I wouldn’t really rely on those tbh. They made power efficiencies for the built in things like video playback.
Once you start running normal apps etc it’s not going to be as efficient. Unless you never go below say 40% on your current phone id expect to need the MagSafe pack or to charge through the day. I think that’s realistic.
This will be key. Is the iPhone Air's battery life effectively the same as the iPhone 16 Pro, in most / realistic use cases. Is the video test representative enough? Or are you said, is it misleading because video playback is ultra-optimized?
It works for me, but I have a very specific use case / niche that I don't know applies very widely:
- I have been buying the Plus and Pro Max models as long as they've been an option, because my biggest priority in the phone has been a screen larger than the base model + 120Hz when that became an option
- I am a professional photographer and have several cameras for when I want to take more serious photos than cat photos or snapping a pic of a receipt or something
- I work from home and my phone generally sits on a charging dock on my desk. In the car, I have a charger. If traveling, I already have tons of chargers and power banks on-hand for other items (like aforementioned camera gear).
- I don't game on my phone or do anything that would warrant vapor chamber cooling.
- I do want 12GB of RAM over the base iPhone 17's 8GB, just in case any Apple Intelligence features get locked behind the difference or any non-Apple LL models come out that can run well locally and integrate with iOS.
- My current Pro Max does get taxing on the hand when holding it for a while. Bad joints in my hands over the years.
- Frankly, aesthetics is a factor too. I wanted a black phone, dammit. I rock my phones caseless, and I don't really like the look of the iPhone 17 Pro/Max and really don't like the available colors. This would mean getting a Pro Max + a black case, which only exacerbates the size difference between the two options.
So for me, it does everything I need it to do, while still being a bit bigger than the base model iPhone (screen-wise). I fully admit I'm taking a bit of a leap here after a string of Pro Maxes that I have been very happy with, but worst case scenario, I do a return in 14 days or go back to Pro Max next year. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Good post, I had pretty much exactly the same thought process. I just ordered the Cloud White iPhone Air 256gb, which will replace my Silver/White 15 Pro Max 256gb.
- I want the bigger screen (15PM was the first big screen iPhone I got), before this my prior phones were 13 Pro, 12 Pro, X. The 15PM is "ever so slightly too big" if I'm being super picky. One-handed use on occasion is difficult, but manageable. I'm hopeful the Air's 6.5" screen, being in between the Pro's 6.3" and Pro Max's 6.9", will be the goldilocks size!
- Still get ProMotion. Agreed, this probably would've been a dealbreaker for me it didn't have ProMotion. Can't go back, especially on an iPhone, after having had 120hz for so long!
- 95% of my photos use the Main Wide angle lens. Maybe 5% of my photos used the 5x Telephoto on my 15PM. I can deal with just having the 1x / 2x here, especially since it can still do portraits
- I never use the speaker on my iPhone. I'm always using my Airpods or playing music through Sonos speakers at home. I also pretty much exclusively use the phone with my Airpods too, so no issues with potentially worse microphone
- Aesthetics - agree I don't like the look of the 17 Pro and Pro Max. And I really like the look (and I expect the feel) of the Air. There was an early hands-on video I saw where they said, "feeling is believing". I think there will be value in the newness of having this, something that hasn't existed in many years with the iPhone. I expect for the first few months, a bunch of ppl will ask if they can hold it / check it out. Obviously, this last point shouldn't be a significant or deciding factor in whether you get one... but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a small part of the equation! More fun in being a pre-order / getting it the 1st day!
