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iPhone Air Why Do People Dislike the iPhone Air?

krspkbl said:
I think it looks ugly as hell with the stupid camera bump. It sacrifices too much just for the sake of being thin. Silly looking camera bump, lower quality camera, lower battery capacity, lower quality speaker.

All for what? Oh it’s the thinnest iPhone ever…as long as you ignore the camera bump that sticks out like a swollen sore thumb.

And then there are all the fanboys who pretend it is the best iPhone ever. It’s just annoying. It goes both ways. You have people hating on the Air and you have people hating on the Pro.

Nobody wants the Air. Maybe the people gushing about it are just having buyers remorse (they’ll no doubt come in here and say oh no not me! I looove my Air!).

The Air is a disappointment. Nobody asked for it. People are saving money and getting the standard iPhone 17 or spending a little bit more and getting the full iPhone experience with the best cameras, best performance, best battery life, stereo speakers, etc.

The way things are going it looks like Apple will scrap the Air or at least give it a redesign.
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..and the Pro line doesn't look ridiculous with the continental shelf on the back?! I'm not in the market for a phone this year, but if I was, I would easily pick the air over the pro line, for weight alone.. even if it cost more than the pro.

In my opinion, the best looking iPhone is currently the 16e. No plateau, no bump...just a single, almost flush lens.

I don't care about the cameras on my phone, and rarely use them for anything other than QR codes or the occasional quick snap. I never use the speakers, I have disliked the weight of the Pro since my 13 Pro, and I can get two days from my 16 Pro's battery. Why wouldn't I pick the Air?
 
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If someone dislikes the air or looks down on people who own one" then they have a problem that goes far beyond phones....

As for the air: I buy phones for three reasons: as phone and internet device and as camera. The air meets the first two very well but the camera is not as good as the pro's. Unfortunately I will never get a phone as sleek and light as the air with a camera of the pro, at least not in a long time. From a practical point of view the air is much easier to carry in a pocket or a bag. But since the camera is one of my top priorities I stick with the heavier pro.
 
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I don't hate the Air but I don't really get the hype around it on here and it is not something I see generally anywhere else. I put my iPhone in a case that largely disguises what phone it is anyway, so a thin shiny phone is irrelevant to me and its about what the phone can do. The Air for me, feels like an SE style product with a shiny frame and a Pro chip, along with a weaker battery, weaker camera and speaker setup. Its not for me but I can appreciate others like it. The thin aspect is also not something I find particularly appealing and I recently held one to see what the fuss was about. In use it is like any other iPhone really, but I think it should have been a lot cheaper for what it offers. I think the iPhone 17 is the real deal this year and I'd advise anybody not needing the camera of the Pro to look at that device. It is good to have choice though eh?

darthbane2k said:
Too many models is the problem. Apple need to go back to the days of just making the best iPhone they can make and calling it iPhone.
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Times have changed though and not just for Apple, but for every manufacturer out there. Now one size, spec and price-point does not suit all in 202 and beyond. Apple would lose a significant percentage of their customers and a huge amount of revenue if they just offered an iPhone in the guise of a Pro Max. The market is so mature now, everybody knows what they expect from a smartphone and it is a buyers market. Android are no longer the players that follow Apple and make cheaper devices, but command the most share of the market. As I say, times have changed really for a manufacturer just to offer one type of phone.
 
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I personally do not understand why there is such a "thing" as an "iPhone Air hater".
I mean: Apple gives you several choices and just because I am picking the one that fits best for me doesn't mean I 'hate' all other choices... 😵‍💫

That's like hating all other car colors exept mine (witch is CUPRA's "magnetic gray metallic"). Or all other car brands except CUPRA.

Or like hating all other cats except mine.

Or hating all other women exept ... okay, tricky topic right there... 🤣

Really?
 
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ProbablyDylan said:
The Air is geared towards light to moderate users that want something nice in the hand.
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That's me, but the Air is too large, and not particularly lightweight compared to what we had in the past. I also don’t like the glossy edges and the thick bump.

I don't hate the Air, but it’s not for me, and I can't agree that it feels great in the hand and is lightweight. I mean, compared to a Pro Max maybe, but my reference points are the SE1 and the mini.
 
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My problem with the Air has to do with the number 1. 1 speaker, 1 camera, 1 thousand bucks. Are you kidding me?
 
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I was so so close to Replacing my 16PM with an air. And as silly as it seems the only thing that put me off is the lack of ultrawide.... when I was analyzing my usage I was shocked by how often I shoot in ultrawide. Not even the battery life bothers me, as I have a charger on my desk at work and wireless charging in my car. I still look longingly at my wife's air because I really do love the look. But cant get past the camera's shortcomings. Telephoto also bothers me a little, but its mostly the ultrawide that I'll miss.
 
Spinarelo said:
I was so so close to Replacing my 16PM with an air. And as silly as it seems the only thing that put me off is the lack of ultrawide.... when I was analyzing my usage I was shocked by how often I shoot in ultrawide. Not even the battery life bothers me, as I have a charger on my desk at work and wireless charging in my car. I still look longingly at my wife's air because I really do love the look. But cant get past the camera's shortcomings. Telephoto also bothers me a little, but its mostly the ultrawide that I'll miss.
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If it helps any, I've found the Air's camera to be surprisingly wide. I'm frequently having to punch in 2x to get only what I want in frame because of this. If I were you, I'd ask the wife to borrow hers for a while just to poke around the camera.
 
ProbablyDylan said:
If it helps any, I've found the Air's camera to be surprisingly wide. I'm frequently having to punch in 2x to get only what I want in frame because of this. If I were you, I'd ask the wife to borrow hers for a while just to poke around the camera.
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Interesting. I'll definitely give it a shot and play around with it, thank you!
 
For many—who probably aren’t involved in these conversations—it’s about the specs. But for others, the divide between Air and Pro users isn’t really about specs or camera lenses; it’s about identity. The Air crowd may see themselves as minimalists who value design, efficiency, restraint, etc. The Pro camp may identify more with maximalism (orange, anyone?), horsepower, the-phone-as-a-tool, etc. Once someone aligns with one camp or the other, criticism of their choice feels personal, because (consciously or not) it challenges their values and the story they tell about themselves.
 
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Totally no hate! I just don't like whole 2025 lineup to start with. Apple feels like they are stuck in time, I expected much better choices than what they have now. So no upgrade this year again, can't really find the reason and feature that these phones can do vs my current iPhone
 
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Harthag said:
I don’t understand why one would pay $1100 for the Air + battery pack when you can buy the Pro Max for $1200? I get that people won’t always need battery life, but you’re getting A LOT more phone for the money in the Pro Max.

Not hating on the Air…different strokes…it’s a cool gadget for sure just not for me.
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That’s why I reluctantly like the Air. Ideal phone for me would be slightly slimmer 17 plus, instead of the slightly heavier Pro Max. For my uses Pro is a waste-I personally have no use for its superior camera. 17 would be good for me….but as I scroll on 17 and Air side by side, I like the screen on the Air better. Perfect for me would be Air with another mm or 2 of thickness, which perhaps would allow for a bump on the battery.
 
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I don't dislike the Air. It's just there's better to buy. The iphone pro. I can see Air being a niche for those who don't use a case and want to sit and admire the thinness and basically one white color or variants of white, but this is niche since most use cases where it looks like any other iphone.
 
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I think there are alot of pro users that fear if the Air is successful apple will start cutting features/battery capacity from Pro phones to make them thinner and lighter. Thats the only reason I see for people that dont own a phone to trash it based purely on specs. I think there is a portion of people here that want nothing more the air to fail so they can say, see! Nobody wanted a lighter/thinner phone with less features so they start thread or post comments trashing the air to try to dissuade people from buying it. There's even a thread asking Air owners if they are embarrassed using their phone in public like the Air is something to be ashamed of. Of course no one who purchased the air would be embarrassed to use it so the only point in a thread like that would be to influence people that are considering buying one. I have no idea how many Airs apple intends to sell or whether or not it will be a success but I do know its the best model for me in the 17 lineup. I also can perfectly understand that some of the missing features and smaller battery make it the worst model for others. We all have different use cases and there isnt a "bad" phone in the 17 lineup, just pick the one that meets your need.
 
Spinarelo said:
I was so so close to Replacing my 16PM with an air. And as silly as it seems the only thing that put me off is the lack of ultrawide.... when I was analyzing my usage I was shocked by how often I shoot in ultrawide. Not even the battery life bothers me, as I have a charger on my desk at work and wireless charging in my car. I still look longingly at my wife's air because I really do love the look. But cant get past the camera's shortcomings. Telephoto also bothers me a little, but its mostly the ultrawide that I'll miss.
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the front facing camera can now act as an ultrawide, it's just a little awkward to take the photo without looking at the screen
 
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I have been complaining about my large heavy 15 Pro Max for years now. It pulls down my pants and is uncomfortable to hold for long periods of time. I have successfully read several (several as in <5 >3) 700 page books on it so I am not saying it CANT be done, but it isn’t super comfortable.

When the Air came out - I almost jumped on it. The idea of being able to use a MagSafe battery when I want to (at home) and have a thin light phone when I go out was exactly what I wanted.

However…

1 camera. Really? For that price?
1 speaker. Really? For that price?

I use my phone/cameras too much for those compromises. This is for ME personally - not everyone. I’d rather get a 17 and save my $ and have an extra camera and more compact size if I had to. So, I kept my 15 Pro Max. But if my 15 Pro Max died tomorrow, I’d get a 17 or a 17 Pro. Kinda done with bulk.

I do not hate the air. It gives those who want a thin phone who do not care about 1 camera something to enjoy. I wish that was me.
 
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