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I get the appeal of a thin phone, but if the battery is bad, why purchase the inferior device? The rumors say that a new battery case will be released alongside the iPhone Air. So, Apple's solution to improve battery life is making it thicker—like the Pro models? I hope I'm wrong, but it doesn't sound right.
Many people don't necessarily need that much battery capacity. Rumors say that the Air lasts a full day for 70% of users according to Apple's testing. And many users can easily charge during the day when needed. So it gives you the choice of having a thin and light phone when you don't need particularly long battery life, while also allowing to trade off weight and thickness against more battery on days when you do.
 
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The future folding iPhone is the main course.

Hate the weight of my 16 PM. Only got it because I prefer the larger width of the Plus/Pro Max for typing plus I needed the AOD.

The Air is most likely going to have an inferior battery, camera, and speaker, than my 16 PM. But I am thrilled to ditch all that for a super light device in-hand and in-pocket.

However what I truly want is that folding iPhone, which I do believe will be announced in the fall of 2026. So really the Air is going to be something fun and different to use for a year until the folding iPhone will be announced.

Anyone else feel this way as well?
Hello there, I have a simple question for you :). Given your enthusiasm for the iPhone Air's lightweight design, do you believe its potential compromises in battery life and camera quality are acceptable trade-offs for daily use, or do you see it primarily as a transitional device until the foldable iPhone arrives?
 
My 16 plus would be absolutely perfect if it had a 120Hz display.

Am I right in saying the 'plus' line of iPhones is being replaced by the iPhone Air? If so, I'll never see a plus phone with 120Hz. Bummer!

Uncertainty around the iPhone Air's baddery life is steering me towards the 17 Pro max. Not sure about the extra weight though! Ooooohh decisions decisions!
Yes I believe the “plus” model being discontinued for the “air” model to take its place due to poor sales .
So the lineup is supposed to be like
iPhone 17 6.3 inch 120hz
iPhone 17 pro 6.3 inch 120hz
iPhone 17 air 6.7 inch 120hz
iPhone 17 pro max 6.9 inch 120hz
 
I’ve been a Plus/Max iPhone user since the 6+ (except for the brief detour for the iPhone X haha!!), but, as long as the Air has ProMotion, I’m giving it a try.

Love the size of the screen on my 16PM, not digging the weight and thickness. The Air might be the ticket.
 
Probably 2% of the iPhone or other phone community will want one.



So you think the 16 pro max is heavy? Compared to what?
Totally disagree with what you deem will be the demand or desire for the folding iPhone. Now the price of the folding iPhone will stop many from purchasing it. There is simply no denying that. However if we are talking about how many people will want it when it is announced, then I'm confident that it will be a highly desired device.

I already addressed why I feel the 16 PM is heavy in my previous response to you and I already compared it to said devices. I'll say it again. The Pro Max line has been quite heavy for some time now. It got lighter with the titanium 15 PM and then it got a little heavier with the 16 PM. That weight will be especially glaring once the Air hits the market this fall. And like I already established, if I am going to venture into that circa 227 grams weight category, then I want my smartphone to be a book-style foldable. Not a tall narrow slab.
 
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I’m genuinely struggling to understand why would folding iPhone be superior to the current one. Wouldn’t it be bulkier when folded and more prone to fault? And most importantly the bend test? 🙂

I’m betting that folding iPhone won’t go further than being a prototype. But we’ll see eventually. I’m just sceptical for in general
It's superior because it has a nearly 8" screen when unfolded. There is no comparing what the Pro Max screen can offer versus what the future folding iPhone will offer.

It actually will not be bulkier. The Pro Max is rumored to be 8.75mm this fall. The folding iPhone is rumored to be between 9 and 9.5mm next year. So while it is technically a little thicker if that remains true, we aren't talking about a massive difference.

Book-style foldables do not currently have any issues with bending.

You will end up losing that bet. The folding iPhone is coming.
 
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Hello there, I have a simple question for you :). Given your enthusiasm for the iPhone Air's lightweight design, do you believe its potential compromises in battery life and camera quality are acceptable trade-offs for daily use, or do you see it primarily as a transitional device until the foldable iPhone arrives?
For me personally, I see the iPhone Air as a great new form factor that I can use for essentially one year. (Assuming the folding iPhone is available for purchase in the fall of 2026.)

Folding iPhone aside, I'd still opt for the Air over the Pro Max at this point. Battery life is a non-issue for me. I have MagSafe essentially everywhere I go. I have mixed feelings on the camera. Yes I'd prefer the best camera. No I don't think that would be a deciding factor. The speaker is the biggest loss for me. The Air is rumored to have single speaker on the top. I find the dual speakers on my 16 PM to be excellent. I especially like to listen to podcasts when I'm getting dressed, cooking, and when I'm brushing my teeth and washing my face. The simple remedy is a cheap bluetooth speaker. But I'd still strongly prefer the dual speaker set-up.
 
Just get the 17 base.

* The Pro has a huge compromise = weight
* The Air will have a huge compromise = battery and camera

The 17 base is not best ay anything, but does also not have any huge compromise. And it's cheap.
 
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For those to whom a folding phone holds some appeal, sure, it’ll be great. To many though, the appeal of the ‘Air’ is enough. A lighter phone is just what a lot of people want.

My list of requirement includes a wide angle lens, so we’ll see how we go.
You may get your wish on wide angle, but the folks wishing for telephoto competence in a thin device will not get what they want.
 
I love the idea of iPhone Air. Fold - not so much. I really think it’s a gimmick. Time will tell.
IMO the fold idea is no gimmick. Having an iPhone and an iPad mini in a single device will be great. Basic iPhone utility could be provided with the device closed while full iPad mini tablet competence could be provided with it open. IMO a great device I would buy in a heartbeat, except that the necessarily thin componentry will likely compromise camera competence essential to me.
 
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Hello there, I have a simple question for you :). Given your enthusiasm for the iPhone Air's lightweight design, do you believe its potential compromises in battery life and camera quality are acceptable trade-offs for daily use, or do you see it primarily as a transitional device until the foldable iPhone arrives?
You ask questions that only suppose how much battery and camera may be compromised. We will not know until we see the actual device, so yours is not a "simple question," it is an impossible question :).

As to any thought of the Air "primarily as a transitional device," IMO that makes no sense whatsoever [except for the design/build engineers at Apple]. IMO buyers who want a thin and light iPhone are a very different marketing subset than buyers who want a heavy large but pocketable device that doubles as both a tablet and an iPhone.

Just my $0.02, obviously others may disagree.
 
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However if we are talking about how many people will want it when it is announced, then I'm confident that it will be a highly desired device.
I have no doubt that the novelty of a foldable iPhone will prove your statement correct. Plenty of people are going to want to try it.

But between initial release and over the course of a few years, you're going to have people using these things, figuring out how it works or does not work with their pattern of use. Some people are going to be solidly in the camp for foldables, particularly those who wanted one to begin with. Some will rationalize that they wanted one and despite problems will continue using it based on that rational.

But, I believe, over time there are going to be a sizable group of people who decide that a foldable doesn't work for them. Others will decide that it does and you're going to end up with (I think) a group of customers equivalent to those who want the iPhone Mini to return.

There is not going to be some revolution where everyone saw the light and the Apple foldable became and will remain Apple's biggest selling iPhone. It's not going to happen. And the customer base that does buy the foldable will be insufficient for Apple to continue making them.

It's a fad with legs, but ultimately those legs will give out when the fad is over. It's already happening. It's just that the die hards for foldables are vocal.

We're going to disagree on this, but it's just my opinion. Until things actually happen (or not) it's open season as to whether I'm right or wrong.
 
I have no doubt that the novelty of a foldable iPhone will prove your statement correct. Plenty of people are going to want to try it.

But between initial release and over the course of a few years, you're going to have people using these things, figuring out how it works or does not work with their pattern of use. Some people are going to be solidly in the camp for foldables, particularly those who wanted one to begin with. Some will rationalize that they wanted one and despite problems will continue using it based on that rational.

But, I believe, over time there are going to be a sizable group of people who decide that a foldable doesn't work for them. Others will decide that it does and you're going to end up with (I think) a group of customers equivalent to those who want the iPhone Mini to return.

There is not going to be some revolution where everyone saw the light and the Apple foldable became and will remain Apple's biggest selling iPhone. It's not going to happen. And the customer base that does buy the foldable will be insufficient for Apple to continue making them.

It's a fad with legs, but ultimately those legs will give out when the fad is over. It's already happening. It's just that the die hards for foldables are vocal.

We're going to disagree on this, but it's just my opinion. Until things actually happen (or not) it's open season as to whether I'm right or wrong.
My bet is that both the iPhone Air (when it happens) and the foldable (when it happens) will become regular parts of Apple's device offerings. And remain regular parts of Apple's device offerings, no "fad is over" for either device unless and until something better still comes along.

My reasoning for the Air is that the appeal of thin and light to many buyers is obvious. My reasoning for the foldable is that the appeal of being able to carry both a phone and a tablet in one device that fits in one's pocket is similarly strong. A smaller market segment, but still substantial.

The best device for me personally will be for Apple to simply add Apple Pencil competence to the iPhone Pro Max. The pencil need not come with or be charged by the iPhone. Third party solutions to charge and carry an Apple Pencil already exist.
 
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My bet is that both the iPhone Air (when it happens) and the foldable (when it happens) will become regular parts of Apple's device offerings. And remain regular parts of Apple's device offerings, no "fad is over" for either device unless and until something better still comes along.

My reasoning for the Air is that the appeal of thin and light to many buyers is obvious. My reasoning for the foldable is that the appeal of being able to carry both a phone and a tablet in one device that fits in one's pocket is similarly strong. A smaller market segment, but still substantial.

The best device for me personally will be for Apple to simply add Apple Pencil competence to the iPhone Pro Max.
You may be right. We will all just have to see what transpires. As for me, I'll still be an iPhone, iPad, Mac (desktop) person with each device having a clearly defined role. I just don't care for jacks of all trades because they aren't always as good as a dedicated tool is. A crescent wrench vs a box wrench of the correct size.

But, for others good enough will work. Again, just my opinion. If Apple is providing what I want/need and what everyone else wants/needs, what everybody else uses has no effect on me and vice versa.
 
A large screen iPhone with the same weight as the 13 Mini could potentially tempt a lot of people though even with average battery life. You literally forget the 13 Mini is in your pocket or bag it’s that light, and a major USP in my opinion.

It's not just weight, it's also the size that makes it annoying in the pocket.
 
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Glad they are introducing this as it will attract some from my 17 ProMax at order time, guaranteeing that I get mine on opening day!😛
Usually I too get the new Pro right away (why waste time with the old tech when one is buying the new tech?). However not always. This year I will need to test the v17 cameras to see if it is worthwhile to upgrade from the superb 16 iPM.
 
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I’d like a 5.8” iPhone Air. It wouldn’t have great battery life, but would be super portable and pocketable. I wouldn’t mind charging twice a day if necessary. Probably could charge it all the way up to 100% in 30 minutes.
 
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