retrogusto
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iPhone 17 Air rumored to shrink battery & lean on iOS 26 to keep up
As you may have deduced from the fact that I’ve made 1,100+ comments since I joined the forum 17 years ago, I’m familiar with the various iPhone models.charlesn said:
Apple already made the phone of your dreams: it was called the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 13 Mini. Same thickness as the 6, just a touch heavier (6 grams, about one-fifth of an ounce), significantly better battery life than the 6 and a significantly larger screen. Did you buy it? I'm guessing not, since it doesn't sound like you've upgraded in forever. See, that's the thing, people say they want this or that, but then Apple offers it and they don't buy it. That was the case, writ large, for the Mini, which died a quick death due to lack of sales. And when Apple kills a new product after just 2 cycles, you know sales had to be really dismal.retrogusto said:I would love it if they could make something with the same thickness (6.9mm), weight (129g) and battery life as the iPhone 6 from 2014 (or in that ballpark) but with more modern specs. And maybe they should devote more resources to developing really great battery cases for people who don’t mind the bulk but need more battery life.
Samsung's Galaxy Edge, the iPhone Air dupe but with a better camera system, is already a flop in sales, proving what many people have been saying right along: there isn't a real market for a phone that compromises features and battery life for thinness, while serving up that combination at a higher price point. I mean, maybe there's a burst of Air sales out of the gate because of the novelty and the desire for something new in an iPhone form factor, but it won't be sustainable.As I mentioned, the models have mostly just gotten thicker over time, so the 6s was (noticeably) thicker than the 6, the 7 stayed the same but then the 8 was thicker than the 7, and the iPhone 12 Mini, which came out in 2020, was thicker than all of these. I’m not sure why you think it was as thin as the 6.
I have a current-model iPad Pro, so I only end up using my phone for things when I’m out and about and don’t have my iPad with me. Texting, listening to music on public transportation, glancing at the news, my calendar, a map, the occasional phone call, etc. I spend most of my time in urban areas with good cell coverage, and almost never go more than a day without easy access to an electrical outlet. My biggest issue with batteries is that since they usually last close to 2 days before I need to charge, I just do it when I need to, rather than having a habit of doing it, say, every night. In other words, no real issue. But since I carry it around in my pocket, I want the phone to be as light and compact as possible, and ideally it would also feel good to hold when using. I don’t need more processor cores, I don’t need to generate cartoon avatars of my friends while I’m walking up the stairs to exit the subway.But I also think that Apple is unlikely to release a phone with significantly shorter battery life, so if the battery is smaller, they have probably found efficiencies to compensate. I don’t wish for anyone to have a bad experience, of course, but different people have different requirements and priorities, and now maybe you understand mine. A battery case doesn’t seem like a bad option if you don’t mind bulk but want more battery—especially if you would use a case anyway.I replaced my iPhone 6 with a Xs in early 2019, when I had a battery issue that made the 6 unusable and couldn’t be fixed quickly, so when the iPhone 12 Mini came out in 2020, my Xs was relatively new and completely pristine. I was still very tempted by the more compact form factor, but I figured there were two main differences that I would notice (along with various spec bumps I would be unlikely to care about): a more portable device, but without the “telephoto” camera which is my preferred focal length, despite the inferior sensor. I contemplated for a while, but decided not to spend the money to replace a nice $1,100 phone that seemed practically new for a different set of compromises.
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iPhone 17 Air's battery life could be the shortest in years
Of course, it’s also possible that the battery capacity will be lower than average but battery life will be higher, since battery life depends on much more than just the battery capacity.
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Apple cut too much by removing MagSafe from the iPhone 16e
In the range of possible things they could have omitted to distinguish this model from the 16 that costs $200 more, MagSafe magnets seem like one of the more minor compromises to me. I’m not sure I’d pay $200 for a Dynamic Island, mmWave or ultrawide camera either. Now, if it were a headphone jack…
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Thinner, smarter, more connected: What to expect from a 2025 Apple TV
A long shot, but bringing back optical audio output (which TV used to have) would be great for AirPlay directly to the stereo system without requiring a third-party HDMI audio extractor component. Not holding my breath, of course.
