Well I’m not going to buy a Samsung even if it’s lighter and has 5 cameras and surround sound, it simply wouldn’t work with the rest of my Apple products. So comparing the Air to the S25 Edge is a non-starter in my book.
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iPhone Air The Air just feels great to use, all the hate is so forced.
- Thread starter kulan
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Have you seen any of the iPhone Air tear-down videos? There is no room at all for a 2nd camera or a 2nd speaker. One thing Apple could have done was make this phone port-less and use the space taken by usb-c for a 2nd speaker. https://www.ifixit.com/News/113171/iphone-air-teardown
I don't understand why people keep wishing if the Air had a 2nd camera or if it had this/that. If you want all those features then there are Pro versions or even regular version. Why wish when options already exist that provide all those missing features from the Air? This just says that those hating on Air actually like the design but they are mad it's missing features that the Pro versions offer.
I got my Air at launch. To me, I always feel like im missing something when using it. I don't know if it's how thin and light it is that it. really feels like im not holding anything compared to the chunkier phones? I just ordered a Pro and am picking it up tomorrow from the Apple Store. I'll use that for a little and see which I like better to use until the 18's come out.
Have you used the S25 Edge? Most of the things you are praising it for are actually worse than iPhone Air. How do I know? I had one.
1. It overheats very easily. You basically just have to start browsing the web. The phone gets very warm. It gets downright hot when playing a game.
2. Since it overheats a lot, it throttles very badly, too. I have measured a drop of up to more than half of the initial performance. It can even cause the UI to stutter. Looks like I'm not alone because GSMArena measured the same.
3. Battery life is atrocious. It drops basically 20% after an hour of screen-on time without anything intensive. If I'm on a Teams call for an hour, it can drop a whopping 35%. Basically it lasts through maybe 2 meetings for me and then I have to top it up.
4. The stereo speakers in it are loud but they sound very thin and tinny. Both my Air and iPad Mini sound fuller. So it has sound quantity but not quality. GSMArena also measured the frequency response of the speakers and they are just not good.
Air despite having only a single speaker gives better sound quality.
So before you sing praises for the other side, actually try the phone first. It's good on paper but I did not find it amazing. There are too many drawbacks with it. Ultimately for Android side, I'm sticking with Z Fold 7. At least I can "excuse" battery life with the bigger screen.
P.S.: can Air do all of the above better? Yes, it can. Teams calls drop less battery than browsing despite max brightness and speaker volume. I lose basically 10% per hour. It can easily last through many meetings and still have spare. Similarly, thermals have been excellent. The phone is cool to the touch and is only slightly warm near the camera when it's playing a game. When it throttles, it still keeps about 80% performance.
100% agree, and we find it odd that Americans keep misusing the word 'hate' (all or nothing, winners & losers eh?). In any case, upgrading from iPhone 15 Pro Max to 17 Air here:
Very easy to order, suck & see. Can easily be returned & so that's what I did (no way I'm going into one of those truly dreadul Apple Stores filled with so-called 'genius' salespeople. Yuk.
I had the feeling the Air would be yet another over-priced, disingenuous Apple brain fart. No so. Loved it form the get go and ALL of those reported winges simply go away. No probs with speaker, battery life, overheating or camera. Brilliant design & so much more usable than these other bricks. Seriously, If I want a real camera and with real glass, that's what I'll use. Phones are only for B roll anyway.
This is much more like what a 2025 iphone should be & in keeping up now with the likes of Pixel, Sumasung etc. Shall be interested to see the next iteration in 2026 (not an idiot giant fold) but iPhone 18 Sir.
Yeah you’re just making up stuff. Saying something is premium and is the top tier phone is definitely different.
So check your facts.
John Ternus when asked why Apple made the iPhone Air:
"We have so many customers who just really want an an amazing premium iPhone experience," "... and it's also then enabled us to really kind of push the Pros and let the Pros be more pro, so this was really kind of a rethinking of the iPhone lineup"
Or
Greg Joswiak, referred to the iPhone Air as a “premium option for users who want cutting-edge performance without the bulk of the Pro models,”
---
Congratulations for asking ChatGPT (and failing to recognise that it didn't clearly didn't fully understand the question), but you should get your facts straight.
Neither said that the Airs were the most Premium device. Saying something is Premium is not the same as saying the Air is the top of the line.
But Hey, if you want to believe the Air is the best of the best this year then go right ahead.
It's perfectly normal to wish the Air had features found on iPhones for countless years now.
There are multiple YouTube videos online completely contradicting multiple points here. Go ahead and look them up yourself if you don't believe me. Cheers.
Oh yes I’m definitely in the market for a phone that transmits all my data directly to the CCP
I believe my own experience. And if you don't believe "me", though... here's a video of someone actually using the phone in similar settings:
And here are GSMArena results showing it's behind Air in speaker frequency response.
And here again is also GSMArena showing S25 Edge dropping to barely 40% of its max performance:
And just to make it more fair, also, GSMArena again, measuring the iPhone Air:
You are arguing against devices you do not own. It's weird. Please speak more from experience or at least dig a little deeper than just the specifications.
P.S.: and in case you're also questioning my Teams usage on Air, here you go:
Why would you assume that's what I was saying? It's not what the original guy was saying either.
The Pro device used to pull double duty as the most powerful and capable device, and the most premium and fancy device.
Now they've very purposely split that into the Pro and the Air. I can see how some people found that a bit annoying. Some people like premium materials and 3 cameras and top of the line battery life.
I am quite tempted by the Air because I like that it still uses the titanium and that it’s a brand new design. I have debated trying one out, but I’m afraid to screw up my T-Mobile bill by exchanging phones, since I used a promotion with them through Apple. I had a huge headache with them last year when my iPhone 16 Pro had a defect, and I had to exchange it.
I just am not sure if the things missing from the Pro would bother me a lot or not. I’m also nervous about having a wider phone, and the Pro Max and Plus sizes have never been real contenders for me with their size. My hands are not large, and I like to be able to use with one hand often.
I was also thinking this morning that the Air could be a way to upsell people over the 17, since they all have ProMotion and the same screens now. They have to find other things now to convince people to upgrade over the standard iPhone.
I just am not sure if the things missing from the Pro would bother me a lot or not. I’m also nervous about having a wider phone, and the Pro Max and Plus sizes have never been real contenders for me with their size. My hands are not large, and I like to be able to use with one hand often.
I was also thinking this morning that the Air could be a way to upsell people over the 17, since they all have ProMotion and the same screens now. They have to find other things now to convince people to upgrade over the standard iPhone.
Again, Premium is subjective. Some would say materials are what make a device premium. While others like me believe the features such as camera systems, stereo speakers, vapor chambers, performance etc. Im not saying the Air isn’t Premium but I don’t believe the Pros are not Premium as well.
It's not "again" if you didn't say it in the first place.
Most people who are having a good faith discussion can probably agree that the device that is thin, light, shiny, svelte, made of higher grade materials, is "premium" without it being "better".
We all know the Air isn't an objectively better phone than the Pros.
Oh for sure. No one is saying everyone should choose the Air. But as one who did, it can be a bit galling to see so many posts characterizing us as "sheep" or whatever because we chose look/feel/size/materials over technical features.
My theory is that Apple recognized that two distinct groups were buying the Pros -- one group who had genuine needs (or strong wants) for the best technical features possible, and another group who wanted the best form factor/looks/materials but cared less about, for example, cutting-edge video features. Apple also recognized that if the iPhone Pro was to continue to advance in terms of raw features, something had to give -- titanium, for example. Apple probably also recognized that if it made an "uglier but better" Pro, many users in the second camp would simply choose the basic phone, as it now looks better than the Pro (I would argue) and has most of the "Pro" features most people need. That would have cut into Apple's bottom line.
The solution, then, was to fork the traditional "Pro" buyers by creating one phone that abandons look/feel at least somewhat to deliver advanced technical features, and a second phone to capture users who defined premium by looks/feel/form/materials.
I'm squarely in the second group. I care *a lot* about how my phone looks, feels, fits into my pocket, etc. I also care about *certain* features, such as the screen, speed, etc. But I recognize that the Pro group has legitimate needs that I do not.
In a way, this generation of iPhones seems like the great unshackling for those of us in the second group -- now, we can truly get what we want, without the extra baggage of (to us) useless features.
12Mini>15P>16PM>17PM>Air>17P>Air>17P…..
Kept the Air, even with its slightly green screen off axis. The screen is super crisp in general.
It’s doesn’t really have flaws just some compromise. With a case it feels caseless. It’s easier to use, text, scroll. Mono speaker seemed unnecessary but whatever.
I just like using it, and it doesn’t feel like I’m holding the typical big heavy brick and I used a 12 mini for 3 years. Battery life and performance would be considered great prior to phone becoming battery bricks. It don’t mind it as I love maximized battery life but….pick up and Air…
I think the design of the 17 pros is great, love the colors, and they feel good in the hand. Smooth edges are nice. The specs are great.
The problem is once you get a case on those 17 pros they’re just so freaking gigantic and there ain’t no way I’d use that phone without a case. It’s not a bad design. It’s got crazy battery life, and amazing specifications. Zero issues with getting hot charging or a while under use. Super snappy when using.
I just found myself preferring to pick up the Air.
Kept the Air, even with its slightly green screen off axis. The screen is super crisp in general.
It’s doesn’t really have flaws just some compromise. With a case it feels caseless. It’s easier to use, text, scroll. Mono speaker seemed unnecessary but whatever.
I just like using it, and it doesn’t feel like I’m holding the typical big heavy brick and I used a 12 mini for 3 years. Battery life and performance would be considered great prior to phone becoming battery bricks. It don’t mind it as I love maximized battery life but….pick up and Air…
I think the design of the 17 pros is great, love the colors, and they feel good in the hand. Smooth edges are nice. The specs are great.
The problem is once you get a case on those 17 pros they’re just so freaking gigantic and there ain’t no way I’d use that phone without a case. It’s not a bad design. It’s got crazy battery life, and amazing specifications. Zero issues with getting hot charging or a while under use. Super snappy when using.
I just found myself preferring to pick up the Air.
I really love using the Air and after using it side by side with the 17 Pro, the Air won.
It defies physics having a screen this big whilst being light and comfortable enough to hold in one hand & resting on your little finger with no strain or pain, and having had surgery on my hand for carpel tunnel it just feels so good.
I have the space black and think it looks stunning and sleek.
Great camera system if a little basic takes amazing shots & performance is incredible.
Love it ❤️
It defies physics having a screen this big whilst being light and comfortable enough to hold in one hand & resting on your little finger with no strain or pain, and having had surgery on my hand for carpel tunnel it just feels so good.
I have the space black and think it looks stunning and sleek.
Great camera system if a little basic takes amazing shots & performance is incredible.
Love it ❤️