Here Are 5 Smaller iPhone Air Details You Might Have Missed, Including Only a Single Speaker

[aka777]

Hi, what if you had one chance to buy the first iteration of the future of your favorite tech company’s products. An opportunity to always know you were one of the first to embrace its revolutionary design because you were admittedly bored with the last 10 years of their supposed innovations. This year I could not buy the same pro models I have been lugging around the last 10 years. Maybe my photos will look like they were taken from an Inatamatic camera and my battery is dead by 9:15 am. I am a man of faith in every way and I would rather make this leap to the air and trust than keep rewarding sameness. That’s just me and I hope you all enjoy your phones.

I switched from a pro max to the standard 16 and didn’t regret it, and have enjoyed the lighter weight. I’m getting an Air this time round, as it has everything I actually need. The “should I go Pro” is more of a FOMO. If someone lives off their phone, has no access to charging, the pro max is always the obvious option since it has a larger battery. Camera-wise, like the majority of people, I’m not a photographer or creating a movie.

My favourite and most missed iPhone is the 13 mini.

 

[LarryB08]

No 4k120 recording or "studio quality" mic array either.

Oh no - what will all your average "Joes & Janes" do without pro quality recording and sound? The fact of the matter is that there is a large group of users like me who have no need for all of these pro features. We just want a light, fun, reliable phone. And if it looks good too, all the better. Enter the Air.

 

[Entilzha]

These are excellent reasons for me, and the phone is lighter. Had the 16 coming from the 15 pro, and now I would like something lighter. Really miss my 13 mini but clearly most people aren’t into actually portable phones.

The only large phone I would purchase today is a fold.

The Air definitely has an appeal. It’s just a shame that the one feature I truly require is the one thing the Air is lacking: macro photos.

Otherwise I’d still consider it. I’d likely still go for the base 17 but it would at least be a possible option!

 

[ttyRazor]

What I don't get is that an extra GPU core is what supposedly makes A19 Pro, well, Pro.

So wouldn't an A19 Pro minus one GPU core be a regular A19?

The other thing that sets the A series pro chips has been the USB3 speed interface, which the Air also doesn’t have. I’m not sure what that leaves that still makes it a Pro.

The Air gets the unadvertised 12 GB of RAM instead of the 8 the regular 17 gets, so maybe that’s the difference?

 

[ttyRazor]

The Air definitely has an appeal. It’s just a shame that the one feature I truly require is the one thing the Air is lacking: macro photos.

Otherwise I’d still consider it. I’d likely still go for the base 17 but it would at least be a possible option!

That’s what pushed me away from it it too. I could probably live with less battery life and I take few photos with the 5x camera on my 15 Pro Max, but I take plenty of great looking macro photos where the ultra wide obviously makes a big difference.

Here’s hoping later models figure out a way to fit it, or to get the single camera to range from .5x to 2x without much compromise, although that’s probably unlikely or they’d be doing macro photos with the main camera already.

 

[Casinoalcohol]

Sacrificing a bunch for it to be thinner... and I'm not even sure why I would want by phone to be thinner?

My phones always go in a case so they instantly get bigger. I’m still shocked at how thin my 15 in when I take it out of the case. Usually when it gets wet and I need to get the water out of the case.

 

[dotnet]

I bought the Air, the only thing on this list that makes me grin my teeth is the solo speaker. That is a step backwards.

Relax. Two speakers closer together than our ears do not form a stereo pair. You won't be missing much.

 

[aka777]

I would get the Air if it had the non Apple's custom C1X Modem which I remember last time they use the intel cell chip it was **** and I believe this will be the same as they did test with he 16e the chip comes no one closet to qualcomm X80 and X85

Apple has always slowed their modems, regardless of the chipset, to conserve battery life. I’ve lost count of my Galaxy S handset right next to my iPhone, and it consistently outperforms my iPhone in terms of coverage and speed.

I can also manually adjust or optimize my Galaxy to ensure that it locks in actual 5G-SA, without resorting to any hacks on the device. The pure 5G experience is superior to that of fake 5G, which blends seamlessly with 4G LTE.

Apple has never allowed such adjustments.

I do remember conducting speed tests using the last Intel modem iPhone and the subsequent Qualcomm iPhone, and I actually obtained faster speeds from the Intel handset.

And I’m not an average user either, I’m a nerd with wireless and always look into chipset specs, analyzing cellular metrics and bands, when mobile.

I’m looking forward to using their in-house modem.

 

[ttyRazor]

I bought the Air, the only thing on this list that makes me grin my teeth is the solo speaker. That is a step backwards.

Everything else is minor and nitpicking, like seriously who is concerned about transferring data via USB on this device, literally a pro function for people taking videos and photos.

Note that I upgrade every year so my use case is different, I will be able to move on from this in 12 months.

If I want good sound quality from my phone, that’s why I have AirPods. Stereo speakers are nice to have but don’t replace good headphones or Bluetooth speakers.

 

[aka777]

The Air definitely has an appeal. It’s just a shame that the one feature I truly require is the one thing the Air is lacking: macro photos.

Otherwise I’d still consider it. I’d likely still go for the base 17 but it would at least be a possible option!

Yeah, if you need the cameras, the pro models are the way to go for sure. I went from the 15 pro max to a normal 16, as I realized I wasn’t actually using the other cameras most of the time. Just the odd photo every now and then.

 

[Astuces iOS]

Apple's all-new, ultra-thin iPhone Air launches on Friday, and there are some smaller details about the device that you might have missed.

Below, we outline five things to know about the iPhone Air:

• As rumored, the iPhone Air only has a single speaker. The earpiece at the top of the device doubles as a speaker, but there is no speaker on the bottom of the device. The holes to the left and right of the USB-C port are for microphones. For stereo audio, use AirPods or a capable external speaker.
• On the iPhone Air, the Dynamic Island is positioned slightly lower on the screen compared to the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models. This was likely necessary due to the device's ultra-thin frame necessitating internal design changes.
• While the iPhone 17 Pro models support USB 3.2 Gen 2, for data transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps, the iPhone Air is limited to USB 2 speeds of up to 480 Mbps.
• Apple says the iPhone Air can be charged to 50% in approximately 30 minutes, whereas the iPhone 17 Pro models can be charged to 50% in approximately 20 minutes. A higher-wattage charger and cable is required to achieve these speeds. In addition, MagSafe wireless charging on the iPhone Air is limited to up to 20W, compared to 25W for the iPhone 17 Pro models.
• In the iPhone 17 Pro models, the A19 Pro chip has a 6-core GPU. In the iPhone Air, it has a 5-core GPU, so graphics performance will take a slight hit.

Be sure to watch our iPhone Air hands-on video from earlier this week.

Article Link: Here Are 5 Smaller iPhone Air Details You Might Have Missed, Including Only a Single Speaker

That’s why I cannot recommend the iPhone air 1… iPhone air 2 will probably fix those things…

 

[aka777]

If I want good sound quality from my phone, that’s why I have AirPods. Stereo speakers are nice to have but don’t replace good headphones or Bluetooth speakers.

This for sure. My iPhone is the last device I consume media. And if I do, it’s using AirPods.

 

[DJM1740]

Relax. Two speakers closer together than our ears do not form a stereo pair. You won't be missing much.

They may not be a good stereo pair but they would help add volume. I recall the early iPhones were terrible as speakerphones--I could never get the volume high enough. I'll be able to compare for myself next Friday when my Air arrives and I can try it out before sending my 15 pro in for trade.

 

[eelynek]

I switched from a pro max to the standard 16 and didn’t regret it, and have enjoyed the lighter weight. I’m getting an Air this time round, as it has everything I actually need. The “should I go Pro” is more of a FOMO. If someone lives off their phone, has no access to charging, the pro max is always the obvious option since it has a larger battery. Camera-wise, like the majority of people, I’m not a photographer or creating a movie.

My favourite and most missed iPhone is the 13 mini.

Couldn't agree more. I always get the Pro and almost did again, but realized I don't use any of the Pro benefits. I almost never take photos that don't use the main camera and never use my phone's speakers.

 

[azhava]

MacRumors forum regulars spend more time thinking and evaluating their iPhone choices than, what, maybe 98% of buyers? ...

Your 98% estimate is probably on the low side, I'm thinking it's closer to 99.99999% 😆

I know a lot of people who are long time iPhone users and not forumites. None of them spend months reading all the pre-release rumors, making spreadsheets to compare all the details of each model, agonizing over which model they're going to buy, obsessing over what colors there will be, and worrying about what other people will think of their choice. When the phones come out (or whenever they decide to upgrade), they pick a phone, pick a color they like, slap it in a case, and then proceed to use about 10% of its capabilities for the next 3-4 years until they do it all over again.

None of them need public opinion polls on which phone to buy, what color, whether to put it in a case or not, or which case to get, and I'd bet pretty good money that if I asked any of them how much their phone weighed, which modem was in it, how much RAM it had or what the USB-C transfer speed was, they'd look at me like I was crazy and call me a geek.

 

[jedivulcan]

Apple’s marketing is outright defective.

90% of the discussion is rooted from “With the power of pro inside” being ostensibly wrong or misleading.

 

[modemthug]

I don't see one single reason to get the Air... except being thin and being the same reason people get an Hermes Apple Watch; to show-off they have money; which, it doesn't make sense; but even with that, seems like a silly purchase. Maybe I'm missing something

I'd like to know, why people will get it, I'm very curious.

I’m someone who doesn’t use their phone THAT much (say 2-3 hours of screen on time a day, and the rest are calls), so like a moderate user.

I honestly am considering a phone that doesn’t “print” in my pocket. It’s not a preoccupation of mine per se, but I don’t like the appearance of a bulky phone in my pocket.

The phone itself, to my mind, is not a fashion statement, but wearing clothes that (actually) fit does make a huge difference in how “put together” someone looks. It does influence perception, but I’m not a work from home type—

 

[whitby]

The Air is an amazing feat of technology and should not be underestimated. As with all new devices which stretch the technology there are still some limitations. This phone makes some compromises, due to the lack of the necessary technology to make it all the way there, to achieve two of the objectives we all would like ie reduced weight and size (not screen size but less bulk for a given screen size). They only need to get the final two: better battery life (the technology is nearly there for this) and be less susceptible to physical damage. Apple or someone else will get there, and this is a very good first attempt.

For me the lack of macro cameras and the poor battery life are my major issues which made me decide, this time around, to go with the Pro Max. But I will be interested to see the next iteration of this device. That thin sheet of indestructible (or at least not as physically susceptible to damage) glass with a battery life that is acceptable (for me that would be at least 48 hours) and slightly better cameras (macro is indispensable to me) would do it. I do not need stereo speakers on a phone (they sound awful and I can use AirPods) and I have very competent cameras for decent photographs that do not need to do a lot of processing power to get actual photographs and not AI generated artifacts of the scene I am trying to record. Eventually we will even get decent cameras, but that is still a little away in the future for something this small.

So this is a great first effort and I thank Apple for making this device.

 

[The13Mini]

It definitely is lighter. 165 grams vs 177 grams.

But it's not meaningfully lighter than a 16e, which is the most appealing iPhone Apple is selling now.

 

[The13Mini]

The Air is an amazing feat of technology and should not be underestimated. As with all new devices which stretch the technology there are still some limitations. This phone makes some compromises, due to the lack of the necessary technology to make it all the way there, to achieve two of the objectives we all would like ie reduced weight and size (not screen size but less bulk for a given screen size). They only need to get the final two: better battery life (the technology is nearly there for this) and be less susceptible to physical damage. Apple or someone else will get there, and this is a very good first attempt.

For me the lack of macro cameras and the poor battery life are my major issues which made me decide, this time around, to go with the Pro Max. But I will be interested to see the next iteration of this device. That thin sheet of indestructible (or at least not as physically susceptible to damage) glass with a battery life that is acceptable (for me that would be at least 48 hours) and slightly better cameras (macro is indispensable to me) would do it. I do not need stereo speakers on a phone (they sound awful and I can use AirPods) and I have very competent cameras for decent photographs that do not need to do a lot of processing power to get actual photographs and not AI generated artifacts of the scene I am trying to record. Eventually we will even get decent cameras, but that is still a little away in the future for something this small.

So this is a great first effort and I thank Apple for making this device.

Why do you want 48 hours of battery life? Is there some reason you can't charge your phone while you sleep?

 

[whitby]

Why do want 48 hours of battery life? Is there some reason you can't charge your phone while you sleep?

Long distance travel and convenience. Charging locations are often unreliable and can be dangerous (damage the device). I have found that in general I will get to a reliable source within around 36 to 48 hours. It is also more convenient not to carry around power banks (which are increasingly being banned) and I like the reliability that I know the phone will not need charging for at least a couple of days.

 

[imamacperson]

I predict the Air will go away like the mini models. Too many sacrifices for it to be a good phone.

 

[ikramerica]

For the average non tech female do you think they’ll gravitate more to the air or the pro? Or even a non tech male. The lightness and thinness will be a huge ergonomic benefit in the hand and in the pocket

My wife would get a bigger screen if it wasn’t heavier than her 16. Even the plus was “too heavy.”

I am used to my 15 ProMax, but I am still amazed at how light her 16 is.

That was likely why the Plus stopped selling well. Too heavy for just a larger screen and bigger battery.

So Apple said: what if we make a bigger screen and a SMALLER battery? What if we took away a camera snd made it thinner and lighter too.

Honestly my wife is so bad with her camera, 1 lens is fine.

 

[ArchEtech]

I would’ve preferred the air being the size of the regular pro super thin with a maximize battery life. I loved the mini and used it for years, but the battery life, especially while being used was horrendous.

I decided to get the 17 Pro Max.

 

[happosai]

I'd rather buy the regular iPhone 17 than this.