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Other Can someone explain iPhone Air to me

The Pros are heavy because they prioritize maximum tech and the battery sizes (weight) needed to give that tech all-day accessibility, even deep into the battery’s second year of life.

The base iPhones can also be heavy because they prioritize value (lower cost), often utilizing parts that are heavier than their more-expensive but lighter counterparts.

The new Air is aimed at an apparently substantial market yearning for thinness and lightweightedness above both value and maximized tech. It is an inaugural model so unless those 2 aspects are by far the 2 most important things to you about your iPhone, it may not be for you. Yet. Over the coming years, I’m sure it’ll continue to get refined and become much more mainstream, like the way MacBook Air did.
 
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Young people won’t find the Air appealing, since it lacks key features like ultra-wide and telephoto cameras, which is a major drawback. There’s also no option to add a camera module on top, the way you can with a battery pack. They also care about having strong speakers, since they often watch videos and rely on speakerphone for calls.


Older people don’t benefit much from the Air either. The lighter weight isn’t something they value, so they’d be more inclined to go for the regular 17 instead.
 
LoveToMacRumors said:
Young people won’t find the Air appealing, since it lacks key features like ultra-wide and telephoto cameras, which is a major drawback. There’s also no option to add a camera module on top, the way you can with a battery pack. They also care about having strong speakers, since they often watch videos and rely on speakerphone for calls.


Older people don’t benefit much from the Air either. The lighter weight isn’t something they value, so they’d be more inclined to go for the regular 17 instead.
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Wow too bad Apple doesn't have access to LoveToMacRumors' market research knowledge.
 
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I suppose it comes down to a personal use case. All the camera/video stuff is great for those that use them and more power to them. I’ve always been a ProMax buyer, this time it’s the Air.

The camera will be just fine for me. It’s typically vacation pics and short videos. I’m not shooting movies. I’ll appreciate that it won’t weigh my coat pocket down. Battery will be my only *slight* concern, I’ll get the battery.

Speaker? Don’t care.. if I can hear it ring for the people I allow through, good enough
USB-2? Don't care, never connect to anything that requires USB-3
MMWave? Don’t care.. speed isn’t an issue and I’m switching to T-Mobile because I travel internationally and am tired of monkeying around with eSims Set it and forget it.
 
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LoveToMacRumors said:
Older people don’t benefit much from the Air either. The lighter weight isn’t something they value, so they’d be more inclined to go for the regular 17 instead.
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As a 50 year old fart, I’ll appreciate the larger display of the Air. The only thing that would stray me to the pro is the case. God I miss the guine Apple case on an iPhone. Interesting to see what that silicon thing for the Air feels like.

As for the single speaker. How many of us are using a single JBL speaker or equivalent to listen to music on the go? Could it be that the single speaker on the Air is capable of the job?
 
I believe this is a very clear sign Apple is trying to say that Pro phones are going to be chunky and less premium in design terms, but get all the power, battery and pro features like RAW and Prores.

If you don’t care about those things, there’s still a “sexy” slim/lightweight model, with the premium stuff that matters, but losing a few bits that matter less.

I think the Air is getting a bad rap. Its battery is the same / as good as the iPhone 16 Pro, same 12GB RAM as the 17 Pro, its single back camera is the same camera most people use most from the Pros, the screen is 120hz and has the same new Ceramic Shield.

Yes it’s slower data speeds over USB, yes there’s the binned core, yes you lose RAW/ProRes and macro. Yes its battery isn’t as good as the new chunky 17 Pros, the thickest iPhones ever.

But it’s in a super thin, beautiful package that is arguably the cleanest, most premium and “most Apple” design since iPhone X. And it’s got most of the best stuff from the Pros while doing it.

I for one am glad they’re giving people a choice here, because the direction of travel for the Pros is chunkier, less beautiful designs to allow for performance I, for one, am increasingly not in need of.
 
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ZoeLou said:
I don’t really understand why it exists? Kind of a middle ground between 17 and 17 Pro? Instead of the 17 plus I guess? I just don’t get it.
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You ask "why it exists?" A super-thin light titanium alloy frame iPhone with modern tech in great colors at a $999 price point. What's not to like? Apple will sell zillions of them.

And for those users that need above average camera competence like me or that need above average battery life, they can either buy a Pro iPhone or Apple will sell them a battery add-on for the Air. Very smart.
 
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Another issue with the Air is the Dynamic Island seems to sit lower on the screen, so the internals can sit into the 'plateau' behind presumably.

1757522017921.png
 
Joseph C said:
I believe this is a very clear sign Apple is trying to say that Pro phones are going to be chunky and less premium in design terms, but get all the power, battery and pro features like RAW and Prores.

If you don’t care about those things, there’s still a “sexy” slim/lightweight model, with the premium stuff that matters, but losing a few bits that matter less.

I think the Air is getting a bad rap. Its battery is the same / as good as the iPhone 16 Pro, same 12GB RAM as the 17 Pro, its single back camera is the same camera most people use most from the Pros, the screen is 120hz and has the same new Ceramic Shield.

Yes it’s slower data speeds over USB, yes there’s the binned core, yes you lose RAW/ProRes and macro. Yes its battery isn’t as good as the new chunky 17 Pros, the thickest iPhones ever.

But it’s in a super thin, beautiful package that is arguably the cleanest, most premium and “most Apple” design since iPhone X. And it’s got most of the best stuff from the Pros while doing it.

I for one am glad they’re giving people a choice here, because the direction of travel for the Pros is chunkier, less beautiful designs to allow for performance I, for one, am increasingly not in need of.
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Well said
 
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iPhones are starting to become like Quality Street tubs. They get smaller every year but somehow end up costing more money
 
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Cunir said:
iPhones are starting to become like Quality Street tubs. They get smaller every year but somehow end up costing more money
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Actually come electronic stuffs, all along is like that. The more smaller they can squeeze the more expensive. Remember back in good old days come early mobile phones the like from Nokia, Motorola etc? The legend Star tac is quite expensive during those days. Because is compact.
 
Retroworldnews said:
So Guys should I wait for another year to Get Air?
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Easy answer, h*ll no. Today's Air is a beautiful device, get it now. If you do not like it take it back in a week and get a Pro if you need more camera or add a battery pack if you need more battery.
 
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Allen_Wentz said:
Easy answer. H*ll no. Today's Air is a beautiful device, get it now. If you do not like it take it back in a week and get a Pro if you need more camera or add a battery pack if you need more battery.
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I will not return " If " I get the Air next I will also get that New MagSafe specially for it. Just that I current on iPhone 15 battery health is bad but I just recently get a Belkin Magsafe from Apple. I not particular on Camera quality even come how many Gb even come speaker. The spec do claim the Air is not a stereo speaker. I also hardly watch much videos or listen music from my iPhone. Thus that why I see the Air caught my attention kinda suit for me. Is not been rich or poor here. I mean is it worth it to get now? Or wait just for one more year see the next Air.
 
LoveToMacRumors said:
.....
Older people don’t benefit much from the Air either. The lighter weight isn’t something they value, so they’d be more inclined to go for the regular 17 instead.
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Wanna bet ?
62 years old and looking forward to the Air to replace my 16 Pro.

My hands and eyes are no longer youthful so every ounce helps as I wear 2 iPhones every day, thin dimension reduction helps my arthritic fingers, and the larger screen is good without having to squint.

Younger people and those that live on their phones, go for the big heavy Pro models....
 
I'm hoping it catches on and becomes the entry model like the MacBook Air. iPad Air will become the entry model once Apple retires the low end iPad.
 
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ZoeLou said:
I don’t really understand why it exists? Kind of a middle ground between 17 and 17 Pro? Instead of the 17 plus I guess? I just don’t get it.
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It’s all about the aesthetics—being chic. I think this is the start of what future models will look like.
Kind of like the first MacBook Air: the battery life was poor and it was way more limited than the regular MacBooks and MacBook Pros, but it looked so much more modern.
Later revisions fixed all those shortcomings.

Every time I pick up my regular iPhone (Pro Max), I wish it wasn’t this chunky, and I already know that in the near future we’ll be laughing at these brick-like chunky phones.

That’s what the Air is about—a sign of the future.
 
NvidiaIntelPC said:
It’s all about the aesthetics—being chic. I think this is the start of what future models will look like.
Kind of like the first MacBook Air: the battery life was poor and it was way more limited than the regular MacBooks and MacBook Pros, but it looked so much more modern.
Later revisions fixed all those shortcomings.

Every time I pick up my regular iPhone (Pro Max), I wish it wasn’t this chunky, and I already know that in the near future we’ll be laughing at these brick-like chunky phones.

That’s what the Air is about—a sign of the future.
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2027 will be Apple 20th anniversary. Maybe iPhone Air launch that year might have some surprise?
 
warriors2017 said:
I'm hoping it catches on and becomes the entry model like the MacBook Air. iPad Air will become the entry model once Apple retires the low end iPad.
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Yes, I love my 11.6" MacBook Air - smallest laptop for travel I use.
Even better than my 12" MacBook Retina but it uses standard USB-C instead of the old MagSafe 2 on the Air.
 
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