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I went to Best Buy today and played with the Air and the 17 Pro. It really is amazing to see and hold the Air vs just seeing it on video.

Coming from a 14 Pro, and I ordered an Air after seeing and using both. Air speaker sounded better than I expected, and the form factor is awesome. Ultimately, to me, it’s absolutely worth the trade offs. My wife got a 17 Pro, so if I ever really need an ultra wide or tele camera option, I’ll have access to it.

Super excited for it to arrive next week!
 
Went to see the new iPhones. The colors are very light. Blue is barely blue in most lighting conditions. In some cases it is a bit darker. Almost looks white sometimes.


Air Blue
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Air White

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Keep in mind your camera adjusted white balance to the center of the shot. The difference in color of the phones is actually in the desk now—the desk is yellow where it deblued your phone.

Gotta lock white balance/exposure with a long press on the *desk* before comparing phones, if you don’t want that to happen.
 
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Honestly the slander on the speaker is overblown. I’m no audiophile, but it sounds like a great mono speaker for a smartphone. Now, comparing directly next to my 17 Pro I can absolutely tell a difference… but I would never know what I’m missing without having something to directly compare it to. Audio in landscape is a bit weird but I would likely use AirPods for anything I’m watching in landscape, or just be watching dialogue like a video podcast.

I actually think the speaker itself could be the biggest make or break for a buyer. We all know the camera and battery differences going in, but you really need to hear the speaker (and in the right setting) to know if it’s fine for you.
 
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I love my Air black !
I'm coming from a 16 pro. So far I haven't noticed any difference in battery life.
 
After seeing the blue and gold ( I meant the various shades of white in the thread) I am glad I went with black. I just unboxed, put an ESR screen protector on and waiting for the software update to complete. To be honest, I thought the rhetoric about the thinness factor was overstated until now. It is definitely a game changer in hand, especially going naked. It is a beautiful phone and can't wait to get it set up and get on with some basic real use testing.

Edited to add: I am glad I got AppleCare+. I can see me possibly needing it at some point. lol
 
After seeing the blue and gold ( I meant the various shades of white in the thread) I am glad I went with black. I just unboxed, put an ESR screen protector on and waiting for the software update to complete. To be honest, I thought the rhetoric about the thinness factor was overstated until now. It is definitely a game changer in hand, especially going naked. It is a beautiful phone and can't wait to get it set up and get on with some basic real use testing.

Edited to add: I am glad I got AppleCare+. I can see me possibly needing it at some point. lol
I preordered white, but if black were available and i wanted to swap it out, how easy is it for Apple to do that on the spot?
 
Is anyone coming from a 16e? Seeing from a couple reviewers that the camera is 'the same' as the 16e's...
 
Checked out the Air to hold it and work with it before I made my buying decision. It took 5 minutes to convince me. Slots for pickup today were already full so I'll pick it up tomorrow. In the meantime I got to play with the Air some more and the Pro as well. The deep blue Pro is a very similar color to my old 15 Pro in blue titanium. I didn't see much of the scratching people are reporting in stores, though the shiny sides of the Air pushed me to get a clear TPU bumper case from Amazon first. The pic below shows that bumper on the Air. Unlike Apple's official bumper it's pretty easy to apply and remove, not so much that it will slip out. When I pick up the Air tomorrow I'll pack along two other things: my iPhone X and the original MagSafe battery pack.
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The two Airs I played with were the Cloud white variant. I suppose one of them could've been Sky blue and I couldn't tell the difference. I'll find out tomorrow when mine is unboxed at the store. I didn't see any Space black versions on demo or in people's hands, which is a bit of a shame.
 
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The single speaker is very good all things considered, it gets loud and speech is intelligible. Not sure what all the fuss was about. I don't listen to stereo movies or play music out loud on my phone ever so the mono setup is not a problem for me. FaceTime calls and playing back simple videos will not be an issue.

The "wow so thin!" gimmick wore off after less than 10 minutes but there's still something nice about. Half tempted to keep it alongside my 17PM but use it selectively as a sort of detox device. The smaller size and overall svelte form factor kinda encourages you to use it less? Also I cannot notice it at all in my pocket unlike the 17PM which is noticeably heavier and thicker than all other iPhones I've used.

I'll most likely return it or give it to a family member.
 
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I picked up my sky blue earlier. Sky blue looks more blue outside in certain light. Wifey actually loves the color. She thinks the color shift is very interesting. Indoors it looks like a cool white and cloud white looks more warm. The black incredible sleek and stealthy in this form factor but the display one already had marks on it.

I’ve been testing the speaker back and forth with my 16P. The difference is very noticeable with music. It lacks the same depth and base. Max volume seems to be about 80-90% of the 16P. Landscape videos definitely feel off because I’m so used to 2 speakers. That being said, it seems fine for my usage. Podcasts are clear and loud enough. And watching short clips in portrait on social media doesn’t feel like a compromise. I did a short speaker phone call and that was fine too albeit higher max volume would help if it was noisy or you were far from your phone. But I never use them for extended periods of time so it’s definitely okay for me.

I still need time with the camera but I already found myself searching for the ultra wide, although I just had to reposition my body. I’m sure there will be situations where this might not be possible.

Going back and forth with the 16P is so jarring. The Air really feels like you’re just holding a display. The 16P feels so thick and hefty now and I downsized from a Max last year. Compromises aside, it certainly feels like a futuristic piece of tech in your hand.
 
Not surprised that teardowns show room for a second speaker at the bottom. Typical. It’s the only thing holding me back, and they could’ve addressed it with probably a $6 part.

Glad those that got one are enjoying it, it looks really good and is by far the best design of any of them this year, although I wish they made the camera flush even if it reduced quality.
 
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@Jupiter1
that was my dilemma also. the blue or the white.
some people visiting apple stores have reported that the black one shows scuffs or scratches - probably from rough usage typical to display environments.
pls do let us know which one you keep, and why. and what case you are going to use it with (if any case at all).
thanks.
I kept the Cloud White. I purchased a few cases to try out, Apple's Frost , not crazy about the Mag Safe symbol on the back and the bottom is open and I worried about dust entering. I purchased a Totallee Scarf Ultra Slim Clear Case without symbols to let the back shine though and a couple of other clear slim cases which were less expensive. All off Amazon. I prefer a minimalistic look and in my humble opinion looks best. I have always treated all of my Apple Devices like babies so they always look they were just unboxed. Macs, MacBook Pros, MacBook Airs, watches, etc. I also purchased the crossbody strap which is going back. Hopes this helps. Enjoy whatever you purchase.
 
I upgraded to a iPhone 17 Air from my 15 Pro model with T Mobile, normally I upgrade every year, but being retired and on a fixed income, now it’s every other launch. I decided to go with the light blue model and after receiving and seeing it in person, the phone is beautiful. It’s lightweight, thin and very well made.

I also went with the Apple clear case and actually used the transfer app from my old phone instead of a restore from backup and I was surprised how easy the process was to complete. After it copied all my data and apps and waiting for all my apps to be installed, the phone was up and running in about 30 minutes or so.

I had to re-enter a few of my banking and social app passwords, but that’s normal. I have been using it pretty heavily since noon today and the battery life is great, the screen is fantastic and the OS is smooth and I am loving this phone. I am very happy with my upgrade and will post another review after using this beauty for a solid week as my daily driver.
 
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