I wouldn’t say it’s fine. I would say it’s just as good as my 14 Pro or better. Example: yesterday after a normal day for me at home and pretty heavy phone use (again, new shiny), I ended the day at 40%. Pretty solid for me, but YMMV.
Also noted on the low coverage issue. I’ve had that problem in the past as well, and WiFi calling has been a life saver. I get almost no cell signal at my house. But other than a few dead spots due to hills and trees, the rural area I’m in is pretty well covered.
Except a Mini. The phone I want.
I picked one up for about 30 seconds in an Apple Store last weekend. First thought: impressively thin. Second thought: This feels like it’ll slip out of my hand all the time.
For me, there’s a minimum phone thickness I can handle before I’m terrified of losing my grip on it.
Because using the battery pack would be the exception, not the rule. all the other time you’d have a really thin phone.
I bought the 1TB sky blue Air and love it. Battery life is poor, doesn’t get me a full day but so what, I can charge it 30 mins around noon and be fine. My wife takes all the pictures that matter so that’s not a concern. It is unbelievable to hold and use and that’s worth it to me. It is so refreshing to use an iPhone like this after years of the Pro Max thickness and weight.
With you on this. Minis are great.
Cost may be a concern for me now and I’m considering iPhone 17. I feel it’s perhaps the best balance - weight, camera, battery life. But, that Air… it’s just so deliciously good.
The price difference between the Base iPhone 17 and Air is significant. But, once I’m at the Air category, the price difference to the iPhone 17 Pro is not that big. I’d think to decide between Air and Pro would end up being a matter of preference on the design and feel of the phone.
FWIW, I visited the Apple store last night to compare the Air vs the 17. I kept picking up each of the two and the 17 felt very, very similar in weight to me. So much so that the difference would not influence the decision. But the screen size of the Air is much bigger. Also, due to the thinness of the Air, my smaller hands could still use it one handed, which is one reason I’ve stuck with my 13 mini. I think with the bumper case added, to give a lip to grip onto, the Air could be ideal from a physical standpoint in terms of holding/using. That said, the reviews on the bumper case so far are all over the place, with many saying the clear case is much better. I have never thought the clear cases were anything other than ugly and slippery, always preferring the Apple Silicone case to all others.
Understood and agreed. If my eyesight weren’t to the point where it is difficult, even with text size turned up some, to read the smaller display of the mini I wouldn’t even consider upgrading for another couple of years. I love the mini but apparently you and I are the only ones, and Apple is not even remotely rumored to ever release another that size…
Personally I’m still using the Apple Clear Case for my iPhone 13 Pro (probably for 4 years now) and if I were to go for another clear case, I would get an Apple, without a doubt. It didn’t yellow much, it has good grip and it protected my phone a couple of times from my careless drops. It’s just that the current Air and 17 colors are boring, so much so, that Clear case can’t bring out the wow factor (of the phone) so I’m not sure I want to spend that kind of money this generation.
I’m using this case on the Air right now and so far am loving it. The only reason I use a case is for scratch protection on the back. This seems perfect.
I went to the Apple Store today to purchase a new phone. I compared the Air and the Pro Max. I was surprised that when I picked up the Air in one hand and the Pro Max in the other, the weight difference was not that significant. The Air is obviously thinner, but neither the weight nor the thinnest of the Air was enough to sway me.
So, I took the bold move and purchased a 512GB orange Max Pro, with a clear case. If I’m going with bold orange, there is no point in hiding it. 
Did the exact same (well, I got blue instead of orange). I found the 17 perfectly comfortable and lightweight enough. Couldn’t see why I’d go with an Air. Feeling and using the two made it an easy peasy decision for me.
I’ve always had the silver or dark gray iPhones and iPads. Silver (whatever they call it) MacBook Pro. I wear gray dress slacks and blue sports jacket, drive a white SUV, a dark metallic gray pickup, I drink black coffee and sparkling water, and the list goes on.
I decided to live on the wild side and go orange! That’s about as wild as I get. 
AFAIK the iPhone Air was only 10% of the initial iPhone 17 production order. Now it appears the entry level iPhone 17 is so popular that Apple has told two companies to increase its production order by 30%.
Everyone has their reasons, but I think for the little bit more in cost, you will be happier down the road with the Pro.
I think so too, and I have a conference coming up, so I went ahead and also purchased the new AirPods Pro to go along with the phone for my flight. I decided to treat myself.
Glad you made the decision and are happy with what you have!
I couldn’t disagree more on the weight difference, however. I’m holding them both in my hands right now and the Pro feels meaningfully heavier to me. 10% heavier, at least?
I’m only on day 2 of using the Air as my primary phone and am still undecided, but the weight is a big factor in the Air’s favor right now.
This is probably a matter of personal tolerance, a case of “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.” 
There is clearly a difference in the weight but for me, a 10% difference is not worth the sacrifice of battery and cameras.
Yep, understood and agreed.
As previously discussed, I have no battery concerns but the camera will ultimately be the question. I think cell phone cameras suck. Will the Pro change my mind or will it be the same as ever? If the latter, I’ll probably go with the Air and continue to carry a small point and shoot. If the former, it will be hard to choose the Air.