Maybe I’m just out of touch, but I don’t understand who this is for, and I think it’s going to flop.

First of all…who is asking for thinner phones?

Secondly, the price. This is not an Air SE. This thing is only $100 less than a full-fat iPhone Pro, and $200 more than iPhone base (which is a particularly good value this year).

And what do you get for that price?

  • 2 fewer lenses than the pro, and 1 fewer than the base
  • Titanium frame, I guess?
  • Less powerful processor than the base
  • Inherently more fragile frame
  • Less battery life than even the base model (this was often cited as the shortcoming of the iphone Mini)
  • Slower charging speed than both models
  • no cinematic video mode

Are people really clamoring for thinner phones so badly that they’ll spend more money for less features?

https://www.apple.com/iphone/compare/?modelList=iphone-17-pro%2Ciphone-air%2Ciphone-17

Edit: 1 week later and the Air underperforms the base model as well (as expected)

Also someone pointed out below that the 16e is only 2 grams heavier and is $400 cheaper.

    • Horsey@lemmy.world
      32·
      10 days ago

      I’m really afraid to say it, but I’m really dreading the folding iPhone because I bet they gatekeep the highest performance chip in that model and have the air/pros be the new base model. I have just so little desire for a folding phone, especially since it’s going to be smaller than the Samsung and Chinese folds.

      • billwashere@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        10 days ago

        I have mixed feelings about the impending foldable. I totally suspect you’re right about the gatekeeping. I like the concept but I do not want a crease line down the middle of my phone 10min after I buy it.

        I ultimately think the final version of the iPhone will be no screen at all, just piped into a very lightweight and small form factor of some sort of AR glasses, like the Vision Pro but way less obnoxious.