iPhone Air iPhone Air First Impressions Mega-Thread [MERGED]

[thatJohann]

Having gone back and forth between the Pro and the Air, it's time to settle on this new device. I really hope Apple sticks with the Air and keeps improving it. I really hope this doesn't go the way of the Plus.

In your same boat, gonna try to make a call today. I keep using both through the day and I can't deny how much better the Air feels in the hand, yet I feel drawn to the 17 Pro too. Just gotta rip the bandaid and pick one.

The Air feels like a whole generation ahead of the 17 Pro, but I get FOMO about the camera with all the international trips I take where I love taking pics. However that accounts for like 20% of my year vs. the hand feel accounts for 100% of my time.

 

[KarimLeVallois]

I've already sold my 16PM, so no going back! lol

 

[xxFoxtail]

Finally got to try these out last weekend.

Nothing about the Air really blew me away. Its thinness and lightness (relative to its size) made a solid impression, but didn’t impress me per se. It was just as thin and light as I expected. Personally I would not accept the poor thermals and single camera. It’s a Gen 1 design that needs some refinement and I can’t wait to see how it evolves. Eventually I think Apple will simply merge the design principles of the Air into the base models.

The 17 felt really good. They nailed it. Just a solid phone.

I got to play around with the Air and 17 Pro over the weekend at the Apple Store, I saw the 17 right there with them, but didn't use it. I was very brief with both because an employee was hovering over the table waiting to ask or answer any questions. From that time, I really liked how they both felt in hand. The Air was modern and sleek. The 17 Pro was soft, and felt more like a "machine." I really want the Air, it's been on the back of my mind for the last few weeks now. It's really hard for me to justify it coming from my 14 Pro (with a brand new battery as of June).

 

[Steelhead1957]

I have spent this week with the air coming from a 15 Pro Max, I like the reduction and weight in my pocket. Battery is marginally better than my 15 Pro Max. I’m a pretty heavy user so I keep a charger handy. I was hoping for a little more battery power so I wouldn’t have any bad battery anxiety. The only place I feel let down is the zoom on the camera at times I need just a bit more room to frame a picture. But after using my iPad for an hour or so when I pick up the Air, it feels like I am holding nothing. Which is a fun feeling because it is really fast with iOS 26.
Still kicking around about getting the 17 pro, not the max. But I hate the colors, first world problems. So it will stay for a little while longer. oh yeah, no black cases made of leather. Bummer I like using Apple stuff, not third-party.

 

[bbarras]

Has anyone had any issues with the charging cables not fitting on IPHONE AIR ? When I have the bumper case on(and it definitely fits snug ), my " APPLE " charging cable doesn't fit. I have to remove the case so I can charge. Just curious if anyone else noticed this ?

 

[rmeadejr]

Has anyone had any issues with the charging cables not fitting on IPHONE AIR ? When I have the bumper case on(and it definitely fits snug ), my " APPLE " charging cable doesn't fit. I have to remove the case so I can charge. Just curious if anyone else noticed this ?

I use the apple bumper case and I'm not having that issue.

 

[UnjustifiedBot]

Has anyone had any issues with the charging cables not fitting on IPHONE AIR ? When I have the bumper case on(and it definitely fits snug ), my " APPLE " charging cable doesn't fit. I have to remove the case so I can charge. Just curious if anyone else noticed this ?

I didn't have any issues with the in box cable or thunderbolt cables.

 

[snow755]

Hi

I got my iPhone air and Apple watch 3 ultra today and I really love the wight and feel of the phone comper to some of the heavyer Android phone I all so like the screen size it's perfect when you used messenger speakers sound grate had not had any issues the C1X modem is all so super fantastic 😊 no issues with texting or cellular calls am really happy with the iPhone air and Apple watch ultra 3 combo this year

 

[Ifti]

Great.

 

[sguser]

I posted in this thread earlier. I bought Air, used it for a day and returned back to my 16P. The phone felt a bit too wide and I was concerned about the camera. But the itch remain. Air felt so much better comparing to the heavy 16P and 14PM before it.

So I’ve bought Air again (a 15% discount helped to make the decision). I’ve been using the phone for a week, and I don’t miss my 16P at all and keeping the Air.

 

[maka344]

I posted in this thread earlier. I bought Air, used it for a day and returned back to my 16P. The phone felt a bit too wide and I was concerned about the camera. But the itch remain. Air felt so much better comparing to the heavy 16P and 14PM before it.

So I’ve bought Air again (a 15% discount helped to make the decision). I’ve been using the phone for a week, and I don’t miss my 16P at all and keeping the Air.

May I ask, how did you get the 15% discount?

 

[Kazgarth]

I sold my Air unfortunately and the main reason was subpar call speaker volume.
I never had such hard time hearing the other person using the phone speaker before. On my 14PM I mostly have speaker volume at 1/2 and its so loud other people can hear it.

 

[sguser]

May I ask, how did you get the 15% discount?

I bought it from a person who got the phone as part of the mobile line contract with a telco. This is quite common in Singapore, where people sell their telco headsets at a slightly discounted price.

 

[sguser]

I sold my Air unfortunately and the main reason was subpar call speaker volume.
I never had such hard time hearing the other person using the phone speaker before. On my 14PM I mostly have speaker volume at 1/2 and it’s so loud other people can hear it.

In the past week, I’ve used the phone for quite a few calls on a speaker phone, and for me the speaker quality was more than adequate. I guess it may depend on an environment, I was in a quiet place and can hear the speaker well.

 

[Zaft]

I saw some people say this and I agree. Using the air feels like when I first used the iPhone x

It was new, refreshing.

 

[tomtad]

After 10 days or so with the Air. The biggest problem is the weak mono speaker and low call quality(because of the subpar speaker).

Other than that, it’s a great piece of tech.

This is the deal breaker for me as well. I don't use the speaker for listening for music, but I do use it enough for listening to podcasts in the shower, so show someone a quick video, or the occasional speaker phone call, that I know it would be annoying.

 

[kepler20b]

14p to Air thoughts:


battery life is ~20% better than my 14pro for my setup/usage case. I'm getting 6-7hr of screen active time before 10%.

having the latest photographic styles and best ios26 experience makes the upgrade a no brainer imo.

overall the most interesting part of the experience is that I realized the eyes prefer a larger screen, but the hands prefer a smaller phone, an unsolvable paradox for a *non folding!* phone.

theres a reason why the base pro and base iPhone are 6.1-6.3. that screen size is what will fits most comfortably in the hand of 95% of people. but the eyes prefer 6.5 and above, thats what 95% of eyes will prefer

you'll notice some people actually complain that the air doesnt fit in their hands well, and they are probably correct.


as for me, theres no going back. ill be on the air line for the rest of time that we're still buying phones.

 

[dizmonk]

14p to Air thoughts:


battery life is ~20% better than my 14pro for my setup/usage case. I'm getting 6-7hr of screen active time before 10%.

having the latest photographic styles and best ios26 experience makes the upgrade a no brainer imo.

overall the most interesting part of the experience is that I realized the eyes prefer a larger screen, but the hands prefer a smaller phone, an unsolvable paradox for a *non folding!* phone.

theres a reason why the base pro and base iPhone are 6.1-6.3. that screen size is what will fits most comfortably in the hand of 95% of people. but the eyes prefer 6.5 and above, thats what 95% of eyes will prefer

you'll notice some people actually complain that the air doesnt fit in their hands well, and they are probably correct.


as for me, theres no going back. ill be on the air line for the rest of time that we're still buying phones.

Well said. I showed my college-aged daughter the Air. She said it was "too thin," and she said it would break into three pieces when she dropped it. She said she'd break it because she'd throw it across the room like a frisbee... (This is why we can't have nice things... )

 

[xxFoxtail]

14p to Air thoughts:


battery life is ~20% better than my 14pro for my setup/usage case. I'm getting 6-7hr of screen active time before 10%.

having the latest photographic styles and best ios26 experience makes the upgrade a no brainer imo.

overall the most interesting part of the experience is that I realized the eyes prefer a larger screen, but the hands prefer a smaller phone, an unsolvable paradox for a *non folding!* phone.

theres a reason why the base pro and base iPhone are 6.1-6.3. that screen size is what will fits most comfortably in the hand of 95% of people. but the eyes prefer 6.5 and above, thats what 95% of eyes will prefer

you'll notice some people actually complain that the air doesnt fit in their hands well, and they are probably correct.


as for me, theres no going back. ill be on the air line for the rest of time that we're still buying phones.

As far as using it goes, do you notice much difference? I’m thinking about things like wireless CarPlay being smoother, are the camera control or action buttons worth it? Is the larger screen a burden? I know Apple Intelligence is a bit worthless right now, but it would be nice to have in the future, maybe?

I briefly played around with the Air at the Apple Store and kind of loved it because of its weight and thinness.

I’m still on the 14 Pro, I have the iPhone Air sitting in my shopping cart. I have reasons for wanting to upgrade to a newer phone, but it's very hard for me to completely justify it.

My release day 14 Pro still looks and works like its brand new apart from one minor scruff on the stainless steel (also got a battery replacement back in June). To be honest, I can see myself getting another 2-3 years out of this phone if I weren't so tempted by the Air, which is probably fueled by FOMO anyway.

 

[kepler20b]

As far as using it goes, do you notice much difference? I’m thinking about things like wireless CarPlay being smoother, are the camera control or action buttons worth it? Is the larger screen a burden? I know Apple Intelligence is a bit worthless right now, but it would be nice to have in the future, maybe?

I briefly played around with the Air at the Apple Store and kind of loved it because of its weight and thinness.

I’m still on the 14 Pro, I have the iPhone Air sitting in my shopping cart. I have reasons for wanting to upgrade to a newer phone, but it's very hard for me to completely justify it.

My release day 14 Pro still looks and works like its brand new apart from one minor scruff on the stainless steel (also got a battery replacement back in June). To be honest, I can see myself getting another 2-3 years out of this phone if I weren't so tempted by the Air, which is probably fueled by FOMO anyway.

no, I dont really think its worth it

im a nerd and rich.


I wouldn't advise someone with a new battery 14p to upgrade to any 17.

air 2 is the phone for u imo.

 

[grovertdog]

I received my Air on day one and was more excited about this upgrade than I have been in over a decade. I expected to miss the wide/macro lens, and I do (coming from a 15 PM brick) but the telephoto, not so much. The speaker quality had more impact in my daily use than I expected, I admit. It just sounds weird to me, perhaps I haven't adjusted. I LOVE the screen, it just pops. Is it the almost invisible bezel?

Today I concluded the compromises were not worth it to me. I'm clumsy and even with big hands I couldn't get comfortable holding the phone. It wasn't a secure, natural feel. So I got the Apple bumper. No bueno, too hard/slick for my hands, not to mention the ridiculous retail price. Then, two minimalist cases. Way better hand feel but at this point the thinness was kind of lost. The Air lost its "air". I still appreciated the feel in my front pocket, but in terms of actual use, I kind of lost my excitement. So I traded for a 17 today. The pro/pro max were just too bulky for me and while I'd appreciate the battery life and the low light image quality the larger sensor delivers, I want a smaller form factor I can use one-handed more easily.

The 17 is perfectly fine. Not sexy. Not particularly exciting. But it is a very effective tool that doesn't bring attention to shortcomings and has no glaring misses for me. Even feels pretty decent in my front pocket. I really miss the Air's screen. Why the 6.5 inch screen seems that much better than a similar DPI screen only 0.2" smaller, I have no idea, but it did to me. If the Air had at least two lenses including macro and two speakers, I'd have paid $400 more for that and learned to live with the case. Maybe V.2? We'll see. It was fun having a gorgeous phone for two weeks though. It was also fun to use my 15pm hard for two years and step into a 17 for around $300 net of trade. I do certainly understand why many folks are delighted with their Airs. A very Apple product for sure, good to see design still matters.

 

[dolf]

I am loving mine, but am very concerned about battery life after a couple days. We’ll see how it does over the next week or so, but I’m kinda 50/50 on exchanging it for a regular 17. Like the post above says, it’s not very exciting, but a great package overall.

None of the other compromises bother me much so far. I love the screen and it feels very good in the hand. I have large hands, and only the extreme top of the screen is out of reach without changing the way I hold it.

The plateau does bug me a bit. That may be partially because the case I bought has even more of a lip than I think is necessary. If I decide to keep the Air (fingers crossed), I will try a thinner one.

 

[James6s]

I got an Air on launch day, a week later I also got a 17 Pro to try out. After using both side by side I much prefer the Air and have decided to keep the Air!

Both camera systems are amazing, 1x & 2x shots there is no difference in quality. Obviously the 17 Pro has the better overall camera system with the ultra wide & new telephoto lens, no contest there.

Battery life was a lot closer than I’d expected it to be despite the large differences in battery capacity.

The Air’s in hand feel in incredible, much more comfortable to hold and having a larger screen than the 17 Pro is a win, and IMO the Air is definitely the more premium looking and feeling of the two.

 

[stanza.richi]

Yesterday evening picture. I can’t say that is not god compared with my previous 14PM.

 

[tolili alert]

I really miss the Air's screen. Why the 6.5 inch screen seems that much better than a similar DPI screen only 0.2" smaller, I have no idea, but it did to me.

Because, in fact, the real difference is 0.28":

17/17 Pro: 6,27"
Air: 6,55"
17 PM: 6,86"