iPhone Air iPhone Air Lack of Popularity

[Webcat86]

The same reason the Air people are calling the Pros Bricks, hideous, ugly, and cheap. Have you looked at many of the forums on here. There is way more hate for the Pros than the Airs.

Well, no. By and large, everyone (edit: here, this forum, not every Air owner) using the Air now has come from or experienced the Pro/Pro Max phones. And most (not all) of the people criticising the Air have not held, much less used, one.

So it’s not a valid comparison at all.

The in-hand feel of the Air is very different. At first I felt the same as you: how can a few mm and a few grams make a difference? The Air sounds stupid. But somehow, it really does add up to become very noticeable and far more pleasant.

I’ve had mine since Sunday but been back and forth about keeping it or my 16 Pro. Today I finally transferred my number across to make the Air my primary/sole phone for the next week. And honestly, so far it’s so much nicer to use. It’s also almost 3pm and my battery is at 61%, which is better than my 16P would get.

 

[Webcat86]

Better to install pension on air and kill your physical sim on old phone so you can properly test it under network conditions which will test battery better than without phone use

I’m not sure what word you meant instead of pension, but I did the transfer this morning. Old sim is dead and my number is active on my air.

 

[ratspg]

I got my iPhone Air Cloud White on Fri morning (in-store pickup), coming from a 15PM (and 13 Pro, 12 Pro and X before that). Absolutely love it so far - it fit my use case perfectly, as someone where 95% of my photos were 1x/2x main lens, I use my AirPods Pro for basically all listening (or via Sonos at home), and I wasn't a power user so felt I could easily deal with the lower battery life.

The screen is beautiful - I think the 6.5" is the goldilocks size for me. The 15 PM (my first plus-sized phone) was just a little too big (eg. one-handed typing was doable but difficult). And having 120hz Promotion was a must (without it, would've been a dealbreaker).

Re: battery life - I've felt it absolutely punches above its weight on what my expectations were. Over the last 6 days (Fri, Sat-Sun weekend, and then Mon - Tues work-week), I've basically started the morning with 100% and finished at night with ~40-50%.

So right now, it's absolutely more than enough for my needs. Additionally for me, at the stage of life (in my 40s, with adolescent kids), I'm trying to be more present in daily life and use my phone less. I don't enable always-on display (I didn't on my 15 PM either) given the same energy - I want to use my phone if/when I want, but be more intentional about using it less. Even more so, feel like the Air was the ideal phone for me.

I'm in the same stage as you. Way more present and intentional. I do have 2 lines for personal/work so I still have an iPhone 17 Pro Max for some filming/work related things. Whats new is the iPhone Air is my personal line now and I much prefer carrying the small phone that I use way less now and still covers all of my needs!

 

[ab2c4]

So I swapped my Pro Max out for an air and set it up this morning and I really like it so far.
Interestingly, I popped out for breakfast and the guy that served me in the café asked where my new pro Max was as he also had a Pro Max 17. I told him that I exchanged it for an air and he asked if he could look at it and after holding it and playing with it for five minutes, he decided he’s going to send his Pro Max back and go for an air instead.

I think there are a lot of people that either don't know the Air exists or haven't held and tried one out yet. Once that changes I think Air sales will rise above whatever rate they are selling at now.

 

[ab2c4]

I don’t know why the pro users seem to have an issue with the air. It wouldn’t surprise me if at least 50% of pro users didn’t actually need a lot of the functionality of the pro phones. I certainly didn’t. Unless people are using their phones all day long or are keen photographers, what other no reason is there for needing a pro?

Some people, while not needing the features on a Pro, want it strictly as a status symbol (or at least they think it is). My boss who is in his early 60's and single has a 16 Pro because he told me that in the dating world one of the things people judge you on is your phone. I don't know if that is true or not but that is what he believes. Now with me personally, if I found myself single and some woman didn't want to go out with me because of the model of phone I had I would feel like I just dodged a bullet with her lol.

 

[Kjabean]

As someone who just got his first iPhone, I do feel like people looked at me funny for not having a iPhone. Even though my phone was always a good one worth just as much, I have been using razors, it seems like if you don’t have an Apple or Samsung then some assume you are poor.

 

[ayephoner]

I think it's a big ask of most people that would be in the market for the air to make the sacrifices that the air needs you to make. Really 3 big ones (imho):
1. cameras
2. speaker
3. heat performance

Obviously it will still be a great option for a lot of people, but I just won't ever consider it unless some serious progress can be made on these fronts.

 

[rui no onna]

So less than 1.5 once difference is now a brick. I get the pro is bigger but can we be for real here. All of a sudden the Pro phones are just hideously big.

I prefer small phones: using the SE3 (144g) as DD and have both 12 and 13 minis. So yeah, I find most new iPhones big.

With that said, the Air might be thinner and lighter but it's also big. For me, the 15 Pro (187g) actually feels more comfortable to use than the Air.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I don’t know why the pro users seem to have an issue with the air. It wouldn’t surprise me if at least 50% of pro users didn’t actually need a lot of the functionality of the pro phones. I certainly didn’t. Unless people are using their phones all day long or are keen photographers, what other no reason is there for needing a pro?

I have kids so having a Pro gives me the flexibility of adpating to the different scenarios when I want to take pictures of them. Another reason for me is I do a fair bit of product testing and use my phone to zoom in to take pictures of test subjects under immense load, rather than risk my safety. Everyone has different needs from a phone and it would have been cool to see the standard iPhones getting this much defence a few years ago when the Pro snobs were ridiculing those iPhones, because they lacked certain features. We seem to have gone full circle here and even as a Pro Max user, its nice to see the less premium phones getting some credit for once.

 

[Bazooka-joe]

I have kids so having a Pro gives me the flexibility of adpating to the different scenarios when I want to take pictures of them. Another reason for me is I do a fair bit of product testing and use my phone to zoom in to take pictures of test subjects under immense load, rather than risk my safety. Everyone has different needs from a phone and it would have been cool to see the standard iPhones getting this much defence a few years ago when the Pro snobs were ridiculing those iPhones, because they lacked certain features. We seem to have gone full circle here and even as a Pro Max user, its nice to see the less premium phones getting some credit for once.

That’s a really sensible response and yes, totally justifiable that you need a Pro rather than an Air. Each of Apples 2025 phones has a place depending on individuals needs.
9to5Mac reported that this year is Apple’s strongest lineup of phones ever with something for everyone. They’ve given high praise to all the phones that Apple have released this September.

 

[Webcat86]

I think it's a big ask of most people that would be in the market for the air to make the sacrifices that the air needs you to make. Really 3 big ones (imho):
1. cameras
2. speaker
3. heat performance

Obviously it will still be a great option for a lot of people, but I just won't ever consider it unless some serious progress can be made on these fronts.

None of those are sacrifices really.

There are SOME, certainly not all, Pro users who need the extra cameras. They should keep the Pro.

The speaker is of sufficient quality and everything I’ve seen from people using older (eg iP13) devices is that the Air’s speaker is better/louder/clearer. If you work in a noisy environment or have hearing issues, it may not be as suitable.

Heat performance is not something I’ve experienced outside of updating a bunch of apps on data, and the same happened on my 16Pro. My 16P was also getting very warm on the train last night while I was listening to music with a low battery.

None of this is to say that these aren’t issues to anyone whatsoever. I’m saying the stated issues are vastly overblown, often by people who haven’t used one, and in reality the phone is much more capable and much less restrictive than a lot of people are reporting.

Honestly to read some posts you’d think the Air is gimped to the point that it’s like going back in time.

I had a call on speakerphone earlier, I’ve listened to music, played some games, spent a lot of time on Safari, and my battery is at 54% at 4pm. It hasn’t got remotely warm yet, and I’ve taken some superb photos with this phone - I’m just aware it doesn’t have the same camera flexibility as my Pro did.

 

[ctbear]

The three main compromises that are often brought up about the Air are (imo) very real, but also not absolute deal breaker for most users. What isn't brought up enough is the ridiculous USB 2.0 port which makes no sense to be on this phone. It is way too slow and doesn't even support display port output. There is no reason it can't support DP when the base 17 is also on USB 2.0 and supports it.

 

[Webcat86]

The three main compromises that are often brought up about the Air are (imo) very real, but also not absolute deal breaker for most users. What isn't brought up enough is the ridiculous USB 2.0 port which makes no sense to be on this phone. It is way too slow and doesn't even support display port output. There is no reason it can't support DP when the base 17 is also on USB 2.0 and supports it.

They’re real compromises but only to specific users, is my point. The subset of people for whom the cameras, battery, AND speaker will be problematic is tiny. The camera for instance is very good, it just has fewer lenses. But people are interpreting this as the output of the camera being bad to the point that upgrading from an iPhone 13 isn’t worthwhile. The speaker will be poor for some people like the ones I mentioned in my last post, and fine for almost everyone else.

Nobody denies these compromises are there, they just push back on the narrative that the whole phone is a compromise and it’s so limited that it’s worth keeping the XR instead.

 

[ctbear]

They’re real compromises but only to specific users, is my point. The subset of people for whom the cameras, battery, AND speaker will be problematic is tiny. The camera for instance is very good, it just has fewer lenses. But people are interpreting this as the output of the camera being bad to the point that upgrading from an iPhone 13 isn’t worthwhile. The speaker will be poor for some people like the ones I mentioned in my last post, and fine for almost everyone else.

Nobody denies these compromises are there, they just push back on the narrative that the whole phone is a compromise and it’s so limited that it’s worth keeping the XR instead.

Not sure what your point is, I said they are not absolute deal breakers for most people. The people that say they would rather keep the XR over Air because of these issues are trolls and not worth the attention.

I will say that the four compromises (battery, camera, speaker, usb port) by themselves are not the end of the world, but when combined they present a different value proposition. The phone costs USD1000, the same price as the flagship from last year. Is the form factor worth all of these drawbacks at the same price point? Maybe it is, maybe it's not. I have both Air and 17PM and I still can't decide between the two.

 

[Webcat86]

Not sure what your point is, I said they are not absolute deal breakers for most people. The people that say they would rather keep the XR over Air because of these issues are trolls and not worth the attention.

I will say that the four compromises (battery, camera, speaker, usb port) by themselves are not the end of the world, but when combined they present a different value proposition. The phone costs USD1000, the same price as the flagship from last year. Is the form factor worth all of these drawbacks at the same price point? Maybe it is, maybe it's not. I have both Air and 17PM and I still can't decide between the two.

My point mainly was that while they’re all very real, they’re better than many are reporting and very unlikely to all be a problem for the user - so while I agree that they present a different value proposition when combined, they’re rarely combined for the end user.

I think the discussion is interesting. I’ve used Pros since they first came out but truth be told many if not most of us buy them with a “just in case” mentality. I’d wager very few of us use what the pros are capable of, and the Air is perhaps the perfect phone for people who are happy to acknowledge they don’t need the extra. the daily benefit of using and carrying the phone is probably a worthwhile trade-off for needing a telephoto lens photo once in a blue moon, or to shoot in full 4k.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I don’t know why the pro users seem to have an issue with the air. It wouldn’t surprise me if at least 50% of pro users didn’t actually need a lot of the functionality of the pro phones. I certainly didn’t. Unless people are using their phones all day long or are keen photographers, what other no reason is there for needing a pro?

I think for a lot of users having the Pro models has become an ego bragging right, even if one doesn't need all the features. That is why you see so many affirmed pro users in Air threads making snide comments and basically throwing stuff against the wall.

 

[Mortalias]

I can only speak for my own experience, but I pre-ordered the Air and when it arrived, I loved it. The screen size and form factor is truly top notch.

I returned it on day five however, for a 17 Pro because the battery was noticeably a factor for me. And the camera, after some tests, was throttled enough that I could actually tell in day-to-day use. At the Apple Store, the manager joked with the employee to get ready to 'see a lot more of those' over the week. Apparently many have been returning it.

An Air 2 with the same form factor and a significantly improved battery + 2 lens system (at least) will be a day one purchase for me.

 

[Webcat86]

I can only speak for my own experience, but I pre-ordered the Air and when it arrived, I loved it. The screen size and form factor is truly top notch.

I returned it on day five however, for a 17 Pro because the battery was noticeably a factor for me. And the camera, after some tests, was throttled enough that I could actually tell in day-to-day use.

An Air 2 with the same form factor and a significantly improved battery + 2 lens system (at least) will be a day one purchase for me.

How could you tell the camera was being throttled?

 

[darthbane2k]

I don’t know why the pro users seem to have an issue with the air. It wouldn’t surprise me if at least 50% of pro users didn’t actually need a lot of the functionality of the pro phones. I certainly didn’t. Unless people are using their phones all day long or are keen photographers, what other no reason is there for needing a pro?

It’s quite simple, it’s because the Pros look cheap and ugly this year and the Air doesn’t. It’s as simple as that.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Not sure what your point is, I said they are not absolute deal breakers for most people. The people that say they would rather keep the XR over Air because of these issues are trolls and not worth the attention.

I will say that the four compromises (battery, camera, speaker, usb port) by themselves are not the end of the world, but when combined they present a different value proposition. The phone costs USD1000, the same price as the flagship from last year. Is the form factor worth all of these drawbacks at the same price point? Maybe it is, maybe it's not. I have both Air and 17PM and I still can't decide between the two.

The Air does not have compromises. What it has is its own abilities, which have nothing to do in and of themselves with other models. Only those who prefer the Pro models and or have jumped on the internet revenue seeker bandwagon
make a point to say compromise.

If a person was purposefully using a device or tool that was ill-equipped to properly perform the tasks at hand, that would be engaging in a foolish compromise.

If a person is using a device or tool that is helping them get their tasks done in a manner that suits them, using that device is not compromising nor should it be viewed by others as device compromising.

General comments below.
Unfortunately, the latter scenario is used as a type of shaming mechanism on MR against others who are not part of the Pro bandwagon. This kind of mentality is also heavily used on YouTube to falsely convince people that what they like and use is somehow inferior and if possible, to be avoided.

 

[Mortalias]

How could you tell the camera was being throttled?

It was the sensor for me... the smaller sensor on the main camera of the Air was noticeable in photos.

 

[avalon68]

This 1st generation Air may have too many compromises to sell super well. But it’s clearly the future of what an iPhone will look like…you can’t put that genie back in the bottle. When they put a 2nd camera back on it and continue to improve battery efficiency, sales will explode.

Consider the MacBook Air when it started vs. now.

If it were the same price as the base 17 it would sell like hotcakes - but its asking people to pay more. Cost of living has been rising the last few years. Budget is certainly going to come into it.

 

[Webcat86]

It was the sensor for me... the smaller sensor on the main camera of the Air was noticeable in photos.

So you don’t mean it was being throttled as a result of, say, heat, but that the pictures overall aren’t as good?

If it were the same price as the base 17 it would sell like hotcakes - but it’s asking people to pay more. Cost of living has been rising the last few years. Budget is certainly going to come into it.

Honestly I doubt this, because most people get their phones on monthly payments and the difference is then negligible.

The base iPhone also has the psychological element of being the base/cheapest iPhone. For people who care about that sort of thing, they wouldn’t buy it on principle.

 

[avalon68]

I prefer small phones: using the SE3 (144g) as DD and have both 12 and 13 minis. So yeah, I find most new iPhones big.

With that said, the Air might be thinner and lighter but it's also big. For me, the 15 Pro (187g) actually feels more comfortable to use than the Air.

Id love to see a mini air. Would be my perfect phone. Currently have a 13 mini, battery life not an issue for me unless Im travelling away and using the camera a lot. Im just not a heavy phone user and prefer a smaller device. I dont watch videos on it, if I listen to music its either via carplay or headphones - so speaker wouldnt bother me. Camera might....but then again Im still on a 13 mini....so maybe not. I just want a small phone that slips in my pocket for the day without weighing me down.

 

[ctbear]

The Air does not have compromises. What it has is its own abilities, which have nothing to do in and of themselves with other models. Only those who prefer the Pro models and or have jumped on the internet revenue seeker bandwagon
make a point to say compromise.

If a person was purposefully using a device or tool that was ill-equipped to properly perform the tasks at hand, that would be engaging in a foolish compromise.

If a person is using a device or tool that is helping them get their tasks done in a manner that suits them, using that device is not compromising nor should it be viewed by others as device compromising.

General comments below.
Unfortunately, the latter scenario is used as a type of shaming mechanism on MR against others who are not part of the Pro bandwagon. This kind of mentality is also heavily used on YouTube to falsely convince people that what they like and use is somehow inferior and if possible, to be avoided.

Technologies have moved forward and consumer's baseline expectations have changed. For a $1000 phone, we've come to expect a well-rounded camera system, (for me) a modern USB interface and whatnot. To pay the same price (or higher vs the base 17) and have downgrades in multiple areas is absolutely compromising. You can choose to accept them and gain the improved form factor, and that's fine if it matters that much or if the downgrades are ok for you. But they are still objectively downgrades and should be considered when making purchase decisions.

I see the same thing in MR when discussing the Pro models. After two full upgrade cycles we've come to expect the stronger and better feeling titanium, and the material used this year is a downgrade in that regard. Is that worth the (supposedly) better thermal performance? Maybe it is, maybe it's not.