Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPhone Air How well will the Air sell without advertising?
- Thread starter bbates123
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Not so well seeing as it's already -130€ on Amazon and -330€ for import
The Air is going have the same fate as the Mini and Plus models. I just doesn’t fit MOST people’s needs. The form factor is the sole feature with significant compromises while costing 25% more than the equivalent standard iPhone or only $100 less than the fully featured iPhone Pro.
Of course that unique form factor will appeal to a small segment of customers but that’s exactly the same problem that resulted in the demise of both the Mini and Plus.
Yes, the first few weeks of an iPhone launch are the purview of the enthusiasts and early adopters but just look at in store availability. The iPhone 17 Pro, Pro Max AND even regular iPhone are out of stock or in limited supply everywhere. You know what model you can get in any configuration tomorrow at an Apple Store? One guess…
The Air was an engineering exercise as a precursor to a foldable iPhone and possibly for future standard iPhones. Why would Apple not give the ‘17’ name to the Air? Probably because there’s a good chance it’s going to be a one-and-done model.
Of course that unique form factor will appeal to a small segment of customers but that’s exactly the same problem that resulted in the demise of both the Mini and Plus.
Yes, the first few weeks of an iPhone launch are the purview of the enthusiasts and early adopters but just look at in store availability. The iPhone 17 Pro, Pro Max AND even regular iPhone are out of stock or in limited supply everywhere. You know what model you can get in any configuration tomorrow at an Apple Store? One guess…
The Air was an engineering exercise as a precursor to a foldable iPhone and possibly for future standard iPhones. Why would Apple not give the ‘17’ name to the Air? Probably because there’s a good chance it’s going to be a one-and-done model.
Dude the airs battery is nowhere near what the mini’s were. It’s comparable to the iPhone 16 pro and much better than my 15 pro. It wipes the floor with the 12/13 mini’s not sure where you got “comparable” from?
Do you have an air or are you just regurgitating misinformation from YouTube?
seen a test where the iphone air beat the pixel 10 pro XL in a battery test and pixel has a far bigger battery
My 13 mini used to last a business day but any apps using too much data or needing frequent updates like Google Maps would drain that battery fast. I suspect Air is no better or worse hence “comparable” even Apple sells an external battery pack specifically designed for it and that speaks volumes to any “YouTuber” or blind faith fan claims what it is now. Even MacRunors Dan in his video claimed that the iPhone Air when it would overheat would stall for a bit and I am not sure how many apps or how data intensive via frequent data fetches he is using but comparable is fair as mentioned with the external battery pack option.
Apple products sell themselves. Spending money on old time advertising makes no sense. When is the last time you purchased something because you saw an ad on tv?
Unlike the iPhone 13 mini having a higher resale value in certain markets due to it physical size, I don’t see how the resale value on a thinner and lighter phone with key limitations bodes well for the resale value after a year. Granted there are certain exceptions but the economics doesn’t favour the iPhone Air. In a tough economy this is a phone that doesn’t speak to the broader market for success.
I had the iPhone mini 13, it’s only issue was lack of battery life, if Apple put a high density battery in that device I would go back to it and even omit ProMotion, it was the physical size and one handed-use that was not appeal that brought back a classic vision of the late Steve Jobs. Thinner and lighter should not compromise from practicality and functionality this is where the iPhone Air does not address. Lightness humans muscles adapt to it, your hands on the other hand are not growing.
Nah, the iPhone Air has better battery life than the 12 & 13 mini. I'm a light user and the minis do last the entire day but the 12 was usually ~20% and the 13 ~30-40% at the end of the day. Meanwhile, the Air usually still has ~50-60% at the end of the day and that's with a 90% charging limit.
The Air has almost the same size battery as the iPhone 13 and from what I can tell, battery life is pretty similar to the base iPhone models.
The Air is only bad when compared to previous Pro Max models or Apple's 16 and 17 series. Also bad when compared to Android. Even my cheap Androids all seem to have 5000mAh batteries.
I've already returned the Air because it's too big for my comfort but battery life was surprisingly good despite its thinness. Definitely way better than the iPhone minis.
Why are you surprised? You’re a perfect example. People aren’t fans for the same reason you aren’t. The value isn’t there for the feature set.Just one of many articles about the disappointing sales figures....I am not an air fan (cost vs. features for me personally), as I traded in my brick 16pro for the 17 base. That said I am really surprised sales are not great....
“Apple Didn’t See This Coming”: The iPhone Air’s Weak Sales Are Forcing a Major Shift Toward a Foldable Future
The iPhone 17 series has captivated the consumer market with its innovative features and fresh design. Yet, amidst this success, the iPhone Air modelwww.rudebaguette.com
We're conversing on an Apple forum.
We are not the segment that Apple advertising needs to hit. Hell, most of us here know more about Apple products than people working at Apple Stores.
They advertise like crazy ... see it all the time on billboards and TV spots.
Carriers also do a lot of the marketing on behalf of Apple.
Also, when an ad shows iPhone 17 Pro, people who are in the market for a new phone will naturally find more info about the entire series. The Air is literally on the front page of the Apple website.
Some of these replies honestly read like someone asked AI to give them a paragraph on "why is the iPhone Air a terrible phone?"
Fair enough.
I know I’m only one use case but my air far outlasts my 12 or 13 mini. If anyone says they’re comparable I’d take it with a pinch of salt as it seems quite a stretch from my experience.
Then why do they advertise the Pro 🙄
As you describe you are a “light user”, there are times when people are not light users when diverting from their normal daily routine such as vacations or a hiking trip or some out of the blue emergency. In those cases ones does not want to worry and have range anxiety like EV’s on certain trips. Plus it has happened where some iOS updates drain battery life faster than other but later get addressed with an update in those cases again I don’t want to worry about the usability and longevity of a phone just so it’s thin, light and shiny. I usually put a case so shiny and thin are remove and to a certain degree lightness as well, so what is the point other.
Try running some third party apps from business’ that don’t optimize for mobile devices and it drains battery like crazy along with using some map apps.
At to is point the old commercials from Samsung about iPhone users hovering and parking near an electrical outlet will resurface for the iPhone Air but ah Apple has no issue selling you a MagSafe battery pack thus increasing the operating cost. Value wise then iPhone Air does not compare to other models, it’s just the new shiny toy on the block this year hence the oh and ah’s, eventuality daily practicality wins for the majority.
I heard a reviewer say it well the other day, something to the effect of... "With my Pro, I make it to the end of the day and have to charge it over night. With the Air, I make it to the end of the day and have to charge it over night. Sure, the Air has less, but the result is the same behavior most days."
This is a good point. Most people on most days won't need more than what the Air provides, but there will be outlier times when having that extra battery life comes in handy for sure.
Personally speaking, I’d rather have a phone that feels great in hand 100% of the time I use it and attach a magnetic battery (or charge mid-day) once or twice a month, but I totally understand different people have different thought processes, even with my usage pattern.
I’m glad both options exist, but I really like this phone, and if you had told me in June I’d get it over the Pro Max I probably would have laughed at you.
The Air’s battery life is infinitely better than either Mini.
With light, very efficient use, the Minis likely barely scraped 10 hours of SOT. The Air should be almost twice as good. There’s no competition.
People are claiming the Air doesn't get better battery life than a Mini?
I love my Mini, but it sure ain't because of the battery life - lmao
I love my Mini, but it sure ain't because of the battery life - lmao