iPhone Air

Ah, the iPhone Air. I debated getting one of these for a while after launch and decided to get it as my next phone simply because it was ... different. And I like different.

I haven't used it for all that long yet, but it has already become one of my favourite phones that I've owned. Though it's certainly not my favorite to look at, especially from the back. It looks like a one-eyed monster.

Still, this screen size + weight combo are hard to find and land it right in the sweet spot for me. Though I do find some of the features overkill. There's just no need for the processing power it has, and I'm convinced it's only there to try and justify the price, which is simply too high for a phone that should appeal mainly to light phone users. Particularly older ones with worsening eye sight.

You can find a million articles online about its capabilities, so I'm only talking about the ownership experience here. As such, I've collected thoughts at different points in my ownership.

Some thoughts from the first week, in no particular order

• It's not sexy enough for the price or positioning. I don't think it looks 'fancy' or 'premium' in any way. It doesn't feel cheap but to me it looks cheap or at the very least awkward.
• I like how it feels in my pocket, losing almost 40g of weight over my last phone is noticeable.
• The thinness can be uncomfortable to hold. I’m still not sure how to grip this thing.
• It’s nice that it's a way to get a bigger screen without the bulk of the plus / max models.
• It’s so uncomfortable that I don’t really ever wanna use it for long so the battery is lasting forever and my screen time is way down.
• It’s definitely futuristic. This is where phones are going once they can cram all the cameras and battery and stuff in the size of this thing.
• The camera bump looks like Spawny from Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, one of the worst characters from one of the best Switch games.
• It’s just a phone. It’s not great or terrible. It’s a phone. It’ll send pictures of your genitals to the “wrong” person just as well as any other phone will.

More thoughts after using it for a month

• For some reason I can't articulate, it's really growing on me.
• The camera is nothing special so I don’t feel guilty for not taking lots of photos like I always did when I would carry a Pro iPhone.
• I tend to only use phone cases when I travel. But this doesn't feel like it needs one, so I haven't gotten one. Though I could see it working well with a fabric carrying case, like an iPod-Sock-like sleeve. (Weirdly, I wrote this weeks before Apple released This Thing but that was not what I had in mind anyway.)
• Or maybe it could work with a wallet case, which are normally too thick for me with a standard iPhone. Another way to use the thinness to your advantage.
• It should come in two finishes like the Apple Watch, aluminum and titanium, at different price points. I’d save money and a bit of weight in exchange for losing some durability, performance and the “premium” design. Hell, make the back out of plastic instead of glass if it saves weight and money.
• It should come in two sizes like the MacBook Air. A smaller 6.2” and the current 6.5”.
• A 6.2” blue or red or yellow aluminum iPhone Air at sub 150g would absolutely slap.

And even more thoughts after two months

• Using any other iPhone now feels like a massive downgrade.
• Getting it quickly in and out of my pocket to glance at a grocery list, for example, feels more awkward. Probably because the extra width and height combined with the thinness make it easier to snag on pocket exit corners. (Pocket exit corners? Best I could think to call it.)
• I don't think I could go back to any other kind of phone now.
• I did have to borrow an iPhone Pro so I could use the macro mode to take a very specific photo I had to send someone. The Air just couldn't get a detailed enough close up photo to illustrate the issue. So far, the macro, not the wide or telephoto, is the camera feature I miss.
• It seems too big and too thin to easily use in my bike’s phone grip. A problem for the spring.
• I've gotten used to holding it now. It feels great, and I want to use it all the time ... but I don't. My screen time on a normal day is usually under one hour.
• In keeping with the 'Air' name, I've put on as few apps as I can. Just whatever I need when I leave the house.

Conclusion: An interesting feedback loop

Whereas my last phone (a Pro model iPhone) felt like a do-everything workhorse, this phone feels conceptually light. It's a vibe thing. And in keeping with that vibe, I haven't loaded it up with apps. I started fresh and only installed the bare minimum. Which in turn means I use it less, which adds to the mental lightness, and keeps me from installing more things on it. (For example, there's not a single game on it.)

I've also kept Google off of it entirely. I use Ecosia to search, and Apple Maps to get around. Google Maps might be better, but Apple Maps is still better than a paper map. Why use a maps app more than you would a paper one? It's just a backup when you get lost and a route planner when you go somewhere new. I don't need to constantly be obsessed about the existence of 5 extra minutes of traffic.

I also kept my old phone loaded up with all the old apps still on in, which I can still use for my label maker and router and all the 'everything has an app' bullshit we have to deal with. It stays in a drawer until it's needed, right next to my label maker. (I really like my label maker.)

So lightness is the theme of this phone. The phone inspires it, my usage reinforces it.

That all makes it a really nice upgrade. But I'm not sure I'd feel the same way if I just ported everything over and used it the same as I would any other phone.