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I think you're right with this, specifically when mentioning the base 17. It's priced too closely to the Air and just delivers way more value than other recent iPhones.

100% — It’s a bit of a novelty like the original MacBook Air. But give it a few generations and it should take a lot of the pro market, especially as they make the pro MORE pro and aimed at influencers.
 
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The problem with your statement is that "value" is in the eye of the beholder. And to answer your question - neither I nor my wife are using a case with the Air. The most we put on it - when we have to - is either a MagSafe wallet or a MagSafe battery.
Value isn't really in the eye of the beholder when you are paying $200 more for less in terms of features while only getting a slight difference in thinness and weight over the iPhone 17. Buyers of the Air are essentially getting fleeced by an nearly imperceptible difference in overall dimensions and weight over the iPhone 17.
 
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Right, the camera is the only thing keeping this phone from greatness. I absolutely love the size and weight. So much better to put in your pocket or carry around, almost feels fake lol. Plus the battery life is actually better than I expected. If they could just somehow make one with a pro level camera… bonus to add some cool colors, like orange or purple from the pros 👌
You do realise adding an extra camera adds weight right, at this point just remove the rear camera and the iPhone will be lighter and thinner top to bottom.
 
I think it's simply a function of odd value/fit in the lineup between the 17 & 17 Pro.

We have to look beyond online influencers here.

People are, apparently, going into the stores and physically not choosing the Air.
I suspect the price for what one is getting is a problem when comparing to the 17/17 Pro in person.

(this is not true for everyone! Just like with the Mini that I use and love ... there are buyers for literally any and all iPhones they try)

I agree. I think the population that lets outside influences impact their phone choices is extremely small.

Apple offered a form factor that is appealing but sacrificed too much in too many places and priced it too high considering the sacrifices.
 
I agree. I think the population that lets outside influences impact their phone choices is extremely small.

Apple offered a form factor that is appealing but sacrificed too much in too many places and priced it too high considering the sacrifices.

Yes. Price this the same as the regular 17 and I'll bet it sells fantastically and it eliminates the "less for more" narrative in customer minds.

Instead it's choosing A or B for the same price.
 
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100% — It’s a bit of a novelty like the original MacBook Air. But give it a few generations and it should take a lot of the pro market, especially as they make the pro MORE pro and aimed at influencers.
I expect the air to completely replace the standard iPhone by the end of the decade.
It only seems logical, the standard iPhone is rocking the exact same design as last year, and is rumor to be completely skipped next fall.
They are already showing signs that the standard iPhone is becoming a “legacy” product and will likely either combined with the air or combined with the E.
Once the Air gets dual cameras in a stereo speaker, which it is very likely to get, there will literally be no benefit of the standard iPhone.
It’s exactly what they did with the MacBook Air, it started out as a weird premium option between the regular MacBook and the MacBook Pro, before it just *became* the standard.
 
This clearly seems to be a "test" product for Apple in the same way the iPhone X was. When the iPhone X was launched at $1000, the previous gen iPhone 7 cost $649. There was a large change the X would flop and Apple could write it off as a limited edition or halo product that was only for a small percentage of users. As it happened, people seemed to be willing to pay the 50% price increase for the X and Apple essentially moved the whole line to this format and set the pricing bar at $999 (I wonder if they cancelled an iPhone 9 that would have launched alongside the XR & XS if the X flopped).

It's the same for this product, Apple is likely testing out the market for a $999 ultrathin phone. This time it looks like the market is saying "no thanks". Does this impact Apple's plans to launch a foldable? Who knows?

Now, if the iPhone Air had launched with underscreen FaceID and/or camera enabling a full frontal screen, that probably would have been more interesting...
yeah... about that....

I remember that, i bought one thinking it was primarily because they had some new tech in it and future versions would come down.

needless to say, i replace my iphone far less often now that they are so greedy
I also find nearly every iteration of their cameras to be worse than the previous, so all these "hey look at our great camera, please upgrade" marketing falls flat for me
 
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Value isn't really in the eye of the beholder when you are paying $200 more for less in terms of features while only getting a slight difference in thinness and weight over the iPhone 17. Buyers of the Air are essentially getting fleeced by an nearly imperceptible difference in overall dimensions and weight over the iPhone 17.

LOL, yes it is. You are not the "beholder" and that is why the difference in thinness and weight does not matter to you. To Air owners, these factors do.
 
If they had included USB3 I might have gone for it. But without that and no telephoto is too big a downgrade from 16 Pro.
 
If the Air had the option for capturing images in RAW, it would have been an instant buy. Guess I'll have to wait for the Pro/ProMax version next year.
 
LOL, yes it is. You are not the "beholder" and that is why the difference in thinness and weight does not matter to you. To Air owners, these factors do.
I don't see how the size and weight difference can matter to any human being that isn't a small child.

Again, the difference between the iPhone Air and the iPhone 17 in:

Thickness: 2.4mm (with the camera bump factored in, I believe the Air is actually thicker)
Weight: 12 grams

In real world usage, this is nothing. And don't get me started on how probably 90% of Air owners are going to put their Air in a case, which will negate the thinness and weight.
 
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Compromises:
1. Single speaker
2. Single camera
3. Extremely poor battery life (due to thinness)
4. Inferior C1X 5G modem compared to SD X80 in Pro series
5. Too thin to hold.
6. Busted Wifi 7 that is incapable of 320 Mhz channel width on 6Ghz.
7. No mmWave which is in Pro models.
8. No display output via USB-C to an external monitor or TV.
9. Still USB 2.0 speeds for a premium device in 2025.
10. Slower binned SOC (again due to thinness and heat concerns)

Did I miss anything?

Most points I get, but why 320MHz channel width for Wi-Fi on a phone?? An 80MHz channel already delivers very high speed with Wi-Fi 6 and 7. 320MHz really only is great when having +10 devices with constant high data traffic around the house.
 
I don't see how the size and weight difference can matter to any human being that isn't a small child.

Again, the difference between the iPhone Air and the iPhone 17 in:

Thickness: 2.4mm (with the camera bump factored in, I believe the Air is actually thicker)
Weight: 12 grams

In real world usage, this is nothing. And don't get me started on how probably 90% of Air owners are going to put their Air in a case, which will negate the thinness and weight.
Like I said, if you don't see the value then you are not the customer for it. You can write a 1000-page essay on how these differences don't matter, but, that is to you. We are all different and have different preferences.
 
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Most points I get, but why 320MHz channel width for Wi-Fi on a phone?? An 80MHz channel already delivers very high speed with Wi-Fi 6 and 7. 320MHz really only is great when having +10 devices with constant high data traffic around the house.
Apple likes to cut corners hence the iPhone Air!
 
Compromises:
1. Single speaker
2. Single camera
3. Extremely poor battery life (due to thinness)
4. Inferior C1X 5G modem compared to SD X80 in Pro series
5. Too thin to hold.
6. Busted Wifi 7 that is incapable of 320 Mhz channel width on 6Ghz.
7. No mmWave which is in Pro models.
8. No display output via USB-C to an external monitor or TV.
9. Still USB 2.0 speeds for a premium device in 2025.
10. Slower binned SOC (again due to thinness and heat concerns)

Did I miss anything?

1. No idea why anyone is bothered about this - it’s not like you can hear stereo separation on a phone speakers.

4. It’s not.

5. It really isn’t, it’s a joy to hold.

6. Neither is the pro, nor does it have 4K QAM or MLO.

7 no mmWave outside of the US anyway

8. Who on earth is doing this with any phone? And if they are stop iyt immediately.

9. It’s a charging port - I’ve not connected any pro iPhone to data in over 12 years and only then to restore. They should have made it wireless charging only. Steve would have.
 
Like I said, if you don't see the value then you are not the customer for it. You can write a 1000-page essay on how these differences don't matter, but, that is to you.

All well and good, but you realize you're staking out a defense of a product that is seeing underwhelming interest and having supply chain orders cut after only being available for under 2 months.

It might be prudent to analyze what about the Air is causing this situation so quickly.
 
They're cutting corners usb2 is cheaper than usb3.2 or thunderbolt, mono speaker is cheaper than stereo and 1 lens is cheaper than 2.
Apple product development is not run by some micromanager that goes and tells people what to do. They are run by the one if not one of the best designers and product engineers there are and decisions are made with a borader view of why a product exists.

Single camera was tested and learned from older models and recently from 16e. It's a camera system that works for most people. The Air uses is because there is no ROOM in the plateau as it houses all the internal components and neither there is room for second speaker in the bottom as it's almost all battery inside.

USB2.0 is cheaper than 3.2 or Thunderbolt - correct. And why does Apple not use them in Air and standard iPhone? Because they most likely did a user feedback session and the vast majority of the people do not use cable connection to their computer to transfer files. Why do the Pro models have it? Because the user group of that product do need them and do use them. And why not use 3.2 in both phones? Beaches they can use the 2.0 and save money. I can hear you say A-HA! Well, if you don't expect a pro-profit company making decisions of making more profit, you need to rethink your understanding of capitalism.

Try to get your head around what product is for what group of people. Clearly it's not for you. But it's for somebody.
 
You do realise adding an extra camera adds weight right, at this point just remove the rear camera and the iPhone will be lighter and thinner top to bottom.

Hogwash, the camera bump houses the internals. Removing the camera won't significantly change the dimensions.
 
Apple product development is not run by some micromanager that goes and tells people what to do. They are run by the one if not one of the best designers and product engineers there are and decisions are made with a borader view of why a product exists.

Who is this "best designer" you are referring to?

Single camera was tested and learned from older models and recently from 16e. It's a camera system that works for most people.

"Most people" aren't buying it ... so I guess the "best designers & product engineers" were off base here.
 
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