iPhone Air How well will the Air sell without advertising?

[rui no onna]

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.

In that case, those customers probably know to go with the Pro Max. I don't think the base iPhones deliver significantly longer battery life compared to the Air.

Besides, the Air still has 50-60% remaining during my typical daily use (70+% if there's wifi) so it should be fine for me even with heavier use. The 13 mini would definitely need a power bank for heavier use.

If it's something like a long day hiking or vacation, a power bank will likely be needed regardless of model.

 

[ArchEtech]

The Air is considerably better than the Mini.

I can have screen time easily 14-16 hours with 40-50% youtube use, some gaming, lots of email, text and typical things and still have plenty left at the end of the day. I've been letting it sit at 20-30% overnight to check standby drain and its fine. The Mini would visibly drain with video, email, and especially using the camera.

I don't know what is considered a heavy vs. light user these days.

 

[ArchEtech]

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.

I don't think too many people are going to get range anxiety. The Air last way long than the mini. If you are hiking or remote, why wouldn't you have a battery pack anyway.

Unless you do heavy gaming, heavy business presentation use, or maybe do a ton of video recording, i don't think the Air is going to be short on battery. I'm easily at 30-40% at the end of the day with streaming through 13-16 hours of screen time.

 

[SmugMaverick]

Way way too many people mouthing off about a phone they’ve never even touched, doing their best “tech YouTuber” impressions by just reading some specs sheet.

I have bought every single iPhone pro model and I can say without a doubt the air is the most exciting, futuristic and amazing model since the iPhone X.

The air is releasing in china soon so I’ll expect some ads going out worldwide soon.

 

[code-m]

I don't think too many people are going to get range anxiety. The Air last way long than the mini. If you are hiking or remote, why wouldn't you have a battery pack anyway.

Unless you do heavy gaming, heavy business presentation use, or maybe do a ton of video recording, i don't think the Air is going to be short on battery. I'm easily at 30-40% at the end of the day with streaming through 13-16 hours of screen time.

I use my device as a mobile hot spot that causes a bit of temp rise, even with my 16 Pro I am good throughout the day. The lack of stereo speakers and cameras along with the increased price does not bode well considering people here have spent more to use AirPods or other wireless headsets.

The total cost to make an iPhone Air comparable is a lot more, not worth it to most but glad you are enjoying your shiny new device. Only time will tell if the resale value is even there on an iPhone Air.

 

[B.A.T]

I use my phones for years long after there is any worthwhile resale value left in the phone. Every point you've attempted to make here (battery life, camera or lack of, one handed use of the Air) may apply to you but they don't apply to everyone else. Meanwhile we all have 12 GBs of ram so enjoy IOS 27 🤣🤣🤣

 

[zenmacx]

It’s early in the annual sales cycle. Apple has plenty of time and opportunities to advertise this new form factor.

That said I find it interesting that in the huge circle of tech enthusiasts I'm around, Air models are few and far between. A non scientific guess reveals less than 2% have purchased one.

It would be good to see Apple promote and keep this model in the lineup. With some improvements added to the second generation it could be an excellent choice for some buyers.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

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.

You ask "Why would Apple not give the ‘17’ name to the Air?" Easy. Because only a marketing moron would call it that. Do you also wonder why Apple did not call the first iPhone the iPhone 2007?

Later generations of users may call today's iPhone Air the iPhone 17 Air or the Air 2025 or whatever for future identification purposes. The Air name is not "because there’s a good chance it’s going to be a one-and-done model." Sheesh.

 

[Petey07]

Probably just the algorithm but … I’m seeing a lot of Air reviews on YouTube and they’re nearly all positive.

Flossy has a negative one, which is highly amusing, yet also totally correct lol.

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I having feelings that these vloggers are getting paid to all sudden make positive Air review because of originally there were a lot of videos were not positive.

 

[Kjabean]

I think a lot of people realized that the early hate was much about nothing. The battery, speaker, camera, etc are much better then they thought they would be.

 

[Moreplease]

I having feelings that these vloggers are getting paid to all sudden make positive Air review because of originally there were a lot of videos were not positive.

The cycle of dramatically dissing [new product] and then claiming “Actually, I was wrong about [new product]!” two weeks later is as old as influencer culture. They’re not being paid by Apple to do this. They’re being paid by your clicks. Stop indulging them with your attention.

 

[jntdroid]

The cycle of dramatically dissing [new product] and then claiming “Actually, I was wrong about [new product]!” two weeks later is as old as influencer culture. They’re not being paid by Apple to do this. They’re being paid by your clicks. Stop indulging them with your attention.

This. While I think some reviewers do sincerely believe what they're saying, it's no coincidence this is a lucrative cycle for them as well.

 

[code-m]

I use my phones for years long after there is any worthwhile resale value left in the phone. Every point you've attempted to make here (battery life, camera or lack of, one handed use of the Air) may apply to you but they don't apply to everyone else. Meanwhile we all have 12 GBs of ram so enjoy IOS 27 🤣🤣🤣

I don’t use AI, 8GB RAM is fine. Some iOS26 refining bugs but that usually for all major upgrades. I keep my phones for 2-4 years and prefer the natural battery degrading process, resale value and one device to get most of what I want done, not a compromise.

 

[mjpearce023]

Yeah Im not sure why Apple and AT&T are putting the Air at a disadvantage. I haven't seen a single Air advertisement on TV yet. Also the carrier trade in deals, at least on AT&T, are not good for the air. At launch you could trade in a 13 or higher and get 1100 towards a pro (free for 256gb), 800 toward a 17 (free for 256gb) or 830 toward the Air ($170 for 256gb). Now they have dropped the trade in values towards a 17 and Air to 700 so a base 17 would cost $100 and the Air would cost $300 and the pro is still free. Its going to be more difficult to convince people to get the Air if they have to pay $300 instead of the pro for free. I don't know if Pros are underperforming or what but the Air hasn't been sold out that I've seen so not sure why they are making it the more expensive phone.

 

[zenmacx]

Yeah Im not sure why Apple and AT&T are putting the Air at a disadvantage.

I concur.

After all the time and effort Apple has invested to create the Air, one would think they would promote it aggressively.

It will be quite interesting to see how this plays out.

 

[one more]

I have just checked the stock availability in Apple Stores in Switzerland and you can pick up almost any Air variant right now, whereas they still list a 2-3 weeks wait for most 256GB iPhone 17 and 17 Pro (Max) models.

 

[JPack]

Yeah Im not sure why Apple and AT&T are putting the Air at a disadvantage. I haven't seen a single Air advertisement on TV yet. Also the carrier trade in deals, at least on AT&T, are not good for the air. At launch you could trade in a 13 or higher and get 1100 towards a pro (free for 256gb), 800 toward a 17 (free for 256gb) or 830 toward the Air ($170 for 256gb). Now they have dropped the trade in values towards a 17 and Air to 700 so a base 17 would cost $100 and the Air would cost $300 and the pro is still free. Its going to be more difficult to convince people to get the Air if they have to pay $300 instead of the pro for free. I don't know if Pros are underperforming or what but the Air hasn't been sold out that I've seen so not sure why they are making it the more expensive phone.

It makes sense. Carriers sell data.

Why would AT&T waste money promoting a device intended for casual use? Carriers prefer to subsidize a device that lets the user do as much as possible.

Apple knows the Air is intended for enthusiasts willing to spend $999 purely for thin and light while compromising camera and battery. That’s a niche group of customers who will seek out the Air.

 

[mjpearce023]

It makes sense. Carriers sell data.

Why would AT&T waste money promoting a device intended for casual use? Carriers prefer to subsidize a device that lets the user do as much as possible.

Apple knows the Air is intended for enthusiasts willing to spend $999 purely for thin and light while compromising camera and battery. That’s a niche group of customers who will seek out the Air.

I haven’t seen any studies on who is purchasing the air or how much data they use so that’s a big assumption to say air users use less data than pro users but for sake of argument let’s says that’s correct. AT&T only sells unlimited data plans so they are going to make more money off someone that pays for unlimited data but uses less data. So an air customer would in turn be more valuable than a pro customer because they are paying the same price and creating less network congestion.

 

[JPack]

I haven’t seen any studies on who is purchasing the air or how much data they use so that’s a big assumption to say air users use less data than pro users but for sake of argument let’s says that’s correct. AT&T only sells unlimited data plans so they are going to make more money off someone that pays for unlimited data but uses less data. So an air customer would in turn be more valuable than a pro customer because they are paying the same price and creating less network congestion.

Even with "unlimited" there are limits after a certain GB threshold. Otherwise, AT&T would only sell one single "unlimited" plan. Air customers would be more likely to choose the low-end "unlimited" plan from AT&T.

We see the same strategy from Internet providers. Look at why Verizon is giving away a Samsung TV for home Internet subscribers and not a Uber Eats or Amazon gift card. They want you to consume more data.

 

[mjpearce023]

Even with "unlimited" there are limits after a certain GB threshold. Otherwise, AT&T would only sell one single "unlimited" plan. Air customers would be more likely to choose the low-end "unlimited" plan from AT&T.

We see the same strategy from Internet providers. Look at why Verizon is giving away a Samsung TV for home Internet subscribers and not a Uber Eats or Amazon gift card. They want you to consume more data.

Really? I dont know anyone that purchased the Air that changed their wireless plan because they are suddenly going to use less data. So because I went from a 15 pro to the Air I should change my AT&T plan?
Your making assumptions here with nothing meaningful to back it up. These are people trading in older iPhones so going from a 13 or 14 to an Air is not going to change their wireless usage or wireless plan.
If the air is not selling well because its only for a niche group of people AT&T would increase the trade in values for it and Apple would increase advertisements because they don't want stock just sitting, not the other way around.

 

[JPack]

Really? I dont know anyone that purchased the Air that changed their wireless plan because they are suddenly going to use less data. So because I went from a 15 pro to the Air I should change my AT&T plan?
Your making assumptions here with nothing meaningful to back it up. These are people trading in older iPhones so going from a 13 or 14 to an Air is not going to change their wireless usage or wireless plan.
If the air is not selling well because its only for a niche group of people AT&T would increase the trade in values for it and Apple would increase advertisements because they don't want stock just sitting, not the other way around.

This is my knowledge after speaking to telecom industry workers. You're expecting free data and reports to back up. Those reports costs tens of thousands of dollars to buy. Companies employ teams working on competitive intelligence producing such data.

It it going to be a 1:1 ratio where iPhone Air users use less data? Of course not.

Is the Verizon home Internet user getting the free Samsung TV guaranteed to use more data? Or course not.

These are all targeted bets where carriers hope to shape demand for data.

These ads are mainly targeted at NEW subscribers, not old ones. AT&T isn't advertising to old subscribers using iPhone XR and are stuck on a legacy plan paying $60 for 4GB data.

 

[mjpearce023]

This is my knowledge after speaking to telecom industry workers. You're expecting free data and reports to back up. Those reports costs tens of thousands of dollars to buy. Companies employ teams working on competitive intelligence producing such data.

It it going to be a 1:1 ratio where iPhone Air users use less data? Of course not.

Is the Verizon home Internet user getting the free Samsung TV guaranteed to use more data? Or course not.

These are all targeted bets where carriers hope to shape demand for data.

These ads are mainly targeted at NEW subscribers, not old ones. AT&T isn't advertising to old subscribers using iPhone XR and are stuck on a legacy plan paying $60 for 4GB data.

Ok so let me make sure that I understand. So you're saying that people buying an iPhone Air (who you stated are people willing to pay more money for less features) are not willing to pay for the highest speed data plan so AT&T wants to push them towards a pro for free because then they will use more data and pay for the most expensive data plan? And the commercials are not aimed at 120 million subscribers that they already have that would be upgrading and locking themselves into a 3 year agreement but only at getting new subscribers even though its cheaper to maintain subscribers than is to get new subscribers? I guess I learned more today than I did in the 2 years I worked for AT&T.

 

[JPack]

Ok so let me make sure that I understand. So you're saying that people buying an iPhone Air (who you stated are people willing to pay more money for less features) are not willing to pay for the highest speed data plan so AT&T wants to push them towards a pro for free because then they will use more data and pay for the most expensive data plan? And the commercials are not aimed at 120 million subscribers that they already have that would be upgrading and locking themselves into a 3 year agreement but only at getting new subscribers even though its cheaper to maintain subscribers than is to get new subscribers? I guess I learned more today than I did in the 2 years I worked for AT&T.

It's not complicated. Carriers prefer to subsidize devices that are more likely to consume more data. Just because Air owners are willing to pay a premium for thin and light, does not mean they will use more data.

The ads are targeted at new subscribers. I never said "only" new subscribers. Of course existing customers are welcome to lock in. But if you're an existing customer, they've already gained your trust. Existing customers already visit the AT&T site to pay their bill. They will notice new offers.

 

[mjpearce023]

It's not complicated. Carriers prefer to subsidize devices that are more likely to consume more data. Just because Air owners are willing to pay a premium for thin and light, does not mean they will use more data.

The ads are targeted at new subscribers. I never said "only" new subscribers. Of course existing customers are welcome to lock in. But if you're an existing customer, they've already gained your trust. Existing customers already visit the AT&T site to pay their bill. They will notice new offers.

Then why is the Galaxy S25 Edge get 1100 off with a trade in? Its a smaller thinner device with less battery like the Air so under your assumption that air users use less data then so would edge users correct?

 

[JPack]

Then why is the Galaxy S25 Edge get 1100 off with a trade in? Its a smaller thinner device with less battery like the Air so under your assumption that air users use less data then so would edge users correct?

S25 Edge seems more like a mainstream device to me. Dual camera, dual speakers, even SIM tray, mmW, and the battery is only 100mAh less than S25.