iPhone Air iPhone Air - 1 Month in - My likes, compromises and concerns

[nepalisherpa]

To be fair it's mostly been Air owners who feel like they have some kind of superiority complex and are trying to belittle Pro owners.

I have no idea how a "console wars" type thing happened here but it feels like there are a bunch of Air owners trying to rationalize spending 1000 on a phone with the feature set of a 500 buck phone all cause its a tiny bit thinner. So their method of doing so is putting down anyone who doesn't have an Air.

It is probably all in your head buddy. I'd love to see one example but that would be too much work for you. Let's all relax and enjoy our choices.

 

[ratspg]

Lol are you new to the internet? It doesn't work like that here (or anywhere on the internet).

I agree with you but this was going to happen. For many people, they may never use the second camera, but if it's not there then they think it's awful.

My only concern is if they discontinue it. I hope, like their other air products, they keep making it and improving it.

Lol check out when I joined this site, am I new?

It's just funny, I'm pretty sure everybody here is a straight up adult. But hey if its what people want to spend their time on, all good I suppose.

I hope they don't discontinue, maybe because it has the "Air" name it will stick around. Sales aren't going well for it from what we've seen but still think people should enjoy whatever they have! Sure beats the phone I had when I joined MacRumors.... lol

 

[jntdroid]

To be fair it's mostly been Air owners who feel like they have some kind of superiority complex and are trying to belittle Pro owners.

That’s actually not fair at all. 😉

It’s definitely been both - yes to Air owners, but plenty of non-Air owners trying to shame Air owners as if their purchase was ridiculous. There things are rarely one-sided. It’s silly on both sides.

 

[vvvvvv]

a bunch of Air owners trying to rationalize spending 1000 on a phone with the feature set of a 500 buck phone all cause its a tiny bit thinner. So their method of doing so is putting down anyone who doesn't have an Air.

You are perpetuating exactly what you’re claiming to have an issue with, but you already knew that.

 

[1rottenapple]

I guess the margins on the pro must be a real winner for apple to push it over the air.

Take my sister who really wants the PRO. She was looking at my air. Why buy the pro? Its because of the camera lol okay. I tried to argue against her points in a friendly manner. Her use cause is DOG PICTURES and aspirationally, pictures of the night sky (which she has never sent me a pic LOL and she has never sent me, and any iPhone can take night pictures provided you change the setting). YOUR AVERAGE CONSUMER. Pro marketing is affective people want the best even when they don't use the capabilities. Its those Jeep Rubicon or Bronco Raptors that have never seen hard off roading, just regular trails and costco parking lot.

I can't even convince her otherwise the the regular 17 is great (high res. screen, AOD display, 6.3 in display). She wants the pro and her current phone is a 12 pro max (it's too big her biggest complaint) and she keeps her phone for years so I am not even going to bother lol convincing her.

Congrats Apple marketing team you did great.

 

[Innovati0n]

The Air clan sure gets defensive real easy. Super defensive like they regret their purchase but it is past the return window so they have to try and rationalize it as much as possible.

Imagine when they find out it is basically just as thick as the iPhone 17 when you factor in the camera bump. (11.32mm for Air, 11.4mm for 17)

I'd be defensive too if I paid 1 grand for an inferior phone feature wise just based on it being "thin"

 

[1rottenapple]

You are perpetuating exactly what you’re claiming to have an issue with, but you already knew that.

Nah I just like to challenge my sisters desire for a pro for the camera to take dog pictures lol.

 

[zenmacx]

You really need to touch grass if you think it's about "admitting defeat" or that these phone choices are actually that deep.

The longer I've had the Air the less I care about the "compromises" from the Pro line. This is the most I've liked a phone since the 13PM. I don't need the larger heavier Pro line at all, nor do I need to defeat people on the internet about their own choice.

It’s apparent that as time goes by and the novelty of a thin iPhone fades, the Air loses its appeal.

The compromises are too significant to offset the $200 premium over the well equipped, superior performing iPhone 17.

Or perhaps the Cupertino company focuses on equipping the second generation model with better camera capabilities along with the newer battery technology currently offered in some Android phones.

It will be interesting to see if Apple decides to keep this model in the lineup.

 

[zenmacx]

The Air clan sure gets defensive real easy. Super defensive like they regret their purchase but it is past the return window so they have to try and rationalize it as much as possible.

Imagine when they find out it is basically just as thick as the iPhone 17 when you factor in the camera bump. (11.32mm for Air, 11.4mm for 17)

I'd be defensive too if I paid 1 grand for an inferior phone feature wise just based on it being "thin"

iPhone Air is beautiful and quite the departure from iPhones over the last few years. As a result it’s easy to imagine that some people would make an impulse purchase without careful consideration.

Buyers remorse is a real thing.

After the newness wears off, one is left with a phone that suffers from many compromises and shortcomings compared to the mainstream models.

 

[teh_hunterer]

It’s apparent that as time goes by and the novelty of a thin iPhone fades, the Air loses its appeal.

I've found quite the opposite. As time has gone by I've forgotten the worries about what I was giving up coming from the Pro Max phones I've been using for the last 4 years.

The appeal of the larger, heavier Pro phones is completely gone for me now. I'm not going back.

 

[bbates123]

Sadly, people tend to jump on a bandwagon online.
The bandwagon for the Air is that its somehow a compromise too far and not worth it.

However, when people actually use it - youll find that most owners genuinely love it.

I, too, moved from a history of Pro Maxes to the air - my reasons were the unwieldy size, weight, and this year I dont want a pro thats made of aluminium - its one of the reasons I paid more for the pros in the past to avoid aluminium phones....

The big 3. Battery, Speaker, Camera..... these are mentioned over and over again.
They are only downsides if you a) have a social media or YouTube channel you want to promote and jump on the bandwagon of hate for clicks and views or b) you genuinely are a higher end user that uses cameras professionally.

Cameras, to me, are not that relevant. Sure, you have a lot more controls in the pros but ive always been a point and press type of picture taker and it's not really relevant to me to have controls and options I rarely used. I dont care if that means now I 'only' have a single lens.

The dual speaker - UTTERLY irrelevant. Firstly the single speaker sounds a LOT better than many people seem to think it does. Secondly, I would never watch a TV show or movie on my phone - and IF I did then theres no way I would attempt doing so without headphones in - Im one of those rare people nowadays who seems to still have consideration for those around me in public and would never subject anyone to loud audio from my device regardless.

Battery life - genuinely since settling into my usual daily routine and the novelty has worn off - the phone easily gets me to the end of the day with approximately 20% charge remaining. Sure theres been a handful of days when its teetering on 10% or less at 9pm and I feel the need to do a 10 minute top up to make it through the last couple of hours but thats few and far between AND my 16 Pro Max behaved in the same way sometimes not lasting a day too.

An additional bonus is heat - my 16 pro max often ran HOT on the back and thats with its supposed improvements thermally than the 15 had.... the Air has never got even warm for me and thats running the same software and the same games that I did on the 16.

Stories of its 'unpopularity' are im sure just clickbait supporting someones personal agenda who doesnt like the phone due to the perceived big 3 'deficiencies' however its a month in - way too soon to tell and didnt China sell out completely in minutes??? Does that sound like a phone thats failing?

Ive always believed that device is a personal choice and whats right for one person isnt right for another. If you want a pro get a pro. If you want a base 17 get a base 17. Dont tell someone they made the wrong choice just because its not something you personally would have chosen.
Personally speaking, Im 100% happy with my air, I appreciate its size, shape, and weight and it's a huge upgrade for me in those terms.

I literally couldn't have said it better myself...thank you!