iPhone Air Do you still love the iPhone Air?

[4sallypat]

Did not know this. Makes me want the Air even more now.

Air has been the best performer for: cellular, WiFi, BT and NFC.

Coming from a 16Pro, this 17 Air is an amazing feat of engineering combined with thin profile, lightweight, and very efficient battery.

17 Air photo from Maui, Hawaii:

 

[fatTribble]

That's the advantage of having a superior frame with far less encumbrances than the other models. The Air is THE superior iPhone - the rest is overhyped crap for those who think they need a "better" camera, stereo speakers that no one cares about in a tiny device, or a ficticious "better" battery life.

Well now I feel bad for buying the overhyped crap iPhone 😕

 

[thmsnt]

Having come from a 15 Pro Max to a 17 Pro to an Air... the Air has crazy insane reception. In grocery stores where neither my 17 Pro or 15 Pro Max had reception, - the Air chugs away with 1 bar as if it is right next to a tower. The reception bars and wifi signal bars also seem far more responsive (update more frequently).

When I restored from iCloud backup, my Air did it in less than half the time it took my 17 Pro ... (I had weird wifi issues with my 17 Pro days later even). My 17 Air picks up wifi in parking lots that neither of my phones did... <shrug>.

Noticed the same regarding cellular reception. The C1X is far superior to any Qualcomm iPhone I've had, most recently my 15 Pro. I get better reception in more places, the same places where my 15P struggled. I also notice the phone stays much cooler when using CarPlay and streaming music/navigating, etc. Much less battery drain with wireless CarPlay too.

 

[Blaidd]

Signal on my air is exceptional. Probably some of the best I’ve had and I’ve had iPhones since the 4.

 

[nepalisherpa]

This actually influenced my buying decision. I’ve been making a conscious decision to use my camera more often of late and the image quality, even on a 2-decade DSLR is still miles better than any phone. I conscientiously take my time with composition and conditions and find the images more enjoyable to look at. At the same time my iCloud library is stuffed with thousands of great iPhone-taken images I never give time of day. I bought the Air because if its lack of cameras.

Believe it or not, I had been wishing for a phone with just one camera for a while. I hate the ridiculous 2 or 3 lens setup on the back, which IMO, makes the phone look ugly. Like you, I use my mirrorless setup more for photos. It is true that 2 or 3 lens setup is convenient but not all of us are after it. So, this phone feels just right for people who are after simplicity. To others, it's definitely lacking features but they do have other options.

 

[ctjack]

This actually influenced my buying decision. I’ve been making a conscious decision to use my camera more often of late and the image quality, even on a 2-decade DSLR is still miles better than any phone. I conscientiously take my time with composition and conditions and find the images more enjoyable to look at. At the same time my iCloud library is stuffed with thousands of great iPhone-taken images I never give time of day. I bought the Air because if its lack of cameras.

Never considered an iphone to be a cameraphone since i have my trusty sony nex 7 from 2011. Still going strong on original battery with couple fixed 1.8f lenses.

Acquired 15 pro and have tons of useless pictures. I think my phone photography was better when i had less choice with 13 mini (only 1 usable lens) and dslr.

 

[awshucks]

This actually influenced my buying decision. I’ve been making a conscious decision to use my camera more often of late and the image quality, even on a 2-decade DSLR is still miles better than any phone. I conscientiously take my time with composition and conditions and find the images more enjoyable to look at. At the same time my iCloud library is stuffed with thousands of great iPhone-taken images I never give time of day. I bought the Air because if its lack of cameras.

Same. My Canon with the kit lens still runs circles around my 15 Pro.

Also, when taking closeups with my 15 Pro in the 1x, and macro activates, it just uses a scaled up 3MP image that is a cropped view of the 0.5x lens. This makes daylily photos taken 7-8" away from the phone look artificial and just poor quality compared to experience with previous iPhones that lack macro. So I'm glad the ultra wide is not present in this case.

 

[ctjack]

Same. My Canon with the kit lens still runs circles around my 15 Pro.

Also, when taking closeups with my 15 Pro in the 1x, and macro activates, it just uses a scaled up 3MP image that is a cropped view of the 0.5x lens. This makes daylily photos taken 7-8" away from the phone look artificial and just poor quality compared to experience with previous iPhones that lack macro. So I'm glad the ultra wide is not present in this case.

Also if smn scratches you on the road, good luck taking their license plate pictures with the pro phone - lidar makes it focus right on the windshield. Technology that is made to make photos better makes it actually worse on top of the uncontrolled lens switching for user - i want to choose the lens and not see these constant shifting of lenses in close macro distance.

 

[Macdctr]

The Air is not the perfect iPhone for everyone. There will be some who will post just how awful this iPhone is when it really is not. Oh yes, we can get into useless debates online whether or not the iPhone Air was a mistake or not. To me all this talk is irrelevant and just plain noise...

For some the Air is the perfect iPhone and others it is not and this is perfectly okay. What needs to be brought up is that the Air does come with excellent engineering in that it is the strongest, thinnest and lightest iPhone Apple has produced to date. It uses premium metals (titanium) and in my opinion is a very attractive phone.

It comes with the A19 Pro processor, even with one less GPU core the normal iPhone user will not notice and will be pleased with the overall performance of this iPhone. It also comes with the C1X cellular chip which is improved over the C1 cellular chip found on the 17 and Pro series iPhones. Another thing to bring up is that the Air also has 12GB memory just like the Pro series iPhones and runs apps very well. From the "average iPhone user" point of view they will see that the Air is more than adequate for their needs, performance wise.

If you are near a power source where you can either charge your iPhone easily (car charger mount or near an AC source) or if you have a MagSafe power pack available then the so-called shortcomings from the Air's built-in battery is a mute point. Nothing to worry about from my experience of using my Air since I have pre-ordered mine.

Then there's the "camera" issue many have continued to point out as being inferior regarding the camera installed on the Air. I don't agree with this as I use my iPhone as a "point and shoot" device and not as a serious tool for serious photography. The iPhone or any camera phone for that matter is a device out of convenience, not serious photography. Yes I know there will be those giving me flack for this comment as they see their Pro series as a serious photography/videography tool. Fine, but for the average iPhone user, this is not the case. The average iPhone user will never fully utilize all the features that the Pro series iPhone has, plain and simple. They will only overpay for features they will never use. I personally don't see the point in this however there will be comments made regarding how the Air is overpriced. Perhaps this is correct as well. I will add all these modern phones are overpriced but it is what it is.

Just choose the iPhones that you want for what each brings depending on your use case and just be happy with what you purchased. I have typically been a Pro series iPhone user ever since the Pro series came out. No exceptions and have gotten the max storage for those iPhones. I have enjoyed knowing I had features in case I would use them and have realized I haven't been using most of them so when the Air came out I felt this iPhone had a great blend of some of the Pro series features mentioned earlier yet have the form I have desired in the iPhone for quite some time . . . the thinness and lightness while having a 6.5" OLED promotion display. To me the best of all worlds regarding the iPhone and why I chose the Air this time around.

Personally if you like the bulkiness and utilitarian looks of the current Pro series iPhones and are not concerned with the aluminum body of the iPhone getting scratched and dented then that is your choice. I chose having an iPhone that is not prone to denting easily yet strong enough to be thin and light but then that's my choice and for those who purchased the Air, it is their choice as to why they purchased it seeing it is their money.

I think all these iPhones are excellent iPhones in their own right.

 

[M19]

Rocking the iPhone Air naked since launch and coming from 16 ProMax its been incredible to use.

 

[teh_hunterer]

As much as one would love a phone, yeah I love it more the longer I have it. I was worried at first about what I was giving up coming from having the last few Pro Maxes, but the more I use this the more I realise how much I never used or cared about those features.

I'm not going back to a bigger, heavier phone. Ever.

 

[zenmacx]

Does Apple claim that for their phones? If so, that seems like a useless claim because it can mean so many different things. Does that mean literally 24 hours? With what kind of usage?


I hear people say the Edge is better because the camera and speakers, but I wonder if they are just selectively highlighting certain aspects. Does it not have any trade offs compared to the Air? It's as good or better in every way? Are Samsung engineers just better?

Comparing my Air vs. my Edge, the edge has many advantages. Most are obvious like dual cameras, dual speakers and longer battery life. In real world use it is most certainly the better phone.

As a long time Apple enthusiast it’s frustrating to witness their approach. One of Apples areas of expertise is withholding features, which they’ve conditioned their loyal customers to go without and still pay a premium price. Deliberately excluding dual cameras, only including a very poor single speaker and old tech battery, iPhone Air leaves a lot to be desired.

Fully capable of building a phone as good or better than Samsung, Apple plays the game of making customers wait. Just one look in this forum reveals the Apple apologists, excuse makers and those who would never criticize the Cupertino company.

It will be interesting to see what the future brings if Apple keeps the Air in the lineup.

 

[ctjack]

Comparing my Air vs. my Edge, the edge has many advantages. Most are obvious like dual cameras, dual speakers and longer battery life. In real world use it is most certainly the better phone.

As a long time Apple enthusiast it’s frustrating to witness their approach. One of Apples areas of expertise is withholding features, which they’ve conditioned their loyal customers to go without and still pay a premium price. Deliberately excluding dual cameras, only including a very poor single speaker and old tech battery, iPhone Air leaves a lot to be desired.

Fully capable of building a phone as good or better than Samsung, Apple plays the game of making customers wait. Just one look in this forum reveals the Apple apologists, excuse makers and those who would never criticize the Cupertino company.

It will be interesting to see what the future brings if Apple keeps the Air in the lineup.

I still remember my galaxy s3 competing for 6 months against iphone 4s until they came up with iPhone 5.

S3 you could read and write nfc tags for subway cards in certain countries, attach usb cable to read your hdd or usb drive, unlock boot kernel to install custom os and sound kernel - this thing was basically driving studio headphones at 70+ ohms while iPhone was quiet with supplemental beats headphones at 24 ohm.

Overall there are things samsung always did better but they lost me on s8 software update - so many useless buttons and menu options.

At all the time, samsung or android will have specific edge (100x optics and dex) but it is up to end user which way they will maximize their use cases.

For me an iPhone is a safe boring choice, and with my latest purchase (12 mini) also the most usable one in small phone segment.

 

[subjonas]

Comparing my Air vs. my Edge, the edge has many advantages. Most are obvious like dual cameras, dual speakers and longer battery life. In real world use it is most certainly the better phone.

As a long time Apple enthusiast it’s frustrating to witness their approach. One of Apples areas of expertise is withholding features, which they’ve conditioned their loyal customers to go without and still pay a premium price. Deliberately excluding dual cameras, only including a very poor single speaker and old tech battery, iPhone Air leaves a lot to be desired.

Fully capable of building a phone as good or better than Samsung, Apple plays the game of making customers wait. Just one look in this forum reveals the Apple apologists, excuse makers and those who would never criticize the Cupertino company.

It will be interesting to see what the future brings if Apple keeps the Air in the lineup.

I don't expect you to list them, but I was trying to find out if the Edge is better in every single way or if there were ways in which the Air had any advantage (even if overall the Edge is better). There are a ton of aspects of a phone, so it seemed unlikely that one phone is better in every single one. I've seen people list the obvious ways the Edge is better, and I'm sure there are also less obvious aspects in which the Edge is better that haven't been mentioned, but because I don't recall anyone listing the favorable aspects of the Air in comparison, I was curious what they were.

I did a quick look up of some Edge specs and only saw a couple disadvantages:
- starts at $100 more (same 256 GB storage)
- battery life (video playback Air 27 hours, Edge 24 hours) (apparently you were incorrect on this point?)
- max nits (Air 3000 outside, Edge 2600)

But other comparisons I'm wondering about that I didn't see:
- chip performance
- main camera sensor/lens performance
- front camera performance
- durability
- satellite features
- modem performance
- biometric authentication

Granted all these aspects don't matter to everyone. Just trying to gather data to see the complete picture.

 

[BigDO]

Let’s be honest. Air will be the next mini. Some will not care, while others will regret not buying it when available new from apple store, the same way as there is no way to find new 13 mini now.

Spot on. It will have a rabid fan base, and sales which don’t match its vociferousness.

I have been daily driving it for a month now. Didn’t have the heart to return it while I could, yet still don’t have the heart to sell my 16 Pro either.

I remember going through the same dilemma with the 12 Mini. At the end the 13 Pro put me out of my misery.

 

[zenmacx]

I don't expect you to list them, but I was trying to find out if the Edge is better in every single way or if there were ways in which the Air had any advantage (even if overall the Edge is better). There are a ton of aspects of a phone, so it seemed unlikely that one phone is better in every single one. I've seen people list the obvious ways the Edge is better, and I'm sure there are also less obvious aspects in which the Edge is better that haven't been mentioned, but because I don't recall anyone listing the favorable aspects of the Air in comparison, I was curious what they were.

I did a quick look up of some Edge specs and only saw a couple disadvantages:
- starts at $100 more (same 256 GB storage)
- battery life (video playback Air 27 hours, Edge 24 hours) (apparently you were incorrect on this point?)
- max nits (Air 3000 outside, Edge 2600)

But other comparisons I'm wondering about that I didn't see:
- chip performance
- main camera sensor/lens performance
- front camera performance
- durability
- satellite features
- modem performance
- biometric authentication

Granted all these aspects don't matter to everyone. Just trying to gather data to see the complete picture.

As an enthusiast I appreciate both iOS and Android, each for their unique pros and cons. I've purchased a large number of phones over the years, have multiple lines and as such it’s easy and enjoyable to do side by side comparisons. As a point of reference I've owned nearly every iPhone since the original release in 2007. During the same time frame I've owned Samsung, OPPO, OnePlus, Sony, LG, Motorola Huewei, etc.

Working in tech, in a cross platform environment, each device gets thoroughly tested. My usage does tend to tax the performance of the various smartphones.

While mindfully remaining as neutral as possible, I do have a bit of a bias towards Apple, yet fully appreciate the freedom Android offers and take advantage of that.

I weigh two main areas of consideration when evaluating a new product. First there's the specifications which provide a baseline of knowledge. Second is obtained once I own and test the device, which is how it actually performs.

The Air is quite good for what it is, and performs well given its configuration. I was fully aware of its limitations, like the single speaker before purchasing. However once I bought it and put it into service, the poor audio quality became apparent. I was expecting Apples typically high quality but this isn't it.

While important, I'm not price sensitive so there's that. I look for value, but the Air falls short.

Brightness, while the specs say otherwise, real world use reveals the difference is inconsequential.

Battery life involves too many variables, and as such that's where for my purposes nothing beats carrying these two each on their own line day after day. While the Edge beats the Air it’s not significant.

Chip, my use is both personal and business, but no games, so obvious differences are very minimal with both being rather equal.

Camera performance on these two isn't that important to me as I greatly prefer the cameras on my iPhone 16 Pro Max for serious work. However for casual photos the limitations of the Airs single camera are glaring. Conversely picture taking on the Edge suffers no such limitations.

Durability, as stated earlier I have a slight bias towards Apple as their hardware is excellent with few exceptions. The Air is Apples usual high quality. The Edge is one of Samsungs better efforts and is also excellent.

I have no opinion on satellite features.

Difference in modem performance is undetectable.

Summarized, we all have different preferences, use cases and goals. As long as one is aware of the rather significant shortcomings of iPhone Air, then it may not disappoint. For light or casual users this model should suffice.

 

[subjonas]

As an enthusiast I appreciate both iOS and Android, each for their unique pros and cons. I've purchased a large number of phones over the years, have multiple lines and as such it’s easy and enjoyable to do side by side comparisons. As a point of reference I've owned nearly every iPhone since the original release in 2007. During the same time frame I've owned Samsung, OPPO, OnePlus, Sony, LG, Motorola Huewei, etc.

Working in tech, in a cross platform environment, each device gets thoroughly tested. My usage does tend to tax the performance of the various smartphones.

While mindfully remaining as neutral as possible, I do have a bit of a bias towards Apple, yet fully appreciate the freedom Android offers and take advantage of that.

I weigh two main areas of consideration when evaluating a new product. First there's the specifications which provide a baseline of knowledge. Second is obtained once I own and test the device, which is how it actually performs.

The Air is quite good for what it is, and performs well given its configuration. I was fully aware of its limitations, like the single speaker before purchasing. However once I bought it and put it into service, the poor audio quality became apparent. I was expecting Apples typically high quality but this isn't it.

While important, I'm not price sensitive so there's that. I look for value, but the Air falls short.

Brightness, while the specs say otherwise, real world use reveals the difference is inconsequential.

Battery life involves too many variables, and as such that's where for my purposes nothing beats carrying these two each on their own line day after day. While the Edge beats the Air it’s not significant.

Chip, my use is both personal and business, but no games, so obvious differences are very minimal with both being rather equal.

Camera performance on these two isn't that important to me as I greatly prefer the cameras on my iPhone 16 Pro Max for serious work. However for casual photos the limitations of the Airs single camera are glaring. Conversely picture taking on the Edge suffers no such limitations.

Durability, as stated earlier I have a slight bias towards Apple as their hardware is excellent with few exceptions. The Air is Apples usual high quality. The Edge is one of Samsungs better efforts and is also excellent.

I have no opinion on satellite features.

Difference in modem performance is undetectable.

Summarized, we all have different preferences, use cases and goals. As long as one is aware of the rather significant shortcomings of iPhone Air, then it may not disappoint. For light or casual users this model should suffice.

Thanks, appreciate the perspective and assessment.

 

[thatJohann]

Yes. My favorite iPhone ever. And I’ve had all of them.

 

[jpallarest]

Oh yes! Favorite iPhone ever. It'll be hard to go back to brick phones.

 

[macbookj0e]

I'm thinking about getting an iPhone Air. I know that some of you have bought one and had a "wow" experience when first using it, but do you still feel that way about the phone? Or is it a phase that has faded? I'd like to know.

For me I loved it as soon as I started using it and then more as time has gone on. My work phone (iPhone 12) now really feels an old and bulky design.

The battery is excellent and not a concern as many would have you believe. It might be less impressive if coming from a pro max however which I didn’t. It does last noticeably longer than my 15 Pro. When I put it on charge at night it typically has 30-50% left where my 15 Pro had 20%.

Everything about it is great but the only thing I’d like improved is the inclusion of an ultrawide. The speaker is good enough for me and the 12gb ram is a bonus with less reloading etc. I’ve also noticed the N1 chip definitely has given better reliability and connectivity using hot spots which I often use.

Everyone’s different and others may or may not like it but for me it’s the best phone I’ve owned. Really hope they stick with it and keep improving it over generations to come.

 

[achappy]

Every morning when I take the phone off the charger I’m reminded how great the Air is. Amazingly thin and light. I’m able to golf a full round with it in my pocket because I don’t even feel it unlike the 15 Pro Max I had. Cellular reception has been phenomenal and have not missed the .5/5X cameras at all. The pictures I’ve taken with the main camera have been extremely good.

And at night as I’m laying in bed reading I’m still loving just how light and easy it is to use one handed.

 

[Kjabean]

There are tests on YouTube of the edge and the air being compared and it shows that the air one speaker actually sounds louder and more full then the edges two, same with the camera is actually clearer and more vivid in color. The whole thing keeps coming up but the reality is pretty far from negatives unless you just want specs on a sheet. People love bringing it up though.

 

[vi2867]

I still love the iPhone Air. It definitely has limitations. For me, they are not deal breakers. The battery, camera, and speaker. Make sure that you can adjust on how it works and it may be for you.

 

[Paddle1]

That's the advantage of having a superior frame with far less encumbrances than the other models. The Air is THE superior iPhone - the rest is overhyped crap for those who think they need a "better" camera, stereo speakers that no one cares about in a tiny device, or a ficticious "better" battery life.

The personal preference as objectivity surrounding the Air is too much sometimes. I can't wait for the iPhone Air 2 or whatever to come out with a dual camera setup and stereo speakers to make it all look silly. I have no doubt, if Samsung can do it, so can Apple.

 

[Olde Dave]

“I use earbuds because I'm not a barbarian…”

And bless you for that.

I thought about the Air, but decided to stay with my iPhone 16 instead. I’ve played with it at the Apple Store a few times, but for me personally, the wow factor wasn’t enough to get me to upgrade. There is also the fact that I just can’t bring myself to go case-less. I’m apparently too clumsy, no matter how hard I try.

Also, the fact that I was upgrading my iPad and didn’t want to spend even more money helped my decision, I’m sure.