The actual base 17 is stellar & amazing value.
But I’m not convinced launch day sales is a good indicator tbh.
IMO this signals an intention, the Air is the future - but it needs refining.
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iPhone Air Impressions after Apple Store Visit (all new iPhone models)
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But I’m not convinced launch day sales is a good indicator tbh.
IMO this signals an intention, the Air is the future - but it needs refining.
Launch-day sales are no doubt limited by availability. Apple can produce more or less of a certain model/colour so that it appears more or less popular than the others.
I have also visited an Apple Store yesterday, mainly focusing on iPhone Air and 17 and comparing them to my current 15. So just a few add-ons…
The physical size difference between iPhone 15 and 17 is very small - 17 is just a few mm taller.
I set the screen brightness the same way and could not see much of the advertised anti-glare effect of 17 and Air, compared to my 15. Screen scrolling was much better on Air and 17, due to ProMotion.
iPhone Air has a fresh design, yet it looked a bit odd to me, with its polished glossy titanium sides (clearly showing the fingerprints of everyone who touched it) and its matt back.
I briefly tried the cameras of Air and 17 and the shots made with Air looked more granular on close-ups when enlarged, compared to sharper ones taken with iPhone 17 cameras.
iPhone Air bumpers look quite thick in real life and so do the new crossbody straps, which are quite wide and long.
iPhone MagSafe clear cases are still the same old ones, no evolution - quite hard on the sides and leave the bottom exposed.
Basically, I went out from the shop slightly underwhelmed, even though I still plan to upgrade my 15 to a regular 17 some time soon and pass my 15 to my family.
The physical size difference between iPhone 15 and 17 is very small - 17 is just a few mm taller.
I set the screen brightness the same way and could not see much of the advertised anti-glare effect of 17 and Air, compared to my 15. Screen scrolling was much better on Air and 17, due to ProMotion.
iPhone Air has a fresh design, yet it looked a bit odd to me, with its polished glossy titanium sides (clearly showing the fingerprints of everyone who touched it) and its matt back.
I briefly tried the cameras of Air and 17 and the shots made with Air looked more granular on close-ups when enlarged, compared to sharper ones taken with iPhone 17 cameras.
iPhone Air bumpers look quite thick in real life and so do the new crossbody straps, which are quite wide and long.
iPhone MagSafe clear cases are still the same old ones, no evolution - quite hard on the sides and leave the bottom exposed.
Basically, I went out from the shop slightly underwhelmed, even though I still plan to upgrade my 15 to a regular 17 some time soon and pass my 15 to my family.
Everyone saying the Air is "the future"..
How can it be given the camera downgrades?
That's like #1 thing people seem to upgrade for and/or care about on "phones" now.
How can it be given the camera downgrades?
That's like #1 thing people seem to upgrade for and/or care about on "phones" now.
Apple: iPhone Air has "strong" Titanium frame!
Real world: The aluminum frame of iPhone 17 is stronger.
Even the aluminum of iPhone 17 is stronger, especially since it's DENSER and THICKER.
iPhone Air is not only less durable than iPhone 17, it is ugly and the design looks very rushed.
I’m a bit confused by this post. Did you watch the video? The Air was pretty much indestructible.
Can someone help me understand the concern with barely visible scratches on iPhones?
The only scratch I've ever worried about, because it affects me using the phone, is screen scratches.
Or deep scratches to the rest that could let in water, but hasn't happened to me yet.
Do most people just stare at their phones, display down, while not using them?
The only scratch I've ever worried about, because it affects me using the phone, is screen scratches.
Or deep scratches to the rest that could let in water, but hasn't happened to me yet.
Do most people just stare at their phones, display down, while not using them?
You're sort of going full circle here.
On one hand we have people who are into a new phone/form factor (like the Air) for how cool and sexy it is visually.
But then you're flipping over to "do people just stare at their phones!?" ... "who cares about scratches!"
See the problem?
My impression of the aluminum being less durable and the colors looking cheap and unprofessional appears to be confirmed by a number of posters across the Macrumors platform and other Apple sites. Don't know what Apple was thinking...or not thinking:0))....in designing a phone for professionals in a work setting. The fact that aluminum is easily scratched and dented alone makes the expenditure for a new Pro phone completely unreasonable. It's unfortunate that Apple has lost sight of the fact that we pay extra for good design and quality materials, at least in the Pro line. The bump on the back is nothing more than an afterthought by someone who has no design sense at all.....just didn't know what to do with the camera.
I was all set to fall in love with the Air; but it really felt like a squished iPhone X, almost like a concept from 2016/2017 time rather than a full fledged 2025 release. Meanwhile iPhone Pro has pretty much become the matching iPhone ULTRA to the watch. Still feels overall like they picked these designs from a hat and just threw em up and these 2 were the lucky ones this year.
Very pleased I didn't fall for the hype and went with the "boring" silver pro max. Looks great in the blue and sienna techwoven case and the colour is timeless classic. I always take the silver or white option, silver MBP and iPad. Only deviation is the black AWU2.
My impressions after picking up my sage iPhone 17 yesterday morning...
The Air is amazing in-hand. Truly the future of the slab iPhone. Aesthetically, I am not a fan whatsoever of the shiny sides. The speaker is truly terrible. I fully expect stereo speakers next year.
The vanilla iPhone is nothing exciting, but is probably the best choice for many, given all the new improvements. I absolutely love the sage color. I am extremely happy with my choice.
The Pros are ugly, but not to the point where it would stop me from getting it. I think the orange is bold and awesome, but I could also see myself getting tired of it over time. I'd get the silver, if I had to. The lack of black is a big omission this year, for sure.
The Pro Max feels like a brick in-hand compared to the Air.
The Air is amazing in-hand. Truly the future of the slab iPhone. Aesthetically, I am not a fan whatsoever of the shiny sides. The speaker is truly terrible. I fully expect stereo speakers next year.
The vanilla iPhone is nothing exciting, but is probably the best choice for many, given all the new improvements. I absolutely love the sage color. I am extremely happy with my choice.
The Pros are ugly, but not to the point where it would stop me from getting it. I think the orange is bold and awesome, but I could also see myself getting tired of it over time. I'd get the silver, if I had to. The lack of black is a big omission this year, for sure.
The Pro Max feels like a brick in-hand compared to the Air.
I thought the lens and sensor of the main "wide" camera was the same on the Air as the base model. Sure, you don't have the extra-wide on the Air, but assuming the photo was taken with the wide lens, then the photos should be absolutely identical.
(The Pros aren't the same - they have a slightly larger sensor and, if I remember correctly, a slightly different lens as it's f-stop differs to the base and Air models.)
Confirmation bias is strong. Air will sell a lot, it isn’t going away like the beloved iPhone mini, which didn’t sell. I will probably never get Air but I see lot of folks who prefer lighter phone.
Apple kept the prices the same over the years and with inflation etc they had to cut corners somewhere.
I was pleasantly surprised at the orange Pro, having been a little hesitant when I preordered it. However, I found the color less obnoxious than I had feared, based on the photos. And yes, the fit and finish of the translucent back plate is disappointing. I do like that it breaks up the shininess. Having said that, I see how the color might get old. Even for me, whose favorite color is red... I tend to upgrade every other year, so I figured I can live with it for two years. If I really hated the color out of the box, I'd have changed over to silver.
Anyway, I'm a case person so the effect will be diminished.
What's the point of your comparison? Do you think people who previously used a Mini with case will go to the Air owners with no case? (I'm not trying to be argumentative. This is a serious question because I currently use a Mini in a case.)
Just to be clear, caseless weights are:
165g Air
133g 12 Mini
In other words, the Air weighs 24% more than the 12 Mini.
I picked up a silver 17 pro max yesterday at an Apple Store. Traded in my iPhone 15 pro max for $520. Don’t miss the titanium since there was only 1mm of it around the band so the point of that is moot anyway(feel free to correct me). I too looked at the other colors at the tables and yes I also saw that the blue and black colors were already beat up looking from scuffs, scratches, and the mag safe impression after the store being open for like 3 hours. Silver looked unaffected, got that one. Lol
The aluminum iPhone 17PM feels good in the hand because of the roundness of the corners/sides and softer metal. It does feel like it can slip out of your hand easier so for me a case is a must and I opted for apples silicone case. As far as looks I think it looks fine. If rumors are true for next year this will be a one year phone for me anyway. Possibly two as I may just wait for the 20th anniversary. For me, it was more the internal features having the updated connectivity(Qualcomm X80, Bluetooth 6, N1 etc) and the ram/chip upgrade for a smoother experience was good enough for me.
The aluminum iPhone 17PM feels good in the hand because of the roundness of the corners/sides and softer metal. It does feel like it can slip out of your hand easier so for me a case is a must and I opted for apples silicone case. As far as looks I think it looks fine. If rumors are true for next year this will be a one year phone for me anyway. Possibly two as I may just wait for the 20th anniversary. For me, it was more the internal features having the updated connectivity(Qualcomm X80, Bluetooth 6, N1 etc) and the ram/chip upgrade for a smoother experience was good enough for me.
I received my Cloud White Air yesterday and have no issues whatsoever. Setting up with my AT&T from my brick iPhone 14 Pro was a breeze. My battery life is at 85% today (13:10 p.m. EST) after fully charging it yesterday afternoon and leaving it on all night.I love this phone and it suits my needs perfectly.
So fast, way faster than when the black ultra 2s of last year got scratched up on the Apple Watch tables at the Apple Store…
Worst than the other time when the last stainless steel edged iPhones were sold
Maybe it's all part of the plan to sell cases?
The margins on the cases are ASTRONOMICAL.
"Rip off" is being kind.
I had the first iPhone (and many in between) and used to work for Apple. Loving the Air. I love the focus on thinness again. The trade-offs don’t bother me.
Techwoven cases are still going to be like FineWoven despite its rougher and more burlap like texture… over time