iPhone Air Work arounds for iPhone Air “deficiencies”

[profmjh]

I bought the iPhone Air and absolutely love it, but there are three common criticisms of its deficiencies.

First, battery life. I don’t care. I think it’s better than people have expected, I have the MagSafe battery pack, and many top-up charging opportunities.

Second, only one speaker. I don’t care. The one speaker is loud enough for my use-cases.

Third, only one camera. OK, you got me there.

BUT

If you use the video setting you get a virtual macro mode that covers my need to zoom in super close to something (tiny text on the back of the MagSafe battery, for example).

And if you use the front camera in landscape mode you get a wide-angle of sorts.

I have considered keeping 16 (as well as the Air) but these workarounds might be enough to ditch it and have just one phone again.

Anyone else having similar thoughts or have other work-arounds?

 

[joefrank64k]

I do miss macro a bit (I've been on Team Max - XS Max through 16PM)...but I use the Apple Magnifier app for when I need to see small text. Works great.

‎Magnifier

‎Magnifier Magnifier offers users who are blind or have low-vision convenient tools to get more information about physical objects and scenes around them. Features • Enlarge nearby objects or text so you can view them more easily. • Adjust image brightness, modify contrast, apply color...

apps.apple.com

 

[Johnny Steps]

I’ll be accused of massive coping for saying this, but I like how there’s only one camera. Looks nice and simple to me.

 

[Webcat86]

Have you tried the magnifier app for zooming in?

 

[bill-p]

Anyone else having similar thoughts or have other work-arounds?

It's been 29 hours for me since I last charged my Air. It's still going. I am outside now so I just put the phone into low power mode. Seems like it'll easily push another hour or two. Grand total of 6 hours of screen on time for me since yesterday. Battery life has not really been an issue. It's more that I may forget to charge for a night and the phone may die soon.

Anyway, workarounds:

1. I guess many people forget but Pano mode exists and can help get a wider field of view with the rear camera.

2. For close-ups, use 2x mode. It can get a pretty good 12MP shot if you don't care to enable 48MP mode and then crop. I bet macro lens attachments for iPhones will rise again thanks to Air. I'm surprised people forget those. Maybe it has really been that long since they were last needed (iPhone 6, anyone?).

3. Cupped hand over the front facing camera will help center the speaker in landscape.

4. I guess it goes without saying but Low Power Mode really can extend battery life by another hour or two as needed. The screen will be locked to 60Hz but otherwise I don't feel the phone being any slower.

 

[Nom4d]

I bought the iPhone Air and absolutely love it, but there are three common criticisms of its deficiencies.

First, battery life. I don’t care. I think it’s better than people have expected, I have the MagSafe battery pack, and many top-up charging opportunities.

Second, only one speaker. I don’t care. The one speaker is loud enough for my use-cases.

Third, only one camera. OK, you got me there.

BUT

If you use the video setting you get a virtual macro mode that covers my need to zoom in super close to something (tiny text on the back of the MagSafe battery, for example).

And if you use the front camera in landscape mode you get a wide-angle of sorts.

I have considered keeping 16 (as well as the Air) but these workarounds might be enough to ditch it and have just one phone again.

Anyone else having similar thoughts or have other work-arounds?

IMHO if one has to think of workarounds the the phone isn’t really the type of phone they should have or put up with. Yes it’s a beautiful phone but maybe it’s not the right phone for you and you be best looking at other phones.

 

[ZipZap]

IMHO if one has to think of workarounds the the phone isn’t really the type of phone they should have or put up with. Yes it’s a beautiful phone but maybe it’s not the right phone for you and you be best looking at other phones.

Well the issues mentioned are minor but still I think the goal was perhaps settings changes to make things better.

 

[Andeddu]

I need around 7-8 hours of SoT per day and I don’t like power-saving modes. I wouldn’t complain though as, if I had an Air, I’d pick up a MagSafe battery pack.

 

[danpass]

Similar thoughts, yes.

I’m not convinced … yet … about using the front camera for wide angle photo and video.

And no ProRAW? That’s … weird, doubly so in not having that option for, at least, photos.

RAW is a software setting, literally NOT processing into a JPEG.

-

 

[4sallypat]

Air battery life is phenomenal compared to the 16 Pro I had.

All day at work, 1 bar cell signal - used it as normal day.

70% at the end of the day when I left - compare that to 40% on my 16 Pro.

Air battery is definitely much better at battery management and probably due to the C1X 5G modem.

I can go 2 days without a charge which is amazing.

Speaker is loud enough for me and the camera - haven't used it.

 

[Thor_9]

Workarounds for a brand new device. Sounds about right.

 

[aperfectcircle]

Third, only one camera. OK, you got me there.

My workaround 😉 but in all seriousness, I’ve been suitably content with the single camera on the Air. It’s decent enough for most situations.

 

[kamikazeeMC]

The iPhone is a tool and a luxury purchace when upgrading from a 16, if it doesn't meet your needs and you need to go out of your way to make it work, it's the wrong tool.

 

[mikedickson161]

I bought the iPhone Air and absolutely love it, but there are three common criticisms of its deficiencies.

First, battery life. I don’t care. I think it’s better than people have expected, I have the MagSafe battery pack, and many top-up charging opportunities.

Second, only one speaker. I don’t care. The one speaker is loud enough for my use-cases.

Third, only one camera. OK, you got me there.

BUT

If you use the video setting you get a virtual macro mode that covers my need to zoom in super close to something (tiny text on the back of the MagSafe battery, for example).

And if you use the front camera in landscape mode you get a wide-angle of sorts.

I have considered keeping 16 (as well as the Air) but these workarounds might be enough to ditch it and have just one phone again.

Anyone else having similar thoughts or have other work-arounds?

1) Agree on battery life. No issue so far.
2) I’ve had mine for 2 weeks and hadn’t even noticed single speaker. If I focus on hearing only 1 speaker, I can. But IMHO Cell Phone Speakers will only ever be so good compared to good Ear Buds, Headphones, or Media Center speakers. Non-issue. Watch movies on the big screen like normal people.
3) I was trying to take photo of Micro-SD card tonight for an ad and it was sort of potato like when zoomed in. But I put on my thinking cap and used Magnifier. C’est Magnifique.

 

[Ctrlos]

I bought the iPhone Air and absolutely love it, but there are three common criticisms of its deficiencies.

First, battery life. I don’t care. I think it’s better than people have expected, I have the MagSafe battery pack, and many top-up charging opportunities.

Second, only one speaker. I don’t care. The one speaker is loud enough for my use-cases.

Third, only one camera. OK, you got me there.

BUT

If you use the video setting you get a virtual macro mode that covers my need to zoom in super close to something (tiny text on the back of the MagSafe battery, for example).

And if you use the front camera in landscape mode you get a wide-angle of sorts.

I have considered keeping 16 (as well as the Air) but these workarounds might be enough to ditch it and have just one phone again.

Anyone else having similar thoughts or have other work-arounds?

On the first point, the battery is as good as my old iPhone 16. Magsafe exists for the phone addicts in the audience.

On the second all phone speakers are crap, its just the Air has one instead of two.

On the third, use a manual camera app like Halide. On macro mode it takes images like this from a distance of about 4":

 

[mikedickson161]

On the first point, the battery is as good as my old iPhone 16. Magsafe exists for the phone addicts in the audience.

On the second all phone speakers are crap, its just the Air has one instead of two.

On the third, use a manual camera app like Halide. On macro mode it takes images like this from a distance of about 4":

View attachment 2578271

Seems like tire agreeing with me on 1 and 2, same thoughts different words?

Why not just use native magnifier? Worked beautiful in capturing details of 3/4 x 3/8” memory card. Is Halyde free and not ridden with ads? Are you a shill for them?

 

[GDF]

Seems like tire agreeing with me on 1 and 2, same thoughts different words?

Why not just use native magnifier? Worked beautiful in capturing details of 3/4 x 3/8” memory card. Is Halyde free and not ridden with ads? Are you a shill for them?

That is a really good idea to use magnifier. So do you use this for the missing macro mode and does it work as well?

 

[mikedickson161]

I’ve only used it once, but so far so good. I believe it’s a software zoom so will not be as crisp as a true macro using separate lens on Pro Max. I never used macro that much on older iPhones, so hard to compare. I know just trying to zoom in using 2x lens will get you a nice potato picture. Magnifier should be on your iPhone as default, so check it out and let us know.

 

[Ctrlos]

Seems like tire agreeing with me on 1 and 2, same thoughts different words?

Why not just use native magnifier? Worked beautiful in capturing details of 3/4 x 3/8” memory card. Is Halyde free and not ridden with ads? Are you a shill for them?

I bought their first app for $5 so long ago that I can use most of the functionality without needing the stupidly over-costed subscription.