The hypocrisy of the iPhone Air

my inner dialogue on the iPhone Air
The hypocrisy of the iPhone Air
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I buy an iPhone every year. Although I was hoping to change that this year, alas I am writing this with an iPhone Air next to me.

Why do I buy a new iPhone every year?
Apple consistently releases a new iPhone each year, and I always end up buying one without borrowing money or financing. There are many reasons not to upgrade every year: * unnecessary expense * not environment friendly * getting further trapped in the Apple walled garden This blog post is selfishly written by me
Mere CivilianMereCivilian

Despite buying an iPhone every year, every year I go through the exercise of justifying my upgrade. Deep down I know no justification suffices to upgrade every year.

The following are some reasons I have upgraded in the past:

  • better battery life
  • UltraWide camera
  • Macro photography
  • Telephoto lens
  • Better speakers
  • Better haptics
  • USB 3 speeds

It just struck me I preordered the iPhone Air, despite it not having any of the above reasons that I have used in the past to justify my purchase.

Practical downsides for me

  • The lack of an UltraWide lens is a real deal-breaker because there are images I won’t be able to capture with the iPhone Air.

The bottom image is from the UltraWide lens. Source: Reddit

  • The single speaker is also a disappointment because it is useful when talking on speaker or listening to audio content. This isn’t a deal-breaker though.

Today, with the iPhone Air next to me, it is hypocritical of me not to place importance on these features and give lightness and thinness an extreme priority.

Especially this year, when the Pro iPhones have significantly improved battery life and all three lens are now 48 MP.

Ultimately, these are mere excuses, and the heart wants what the heart wants. This year is no different.

However, it’s important to be honest with yourself and understand the significant compromises I am making. This is because this is the very first time I am upgrading from a Pro iPhone to an iPhone that is more jewellery than a utilitarian iPhone. The so-called upgrade has significant trade-offs.

Isn't it ironic that the iPhone 17 Pro is "function over form", battery life and camera, and the iPhone Air is "form over function".

💭
"Form over function" means prioritizing a product or design's aesthetic appearance (its form) over its practical usability and effectiveness (its function)

I am still undecided and intend to full use Apple’s 14-day refund policy.

It wasn't a strong "yes" like when I preordered. Definitely less likely to keep the iPhone Air.

Boy oh boy, I do like how thin and light it is 🤣 🤯

🤔
The iPhone Air is 34 grams lighter and 0.1 inch thinner compared to the iPhone 16 Pro. Are the trade-offs worth it?

How does it compare to its Android counterparts?

It may shock Apple fans, but earlier this year, Samsung launched a thin phone as well, the Samsung 25 Edge. That thin phone does not make as many compromises compared to the iPhone Air.

Samsung 25 Edge. Source: Samsung

This includes:

  • 2 cameras: main and ultra-wide camera
  • Bigger battery than the iPhone Air
  • Nano sim and esim support.
  • USB 3 speeds
  • Stereo speakers

If you are a Samsung 24 Ultra user switching to the Samsung 25 Edge, the compromises are much less. The only one relevant to my use case is the lack of a telephoto camera. This compromise is easier to make.

Hold on... there’s more