iPhone Air iPhone Air w/ Telephoto Lens Would've Been Killer

[westcoastmini]

Looking into iPhones 17 this year to upgrade my 12 Mini. Went to the nearest store and played around with the phones. Overall very impressed with what Apple had done with the 17s. The base model iPhone 17 is solid but alas no Telephoto lens, which makes sense given it's price point. But everything else is just so awesome with the base.

The iPhone Air looks incredible and feels so good in the hands. Almost like a iPhone 6 Plus but with a camera (sorry iconic) plateau. It just feels nice to hold and light to carry around in the pocket.

But I felt like Apple kinda missed the mark in positioning the Air as a model in between the base and Pro. I think if the iPhone Air had the Telephoto Lens (they could've put the lens horizontally ala iPhone XS) it would've been perfect and a lot easier to justify the price difference between the base and the Air. It would also justify their tagline for the Air as "Pro" but thinner.

I might just get the base this year (Pro is just too bulky even though the camera upgrades are tempting) but here's to hoping the Air will not end up being a one-off model.

 

[JPack]

No space, it’s as simple as that.

You really have to study the teardowns and you’ll understand why. The thin chassis prevents a dual layer logic board, which in turn makes the board larger than the 17 series. Apple even had to put in a thinner and weaker Taptic Engine. There is zero space for a second speaker unless the USB-C port is removed. A second camera sensor is out of the question.

 

[westcoastmini]

Too bad. There's probably many users out there who only buy the Pro because of the 3rd lens.