison is fat, huge and large.

If Apple was to make iPhone 5 or 6 but with modern A chip, new iOS version, better display and tech, I think it would have been absolute hit, if only they didn’t make the price overly high, 1k$ is a lot for what they give in a box

 

[Joseph C]

We all must compare all apples to all apples, not new apples to new apples.

Apple obviously had thinner devices. And their processors were manufactured at older processes, their screens were smaller, and overall maybe those devices were pinnacles of Apple’s industrial design.

iPhone Air in comparison is fat, huge and large.

If Apple was to make iPhone 5 or 6 but with modern A chip, new iOS version, better display and tech, I think it would have been absolute hit, if only they didn’t make the price overly high, 1k$ is a lot for what they give in a box

The tech is nominally more advanced, but what I actually use the phone for is the same stuff as five years ago. There is little real-life benefit to those advances, aside from iOS needing more and more resources with each new version. There are too few upsides to offset the downsides of bulkier and heavier form factors.

Battery might be one benefit, but I rarely need it, only every few month when I'm travelling, and then I'm fine with a power bank as a fallback. And I'd rather opt for the 16e in that respect, which has great battery life and is more compact, while being as lightweight as the Air.

Why do I need more RAM when I'm using the same simple apps as years ago? The only thing that might benefit from more RAM in practice is Safari, however on my M4 iPad Pro it still reloads much more often than the browser on my Android tablet, so I'm blaming it on Safari (and I'm not the only one on that specific point). Moreover, RAM is cheap and has nothing to do with device form factor, so there is absolutely no connection between more RAM and larger/heavier devices.

There’s enough straw clutching going on here to start a scarecrow union and still have leftovers for a Wizard of Oz reboot - so I think I'm going to gracefully step away from this lovely thread.

From its LLM-written origins to the increasingly farcical posts thereafter by the Air haters, prior to it being reviewed, let alone released - it's been a pleasure. 🫶🏼

 

[Herr Podspro]

You would feel the weight of plateau for sure

Weight of the plateau? What is more dense, the plateau or the battery in the bottom 2/3?
There are still the charging port and the Taptic Engine at the bottom, but still, you better believe Apple thought about this long before you did, and that’s not meant as an insult. This thing was in the works for years, just try it and return it within 2 weeks, easy.

 

[nelle douville]

I guess it never occurred to me as I traded in my Pro Max 16 for a Pro Max 17 to consider the thickness of the camera bump. Silly me, thinking about the improvements in picture quality.

Please excuse me whilst I go stomp my feet and pound on the floor because of the camera bump thickness. The nerve of Apple producing a device with such a monumental bump. Why, I'll need to measure thickness in centimetres.

 

[Macalway]

This thread's reasoning will impact sales by...nothing. Not even a single one. Even the OP. Cuz he just feels cheated.

But it's fun to discuss this before the possession stage, which is when we can really start to complain in earnest.

 

[rui no onna]

Apple never plays transparency games.

Remember when 6 and 6s iPhones were randomly turning off? Turns out Apple “cared” for users and didn’t tell them that their batteries are so poor that this is done for throttling.

Nah, the phones weren't randomly turning off.

What Apple did was to purposely slow down the phones (without telling the user) so the phones wouldn't randomly turn off due to degraded batteries. Likely so they have fewer battery warranty claims.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Hey fellow Apple fans, I’ve been an iPhone devotee since the iPhone 11, and I’m usually all-in for Apple’s sleek designs and innovation. The iPhone Air reveal had me hyped—5.6 mm, the “thinnest iPhone ever”? That’s the kind of engineering I love from Cupertino. But the more I dig into this, the more it feels like Apple’s pulling a fast one on us with that thickness claim. I’m not hating—I adore my Apple gear—but leaving out the camera plateau in the measurement? That’s just not right, and it stings coming from a company I trust.


Let’s break it down. Apple says the iPhone Air is 5.6 mm thick, measured at the main body (front glass to back glass). Sounds amazing, right? But that massive camera plateau—yep, the one housing the 48MP camera, speaker, and even some Silicon—adds like 3-4 mm, based on leaks and early reviews. So, the real thickness is closer to 9-10 mm where that plateau sticks out. That’s not “thinnest ever”; it’s just… normal. iPhone 16 Pro is 8.25 mm with a similar bump, so why is Apple acting like the Air’s in a league of its own? It’s like they’re cheating the numbers to make us swoon, and I’m bummed they’d play us like that.


As a fan, I get why the plateau exists—those huge sensors give us killer photos, and I’m obsessed with the Air’s 48MP shots. But when I put my phone on a table, it wobbles like nobody’s business. Without a case, that plateau’s a scratch magnet, and with a case, the whole “ultra-thin” thing goes out the window. Apple’s all about the user experience, so why not be upfront about the actual thickness? It’s not just a spec sheet trick—it affects how the phone feels in real life. I want to love this phone without feeling like I’m being sold a half-truth.


And look, I know other brands like Samsung do this too, only listing the body thickness. But Apple’s supposed to be different, right? They set the standard with their polished titanium and Ceramic Shield 2, and I’m proud to rock their gear. So why hide the full thickness? Their own case design guidelines admit the plateau adds serious depth—why not just put that in the keynote? It’s like they’re betting we won’t notice, and that feels sneaky for a brand I’ve always trusted to be straight with us.


I’m still excited for the iPhone Air—those colors, that slim body, ugh, take my money! But this thickness claim leaves a bad taste. What do you all think? Are you cool with Apple fudging the numbers like this, or should they own the full thickness, plateau and all? As fans, don’t we deserve better transparency? Let’s hear it—I’m curious if other Apple lovers are feeling this letdown too!

Who cares? Handle the device before purchasing and do not buy it if you don't like it, otherwise just shush.

 

[TheRdungeon]

I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if this guy is being paid by Samsung or something as some kinda clumsy attempt at viral marketing

 

[Spinarelo]

You would feel the weight of plateau for sure

Well the weight that Apple quotes includes the plateau... the thinnes has nothing to do with actual weight

 

[uacd]

Nah, the phones weren't randomly turning off.

What Apple did was to purposely slow down the phones (without telling the user) so the phones wouldn't randomly turn off due to degraded batteries. Likely so they have fewer battery warranty claims.

Mine did (6s) as soon as small wind blew on it. I tried to find a reason why it happened all the time but forums were almost empty, only few 6s users noticed such behavior.

Turned out to be defective battery and this was the part of the said feature, it was all-new so no info about it on the web back in 2016. To be all fair, Apple did battery replacement program for affected 6s models for free but it was too late, I’ve already replaced mine in some 3rd party store

 

[uacd]

There’s enough straw clutching going on here to start a scarecrow union and still have leftovers for a Wizard of Oz reboot - so I think I'm going to gracefully step away from this lovely thread.

From its LLM-written origins to the increasingly farcical posts thereafter by the Air haters, prior to it being reviewed, let alone released - it's been a pleasure. 🫶🏼

Sorry, I didn’t want to sound offensive or something. I believe only in normally discussing something, not trying to “protect my ideas online” no matter what

I never try to offend anyone when I write my comments and posts, as well as my own opinions are flexible too, it is not some sort of unbreakable monolith. Sorry again if it was too much, peace!

Side note: I would also never mock anyone who gets this or that device. It’s all personal choice. Even choosing the most “ultimate” iPhone or any flagship smartphone means dealing with compromises here and there, it is not fully butter-smooth experience, tho for most people it is more than enough and I totally respect it

 

[SoyMaxV]

Hey fellow Apple fans, I’ve been an iPhone devotee since the iPhone 11, and I’m usually all-in for Apple’s sleek designs and innovation. The iPhone Air reveal had me hyped—5.6 mm, the “thinnest iPhone ever”? That’s the kind of engineering I love from Cupertino. But the more I dig into this, the more it feels like Apple’s pulling a fast one on us with that thickness claim. I’m not hating—I adore my Apple gear—but leaving out the camera plateau in the measurement? That’s just not right, and it stings coming from a company I trust.


Let’s break it down. Apple says the iPhone Air is 5.6 mm thick, measured at the main body (front glass to back glass). Sounds amazing, right? But that massive camera plateau—yep, the one housing the 48MP camera, speaker, and even some Silicon—adds like 3-4 mm, based on leaks and early reviews. So, the real thickness is closer to 9-10 mm where that plateau sticks out. That’s not “thinnest ever”; it’s just… normal. iPhone 16 Pro is 8.25 mm with a similar bump, so why is Apple acting like the Air’s in a league of its own? It’s like they’re cheating the numbers to make us swoon, and I’m bummed they’d play us like that.


As a fan, I get why the plateau exists—those huge sensors give us killer photos, and I’m obsessed with the Air’s 48MP shots. But when I put my phone on a table, it wobbles like nobody’s business. Without a case, that plateau’s a scratch magnet, and with a case, the whole “ultra-thin” thing goes out the window. Apple’s all about the user experience, so why not be upfront about the actual thickness? It’s not just a spec sheet trick—it affects how the phone feels in real life. I want to love this phone without feeling like I’m being sold a half-truth.


And look, I know other brands like Samsung do this too, only listing the body thickness. But Apple’s supposed to be different, right? They set the standard with their polished titanium and Ceramic Shield 2, and I’m proud to rock their gear. So why hide the full thickness? Their own case design guidelines admit the plateau adds serious depth—why not just put that in the keynote? It’s like they’re betting we won’t notice, and that feels sneaky for a brand I’ve always trusted to be straight with us.


I’m still excited for the iPhone Air—those colors, that slim body, ugh, take my money! But this thickness claim leaves a bad taste. What do you all think? Are you cool with Apple fudging the numbers like this, or should they own the full thickness, plateau and all? As fans, don’t we deserve better transparency? Let’s hear it—I’m curious if other Apple lovers are feeling this letdown too!

This is not only what Apple has always done, but what the whole industry does. Just read it as "thickness where your hand will be"...

 

[FeliApple]

LLM nonsense.

If I wanted to know the software’s “opinion”, I’d ask about it myself.

Garbage post.

 

[puniad]

Hey fellow Apple fans, I’ve been an iPhone devotee since the iPhone 11, and I’m usually all-in for Apple’s sleek designs and innovation. The iPhone Air reveal had me hyped—5.6 mm, the “thinnest iPhone ever”? That’s the kind of engineering I love from Cupertino. But the more I dig into this, the more it feels like Apple’s pulling a fast one on us with that thickness claim. I’m not hating,I adore my Apple gear, but leaving out the camera plateau in the measurement? That’s just not right, and it stings coming from a company I trust.


Let’s break it down. Apple says the iPhone Air is 5.6 mm thick, measured at the main body (front glass to back glass). Sounds amazing, right? But that massive camera plateau—yep, the one housing the 48MP camera, speaker, and even some Silicon—adds like 3-4 mm, based on leaks and early reviews. So, the real thickness is closer to 9-10 mm where that plateau sticks out. That’s not “thinnest ever”; it’s just… normal. iPhone 16 Pro is 8.25 mm with a similar bump, so why is Apple acting like the Air’s in a league of its own? It’s like they’re cheating the numbers to make us swoon, and I’m bummed they’d play us like that.


As a fan, I get why the plateau exists—those huge sensors give us killer photos, and I’m obsessed with the Air’s 48MP shots. But when I put my phone on a table, it wobbles like nobody’s business. Without a case, that plateau’s a scratch magnet, and with a case, the whole “ultra-thin” thing goes out the window. Apple’s all about the user experience, so why not be upfront about the actual thickness? It’s not just a spec sheet trick—it affects how the phone feels in real life. I want to love this phone without feeling like I’m being sold a half-truth.


And look, I know other brands like Samsung do this too, only listing the body thickness. But Apple’s supposed to be different, right? They set the standard with their polished titanium and Ceramic Shield 2, and I’m proud to rock their gear. So why hide the full thickness? Their own case design guidelines admit the plateau adds serious depth—why not just put that in the keynote? It’s like they’re betting we won’t notice, and that feels sneaky for a brand I’ve always trusted to be straight with us.


I’m still excited for the iPhone Air—those colors, that slim body, ugh, take my money! But this thickness claim leaves a bad taste. What do you all think? Are you cool with Apple fudging the numbers like this, or should they own the full thickness, plateau and all? As fans, don’t we deserve better transparency? Let’s hear it—I’m curious if other Apple lovers are feeling this letdown too!

Look, that camera bump? Always a necessary evil. Physics won that fight. Marketing and engineering beat design, plain and simple. A designer would never put a wart on the back if they had a choice. But you’ve gotta sell the damn thing. When the buzz started about iPhone “Air”, for a minute I thought maybe, maybe, they’d cracked it with some fancy nano-optics. A flat slab of glass, front and back, clean. Air, the way it oughta be. But no. Wishful thinking. Light in the hand, sure. In design? Still the same story.