I'm one of the returners. Coming from the SE3.
Tried the Air in desperation since Apple's unlikely to make another small phone. Alas, I found it even less comfortable to use one-handed than the 15 Pro.
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iPhone Air iPhone Air First Impressions Mega-Thread [MERGED]
- Thread starter Geert76
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I'm one of the returners. Coming from the SE3.
Tried the Air in desperation since Apple's unlikely to make another small phone. Alas, I found it even less comfortable to use one-handed than the 15 Pro.
Can I ask you to share your settings? Thanks in advance!
From 14 Pro Max: I was an early adopter and lover of 12 mini, I’m (still) in love with my new Air.
I'm thinking of getting the Air. I looked at one briefly and really liked how thin and light it is. My 16PM is annoyingly bulky.
Battery life- seems like plenty for my daily usage. My 16PM is way over the top. The only times I need a lot of battery are when attending events or visiting places where I need to take lots of pictures/video or use maps/navigation, but these instances are very occasional and predictable so I can always bring a MagSafe battery along.
Single speaker- I don't care at all about stereo speakers on such a small screen device like a phone. I just want the speaker to be front-facing, which it is. I do kind of care about max volume, but it should be fine since the only time I go even near max volume on my 16PM is when listening to a podcast while showering, but I can also just use my BT shower speaker.
Single camera lens- this is my only hesitation since I often use all three lenses on my 16PM. But I've been considering getting a good dedicated PaS camera with more powerful zoom. If I can comfortably front-pocket the Air (front-pocketing my 16PM feels uncomfortable and looks ridiculous to me), then I can carry the dedicated camera in my cross body fanny pack which I wear anyway because I dislike pocketing my annoyingly huge car key fob and my wallet. I can tolerate pocketing them (and actually I hook my keys to my pants belt loop when I need to), but it's my 16PM that I can't stand pocketing which is why I have the fanny pack.
If I do the dedicated camera in fanny pack (along with wallet and keys) and move the phone to my pocket, this will will give me the option of leaving behind my fanny pack on occasions where wearing it is inappropriate or impractical or I just don't feel like it, and if I know I won't need my dedicated camera, in which case I'll pocket my wallet and keys.
So my next steps are I need to check out the Air again and try it in my front pocket, then I need to see if there's a good PaS camera I want.
Battery life- seems like plenty for my daily usage. My 16PM is way over the top. The only times I need a lot of battery are when attending events or visiting places where I need to take lots of pictures/video or use maps/navigation, but these instances are very occasional and predictable so I can always bring a MagSafe battery along.
Single speaker- I don't care at all about stereo speakers on such a small screen device like a phone. I just want the speaker to be front-facing, which it is. I do kind of care about max volume, but it should be fine since the only time I go even near max volume on my 16PM is when listening to a podcast while showering, but I can also just use my BT shower speaker.
Single camera lens- this is my only hesitation since I often use all three lenses on my 16PM. But I've been considering getting a good dedicated PaS camera with more powerful zoom. If I can comfortably front-pocket the Air (front-pocketing my 16PM feels uncomfortable and looks ridiculous to me), then I can carry the dedicated camera in my cross body fanny pack which I wear anyway because I dislike pocketing my annoyingly huge car key fob and my wallet. I can tolerate pocketing them (and actually I hook my keys to my pants belt loop when I need to), but it's my 16PM that I can't stand pocketing which is why I have the fanny pack.
If I do the dedicated camera in fanny pack (along with wallet and keys) and move the phone to my pocket, this will will give me the option of leaving behind my fanny pack on occasions where wearing it is inappropriate or impractical or I just don't feel like it, and if I know I won't need my dedicated camera, in which case I'll pocket my wallet and keys.
So my next steps are I need to check out the Air again and try it in my front pocket, then I need to see if there's a good PaS camera I want.
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You sound like a Pro user. I would stick to the Pro for your use case you’ve outlined. The cameras alone mean you should just buy the Pro.
The Air is nice and pocket friendly but the lack of cameras and the mono speaker limitations are real.
It’s been a tough call for me between the Pro Max and the Air. When I’ve tried the Air and gone back to my 17PM it’s glorious. I enjoy that slightly bigger screen, the battery slowly trickles and the camera shines. I have three young children thus, the camera is important.
Also, the x80 modem and the antenna bands are better than the C1X modem if connectivity is important for you. C1X from what I’m reading is on par with the X75 in the 16 series - this may or may not matter to you.
I don't speak for others but I couldn't care less about stereo speakers on a phone. It's such a small screen and relatively poor sound (good for what it is, but doesn't compare to any decent headphones or speakers) that I don't consider immersion even a goal for it. I may be an outlier but I see a phone as just an information conduit, so I just need the audio to be loud enough (and the screen big enough) to deliver the information I want. For what I would consider an even baseline immersive experience, I need much better speakers and a much bigger screen. So to put it hyperbolically, I guess to me trying to get immersion from a phone is like trying to jump to the moon.
I don't even consider immersion a goal for my iPad Mini. The larger screen is simply more practical for getting more information. It's not until the larger iPad sizes that I consider it able to start delivering immersion, or an "experience" (more than just information)--in other words where I might actually want to watch a movie or show I care about on it. But also then I'll probably use my AirPods.
Smaller screens to me are just for YouTube where stereo is superfluous. But that's me.
The camera is very important to me so if I was a normal person I would agree I should go Pro. But the thing is I'm weird because I want an even better camera than the Pro, so much so that I might be willing to carry around two devices (one in pocket and one in fanny pack), if I can find such a dedicated PaS camera, and if the phone can disappear in the pocket, enough to be worth it.
Again, the mono speaker doesn't bother me since it's forward-facing and most likely loud enough. The difference in screen size and battery life and connectivity also don't bother me in the slightest. My "Pro" usage really just comes down to the camera.
I just like this phone but coming from Android charging this thing, is so ridiculous slow lol. 1.5 hours from 0 to 100%. C'mon.
It’s quite a list so I can’t do that. However, if you search YouTube for battery saving tips on iOS 26 or iPhone 17 you will find exactly what I am doing. The coverage is extensive by some of the popular YouTubers. I am sure you will find them with ease. 👍
Turn off AoD as 'Raise to Wake' works well in its place. Also, make sure you turn off "background app refresh" as those two things will use a good amount of battery. Having those options off won't negate normal use of your phone and most importantly, it won't negate the reason for having the Air. If one has to turn off most features to make it through each day, then the Air (or any iPhone) might not be for that person, whomever he or she may be.
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There is a big difference between features and settings. For example location sharing for most apps is data being gathered for marketing purposes. Background app refresh using cellular on a fast phone is also a pointless battery drain. Whatever you call the latest glass look and weird animations are a stylistic choice that has a power penalty that if asked to choose most people would choose more battery life.
I switched to the Air because I was tired of dealing with the Max sized phones and for me the 5X telephoto pictures weren’t the most detailed so I didn’t feel like I was giving up much. I rarely used the ultrawide so no loss there. And holding either the 17PM or 17Pro both felt like huge bricks.
Yesterday I went to my son’s double header baseball game. He was scheduled to pitch the 2nd game. In the past, I tried to just use the 15PM as my camera but have committed to taking my DSLR. It was such a joy using the Air the first game as I passively had on the MLB playoffs. I had no problems with the single speaker and after 7 hours of being outdoors and streaming probably an hour of video I was only down to 45%. And the actual real photos I captured with my DSLR once he pitched was worth it.
Yesterday I went to my son’s double header baseball game. He was scheduled to pitch the 2nd game. In the past, I tried to just use the 15PM as my camera but have committed to taking my DSLR. It was such a joy using the Air the first game as I passively had on the MLB playoffs. I had no problems with the single speaker and after 7 hours of being outdoors and streaming probably an hour of video I was only down to 45%. And the actual real photos I captured with my DSLR once he pitched was worth it.
I did the opposite. Had the 15 Pro Max. Traded it in for the Air. Tried the 17 Pro and returned the 17 Pro. Staying with the Air.
I’m curious @dizmonk what didn’t you like about the 17 pro vs Air ?
I have the SE 2016 (bad battery). It’s light and I think that’s why the Air appeals to me. I did buy the Air but returned it next day as the frame was damaged.
I’m down to Air vs 17 pro. Base 17 feels badly weighted for me against eg vs 16 base otherwise would choose that.
The 17 Pro was fine but predictable (and the screen was a little small for me). But my hand kept going back to the Air. It just felt far more comfortable in the hand, pocket, and was easier on my eyes. The speaker and battery drawbacks I can live with. To me, the only edge the Pro had was the camera. But when it came to the everyday feel of the device, the Air is just far more comfortable to use.
I’ve had every Pro phone since the 11, which were great for me. Went with the Space Black Air.
I did go to the Apple Store and played with the 17 Pro. Overall, it just felt like a cheap brick with the aluminum + weight increase. Not a feeling I’ve come to associate with a “Pro” phone at all, so decided on the Air, which felt good in the hand and like something different vs the prior years.
So far the battery has been better than my 16 pro, and I’m not missing the extra lenses much in daily life (except for when I went to a concert last week).
I upgrade yearly as part of the iPhone upgrade program, so happy to spend this year with the Air and re-evaluate next cycle.
I did go to the Apple Store and played with the 17 Pro. Overall, it just felt like a cheap brick with the aluminum + weight increase. Not a feeling I’ve come to associate with a “Pro” phone at all, so decided on the Air, which felt good in the hand and like something different vs the prior years.
So far the battery has been better than my 16 pro, and I’m not missing the extra lenses much in daily life (except for when I went to a concert last week).
I upgrade yearly as part of the iPhone upgrade program, so happy to spend this year with the Air and re-evaluate next cycle.
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if your concern is the battery life the regular 17 would be no different, you’d have to get a pro or pro max for better battery
Well, said Apple and it’s funky ways gives us an incredibly cool device, and then takes away a few little features that we have grown to appreciate on our other machines, yet entices us, with style and the first phone that I’m using without a case most of the time because it’s so fun to use without one. Yes, the battery life is not much better than my 15 Pro Max, but we have chargers everywhere we go anyway unless we’re hiking or fishing or something like that.
Then I will just bring along my little brick charger and be fine. I was fairly certain I was going to trade this in after a week or two to pick up the 17 Pro. Not gonna happen. Air will stay in the herd for now.
I haven't being keeping up on Youtube or these forums about the battery life of Air vs 17, is the conclusion so far that base 17 doesn't offer much more compared to the Air?
Also, how much (hours) in everyday real world use does the 17 pro (not Max) give vs the Air?
I tried both Tempe Air and the 17 , the 17 got me maybe 30-45 mins more SOT a day , not enough for me to keep it so I stuck with the Air. This was my day yesterday 7am to 6 pm took me to 20%
Then I charged for like 30 mins or so back to 60% and used it till 11pm when it was back to 20% and I was going to sleep took this second screenshot though a little earlier.
After two weeks using and comparing the iPhone Air with the 17 Pro, I finally returned the 17 Pro and kept the Air. Really happy with my decision. Love this thing.
I agree with the quality of zoom pics on the max. I coach travel softball and baseball and iPhone photos are never good enough when it comes to getting details or full action. A team DSLR is always needed.
I did not damage the frame had abrasions when bought
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I was in the same boat! So glad I chose the Air over the 17 Pro. Absolute pleasure to use ❤️
I think the better question is... what is your use case?
If you're primarily on cellular, actually, only 17 Pro Max can beat or match Air:
This puzzled me and my wife the past 2 weeks. When we went out for hours doing shopping and such... her 17 Pro Max drained battery slightly faster than my Air did. We thought something was up, then I dug up this video and it makes sense.
The C1X chip in Air is just really that much more efficient compared to Qualcomm in the other phones.