iPhone Air Here is what Apple should have done with the iPhone Air…

[Adelphos33]

Initial reaction has been a mixed at best - this is all due to choices Apple made. If they wanted to have it be successful, here are some changes they could have made:

- Make the phone at least as good as the base model. iPhone 17 is just a better phone for most for $200 less. iPhone Air should have had at least two cameras. Maybe even make it a few millimeters thicker to make sure the battery was comparable.

- Improve carrier offers for the Air. Most US carriers give you more money on trade ins if you are buying the Pro Max versus the Air and the 17. Given the Air costs more than the 17, this means that at most carriers, the Air is more expensive than both the 17 base and the Pro. It makes no sense to order an Air through a carrier the way these trade in values work. With AT&T, I can get a Pro, Pro Max, or 17 basically for free while I have to pay a bit more for an Air.

- Use stainless steel for the edge, and even include a true gold option. People view stainless steel as a premium material. Make the edge stainless steel for most options. Add a yellow gold and white gold option for those that want to spend more money.

- Use better colors - the colors look washed out compared to both the pro and the base models

- Add at least one premium use case feature that is exclusive to the Air - make the phone function better in at least one way versus the Pro and the base model.

- Price the phone at a premium to the Pro. There was thread to this effect - a higher priced phone would signify is the “premium” option.


I’m not sure if Apple really wanted this product to be a huge success - but the combination of the excellent base model and the good offers for the Pro Max just make the Air seem like it doesn’t make much sense.

 

[Onimusha370]

Typing on mine now and it’s unreal how good it feels. I’ve had an iPhone each year since the 3GS and this is up there with the 4 and the X for me. If you don’t need the cameras of the Pro and the >1 day battery life then it’s a no brainer

 

[SaddleSC]

In what world is Stainless Steel classified as a "premium material" but Titanium is not?

 

[JPack]

All those changes still don't answer the questions most mainstream buyers ask:

• Why do I need a thinner phone?
• Why should I pay $200 for it over the base model?

The bulk factor is not a problem most people have.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

- Price the phone at a premium to the Pro. There was thread to this effect - a higher priced phone would signify is the “premium” option.

I don’t get this suggestion at all. The Pro’s are the premium iPhones, so a reduced spec, thin phone doesn’t need to replace them. I think it should have gone the opposite way entirely and been the entry level iPhone as it makes little sense where it is. The reviews I have seen are very mixed. Feels great in the hand but limited camera, ok battery life, and an A19 Pro processor performing under the 17’s A19 when gaming. It’s a weird one and popular on this forum so far, but how that translates to the real world remains to be seen. It’s the one model that had stock up until today too. I struggle to see why someone would go for the Air over the base model and pay that £200 premium?

 

[JPack]

The enthusiast perspective here in forums is fundamentally disconnected from the reality of the mainstream market.

The average smartphone replacement cycle is 3-4 years. This means they replace it not because of novelties like new colors or the Dynamic Island, but for practical reasons: their old phone has become slow and the battery shot. They think the camera could be better.

If aesthetics like thinness were the primary motivator, the the basic model iPhones would be extremely popular. They aren't.

This holds true for the Air. A consumer sees the design, but they buy it for a generational leap in performance and battery life. For the vast majority of customers, the improvement in core function will be far more compelling than thickness, simply because it's not a problem for most people.

So all these proposed fixes don't get to the root cause.