iPhone Air People Just Don’t Get the Point of the iPhone Air

[JoHugh]

Who asked for a thicker heavy phone, who asked for bigger phone, who asked for a smaller phone, who asked for a foldable phone, who asked for any phone or new piece of tech that’s been released. It’s nice to see Apple trying something different and pushing some boundaries giving people more choice.

“No need to post about it” LOL… Last time I checked this was a forum dedicated to iPhone on an Apple fans site. What a ridiculous thing to come out with 🤣🤣

The Steve Jobs quote was don’t listen to the customers they’d just ask for faster horses (while they invent the car!)

 

[darthbane2k]

Anyone who buys the air as anything more than a novelty has lost their mind. 1 camera, small battery, then put on a case and it’s just as think as a normal iPhone. But you do you and buy the first gen of that joke of a phone if ya wanna. No need to post about it. Any who actually asked for a thin phone anyway? SMH

People can buy what they damn well want. Why you taking it so personally?

 

[rui no onna]

For me the 17 pros are the most terrible iPhone design I’ve seen

Sadly, yes. I'm still getting one for the cameras (need it for upcoming vacation). 😅

Still deciding between the Air and 17 for my daily driver.

 

[4sallypat]

MR and YouTube don't represent typical users. Both are filled with tech chasers who obsess over the minuscule and gripe about everything imaginable.

Stop getting upset over the internet and focus on what you want and need. And stop defending the Air. It doesn't need defending.

The most vocal complainers here (about the Air) come from those who have no real interest in the Air, they just enjoy belittling everyone else to make themselves feel important. Ignore the impudent and your life with be much smother.

^^^ VERY WELL SAID! ^^^

Thanks for the truth.

Can't wait for my 17 Air this Friday - oh boy oh boy!

 

[zenmacx]

It's just a matter of what features are more important to you.

Mind, I find more RAM quite useful but frankly, I haven't really felt much difference with faster CPUs since the iPhone 13.

I concur, my experience with many iPhone models reveals only minor differences between CPU’s. Apple brags about the latest chip which is good marketing, yet my real world experience notices very little difference.

RAM is where it’s at, yet Apple has been very conservative. The increased RAM in some of this years iPhone 17 models is a great move on their part.

I celebrate choices.

 

[joshwithachance]

It’s just a slightly thinner low tier iPhone. I don’t get the appeal myself. Phones look the same. It’s the specs that matter. The real risk Apple is taking is being clueless with AI.

My only reason for upgrading was getting the other two camera upgrades on the pro max. An iPhone air would be a downgrade for me.

Different strokes for different folks. You see the Air as the lesser device because your personal use case and needs are different. Many of us going for the Air due to being tired of the bulk of the Pro Max series, which is even more notable this year as the Max got both heavier AND thicker.

Also, a device at these weights and thicknesses getting even lighter and thinner, by a note-worthy amount too, IS an engineering marvel worth celebrating and being excited about. Even if the trade-offs make it a non-starter for some. Especially when factoring in that it still comes with the same flagship A19 Pro chip (albeit with one less GPU core), 12GB RAM and main camera sensor as the Pros.

 

[vvvvvv]

RAM is where it’s at, yet Apple has been very conservative. The increased RAM in some of this years iPhone 17 models is a great move on their part.

This.

Truth be told, I'd plan to continue rocking my 13 mini if the ram wasn't causing apps to close in the background constantly. RAM = longevity in the Apple ecosystem, for better or worse. Especially for those of us without overly demanding workflows.

 

[joshwithachance]

lol at the camera bump, yeah that ruins the “thinness”. Yuck

Last I checked we don’t hold our phones by the camera, so… irrelevant. Especially in the case of the Air where the majority of the internal components, other than the battery, are crammed in there.

 

[Bethanie21]

Yes, Air is for those who value aesthetics over function. At least for now...

I think I’m the only person who thinks the Pros aren’t ugly 😂 seriously, I’ve seen uglier Android devices, the new Pros aren’t ugly at all!

 

[Sami13496]

If consumers don't "get the point" of a consumer product, the company is the one that has failed.

(It's a very sleek phone though, to be fair)

Consumers do understand, or at least they would, if YouTube weren’t feeding them garbage like “you must have a brick with four cameras” and “nobody asked for a thin phone,” just because MKBHD and others like him can’t see past their own use cases.

 

[Cyberguycpt]

I think I’m the only person who thinks the Pros aren’t ugly seriously, I’ve seen uglier Android devices, the new Pros aren’t ugly at all!

People are over exaggerating now, all of a sudden it’s so big, bulky, ugly and causes their risk to hurt. The 17 Pro Max is a beautiful phone hands down and that’s not taking anything away from the Air. A lot of people on MacRumors upgrade yearly, so you were spending your money on something you thought was ugly. let’s stop fighting because neither phone will be the top dog this year we all know the basic 17 will. And with any luck this will be most of our last year on a Pro device as the Fold is rumored to launch next year.

 

[teerexx52]

Different strokes for different folks. You see the Air as the lesser device because your personal goals and objectives are different. Many of us going for the Air due to being tired of the bulk of the Pro Max series, which is even more notable this year as the Max got both heavier AND thicker.

Also, a device at these weights and thicknesses getting even lighter and thinner, by a note-worthy amount too, IS an engineering marvel worth celebrating and being excited about. Even if the trade-offs make it a non-starter for some. Especially when factoring in that it still comes with the same flagship A19 Pro chip (albeit with one less GPU core), 12GB RAM and main camera sensor as the Pros.

Agree

 

[mentaluproar]

I really think the air is part of a 2-piece strategy. The air will eventually become the new base model, the foldable will have room for more cameras and such because there will be 2 places to stuff a battery, offsetting the space used by those components. Meaning the fold would become the new pro. It’s thinner and lighter in both cases, something Apple has always wanted but it’s also less stale than the existing designs.

The Z-fold 7 kinda pushes this. Apple must move in that direction now.

 

[joshwithachance]

People are over exaggerating now, all of a sudden it’s so big, bulky, ugly and causes their risk to hurt. The 17 Pro Max is a beautiful phone hands down and that’s not taking anything away from the Air. A lot of people on MacRumors upgrade yearly, so you were spending your money on something you thought was ugly. let’s stop fighting because neither phone will be the top dog this year we all know the basic 17 will. And with any luck this will be most of our last year on a Pro device as the Fold is rumored to launch next year.

The more I look at the 17 Pro/Max the less offended I am by it. Particularly the silver and deep blue color ways. BUT to call it “beautiful” is quite a stretch… What it is however is a BEAST. And that’s definitely part of why Apple seemingly said “**** it!” to making it a good looking phone too and went full utilitarian with it.

 

[Cyberguycpt]

The more I look at the 17 Pro/Max the less offended I am by it. Particularly the silver and deep blue color ways. BUT to call it “beautiful” is quite a stretch… What it is however is a BEAST. And that’s definitely part of why Apple seemingly said “**** it!” to making it a good looking phone too and went full utilitarian with it.

Bro, you guys sound so fat phobic. The air is basically a slim down flat in iPhone. This is why so many of us are now on Ozempic because people can’t accept the beauty of things at any size.

 

[joshwithachance]

Bro, you guys sound so fat phobic. The air is basically a slim down flat in iPhone. This is why so many of us are now on Ozempic because people can’t accept the beauty of things at any size.

The issue I have with the Pro has nothing to do with it being a chonker. The issue I have is that the dual tone aluminum-ceramic back plate, paired with that MONSTROSITY of a camera "plateau", is utterly HIDEOUS. Especially in orange.

This comment was incredibly unnecessary and weird. We're talking about consumer tech...

 

[grovertdog]

For me the 17 pros are the most terrible iPhone design I’ve seen

Certainly lacking in imagination, but maybe that's the point? Utilitarian workhorse, I guess? But that sunbleached traffic cone orange is like rubbing salt in the wound.

 

[Cyberguycpt]

The issue I have with the Pro has nothing to do with it being a chonker. The issue I have is that the dual tone aluminum-ceramic back plate is utterly HIDEOUS. Especially in orange.

This comment was incredibly unnecessary and weird. We're talking about consumer tech...

It was meant to be a joke, why are you taking it so seriously. Take a second to breathe it is a phone. But yes I do find the Pro series nice looking. I also think the Air look nice. Why do we have to bash one to hype another?

 

[profmjh]

I don’t understand the point in paying more for minimal form over function

What car do you drive?

 

[vi2867]

The reason Apple went to ceramic and aluminum, is to keep phone from over heating. If you have a current iPhone Pro 16 and try taking a 4k HDR video, see what happens? The only thing I have about the orange color, in a couple of years it will tell everyone that you have a 2 year old phone.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

At no point did I say I need to get it. I’m saying I don’t. You’re arguing with me about it.
As I said I would understand a mini I dont understand this.
It has a bigger footprint, shaves off 12 grams and is 2.3mm thinner most people would have a net gain if they just got a slimmer case on a 17 than their current case.
I just don’t believe that’s a noticeable improvement and potentially marginally worse to fit in a pocket. I don’t get it, I’m not trying to convince you but for some reason you’re trying to convince me.

There isn't a single thing for the iPhone Air to be any better then the iPhone 16, or 17. The only difference is that it is more compact, which by the way has nothing to do with with technological improvements. The Apple's incessant idea relating to "thinness" and "compactness" relates to nothing but to reduce manufacturing costs, and if I take my time to carefully look at the present iPhone, and even the iPad, both are getting "kind of" boring. Now I would find a transparent iPhone interesting

 

[dizmonk]

Different strokes for different folks. You see the Air as the lesser device because your personal use case and needs are different. Many of us going for the Air due to being tired of the bulk of the Pro Max series, which is even more notable this year as the Max got both heavier AND thicker.

Also, a device at these weights and thicknesses getting even lighter and thinner, by a note-worthy amount too, IS an engineering marvel worth celebrating and being excited about. Even if the trade-offs make it a non-starter for some. Especially when factoring in that it still comes with the same flagship A19 Pro chip (albeit with one less GPU core), 12GB RAM and main camera sensor as the Pros.

All valid points. My biggest concerns about the Air are that I'm a little hesitant to buy first-gen Apple products, and I personally value battery and camera ahead of weight. With the Pro (not the Pro Max or the Air), I can get the best camera available, second-best battery life, and less weight and bulk than the PM.

 

[vi2867]

Does anyone know what is the return policy, if you purchase your iPhone via the annual upgrade program. If the iPhone Air turns out to be very bad, do I have two weeks to return and get the pro?

 

[darthbane2k]

People are over exaggerating now, all of a sudden it’s so big, bulky, ugly and causes their risk to hurt. The 17 Pro Max is a beautiful phone hands down and that’s not taking anything away from the Air. A lot of people on MacRumors upgrade yearly, so you were spending your money on something you thought was ugly. let’s stop fighting because neither phone will be the top dog this year we all know the basic 17 will. And with any luck this will be most of our last year on a Pro device as the Fold is rumored to launch next year.

I think that’s because it’s getting heavier and bulkier year after year ever since the 13 series. We have to remember that this thing primarily is supposed to be a phone.

 

[profmjh]

If we’re not getting things, here’s what I don’t get.

There are three objections to the iPhone Air.

First, battery life. Objectively, this objection is nonsense. The battery life is better than anything that was on the market only a few years ago. Were we all living miserable lives back then? And just how bad at battery management is everyone? And just how many hours a day are they using their phones? I have charging facilities in every room of my house if I need them. On almost every day I just need to charge my phone overnight. I can’t remember the last time I had battery anxiety. And with the Air’s MagSafe battery pack in my bag when I’m away from home, I’ll easily be able to top-up if I need to. Though charging options are available pretty much everywhere I’m likely to be. It’s a non-issue.

Second, the single speaker. Really? Are there really people who need stereo sound from their iPhone? What the hell are they doing? Do they not have headphones? Do they not have iPads or TVs? Are they watching movies on trains with the sound coming out in the iPhone like jerks? Does iPhone stereo sound even work in any meaningful way? The only way this is an issue is if I can’t get the volume I need from the speaker when I’m using it.

Third, the camera. I’m more sympathetic to this objection. Except I think a lot of people think they’re Ansel Adams or Orson Welles. What are these photos you’re taking that need sophisticated lenses? What are you doing with these photos? If it’s really that important, why don’t you have a proper camera?

So there are three devastating negatives to this phone.

On the positive side: it’s bigger than my current phone, but with less weight. It has the new front-facing camera and I do a lot of video calls (in future in only mono sound!). I love the battery pack and the flexibility it will offer.

And the phone is just so damn gorgeous. To me. Yes, that one is subjective. I haven’t been this excited about an Apple product since the original launch of the Apple Watch. I haven’t been on these forums properly for years because I haven’t been sufficiently interested. Until now. Big (and rare) win for Tim Cook.

I do think Steve Jobs would love this phone. I think he’d fire the people who designed the 17 Pro. Though, we should be careful. Jobs wasn’t perfect. He died early because he was a whackjob. And he was a scumbag to his daughter.