The MacRumors Show: iPhone Air Is in Trouble

[whiteashsaturday]

I refuse to carry that MagSafe battery since it adds to the weight and bulk.

No need to carry the battery, I only top up from time to time from 50% to 80%, it takes less than 10-15min. At 125 grams, the battery is so lightweight, this 13 gram metal bumper fits the battery like it was made for it.

The Air MagSafe charger has multiple uses depending on 20W or 30W input. It can be used to charge your AirPods wirelessly and anywhere.

Unsure all the hate for essentially a MagSafe charging pad that charges everything but your Apple watch.

I’ve had the Air for three weeks and had to try to prevent myself from naturally charging via a MagSafe wall charger I already owned. Just naturally setting it down for a few minutes was all it needed. Now with the Air MagSafe battery I never touch a charger, I just top up with a battery, set it aside and I have the lightest phone ever. With the battery extension I now get 18-20 hrs of battery life without sweating anything below 50%. I’m thinking of getting a second air MagSafe to get up to 30+hrs without touching an electric charger.

 

[FrozenShivers]

I think we will see more Air versions. In the meantime I am loving my Air, the sports car of iphones.

Sports car that’s slower?

 

[SilmarilFinder]

This is anti-marketing, MacRumors has turned hostile.

I have the air and I’ve used it for three weeks, I just put on the air battery pack and now I’m convinced that this is the most powerful phone and useful, there would be no way I would want to go back to how heavy the other phones are and know that I have to carry that weight all day long.

Price is only a problem for those that see it as one.

I guess I’m missing something but until when macrumors is a part of Apple’s marketing team?

The other thing is, iPhone 17 Pro is 206gr, iPhone Air (165gr) + iPhone Air Battery (125gr) is 290gr. So you are saying 290gr is lighter than 206gr. You may like your phone and I hope you use it in good days, but it doesn’t change the reality unfortunately.

 

[zenmacx]

No need to carry the battery, I only top up from time to time from 50% to 80%, it takes less than 10-15min. At 125 grams, the battery is so lightweight, this 13 gram metal bumper fits the battery like it was made for it.

The Air MagSafe charger has multiple uses depending on 20W or 30W input. It can be used to charge your AirPods wirelessly and anywhere.

Unsure all the hate for essentially a MagSafe charging pad that charges everything but your Apple watch.

I’ve had the Air for three weeks and had to try to prevent myself from naturally charging via a MagSafe wall charger I already owned. Just naturally setting it down for a few minutes was all it needed. Now with the Air MagSafe battery I never touch a charger, I just top up with a battery, set it aside and I have the lightest phone ever. With the battery extension I now get 18-20 hrs of battery life without sweating anything below 50%. I’m thinking of getting a second air MagSafe to get up to 30+hrs without touching an electric charger.

You failed to read…

I said: “I enjoy using my phone as much as I like while away from home”

When away, I do not carry a charger.

 

[super chimp]

It makes me laugh with people beating up on the Air when probably 90% of the owners of the Pro Max could for their real world actual needs have saved themselves a fair bit of money and just brought the base 17. A lot of people probably only buy the Max because they think it’s the best phone because it’s the largest and most expensive phone in the lineup.

 

[SilmarilFinder]

Sports car that’s slower?

I guess he is referring to Honda S660 with its mighty 0.66 liters 63hp engine.

 

[ab2c4]

It makes me laugh with people beating up on the Air when probably 90% of the owners of the Pro Max could for their real world actual needs have saved themselves a fair bit of money and just brought the base 17. A lot of people probably only buy the Max because they think it’s the best phone because it’s the largest and most expensive phone in the lineup.

I very much agree. I always bought the non pro versions and was happy with them, did everything I needed and did it well. I wondered if I was missing out so I bought 16 Pro. I quickly realized having a Pro didn’t add anything to my phone experience, other than weight. So when the Air was announced I gladly gave up my 16 Pro and am very happy with that decision.

 

[The Game 161]

air 2 needs two cameras, more of than one speaker and be priced at 799 really to kick off

 

[Bako-MacAddict]

iPhone air it’s an amazing tech to be honest. The problem is that is priced wrong.

 

[ceojr215]

I have a iPhone 16 Plus and very happy with it. I like the bigger screen, speed and performance are very good. Why Apple decided to eliminate this version of the iPhone is beyond me. When the time comes to replace it I would never consider a iPhone Air and the 3 camera lens models are not needed by me. Bring back the Plus iPhones and drop light weight models!

 

[victorvictoria]

With the Apple modem it gives the Air really good battery life even with a battery not as big as the Pro’s. The Pro’s need a bigger battery because of the Qualcomm modem.

Yesterday I took my Air off the charger at 6am. At 5pm after 5 hours of SoT I still had 60% battery life. That’s as good as my 16 Pro that had a much bigger battery.

Well, glad you're happy with your new iphone. Too bad more people don't feel the way you do, Apple wouldn't have had to cut production of it.

 

[victorvictoria]

No way, the Air is so lightweight and with a 13 gram metal number, it is truly an Air.

Who wants to carry all dead battery in their hand. I top up my Air with the Air MagSafe and then set the MagSafe aside, or use it as a charger for my AirPods.

I’m even considering getting a second air MagSafe battery just to go 36 hrs without touching a charger with my physical Air.

I think most are misunderstanding the users.

Well, what you see as a positive experience actually defines why most people aren't buying them!

 

[maflynn]

I’m even considering getting a second air MagSafe battery just to go 36 hrs without touching a charger with my physical Air.

Let me get this straight, you commend the light and thinness, and battery of the Air, but then you mentioned needing (or at least wanting) a second magsafe battery which makes the phone thicker, heavier and rectifies the poor battery performance of the phone?

Why not just get the iPhone 17, its going to be thinner then an air+battery combo, its going to have a superior battery, and it has superior camera capability.

 

[vegetassj4]

First the Vision Pro, now the iPhone. Thanks Tim Apple

 

[mlayer]

Sports car that’s slower?

I owned both a Boxster and a Miata at different times. They were both never the fastest. They were fun as hell to drive, though.

 

[whiteashsaturday]

I guess I’m missing something but until when macrumors is a part of Apple’s marketing team?

The other thing is, iPhone 17 Pro is 206gr, iPhone Air (165gr) + iPhone Air Battery (125gr) is 290gr. So you are saying 290gr is lighter than 206gr. You may like your phone and I hope you use it in good days, but it doesn’t change the reality unfortunately.

I only put the battery on my phone when I’m no longer holding it.

The Pro must be heald for the entire time it is used. Never mind needing to protect it via a case which adds to the pro weight.

Everyone enjoys using their devices, but for MacRumors to just throw up on the Air and fail to show how it is really used in daily life makes me want to speak up. Having a special battery / MagSafe charging pad for AirPods, is a game changer for my daily routine.

As an example of a weight comparison of the lightest weight possible iPhone.

iPhone 5s 2013 was 112 grams
iPhone C 2013 was 131 grams
iPhone 6s 2015 was 142 grams
iPhone SE 2020 was 148 grams
iPhone Air 2025 is 165 grams

Funny the iPhone Air is the same size as the iPhone XS but 43 grams lighter, 120hz, always on A19 Pro chip.

I will continue to enjoy this as I feel many others will.

 

[whiteashsaturday]

Let me get this straight, you commend the light and thinness, and battery of the Air, but then you mentioned needing (or at least wanting) a second magsafe battery which makes the phone thicker, heavier and rectifies the poor battery performance of the phone?

Why not just get the iPhone 17, its going to be thinner then an air+battery combo, its going to have a superior battery, and it has superior camera capability.

I only put the battery on the phone when I set it down. Never when holding it.

I only mention you can get more than one air battery pack and still be using only the 165 grams in your hand at any given time.
I’m uncertain if you’ve ever taken two battery packs with you on a long weekend hike, or multi day camping trip. I guess a single iPhone Pro will do the trick.

 

[zenmacx]

Samsung's attempt at a thin phone has also failed to make significant sales, so this is definitely a category problem not just a specific apple model problem.

So true.

I bought both an iPhone Air and S25 Edge for the experience and a side by side comparison. These two are quite interesting and have some obvious pros and cons.

The Air has the usual high quality design and build, but suffers from the modest battery and single speaker that isn’t up to Apple’s typical audio standards. Having just a single camera is obvious to the buyer before purchasing.

The Edge strengths are its larger battery, dual cameras and high quality dual speakers. I do like that the back is flat and doesn’t have a “plateau” like the iPhone.

Ironically because the Airs plateau prevents it from laying flat, it fails to connect and charge in the car. Of the many iOS and Android phones I have it’s the only one that doesn’t work as all the rest.

As an Apple enthusiast it would be good to see Apple add features and improve the Air going forward as it certainly has potential.

Moreover it will be interesting to see if interest in slim phones improves or fades away.

 

[duranduran]

I guess I’m missing something but until when macrumors is a part of Apple’s marketing team?

The other thing is, iPhone 17 Pro is 206gr, iPhone Air (165gr) + iPhone Air Battery (125gr) is 290gr. So you are saying 290gr is lighter than 206gr. You may like your phone and I hope you use it in good days, but it doesn’t change the reality unfortunately.

I swear a sizable amount of users here are APPL owners who have something like, $7437 total in stock but go around -- especially here -- thinking that they're "ballers" on par w/ $1m+ owners. So their entire goal here is to keep their own investment paramount to user experience by attempting to skew user subconscious satisfaction. Yes, I'm cynical.

 

[mlayer]

Lying flat, it fails to connect and charge in the car. Of the many iOS and Android phones I have it’s the only one that doesn’t work as all the rest.

Better to qualify this as "wouldn't charge in *my* car." Personally I haven't had any problems with MagSafe on the Air and my own MagSafe charging or mounting solutions, most of which are not made by Apple. I can see how it would be a problem on a flat mat situation or with a standard Qi pad.

 

[zenmacx]

Better to qualify this as "wouldn't charge in *my* car." Personally I haven't had any problems with MagSafe on the Air and my own MagSafe charging or mounting solutions, most of which are not made by Apple. I can see how it would be a problem on a flat mat situation or with a standard Qi pad.

Both my 2025 Toyota Camry and 2025 Grand Highlander have flat charging mats that accommodate my iPhone 16 Pro Max and my iPhone 17 Pro they charge quickly.

The Air rests on the plateau which prevents it from lying flat.

 

[super chimp]

I have a iPhone 16 Plus and very happy with it. I like the bigger screen, speed and performance are very good. Why Apple decided to eliminate this version of the iPhone is beyond me. When the time comes to replace it I would never consider a iPhone Air and the 3 camera lens models are not needed by me. Bring back the Plus iPhones and drop light weight models!

They eliminated it because it didn’t sell by all reports. As simple as that.

 

[packeteer]

I'd seriously consider one if the price vs features was more viable. And let's not forget, v1 of any Apple product is usually a bit crap. I love the "thinness", but that seems to be the only plus. Hopefully they bring out an 18 Air which is more appealing.

 

[Virinprew]

It's funny how, as with the iPhone mini, selling millions of units is considered a failure. It simply didn't sell in huge enough numbers to meet Apple's expectations. I'd be more interested in the satisfaction ratings. People who bought the iPhone mini loved it. I'm curious to know if that will be the case with the Air.

I love my 13 mini but that didn’t stop Apple from discontinuing it.