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The iPhone Air is beautiful both inside and outside. Engineering masterpiece 🤩

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I was set on getting the Pro Max in orange, but the more I watch Air videos, the more tempting it gets. I’ve always disliked the fat, bulky nature of the Pro iPhones (currently on the 16 Pro Max), so I might go for the Air.

The problem is, if I go to the store on launch day to try them, I’ll most likely miss out on getting one in time. Maybe I should try to pre-order both and decide at home? But then there’s the whole challenge of picking a color! lol

I think I might be leaning towards getting the Air and then return for a Pro if I decide I can't live with it. My thought process is "I know what I am getting with the Pro Max, so if I order that one then I am almost certainly just going to stick with it."

If I get the Air and turns out I can't live with it, I imagine I'll know within a week.
 
I think I might be leaning towards getting the Air and then return for a Pro if I decide I can't live with it. My thought process is "I know what I am getting with the Pro Max, so if I order that one then I am almost certainly just going to stick with it."

If I get the Air and turns out I can't live with it, I imagine I'll know within a week.
You better order both then, if you're picky about color/capacity. Who knows what stock levels will be like during the return period from launch day.
 
You better order both then, if you're picky about color/capacity. Who knows what stock levels will be like during the return period from launch day.
I'm on the upgrade program, so stuck with one pre-order. Otherwise I'd absolutely order both. If that means I get stuck with my current phone for a few more weeks, then so be it.

But, I change my mind every five minutes, so by the time you read this, I'll be back to Orange PM 🤣
 
One concern has been battery life expectations, but looking at the iPhone comparisons there’s no need to worry.

It’s kind of crazy how this compares to previous models with larger batteries, the new A19 Pro, N1 & C1X chips must be extremely power efficient!

Real world usage tests will be interesting to see how it really performs.


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One concern has been battery life expectations, but looking at the iPhone comparisons there’s no need to worry.

It’s kind of crazy how this compares to previous models with larger batteries, the new A19 Pro, N1 & C1X chips must be extremely power efficient!

Real world usage tests will be interesting to see how it really performs.


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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.
 
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I think I might be leaning towards getting the Air and then return for a Pro if I decide I can't live with it. My thought process is "I know what I am getting with the Pro Max, so if I order that one then I am almost certainly just going to stick with it."

If I get the Air and turns out I can't live with it, I imagine I'll know within a week.
Think I’ll be doing the same.. if I order the Pro I’ll still be tempted to play with the Air.
 
Think I’ll be doing the same.. if I order the Pro I’ll still be tempted to play with the Air.
I'd rather make a final decision tonight. I did catch some videos. MKBHD was clearly more reserved about the Air until he can do a more thorough review on it; while the rest of the videos, mostly shorts filmed at the event, were way more praising of it. They could have released a phone that resembled an old Blackberry and iJustine would have been barely able to contain herself!
 
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I really want the Air, but the lack of wide angle and telelens cameras is probably going to stop me. I think 70-80% of the time I could live with the regular camera, but not being able to zoom out to 0.5 when needed or zoom in to 5x or more would probably be too much of a problem. Also I use Portrait mode all the time, so I’m curious to see how that is going to look without Lidar and Telelens in comparison to a Pro model.
 
One thing I hate about the preorder process may turn a lemon into lemonade, because of the delay in mailing the trade in. So if you get the Air, don't mail it off immediately, I think they allow a couple of weeks. Then you're not stuck with it like you would be if you purchase day of and the trade is immediate.
 
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Are there any posts/videos comparing the Air camera to the 16e’s?
Except the comparison page on Apple website, I'm not able to get any information comparing the two models.

I think, the Air is a improved version of the 16e. I hope so because I just bought a 16e for my daughter and I tried the camera. It's definitely not at the same level than a Pro version (12, 15 or 16) we have at home.

However, the more I see the 17 Pro in orange cosmic, the more I want to buy a Air in sky blue. 🤣
 
What about the loudspeaker? I’m really worried about that :/

Things like YouTube etc, we just take for granted the great sound. It’ll be like going back 5 years. Although I have hopes because it’s pointing at you rather than out away from the phone it may still be ok
I’m sure the speaker will be fine. From memory, many Samsung flagships had a single speaker and it didn’t make a huge difference. The Air isn’t a standard or entry-level model, and Apple won’t neglect it.
 
One concern has been battery life expectations, but looking at the iPhone comparisons there’s no need to worry.

It’s kind of crazy how this compares to previous models with larger batteries, the new A19 Pro, N1 & C1X chips must be extremely power efficient!

Real world usage tests will be interesting to see how it really performs.


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Wow, I didn’t know it’s that close to the 13 Pro Max (which I owned until last year). That phone’s battery was a beast. I’m going to try to order an Air in addition to the Orange Pro Max too.
Air battery concerns are pretty much sorted, besdies, the fact that the UK/EU Pro versions have a smaller battery than the US model, bugs me. 2 hours less isn’t easy to forget. You accept the bulkiness, pay extra, yet don’t get the full benefits.just because of the antiquated sim tray.

Now, other than the camera—which still needs to be tested—my only concern about the Air is whether putting it in a (clear) case makes it thicker just like a standard phone and defeats the whole point of the design!
 
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One concern has been battery life expectations, but looking at the iPhone comparisons there’s no need to worry.

It’s kind of crazy how this compares to previous models with larger batteries, the new A19 Pro, N1 & C1X chips must be extremely power efficient!

Real world usage tests will be interesting to see how it really performs.


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View attachment 2546738View attachment 2546740

Battery life test for iPhone 17 Air no longer includes audio output during video playback. This is unlike previous battery life tests by Apple, which did.

In short, it's no longer comparable.
 
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Now, other than the camera—which still needs to be tested—my only concern about the Air is whether putting it in a (clear) case makes it thicker just like a standard phone and defeats the whole point of the design!
Wish I could find it - one of the influencers' videos from the event highlighted how any sort of case ruins the entire aesthetic, even Apple's thin clear case.
 
Wish I could find it - one of the influencers' videos from the event highlighted how any sort of case ruins the entire aesthetic, even Apple's thin clear case.

I just ordered this case, as minimal as it can get:

 
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Thanks, that is interesting. What is odd is that through the iPhone 13 series it also didn't include the stereo output part.

So 14, 15, 16 series all included it but not before and not now. My assumption for this year would be that since the air can't play stereo it would make this generation not as comparable but maybe they are trying to beef up the numbers compared to previous generations.
 
Thanks, that is interesting. What is odd is that through the iPhone 13 series it also didn't include the stereo output part.

So 14, 15, 16 series all included it but not before and not now. My assumption for this year would be that since the air can't play stereo it would make this generation not as comparable but maybe they are trying to beef up the numbers compared to previous generations.

I see stereo output for 13. It wasn’t there for 12 and older.
 
All of the years say "Bluetooth was paired with headphones". So it appears all of the tests, for all of the years, were using bluetooth audio, not the phone's speakers.

No. Paired does not mean sound was “output” from there.

The phrase “tested with stereo audio output” was only added since iPhone 13. It was dropped this year with iPhone 17. iPhone 12 and older used iPhone 17’s silent protocol.
 
I know this doesn’t apply to everyone, but “Bluetooth paired headphones” actually makes the battery test more realistic for my use case.
 
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