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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.
I would never use the Air if I had a family personally. I would want a great camera with me at all times.

I really think the Air is super overrated tbh. I would absolutely use the 17 Pro over the Air.
 
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Try Air and figure out. It may be or may not be for you. You won’t be second guessing if you try it within return window.
 
People on this forum get so hung up on the word PRO, same as in iPad and MacBook forum.
You don't have to be a pro to buy a pro product.
Just means better features ie speakers, screen, camera, all stuff everyday non professional users can apreciate.

Also if you are buying a pro anything to show off to people you got bigger issues lol
 
My argument is that every ‘fault’ the air has is only an issue if you’re 14 years old. No self-respecting adult plays music from a tinny phone speaker when you have disposable income to buy something better. Heck, a pair of decent CMF Buds are only £30. Running out of battery before 3pm is a symptom of social media addiction, not an indictment of Apple’s engineering. You’re an adult: read a book, go to the pub or play Hades 2. The single camera might be an issue if you’re into Photography as the macro and telephoto are useful. But if you’re also into Photography then use the money saved not going Pro to buy a 2nd hand DSLR and do it properly. My 20 year old Canon 350D still takes better pictures than any smartphone. Laws of physics etc and because the thing is so heavy, I take it out with purpose and the photos mean something. You’ll find strangers more accommodating to street photography if you have a proper camera.

So honestly, what’s are you waiting for?
 
There are too many compromises with this years Air. It's a gorgeous device, I know, however the speakers are a whole 10db quieter than the Pro with less quality, the device is prone to overheating and the battery is poor. If you're interested in the Air, wait until Apple use solid-state batteries which will remove a lot of compromises as they'll have space to add extra features such as speakers and cameras.
 
There are too many compromises with this years Air. It's a gorgeous device, I know, however the speakers are a whole 10db quieter than the Pro with less quality, the device is prone to overheating and the battery is poor. If you're interested in the Air, wait until Apple use solid-state batteries which will remove a lot of compromises as they'll have space to add extra features such as speakers and cameras.
battery is not poor. After a week of use I can easily say it's similar to my previous iPhone, the 16 Pro.
But let me guess, you don't own one yourself? and just read other non owners who complaint about the battery
 
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.

Two solutions, keeping all the emotions aside:
a) get an Air + a decent DSLR camera for your important photos;
b) keep the 17 Pro.

If you go with plan a), you may need to invest a bit more initially, but then you won’t need to worry about your iPhone camera for a while. 😉
 
I have enjoyed it so far, but my mind keeps going back to the Air.
I have been in exactly the same position as you since getting my 17 Pro Max last week. I own one of the best smartphones ever made, so why have I spent the last week watching Air impressions and review videos? Like many others have said, it gives me iPhone X vibes and gets me excited about Apple design again.

iPhones have been getting bigger and heavier for years and that's a good thing in many ways. The Pros should be thicker so they can have bigger batteries, but there's also something great about a phone that doesn't drag your jeans downwards and feels more like a screen in your hand.

I took some photos yesterday with the 4x telephoto lens and the 8x crop and they look good. It's always great to have the ability to get closer to a subject. However, I realised that most of the photos I treasure and look at again are taken with the main camera.

I never use my phone's speakers to listen to anything other than a quick video clip so the Air's single speaker doesn't bother me. The battery seems fine, though I still own the old Apple MagSafe Battery if I need it.

I won't be able to rest until I've tried an Air for myself, so I've placed an order for an Air on the Apple online store. It arrives Tuesday, and I'm really excited. If it fits into my life (and pocket) as well as I think it might, I'll be returning the 17 Pro Max.

So, my advice is scratch that itch, unless you want to be dreaming forever.
 
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If you're in IUP, try the Air, you definitely won't hate it, it'll do just about everything you want it to do (while feeling gorgeous in the hand and pocket) and in less than 12 months, you can change it knowing you've either scratched that itch and ticked it of the wishlist or you see it as the way forward. You're not talking about it being the last phone you'll ever own, it's only a year.

Edit: after a week of ownership, I'm now getting 2 days of use out of an 80->20% charge. No complaints on battery life
 
Apple gave buyers a clear form versus function choice this year. iPhone 17 Air form or iPhone 17 Pro function?

I feel this is an oversimplification. The Air is not form without function, it actually is amazing to me how much function Apple have been able to cram into a phone this thin.

Till you put a case on it which 95% of people do

I‘m very sure the naked-vs.-case ratio will be very different for the Air. People who decide to make some compromises (vs. the Pro) or spend more money (vs. the regular 17) will want to feel this futuristic object in their hands.
 
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battery is not poor. After a week of use I can easily say it's similar to my previous iPhone, the 16 Pro.
But let me guess, you don't own one yourself? and just read other non owners who complaint about the battery
No, I’ve been researching via video reviews on YouTube. The battery is poor and is probably the same as a depleted 16 Pro battery that’s a year old.

The numbers given by Apple were based on the user taking advantage of power efficiency settings rather than normal use. Check out Marques Brownlee, Dave2D and other popular tech reviewers.
 
I came to the Air highly skeptical. I was worried about a lot of the “shortcomings” too. I bought it with the intention of just suffering with it for a year if I didn’t like it, but right now, if they don’t release an Air 2, I’m not sure the direction I’ll take. I actually really enjoy it. The smaller form factor with this size screen is perfect for me. i love how light it is and it’s very comfortable to handle one handed.

I would say try it. Worst that can happen is you end up returning it.
 
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I have had the Air for a week sent back the Pro Max and am coming from a 16pro. I am extremely happy with it it has not gotten hot once except for the initial set up. I do not game on my phone so that may impact you if you do. Speaker has been fine for me it is plenty loud enough for 99.9% of things. Every once in awhile I will encounter a video where the posters quality was bad and then it can be hard to hear but that is rare.

Camera is a great I do not use the wide or tele lens so that was never an issue. Battery has been great for me, here is a screen shot of Thursday which has been pretty much what I see very day. I am on WiFi all day so if you are not then it may vary, but you can top the battery off quickly if needed. Overall for me this phone is perfect and a joy to hold and use. Large screen size without the hand fatigue
 

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It's subjective. I see in this thread those who absolutely love the iPhone Air, my self included, and others who hate on this new iPhone. I get it. I come from the 15 Pro Max and love that this phone is an amazing iPhone but have gotten tired of carrying a "brick" when compared to how thin and light the new iPhone Air is.

I made the change to the Air and have had this since last Friday and have not regretted my choice in having the new iPhone. In the week I have had my Air, I have experienced the heat issue but that is when I was sitting in my patio in close to 90 degree heat. Both my Air and Pro Max heated up and performance began to lag on both phones so I don't take this as a hit on my new Air. Once I got inside where it was cooler, performance on both iPhones went back to what I had expected.

The other issue is battery life. For me this has not been a major issue to me as I am never too far from a power source to charge my iPhone battery and keep it topped off for the day. Whether at my home since I'm now retired, or when driving in my car as I have a wireless iPhone charger mount for my iPhone. This isn't an issue however with that said may present challenges for someone else.

The other "reported" issue is the camera . . . since the Air has only one "fusion" 48 megapixel camera, it is limited compared to the iPhone 17 and Pro series iPhone by the one camera it has. With this limitation, it still takes excellent quality pictures and for what it is a "point and shoot" camera and I have been very pleased with this iPhone. I have a Nikon D850 and D810 camera with several lenses to use if I want to take serious photographs.

Again, speaking for myself, I don't have any issues with the identified shortcomings of this new iPhone Air as I have means to overcome them. Bottom line for me is that I feel I have a premium quality iPhone with a titanium frame and the A19 Pro processor which I desire to have in a premium line iPhone, and love that this iPhone is so thin and light. The form factor is perfect for me which is all that truly matters. Point being, there's no wrong choice when selecting an iPhone. Everyone is unique and their choices are just that. Get the iPhone that works best for you whether you're focused on costs, features, or performance. Get the one that suits how you want to use your iPhone best :apple:
 
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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.
I went with the air over the pro max … coming from a 16 pro max and do not regret it … I get about a day and change from the battery and no thermal concerns and the camera is great no issues there the speaker conversation is a literal joke to me I don’t get why people even mention it lol but that’s just me. Zero regrets and loving it over a week later
 

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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.
SO I’ve been on the fence, but saw your reply and looked through my last 4 months of metadata from my photos. All were main camera, only one pic was ultra! May have sealed the deal to get the Air! Coming from a 15 Pro Max. The camera was really my only concern!
 
SO I’ve been on the fence, but saw your reply and looked through my last 4 months of metadata from my photos. All were main camera, only one pic was ultra! May have sealed the deal to get the Air! Coming from a 15 Pro Max. The camera was really my only concern!
I just went through my photo’s almost all of the are main camera. Only a couple (2 to be exact) were telephoto. Guess I made the right choice.
 
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