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Or like iPads and Macbooks: just Air and Pro, one should be small, slim and pocketable, and another chonky, fat and extra battery (as it is currently), for “pro” users
Well, there is also the “iPad (A16)” and I suspect this new budget Mac that’s rumored will simply be called “MacBook”. So it seems to be moving in the other direction; each of those product categories will have regular, air, and pro.
 
Absolutely!
iPhone "air" isn't "air" at all, when considering weight and many previous iPhones, or even the current 16e.


iPhone 16e: 167 grams

iPhone Air: 165 grams

iPhone 12: 164 grams
iPhone 8/SE2: 148 grams
iPhone SE3: 144 grams
iPhone 13 Mini: 141 grams
iPhone 7: 138 grams
iPhone SE1: 113 grams
I don't think you can dismiss the fact that it's the lightest phone in the lineup and it's not fair to compare it to phones like the SE1 or 7 or the mini lineup with much smaller screens and much worse battery life.
 
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I have a hard time seeing how it's inferior to the base model. Bigger faster screen in a premium body with less weight.

Most of the resistance to the air is FOMO for features that no one needs or uses.
Sounds like Apple also thought more people would value the “bigger faster screen with less weight” enough to overlook the “features that no one needs or uses” since they priced them so close to one another.

WRONG!
 
The weight doesn’t matter because its not that big of a difference. Its not like the MacBook Air. Back then laptops were huge and a light laptop made a difference. You could feel it and was easier to carry around. 177 vs 165 grams. Not much of a difference. Same thing with the iPad. Why is there an Air? Pro is thinner than the iPad Air. The Air name is outdated because tech today is already lightweight and easy to carry around. Come up with something different Tim instead of reheating old nachos.
The weight does matter, maybe not to you but to many people. It's a huge difference. I'm coming from the 16 Pro and the difference in weight and bulk is tremendous.
 
nothing wrong with the current Air except the price. It's $1800 for the base model in Aus, another $400 and you get the base Pro Max!
The whole range needs rejigging!.
16e is $999 in Aus. It should be $799! Then make the base 17 $1299 and the Air $1499.
 
Yea Cook nice one, I'm sure another lens with that hideous bump will finally trigger sales.
I would prefer no bump and a lesser capable camera. For me, the phone camera is not for taking serious images, but mainly if I'm shopping and want to text my wife a picture of something to see if she wants me to get it. A camera similar to what was on the iPhone 6, which was flush, was more than capable.
 
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Yeah. I have to disagree. The thinness makes holding it “miniaturized” the thickness and makes it a dream to hold. Not to mention it’s built like a tank. Yet has a perfect size screen. Not too big like the Pro Max not so small like the 17 or Pro. I really think the battery thing is blown out of proportion. If anything I get the missing ultrawide camera. If you’re a parent and your kids play sports, a telephoto would be nice. If you travel or want the heaviest or more specs, buy what you need. But for the average user, the Air is truly great.
If you are shooting sports, then no phone camera is what you should be using. Look at the sidelines at a football game, how many photographers are using cell phones?
 
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Hear me out. What if artists are like, a big part of your target audience?
And inventors?
And architects?
And well, anyone who wants to write stuff down easily?

There's a reason the reMarkable Paper Pro Move was able to debut at 2X the price people expected, and it still is hard to keep in stock. it turns out there ARE people who want a more portable tablet / phone.

I know, I know. Crazy notion.

But for me, and a lot of other people like me, there's nothing new in phone tech that is so awesome it makes us want a new phone. But Pencil support?

I'd pay double for that.
 

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Sounds like Apple also thought more people would value the “bigger faster screen with less weight” enough to overlook the “features that no one needs or uses” since they priced them so close to one another.

WRONG!
The base 17 is $799. The Air is $999. They are hardly close to each other. The argument that makes the most sense about the Air is pricing it at $899. That might bring over more 17 buyers. A $200 difference much more noticeable than a mere features/value judgment.
 
I use the telephoto lens much more often than the ultra wide.
I do too, but it's possible that phone manufacturers have found that slightly more people prefer an ultra-wide camera instead of a telephoto. A vague Twitter poll from a few years ago found about a 60-40 split favoring the ultra-wide, but a 2021 poll from Android Authority found that about 54% preferred a telephoto, and about 46% preferred an ultra-wide. I suspect the figure is closer to about 50-50, with some variation from poll to poll and year to year.

Though I use the telephoto a lot more than the ultra-wide, I'll concede that ultra-wide has definite uses, mainly when you need to fit more into the frame without taking multiple steps back, which isn't always possible, particularly in a room, and from what I was able to find out, most photos people take with their smartphones are of subjects that aren't so far away as to need a telephoto, so maybe these are some of the reasons smartphone makers choose an ultra-wide when they're deciding which camera to include in addition to the main camera.

Also, due to more complicated optics, a telephoto camera module is significantly larger than an ultra-wide. It's not hugely larger, certainly not twice the size, maybe approaching about 1.5x the size, so maybe with the tight space available inside the Air, that might be another reason Apple might be choosing the ultra-wide instead of the telephoto.
 
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Here's the thing from my perspective: The point of the Air is to be incredibly thin and amazing looking, but it has a gigantic camera bump like all the other phones. It's sort of like a stunningly beautiful person but with a gigantic nose.
A lot of stunningly beautiful people have big noses. At least in my opinion. Maybe not GIGANTIC noses though. If their nose was shaped like an iPhone camera bump, I'd have to think about it.
 
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I think they would rake in the sales if they made this $899 with two rear cameras and a little more battery—which may be possible with the new 2nm chips coming next year.

I would only consider it if the out the 4x from the Pro on here. I rarely ever use my ultra wide, and the 4/8x on the 17 Pro actually makes for a very good macro lens. I got a crazy shot of the eye of a treefrog a few weeks ago using the telephoto. Allowed me to not disturb the frog and ruin the shot.
 
Adding a second camera would improve its value. However with just $100 difference between the Air and the Pro, and the Air still missing out on many other features, will still find it difficult to recommend.
 
I think the huge, huge majority of people don't postpone buying a new phone in march because there may be a new phone in September. Most of my family has no idea new iPhones come every September. People on these rumor sites are not representative of the majority of the market.
Also, if my phone broke in march, I wouldn't not buy a new one for six months, I'd get the best available then.

I don’t think that people who need an iPhone asap would be drawn to the current Air either, unless they are mesmerised by its looks, as currently it remains a technical curiosity and an expensive one.

No matter how we spin it, the current Air is deficient with its camera and speaker setup. Putting any case on it instantly zeroes out its slim and light profile and so does its exclusive battery pack.
 
One thing I'd like to compliment about the iPhone Air is that it seems like Apple tried to make an iconic design once again. When you look at classic Apple products like the Macintosh, iMac G3, iMac G4, iPod, Power Mac G4, and the PowerBook G4, they all had iconic designs. But in recent years, each new annual update to most of their products are uninspiring and ordinary. At least with the iPhone Air, they tried to make their smartphone look special again.
 
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Apple obviously has a habit of cancelling products that don't sell (Mini being an example). But with time beings newer chips, better efficiency, better camera/s, better battery all into the same form factor. I can see them releasing a new Air model every 2-3 years with huge leaps in tech and engineering. Just STICK WITH IT. This is 1st gen and we all know what that means. Could be awesome.

By 2028 or 2029 I think we'll have a concrete platform of 4 phones that can accommodate everyone: iPhone / iPhone Air / iPhone Pro / iFold. (And yes, I'm copyrighting iFold right now)
 
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I dont see the point of making a smartphone thinner. Why would they need to do that for especially since it heavily affects the hardware specs? It would be way better if they remake a classic iPhone with no camera bumps.
 
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I don’t think that people who need an iPhone asap would be drawn to the current Air either, unless they are mesmerised by its looks, as currently it remains a technical curiosity and an expensive one.

No matter how we spin it, the current Air is deficient with its camera and speaker setup. Putting any case on it instantly zeroes out its slim and light profile and so does its exclusive battery pack.

Apple obviously has a habit of cancelling products that don't sell (Mini being an example). But with time beings newer chips, better efficiency, better camera/s, better battery all into the same form factor. I can see them releasing a new Air model every 2-3 years with huge leaps in tech and engineering. Just STICK WITH IT. This is 1st gen and we all know what that means. Could be awesome.

By 2028 or 2029 I think we'll have a concrete platform of 4 phones that can accommodate everyone: iPhone / iPhone Air / iPhone Pro / iFold. (And yes, I'm copyrighting iFold right now)

iPhold
 
I’d rather have the telephoto lens than the wide lens. The wide lens is my least-used lens. It’s only useful if you’re taking a photo in a cramped space, and then it has a fish-eye look to it.
 
makes sense. The single camera IS the problem with the Air.
It's gorgeous and sexy but with just one camera, it's clearly not enough.
 
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