Maybe less of a bargain if you take into consideration the residual value of an unpopular device.
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iPhone Air Every thread online about the Air.....
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Irrelevant to me personally, as somebody who trades in/upgrades yearly (I like a fresh battery, reset warranty, and better cameras). But for those who hold onto their phones a bit longer and/or resell instead… You’re not entirely off base.
I too upgrade annually and swapped the Air for the Pro for a number of reasons but knowing it’s unpopular and may struggle on the used market also factored into my thinking. As with anything, it’s only a “bargain” if the residuals are good and the bill of materials doesn’t effect that, market perception does.
The best way to burn money is a Samsung Fold/Flip which again…..I still do every year.
I actually think it is early adopters syndrome that is happening with the Air. I personally always kind of wait and see what a new design is see the flaws and design compromises. Then decide whether I want it after a year and new models replace the prior model. I also think that eventually the air will end up being the base of the regular iPhone. I. Also think that the Pro model will get more thin but at least three years before that happens as that is a new form factor this year
I haven't seen any hate towards the Air or the people who use it, but I have seen plenty of criticism for the device and I think that is very warranted. I don't really understand why Apple are perhaps pre-testing a niche with a niche and the price-point for the Air is a little absurd for what it offers in my opinion. It seems like an SE iPhone packaged with a shiney frame and priced about £300 more than what it deserves to me.
No hate for anybody that is enjoying the Air though, its an iPhone at the end of the day and you're looking at the same screen as everybody else.
No hate for anybody that is enjoying the Air though, its an iPhone at the end of the day and you're looking at the same screen as everybody else.
Same, but was also satisfied with the SE, so saved money for other endeavors in that fashion.
True, but I think the problem is people always try to "objectify" their opinions rather than openly admitting they're really just personal opinions and preferences.
The objectification ("this device is great/useless") creates the conflict.
There is a small but vocal group that goes into any air thread where people are talking about their enjoyment of the phone and bashes it. It happens in pretty much every air thread that Ive seen. The battery is trash, the camera is trash, the speaker is trash.... None of those statements are true so air owners get defensive and it turns into an argument.
It seems that most people who own the Air really love it and maybe that bothers some because they aren't getting the same enjoyment out of their new phone. Im not saying these people hate the air and its users but there seems to be a very strong dislike for the device and its existence.
Personally I think what hurts the Air is the price point Apple had placed for this product. I have noticed a lot of people pointing out with the "compromises" that the Air has and it's price point it makes more sense to go with the Pro series iPhones and for them this is probably the right choice.
Having been a Pro Max iPhone user since they have been sold by Apple, I was not impressed by the use of aluminum for the body of the new Pro series iPhones primarily because of how easy they are to scratch and/or dent if you drop them. I feel having to shell out more money for a premium level device (as much as $2k for the Pro Max with 2TB), I would not want to have to worry about creating any cosmetic defects which will eventually make the phone look terrible. Also the poor color options available turned me off from even considering the Pro series this time around.
The Air, with all it's "compromises" at least comes with the A19 Pro processor, even with the one less GPU core, would not affect performance for the majority of iPhone users unless they do serious graphic related apps on their iPhones. For this I choose to use my 16 inch MBP which has the M1 Max 10 core CPU/32 Core GPU to do the graphic centric apps and use my iPhone for what a typical user would use their iPhones for.
Also the Air has 12GB memory like the Pro series iPhones have and has the improved C1X chip for improved cellular performance over the Pro series and iPhone 17 line. I'm not happy with the price point of the Air but for my use case which is not graphics heavy or power user centric, suits my use case very well and in the month I have been using my new Air have not disappointed me.
Bottom line is there is a phone for everyone. Not one phone is better than the other depending on how well that phone suits the individual's use case. That is my opinion on this. The Air, for me, is the perfect iPhone this time around
Having been a Pro Max iPhone user since they have been sold by Apple, I was not impressed by the use of aluminum for the body of the new Pro series iPhones primarily because of how easy they are to scratch and/or dent if you drop them. I feel having to shell out more money for a premium level device (as much as $2k for the Pro Max with 2TB), I would not want to have to worry about creating any cosmetic defects which will eventually make the phone look terrible. Also the poor color options available turned me off from even considering the Pro series this time around.
The Air, with all it's "compromises" at least comes with the A19 Pro processor, even with the one less GPU core, would not affect performance for the majority of iPhone users unless they do serious graphic related apps on their iPhones. For this I choose to use my 16 inch MBP which has the M1 Max 10 core CPU/32 Core GPU to do the graphic centric apps and use my iPhone for what a typical user would use their iPhones for.
Also the Air has 12GB memory like the Pro series iPhones have and has the improved C1X chip for improved cellular performance over the Pro series and iPhone 17 line. I'm not happy with the price point of the Air but for my use case which is not graphics heavy or power user centric, suits my use case very well and in the month I have been using my new Air have not disappointed me.
Bottom line is there is a phone for everyone. Not one phone is better than the other depending on how well that phone suits the individual's use case. That is my opinion on this. The Air, for me, is the perfect iPhone this time around
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Had the 16 pro max, traded it for a 17 pro max. Big, Heavy, and I didn't like the blue tinted screen. Its just past brick level that I can deal with, and I lived with a Mini for 3 years. Tried the 17 pro and its great. Used an Air and a regular size pro for about 2 weeks and kept the Air.
After a few weeks with the air, I have no regrets nor feel like I'm missing anything. Yes I would like a better stereo speaker. It doesn't get hot, it doesn't seem slower than my 16 pro. The size factor is a thing, I have it in a full Dbrand Ghost case and it feels like a caseless phone because its so thing. 100% I'll get the Air2 with whatever improvements they make unless the pro loses the camera blank space or gets some other crazy upgrade.
After a few weeks with the air, I have no regrets nor feel like I'm missing anything. Yes I would like a better stereo speaker. It doesn't get hot, it doesn't seem slower than my 16 pro. The size factor is a thing, I have it in a full Dbrand Ghost case and it feels like a caseless phone because its so thing. 100% I'll get the Air2 with whatever improvements they make unless the pro loses the camera blank space or gets some other crazy upgrade.
When the iPhone X came out back in 2017 we had the same type of thing on here. Suddenly anybody who didn't have an OLED screen on their phone was using something un-useable or not opening their phones fast enough because they didn't have FaceID. Obviously both of those things were completely absurd and it really boiled down to snobbery amongst iPhone users more than anything.
I've questioned the Air myself, but not from a platform of feeling superior and I'm using a 16 Pro Max. I think perhaps the features and price combined, attract the scruntiny but it is a tech forum I suppose ad these things will be questioned. People often forget that the phones other people use, actually make no difference to them.
I do remember face id vs touch id was a hot debate! I don't understand the team pro vs team air that this forum has turned in to, they are both great devices aimed at different customers. I own the air and completely understand the downsides and why its not the best phone for everybody. My friends come to me for advice since I'm the "techy" and most I have advised to get the pro because either they keep their phones for a long time (4+ years) or they wanted the best camera for XYZ. For me it was simple, I hated the weight of my 13pro and felt like it was uncomfortable to use 1 handed for extended periods of time. The 15 pro was lighter and definitely an improvement but the 16pro and 17pro just added weight back so I knew they weren't the best option for me. The air checked enough boxes that its worth having the lighter weight and thinner design and I can use it one handed for extended periods with no issues. The 17pro is a great device and I'm a little jealous of the 8x optical zoom after trying it out but I know that I wouldn't use the zoom enough to make up for not liking the weight or thickness as much.
I have had my Air since the official launch and still liking it, I also bought an Apple Watch Ultra 3 with the black Titanium Milanese loop which I also like. I mainly use my phone for emails, social media and most importantly, phone calls and the Air has lived up to my expectations.
This is a niche device and folks who knew this before buying one are aware of its limitations and the majority like the device. Then you have the ones who thought they were getting a 17 Pro functionality and battery life in a much thinner device and guess what!! They are not and then complain about it????
This is a niche device and folks who knew this before buying one are aware of its limitations and the majority like the device. Then you have the ones who thought they were getting a 17 Pro functionality and battery life in a much thinner device and guess what!! They are not and then complain about it????
By the way, I’m going to see the iPhone Air live for the first time in the next few days. I’m going to a store to check it out. I’m excited to see what my reaction will be. Will I be completely blown away by how thin it is? Hopefully there won’t be any iPhone Pro (Max) bullies nearby so I can look at the Air in peace without a pressuring atmosphere.
If Apple hadn’t made the compromises I would have bought an Air. Played with one today for the first time. The screen quality compared to the pro was obviously not as great. And it shows.
Apple shouldn’t be putting the Air phones next to the Pros.
Apple shouldn’t be putting the Air phones next to the Pros.
LG vs. Samsung panel probably, the usual screen lottery: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/this-years-screen-lottery-17-17-pro-17-pro-max-and-air.2466900/
Finally someone that gets it. People complaining about the lack of features or "compromises" fail to see the irony. They are paying a premium price for a pro phone, but it's not using premium materials in the build.
And I'm sure someone is going to bring up heat, and vapor chambers. Haven't had any heat issues with the air. And please don't try and make an arguement how aluminum is a premium material. If that were the case the high end apple watch would be aluminum instead of titanium.
I decided to stick with my 16PM this year.... But tbh the fact that it bothers people so much, really makes me want the Air more
I think the air is Apple testing the “thin sheet of glass” concept Ive once talked about.
However, execution of the air is what seems to be a move backwards- compared to what they did with the iPhone X. The X experiment / concept was top of the line handset, hardware (camera, too) features included- not the iPhone 8. I wondered if Apple considered the N1/C1x in the 16e(c1)/17e/17. Leaving the pro and the air with Qualcomm.