iPhone Air The psychology of the iPhone Air crash outs

[Supermallet]

I suppose that's what we're going to find out in the coming months as more people see the Air IRL in their friends' hands or in store.

My gut says a decent amount of 'every day' (read: not people who have even read an Apple forum, let alone participated on one) people will walk into a store, hold it and go "I can handle it only having one camera [insert other compromise here] - it's good enough for my needs because it's SO nice and the others feel like bricks".

Yeah, it will be interesting to see. Right now the Airs have much more availability in the pre-order stage than the Pros, and it could be because it's so new and different that people want to wait for reviews or until they can hold them in their own hands and try them, and maybe they fall in love with it at that point.

So far Apple has had a lot of problems finding a solid fourth offering in their phone lineup. They went from Mini to Plus to Air and it will be interesting to see if positioning the Air as the most premium in design will give them a hit where the standard but different form factor phones didn't.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

The thing that gets me is how much people who don't want the iPhone Air feel that it's bad and wrong that the iPhone Air exists at all and feel it's their ****ing duty to tell everyone about it endlessly.

I like the Air! I think it looks cool and the whole shove-everything-into-the-hump thing is clever. I just won't stop bi****** until they make another Mini.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

I mean, listen - I believe in the Steve Jobs approach he took when returning to Apple after he'd been fired, and it had millions of product lines. He simplified them hugely and it was a big success. If I could choose the Apple lineup I'd drastically simplify the ranges across iPhone, Mac and iPad.

But sadly that's not how Tim Cook operates. We saw this when iPhone X came along to slot at the top at a premium price, which gave way to the Regular/Pro situation and now we have even more splits, then the SE/E models etc. Same with the Macs and iPads. It's a lot.

It's much messier than I'd like but we are where we are. I personally welcome this 'third way' with iPhone flagships as it keeps both options: premium/sexy and most powerful/best battery.

And even Steve only operated that way for the first two years when Apple pretty much had no choice because they were on the verge of bankruptcy.
A decade after he was back at the company, he had tons and tons of product lines, the 2X2 grid really only stuck around for about a year.
But eventually, there was a standard 13 inch MacBook, a 13 inch MacBook Air, a 13 inch MacBook Pro, a 15 inch and 17 inch MacBook Pro that were significantly better than the 13 inch specification for specification, Mac Mini, eMac, iMac, MacPro, Xserve… plus four iPods, two different sets of iPod headphones at two different price points, the iPhone, and a couple of other secondary products like the Apple TV.
The idea that he wouldn’t have expanded the iPhone and iPad lines the way that Tim has is just silly, between 1997 and 2010 the Mac was expanded by several models, the iPod was expanded into an entire lineup, and even by the time of his death, there were three iPhones for sale at the same time ranging from about $400 off contract with the 3GS to almost $900 with a 64 GB 4S. Obviously they were carrier subsidies, and such, but still. Not that much more simple than what exists today.
In total, Steve’s 2X2 grid of Mac computers existed for… A year. The second he introduced the G4 Cube, the grid was broken, and he never returned to it. It just kept expanding and expanding until there were three or four different laptops and (depending how you count them) four or five different desktop form factors being sold simultaneously.

 

[Supermallet]

My brother, the form is part of the function. If the device is lighter and thinner, it's less bulky and easier to forget you're carrying. Some people might prefer that, yeah?

The form is part of the function, and the form is also inhibiting function in this case.

The thing that gets me is how much people who don't want the iPhone Air feel that it's bad and wrong that the iPhone Air exists at all and feel it's their ****ing duty to tell everyone about it endlessly.

Like, who cares? I personally feel the Pro Max phones are an abomination, but I just... don't buy them and I don't generally waste my and everyone else's time and energy bitching about their mere existence. Fact is, they're a bad fit for my needs and preferences, and they're apparently a good fit for others.

So how is the iPhone Air different? You don't want it, don't buy it. But maybe also don't be compelled to shoot your mouth off repeatedly about how since you don't want it, nobody else should have it either.

Personally I'm salty about it because with the improvements in the base 17 this year, I would have opted for a 17 Plus over the Pro Max, but there is no Plus phone this year because Apple prioritized the Air. And part of me wonders if this was a deliberate move to make the Air less attractive to Pro Max owners (smaller screen/battery, fewer cameras, mono speaker) because they were worried the Plus would siphon off too many Pro Max owners who don't utilize all the pro functions.

 

[dca100]

Agree with you OP. It is a strange phenomenon.

Even positive reviews seem to attach the ‘compromised’ tag to the Air. It’s as though somehow those who choose the Air have given something up - compromised.

I don’t see the Air as a compromise at all.

It is undeniably a beautiful design. It has a beautiful screen. The reviews tell me that it takes great pictures, that the mono speaker sounds totally fine (particularly for my use case of occasional work speakerphone calls) and that the real-world battery life is not far off that of the iPhone 17. Yes, I could go for a phone with an even better camera and longer battery life … but I just don’t need these things.

As someone else reminded us in a previous post, I don’t recall anyone talking about the 16 Pro’s battery life being a compromise, yet here we are 12 months on with people suggesting the need to ‘baby’ the exact same battery life on the Air.

As per the original post, perhaps the real compromise is having to sacrifice function over form to get Pro features in a heavier, bulkier phone.

 

[Boyd01]

2) What the heck is a "crash out"?

It immediately reminded me of the Humphrey Bogart character in "High Sierra" who says it several times, including in his sleep during a nightmare, "I'm crashin' out, I'm crashin' out!" I think it's like "breaking out" of prison. There's an article about it here. Kind of doubt that's what the OP had in mind however.

 

[Joseph C]

And even Steve only operated that way for the first two years when Apple pretty much had no choice because they were on the verge of bankruptcy.
A decade after he was back at the company, he had tons and tons of product lines, the 2X2 grid really only stuck around for about a year.
But eventually, there was a standard 13 inch MacBook, a 13 inch MacBook Air, a 13 inch MacBook Pro, a 15 inch and 17 inch MacBook Pro that were significantly better than the 13 inch specification for specification, Mac Mini, eMac, iMac, MacPro, Xserve… plus four iPods, two different sets of iPod headphones at two different price points, the iPhone, and a couple of other secondary products like the Apple TV.
The idea that he wouldn’t have expanded the iPhone and iPad lines the way that Tim has is just silly, between 1997 and 2010 the Mac was expanded by several models, the iPod was expanded into an entire lineup, and even by the time of his death, there were three iPhones for sale at the same time ranging from about $400 off contract with the 3GS to almost $900 with a 64 GB 4S. Obviously they were carrier subsidies, and such, but still. Not that much more simple than what exists today.
In total, Steve’s 2X2 grid of Mac computers existed for… A year. The second he introduced the G4 Cube, the grid was broken, and he never returned to it. It just kept expanding and expanding until there were three or four different laptops and (depending how you count them) four or five different desktop form factors being sold simultaneously.

Good points, well made. Can't really argue much with that.

Apple have done a good job cleaning up the MacBook range in recent years I think. It's very clear now how it works and is branded.

iPhone feels like it could do with a bit of tidying and I think they're working towards that in the next few years.

 

[azhava]

Yeah, it will be interesting to see. Right now the Airs have much more availability in the pre-order stage than the Pros, and it could be because it's so new and different that people want to wait for reviews or until they can hold them in their own hands and try them, and maybe they fall in love with it at that point.

So far Apple has had a lot of problems finding a solid fourth offering in their phone lineup. They went from Mini to Plus to Air and it will be interesting to see if positioning the Air as the most premium in design will give them a hit where the standard but different form factor phones didn't.

It could also be because pre-orders and launch day phones are largely the territory of hardcore Apple fanatics, who are a lot more focused in their wants and more demanding of their phones. There are plenty of other people who upgrade their phones more randomly and/or wait until all the hubbub has died down to avoid the mob scenes in Apple Stores.

It will be interesting to look at sales 6-8 months from now and see if the pre-order trend of less popularity continues. Maybe they will be the next Mini, which never lived up to its potential, or maybe not.

 

[cjsuk]

There is no deep psychology here.

It's got one camera, a single speaker, part of it is really thin and it's more expensive than the basic one which doesn't suffer from those problems.

Using simple deductive reasoning by excluding the market it's not for, then it leaves people who don't care about their photos, don't care about the sound but do care what it looks like.

Target market is clearly posers short of some grey matter.

 

[ignatius345]

The form is part of the function, and the form is also inhibiting function in this case.

You're right. All iPhones should be at minimum 1" thick for maximum battery life, and have at least 5 lenses on the back to cover different focal lengths without optical zoom. Anything less than that and the phone is inhibiting function.

What's that, you say? That's too thick? More cameras than you need? Interesting.

 

[Joseph C]

Target market is clearly posers short of some grey matter.

That's just ad hominem nonsense.

 

[Knowimagination]

There is no deep psychology here.

It's got one camera, a single speaker, part of it is really thin and it's more expensive than the basic one which doesn't suffer from those problems.

Using simple deductive reasoning by excluding the market it's not for, then it leaves people who don't care about their photos, don't care about the sound but do care what it looks like.

Target market is clearly posers short of some grey matter.

The irony of proving OPs point in this way is excellent

 

[rui no onna]

Which iPhone are you getting? The Air can likely deliver in terms of battery life.

Currently leaning towards the iPhone 17 as my daily driver. I got a slim iPhone Air case and it was too wide for my comfort. I’ll visit the Apple Store to try both phones in hand before deciding.

Also getting the 17 Pro for an upcoming vacation as I want better cameras. Last time I went on vacation, I bought a mirrorless camera and a bunch of lenses but I still ended up using the phone more. Plus, phone AI took better photos as I never did learn how to use the mirrorless properly.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Good points, well made. Can't really argue much with that.

Apple have done a good job cleaning up the MacBook range in recent years I think. It's very clear now how it works and is branded.

iPhone feels like it could do with a bit of tidying and I think they're working towards that in the next few years.

Completely agree, I think the iPhone is currently in a transition period much like it was around the same time as the iPhone X, but I think I have a feel of what they are going for.
Four different, very distinct models at their own price points.
Regular/E: $599. The equivalent of the base iPad, a perfectly fine iPhone that will get the job done for several years, nothing special. With the base iPhone seeming to be relegated to the back burner, what with it not getting a new design this year and possibly not even getting updated next year, I think eventually it and the E will simply combine into apple’s budget model eventually, within the next three years.
Air: the $1000, mainstream, super thin and light, premium consumer phone. Once the biggest day one annoyances are fixed, this will be the regular iPhone for most people. Just like the iPad Air, or the MacBook Air.
iPhone Pro: big. Bulky. Powerful. Best. $1200+
Fold or Ultra: for those who want one, likely starting around $2000.

I think that will be the lineup within the next five years. Four phones, each somewhere between 300 and $500 apart.
E, Air, Pro, Fold.

 

[Garethe86]

Agree with you OP. It is a strange phenomenon.

Even positive reviews seem to attach the ‘compromised’ tag to the Air. It’s as though somehow those who choose the Air have given something up - compromised.

I don’t see the Air as a compromise at all.

It is undeniably a beautiful design. It has a beautiful screen. The reviews tell me that it takes great pictures, that the mono speaker sounds totally fine (particularly for my use case of occasional work speakerphone calls) and that the real-world battery life is not far off that of the iPhone 17. Yes, I could go for a phone with an even better camera and longer battery life … but I just don’t need these things.

As someone else reminded us in a previous post, I don’t recall anyone talking about the 16 Pro’s battery life being a compromise, yet here we are 12 months on with people suggesting the need to ‘baby’ the exact same battery life on the Air.

As per the original post, perhaps the real compromise is having to sacrifice function over form to get Pro features in a heavier, bulkier phone.

On the compromised crowd, these are the same people who just last year complained that Apple is no longer innovative. "The 16's are exactly like the 15's....whine whine whine"

 

[menist]

I’ve seen lots of S25edge backers/homers that bought at launch, validating their purchase, just to quickly moved onto the Flip/Fold.

Hope you guys utilize the 14 days return period and buy the phone you want! Don’t get stuck with a phone you won’t end up liking, after the honeymoon period.

 

[Joseph C]

Completely agree, I think the iPhone is currently in a transition period much like it was around the same time as the iPhone X, but I think I have a feel of what they are going for.
Four different, very distinct models at their own price points.
Regular/E: $599. The equivalent of the base iPad, a perfectly fine iPhone that will get the job done for several years, nothing special. With the base iPhone seeming to be relegated to the back burner, what with it not getting a new design this year and possibly not even getting updated next year, I think eventually it and the E will simply combine into apple’s budget model eventually, within the next three years.
Air: the $1000, mainstream, super thin and light, premium consumer phone. Once the biggest day one annoyances are fixed, this will be the regular iPhone for most people. Just like the iPad Air, or the MacBook Air.
iPhone Pro: big. Bulky. Powerful. Best. $1200+
Fold or Ultra: for those who want one, likely starting around $2000.

I think that will be the lineup within the next five years. Four phones, each somewhere between 300 and $500 apart.
E, Air, Pro, Fold.

Totally agree again, good post!

We're in a transition period this year - and it's a bumpy ride that's for sure (hence my OP). 🤣

 

[Cyberguycpt]

I was noticing this today and it is probably not a totally new thing, but this year with the Air it seems like more people feel the need to justify why they are not getting it than people justifying why they are. I don't want to say they are trying to convince themselves why they were right to not get it but I am sure there is that in play to some extent.

I see the opposite, I’ve seen a lot of Pro and ProMax hate and post about why the Air is the best phone in years.

 

[VisceralRealist]

I think it's actually a lot simpler than many people think.

Apple has struggled with its "fourth option". The Mini and Plus were the worst-selling phone models. They want a new fourth option that will sell better. This time, they've made a phone that prioritizes form over function, so that they can prioritize function over form in the Pro. Apple never wants the phones to be too similar; they want people who want the most features to buy the flagship. There is more of a division between the models now. You choose the Air if you don't care about the compromises and you want a lightweight phone that looks appealing. You choose the Pro if you want the highest specs and the most features, with looks and weight coming second. It also seems clear that the Air is testing out certain technologies (the thin design, the Apple-branded mode) that will appear in future designs.

As for me, I'm not sure. I've been buying the "Pro" phones since the 11 Pro. I love having all the features, but I have been a bit disappointed with the increase in weight and thickness over the years. That said, I don't know if I'm okay with "downgrades" from my current 13 Pro (fewer cameras, one less speaker), which is a four-year-old model.

In either case, I'm not "struggling internally" over whether people will think I have the "best" phone. My choice is purely about personal use. Do I need the extra features of the Pro, or can I go without them so that I can have a lighter weight phone? I think you overplay your hand with the "psychological" angle.

 

[Supermallet]

You're right. All iPhones should be at minimum 1" thick for maximum battery life, and have at least 5 lenses on the back to cover different focal lengths without optical zoom. Anything less than that and the phone is inhibiting function.

What's that, you say? That's too thick? More cameras than you need? Interesting.

Straw man much? I didn't say every phone had to maximalist, but the base iPhone 17 has two cameras to the Air's one, two speakers to the Air's one, better battery life, and retains the same selfie camera and Pro-Motion capable screen, with only 12 grams more weight and 3.2mm more thickness, and is $200 less. So it's clear here that the form IS inhibiting function that is present on a phone that costs less.

And just to drive the point home, Apple is also selling the MagSafe battery pack for $100 which completely ruins the form in favor of function, because with the battery pack attached it's thicker and heaver than pro max. Form inhibiting function.

 

[cjsuk]

That's just ad hominem nonsense.

No I'm arguing against the lack of general critical reasoning.

I mean if we want to look at it from a philosophical position it's more a statistical function of the population that there's clearly a market for an inferior specified device that has some desirable other characteristic. The product here is merely an idea that thin is beautiful, not the phone which is irrelevant. But it's thicker than a decade old iPhone 6 at the dingus end.

What we have here is a paradox of understanding, double-think or whatever you want to call it, which fits my point perfectly. And the OP.

 

[kp98077]

I really see it boiling down to Camera. Do you want a really good camera or not?

 

[NotApplicable]

Yeah, it will be interesting to see. Right now the Airs have much more availability in the pre-order stage than the Pros, and it could be because it's so new and different that people want to wait for reviews or until they can hold them in their own hands and try them, and maybe they fall in love with it at that point.

So far Apple has had a lot of problems finding a solid fourth offering in their phone lineup. They went from Mini to Plus to Air and it will be interesting to see if positioning the Air as the most premium in design will give them a hit where the standard but different form factor phones didn't.

Air has slightly better availability than Pros in my area (I can still get blue or orange pro for launch day pickup, vs black/blue/gold air), but this is meaningless without knowledge of the amount produced.

That being said, no one should expect the Air to outsell the Pro, nor does it need to to be a commercial success. So at the same time: we can't deduce a whole lot from availability without knowing production numbers, but no one should expect the Air to outsell the pro regardless, especially first gen. I am loving the Air for me, but I'm not claiming it replaces the Pro. Some people legitimately want the multiple cameras and stereo speakers and mmWave, some because they'll actually make use of those features to a noticeable degree vs. other phones, and others because they like the warm fuzzy feeling of having the phone with the best specs.

For me, the only theory I'm putting forward is: the Air will handily outsell the S25 Edge, 12 Mini, and 13 Mini. And, CSat will be high among Air purchasers.

 

[ripper998]

I'm wondering the same thing.

The younger generations' term for a temper tantrum

 

[dca100]

I really see it boiling down to Camera. Do you want a really good camera or not?

And there it is in a nutshell.