Salacious iPhone Pocket pose.

When Apple released the iPhone Pocket, I had a dream:

One change I would suggest to Apple - swap out the iPhone 17 in this provocative photo to the iPhone Air.

Thinner and sexier.

Well, dreams do come true.

Apple’s high quality, high budget model (left), my low budget version (right).

It’s not a perfect one-to-one copy, but it still riles me up 😅. Not sure how Apple got the flap to float, but maybe their iPhone Pocket was sprayed stiff with some sort of hair spray, or it had tungsten inserts a la Vision Pro? My low-budget affair involved a basic phone stand to prop the phone, and a Q-tip to hold the flap in place.

That’s a clean Q-tip by the way.

Will Apple restock the iPhone Pocket?

MacRumors:

Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released.

iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. It quickly sold out in the United States, but some colors and size options were still available in South Korea and a few other countries until the past few days. [..,]

Given it is a limited-edition accessory, it is unclear if there will ever be additional inventory of the iPhone Pocket now that it is fully sold out worldwide.

I’m glad I snagged one just in time, but I’m confident more will be produced. If you look at the product page, it mentions “Special Edition” for iPhone Pocket, and “Limited Edition” for the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand. Special Edition doesn’t necessarily mean limited, and nowhere in the press release does it say limited production.

Putting an iPhone 17 Pro under a microscope.

If you love macro photography and videography, this one’s for you. Also informative for those who didn’t know it is normal to have some extremely tiny dust inside the camera lenses because you can’t get a perfect dust-free enclosure.

Apple doesn’t restock the iPhone Pocket, but releases the limited edition Hikawa Phone Grip & Stand.

Not what we were expecting on Friday, but it’s nice to see these partnerships from Apple with other, lesser known companies.

The Product overview from Apple:

The Hikawa Phone Grip & Stand is a MagSafe compatible adaptive accessory for iPhone designed by Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple. Designed with direct input from individuals with disabilities affecting muscle strength, dexterity, and hand control, this ergonomic grip was designed with accessibility in mind from the ground up. The grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe, can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand to support iPhone at two different viewing angles, both vertically and horizontally. Inspired by modern sculpture, each Hikawa product is an art object unto itself. The limited edition Hikawa Phone Grip & Stand is available in two colors, a bold, high-visibility Chartreuse and recycled Crater, exclusive to Apple.

Of course it’s already sold out, but you can still pre-order additional colors and get it directly from the Bailey Hikawa website. Not egregious at $69.95, but it looks to be even more low stock than iPhone Pocket.

P.S. It works with iPhone mini, but without a case.

iPhone Pocket is still sold out, after launching a week ago.

Will we get another opportunity to get this extremely limited product? We can only hope that Apple drops some more stock today?

BasicAppleGuy releases his famous iPhone 17 Pro internal wallpapers.

A no-brainer purchase for iPhone 17 Pro users. He leaves a bit of a cliffhanger for iPhone 17 and Air users:

Right now, the plan is to start work on the iPhone Air internals wallpaper, aiming for an early December 2025 release. I’m still on the fence about doing one for the iPhone 17—it’s tough to know if the time and effort will really pay off. Still weighing my options…

Sounds like good news for iPhone Air users, but is that really the best option? Passion wise it is, but realistically, iPhone 17 sales are higher, meaning higher demand (and purchases) for a wallpaper set. Then again, iPhone Air users have extra cash to spend and are more likely to be enthusiasts, so is that the better option? It is quite the pickle.

For all you Pro users, go ahead and buy the 17 Pro wallpapers.

Apple releases iPhone Pocket.

I thought this was a prank on X when I first saw it. If this wasn’t a collaboration with a design brand, I would assume the prices would be half the real price of $149 (short version) and $229 (long version).

One change I would suggest to Apple - swap out the iPhone 17 in this provocative photo to the iPhone Air.

Thinner and sexier.

Will Apple’s “Can’t Decide Guide,” video for the 2025 iPhones become its most popular YouTube video?

It’s been out for 2 months, already has 50 million views, and only 1 million views away from being the number 2 video behind the glorified MacBook security features video that has 79 million views.

For context let’s look at the video release dates of Apple’s top 4 videos along with view count to really see the impact of this year’s iPhones:

1. The Underdogs: Swiped Mac | Apple at Work - 79 million views, released 7/19/23

2. Heartstrings | Apple Holiday | Hearing Aid feature on AirPods Pro 2 - 51 million views, released 11/28/24

3. Someday, by Spike Jonze | AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation - 44 million views, released 3/18/25

4. The Can’t Decide Guide: A Guided Tour of the New iPhone Family | Apple - 50 million views, released 9/9/25

I’ve been checking it every few days, and it keeps going up by a few million each time. My assumption is it will continue to gain tons of views for the holiday season, and then drastically taper off. It’s still slotted as the fourth most popular video even though it has the 3rd highest view count. (Even YouTube can’t keep up?)

Will it pass the 79 million views mark before then? Whether that happens or not, there’s no denying that the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air lineup is going to be a super-cycle upgrade year for Apple with 3 amazing choices.

It genuinely is tough to decide this year. You have the base iPhone 17, which has the best value in any smartphone today and even feels more premium than the 17 Pro. The iPhone Air is a glimpse of the future, with the most durable and slimmest chassis ever to be offered by Apple. Finally, the 17 Pro is chock full of features that most people will never use, but are still glad they have. It’s the soccer mom’s off road SUV that never touches grass.

The iPhone Decision.

It’s been a grueling month, the annual September - October tech month where I decide what new Apple hardware to buy. It’s also the month where my wife sighs every time I change my mind about what to buy, sell, trade-in, etc., because it involves using her Facebook marketplace account where she has a good reputation, score, or whatever seller rating metric they use.

After going back and forth between the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air, I have finally decided on the Air. It just gives me the most satisfaction every time I hold it. Even when taking it off my MagSafe dock in my car, that feeling is unparalleled.

I have absolutely no regrets choosing the iPhone Air. I’ve realized over the past few weeks that my preference leans towards the feel, aesthetics, and premium quality of my iPhone over the feature set. Heck, even the slimmer iPhone 17 feels more premium than the bulbous 17 Pro now that the displays are the same, and if there was no iPhone Air, I would seriously consider the regular iPhone 17.

The blend of both premium quality and top features were always intertwined in the Pro lineup, but after they were unraveled this year, it really led to an iPhone identity crisis. Once I found out what mattered to me most and looked deep with myself, the answer became crystal clear. This year, the iPhone Air is hands down the most premium and most aesthetically pleasing device Apple has made, and it might even be the most premium device they have made, period.

And I am all in.

In an alternate timeline, the iPhone Air was supposed to have a SIM tray, and Apple might have left a physical artifact on the device that proves it.

If you look right underneath the volume down button about 1.75cm below, you can see a faint cutout of a hole that looks like a SIM ejection slot. It’s very, very, very hard to see, and you have to have the proper lighting and some finger oils to really catch a glimpse of it. I found it one day by chance under the perfect set of lights, but it took me several days to find it again and actually photograph it properly.

Trying to clean the spot with a polishing cloth has the opposite effect and makes it impossible to see under the shiny reflective titanium. To try and find it, smudge the area with your finger oils, and apply your finger there for a few seconds so it gets some heat as well. Then lightly rub away the fingerprint with your hands and you will see where it looks like Apple would have put a SIM slot.

Was this supposed to be the ejector slot for a SIM tray?

The same, centered hole pictured next to an iPhone SE. No joke, it might take you days to see it.

Maybe this is just some sort of tool marking for manufacturing purposes, but the story kind of fits. ShrimpApplePro posted a regulatory snapshot on September 7th that shows all the different battery capacities for this year's iPhones, and it included two different battery sizes for the iPhone Air.

After all iPhones were released and Apple confirmed an eSIM only iPhone Air, all of ShrimpApplePro’s battery specs matched exactly, with MacRumors confirming all battery capacities on September 19th.

The lone exception? A 3036mAh, 11.823Wh iPhone Air battery that never made it to mass production. Looks like there might have been some last-minute manufacturing decisions and Apple was confident enough to forego cutting out a SIM slot and recycled all of the lower capacity batteries.

iDrop News has some more details that helps explain the whole eSIM situation in China:

While most countries don’t have a legal requirement that devices have a physical SIM card slot, China is the notable exception. Although there’s no explicit law or regulation, the regulatory framework effectively creates a de facto restriction, as all smartphones sold in China must obtain a Network Access License (NAL) and a State Radio Regulation of China (SRRC) Type Approval Certificate from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). The process is somewhat opaque, but most analysts believe the MIIT has created a barrier to eSIM adoption by refusing to approve any devices that don’t include a physical SIM.

In a more recent piece:

Nevertheless, during its Awe Dropping event, Apple seemed optimistic that the iPhone Air would launch in China alongside the rest of this year’s iPhone lineup later that same week, listing it among the same 63 countries that were getting the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

It wasn’t until preorders opened on September 12 that Apple conceded that the iPhone Air wouldn’t be coming to mainland China, with the South China Morning Post reporting it had quietly updated its website to say that release information would be coming later.

At the time, the issue appeared to be mostly bureaucratic. Apple reportedly had all three state-owned carriers on board and ready to support the eSIM-only iPhone Air, but everyone was waiting for the MIIT to give the go-ahead to begin selling them. Apple could only say that it was “working closely with regulatory authorities to bring it to China as soon as possible.

Again, it all sounds very plausible that Apple was going back and forth whether to release a SIM-only version in China with a smaller battery. Considering how normal the current battery life is on the Air, a slightly smaller battery wouldn’t have been a deal breaker. We may never get the full story until years later when somebody writes a book with more details, or an Apple executive spills the beans in an interview.

If this slot was real (which I think it was), it would definitely have been a single SIM slot and not the dual-slot SIM card sandwich just because the device is stupid thin.

My original prediction wasn’t right, but I think I was damn close.

iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro - the paradox of choice.

One of the reasons I left Android for iPhone was the constant barrage of new devices being released with Android. Literally a new phone every few months, which made me a serial buyer and seller. The guy at the AT&T store even knew me by first name at one point. 

Things really peaked around 2010-2012, where I had a new phone every couple of months, and when I finally did decide to keep a phone, I would start rooting it and installing new ROMs several times a week, trying to tweak and change devices. 

My priorities did change after a while with kids and moving for work, but the kids were still young, so I had time to tinker around and get the ideal setup for my device. The ideal though, kept changing, and from one day to the next, there would always be some issues with a ROM update causing some key feature to glitch out. 

Once the Nexus line of phones came out, the frantic buying and selling was tamed a bit, but the other flagships got better and better, outpacing Google’s yearly upgrade that just didn’t cut it anymore.

Back to the serial upgrading and selling.

I realized I couldn’t keep living like this. I needed a simple solution and wanted out of the modding game. Even if I didn’t root an Android phone, I could install a custom launcher or custom icons, and there we go again with the constant tweaking and tinkering of the device instead of actually using the device!

I finally decided that this couldn’t go on forever, and in 2012, I decided to get an iPhone 5.

The best tech decision I ever made. 

It still had limitations over Android, but now I had the best smartphone with the best camera that only upgrades once a year. 

Now the process was simple:

Buy the newest iPhone each year. It will be the most premium device with the most features.

There was always the possibility of tinkering with the iPhone, but for some reason, the idea of jailbreaking never tempted me. It just felt right the way it was. The upgrade cycle was also a relief on my mind (and wallet), to wait until September to get the latest and sell the previous year’s device.

How I wish it was that easy today.

The journey between 2016 - 2024 was a pretty standard one, with the Plus or Pro Max versions dominating my decision. Only twice did I gravitate towards a non-flagship phone, and in one of those cases, the flagship phone (iPhone 12 Pro Max) was my wife’s phone of choice, making it easier for me to go polar opposite and get the 12 mini. Wherever I wanted to look at the 12 Pro Max, all I had to do was grab my wife’s phone and fondle it for a few minutes (don’t judge me).

After a year with the iPhone 12 mini, I realized that I needed to go back to my flagship days and life was good for 4 years straight:

2021 - iPhone 13 Pro Max

2022 - iPhone 14 Pro Max

2023 - iPhone 15 Pro Max

2024 - iPhone 16 Pro Max

The regular iPhone 17 is out of the question just to be clear, as I am going for the most premium experience. The question is, what is the most premium experience now??

This is a question not just for me, but for any iPhone enthusiast.

The iPhone Air speaks to my heart, but the iPhone 17 Pro speaks to my mind. The battle between the heart and mind has never been so hard until this year, and that’s because Apple has done something this year that they never did with the iPhone:

The iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro in 2025 is the first time Apple has separated luxury and features. They used to be intertwined into one device, but now it has bifurcated into two polar opposites.

That feeling of, “wow, I can’t believe I have this beautiful device that is so capable,” is harder to answer. 

You pick the Air, and you can marvel at its beauty and thinness, but it lacks in the camera department.

You pick the 17 Pro, and it reminds you of the sumo wrestler that’s strong, thick, and capable, but he ain’t gonna win any beauty contests.

Build quality and feel

iPhone 17 Pro is more rounded thanks to the unibody aluminum chassis, but it is also more slippery, making the polished Titanium on the Air more appealing with its grippy, secure feel. I drop my phones occasionally, and the last thing I want to see is a dent on my “premium” aluminum device.

That’s right, aluminum is much softer than titanium, and any hard crashes onto concrete on a naked iPhone (and even with some thin cases) is a recipe for dents and deep scratches. Durability is unbelievable on iPhone Air, with Titanium that’s almost unbendable, and more importantly undentable (I just made that up) when dropped from normal heights. You might see scuffs, but you will have to inspect the device closely to really find them. The plateau is also made of glass, making it much harder to scratch compared to iPhone 17 Pro’s aluminum plateau. From a fall, the plateaus are about even durability wise since aluminum will 100% scuff hard especially around the sharper edges, but the Air’s glass could break.

The feel in hand is about the same, yet different. The thicker, rounded 17 Pro is nice to wrap around the hand and sits well, but the thinner Air wraps around the hand just as well even though it is wider (71.9mm vs 74.7mm). Both feel comfortable in the hand, and both have a sense of amazement, giving off that, “I can’t believe I have this much power in my hand,” feeling whenever I hold them. I can easily touch my thumb to my middle finger when wrapping my hand around the phone.

Both devices look premium in different ways. I love the two-tone back of the Pro and really like the Deep Blue aluminum plateau that shimmers in the right kind of light. The camera lenses also look a lot better sitting on aluminum instead of glass, with camera rings that match the material and texture of the plateau. Symmetry is back on the 17 Pro, with the bottom USB-C port being flanked by an even number of speaker and microphone holes on either side. I can’t even remember the last iPhone flagship that had full symmetry at the bottom (after checking, it was the iPhone X).

iPhone Air looks more premium than the 17 Pro in other ways, with its high gloss titanium frame and also symmetrical microphone holes on the bottom. I am a bit disgruntled by the uneven USB-C port, and it does take away from the ultra-premium feel just a little bit. The thinness and lightness is another premium aspect in and of itself. The simplicity of the back glass and plateau is also elegant, with just one camera followed by a smooth pane of glass that covers the guts of the phone.

The titanium does overall beat out the 17 Pro in terms of overall premium build because thicker aluminum is just not as premium or rigid as thinner, polished titanium. No matter how wonderful and nostalgic Molly Anderson’s voiceover was for the iPhone 17 Pro launch, with a British accent that is right in line with Jony Ive, it won’t transform aluminum into a premium material.

Cameras

iPhone Air is very sleek and feels like the future, but it also regresses in the camera department which is a big deal for me. I miss taking ultra-wide photos and telephoto portraits of my children, but I also take a lot of photos of papers and receipts. The one annoying thing on an iPhone with an ultra-wide camera is when it auto switches to macro mode when taking pictures of said receipts. Not a problem on the Air! As for kid photos, the wife takes more than I do and they’re amazing quality on her 16 Plus, so do I really need the 3 lenses? I also have a Canon M50 with a macro lens. It is a beginner camera but will still outshines any mobile camera if you know what you’re doing (I mostly know what I’m doing and don’t just use the dummy modes on cameras).

I did test out the camera system on the 17 Pro, and it is really a big jump in quality and convenience. The 4x telephoto is the perfect balance between Apple’s 3x and 5x, and I can easily get good portrait shots even in my modestly sized living room. Of course if I do want to zoom in more, going to 8x still produces very nice photos at 12 megapixels that are really a treat to look at. Once again, this is only a big deal for me mainly because of kids, or else the cameras wouldn’t be a huge factor. The front facing cameras are the same on both devices, and it is a huge improvement with the square sensor that acts as a Center Stage camera when on a FaceTime call.

The iPhone Air’s main camera is also very serviceable, and even has a closer focusing distance than the 17 Pro still making it capable for pseudo-macro shots. You obviously don’t have ultrawide or telephoto capabilities. Still, not a deal breaker if all you want is a decent camera and you don’t really zoom in too much. The single camera also gives the back of the phone a cleaner look. But damn, those Pro cameras really have taken it to another level this year.

Display

As a Pro Max user for many years, the 6.3-inch Pro size is feeling just a bit too small for me, but it feels great in the hand. The 6.9-inch Pro Max display is also surprisingly comfortable since the device feels lighter than my 16 Pro Max did. I think that has to do with the extra thickness and lower overall density of the device. The iPhone Air feels like the perfect balance with its 6.5-inch display. If the Air was any smaller, it would be a non-contender, but I think Apple had to make it 6.5-inches in order to get the biggest battery they could. Once again, a very hard decision - the 17 Pro feels amazing in the hand, the 17 Pro Max doesn’t feel cumbersome, but the Air feels and looks like a Pro Max device from years past, looking even better from a distance when lying flat on a surface giving the illusory feeling that you’re just looking at a display panel and not a phone.

Battery

It’s a win-win for both devices. Most people thought the iPhone Air battery would be atrocious, but it matches the battery life of the iPhone 16 Pro. The 17 Pro and Pro Max get big battery upgrades from previous years, and even if you’re going from any recent Pro Max device to the 6.3-inch 17 Pro, you will have better battery life than your previous, bigger device. If you’re a 16 Pro Max user that wants to “downgrade“ to a smaller 17 Pro, the battery life numbers are equal per Apple’s benchmarks. 

The iPhone Air is also no slouch either and easily lasts all day with normal use, equaling the battery life of an iPhone 16 Pro. Impressive battery life all around this year for both devices, considering what you are getting form factor wise.

I am getting less than ideal battery life on the iPhone Air, but that’s because I just. can’t. put. the. device. down!

Performance

For most normal users, there is no difference in performance between these phones. Your standard social media, photos and videos, call, texts, etc., are all going to be smooth with no hiccups.

Of course, if you’re a true Pro user, you already know the Pro is for you. People who want the Air but think it will be a slower device because it has one less GPU core don’t need to worry. Aside from the cameras, I would say the Air is 99% capable of doing everything the iPhone 17 Pro can do.

With iPhone Air, you can have your cake and eat it too.

If you could only pick one…

This is the million-dollar question, or the $1,000 question:

Which device do I pick?

I had to use the 17 Pro in isolation for almost two weeks, followed by the Air for a week. The choice was hard when using the 17 Pro, but it became much easier when using the iPhone Air.

iPhone Air is the way to go if you’re really looking for a fresh experience with the least amount of sacrifices. Sacrifices, not compromises because there is nothing compromised on the iPhone Air.

It really just boils down to this:

Which device gives you that feeling, that whenever you pick it up, makes you think, “Damn, I can’t believe I have this much power in my hands.”

For me, it’s iPhone Air…

I think.

Because those cameras…on the iPhone 17 Pro…man they’re good.

But it feels cheaper than the Air…that just feels amazing every time you hold it.

But the Pro’s Plateau looks amazing especially in Deep Blue with the light shimmering on it just right.

I’m still torn between these two devices. I can’t make up my mind.

I’m cooked.

Tested - iPhone Air MagSafe Battery.

Small but informative video from Aaron at MobileReviewsEh about the wireless abilities of the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery.

Its wired capabilities are not impressive, but that’s not the point of this battery. It really shines as a wireless device, charging his “test iPhone” faster while running cooler than all the other battery banks he used for testing (a literal bucket full of battery banks).

Is your new iPhone battery replacement as old as the battery you got replaced?

My wife’s iPhone 12 Pro Max has 78% battery health, and I was thinking about getting it serviced with a fresh battery about a month ago. I went to the Apple Store, and one of the Geniuses told me the strangest thing about Apple’s replacement batteries (rough quotes here):

Genius: We can replace your battery, but since Apple made all the batteries for the iPhone 12s when they were first released, it still won’t last as long as a brand new phone’s battery.

Me: OK, so this iPhone was released back in 2020, and you’re telling me that if you do a battery replacement, that new battery will also be from 2020?

Genius: Yes, and it won’t last as long.

In my head I was thinking - umm…what are you talking about? Do you know what you’re even talking about?? Then it all made sense:

Genius: You’re better off trading it in for a newer device.

Aah, the ole upsell tactic. The trade-in offer for the 12 Pro Max was $280, but I declined and held off on the battery replacement since there is another year before the 12 Pro Max goes vintage.

I really hope this person was the only person using this tactic because it’s a lie. I wonder how many other people are told this insanity, that all genuine replacement batteries were already made 5 years ago, and they’re just sitting in a warehouse somewhere, slowly degrading over time. No doubt there are iPhone replacement batteries being stored away, but maybe they’re a few months old? Apple doesn’t like to hoard components, especially for 5 years.

They follow the Just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing method:

Apple uses a just-in-time manufacturing approach, which means that components and finished goods are manufactured and delivered to Apple’s warehouses and retail stores as close to the time of need as possible. This reduces the need for Apple to maintain large inventories.

For the record, here’s what Apple says about their batteries:

iPhone uses built-in, high-quality lithium-ion batteries. They're rigorously designed, tested, and manufactured to meet Apple quality and performance standards. These genuine Apple batteries have also been certified for safety.

The things said at an Apple Store never cease to amaze me. You really do learn something new everyday, at the Genius Bar.

80% charge limit on iPhones - does it help save battery health?

Juli Clover at MacRumors ran this experiment two years in a row with a 15 Pro Max and a 16 Pro Max, and got the same result each year, keeping her phones’ charging limit at 80%:

• 16 Pro Max - 94% battery health after 297 cycles.

• 15 Pro Max - 94% battery health after 297 cycles in one year.

• 15 Pro Max - 88% battery health after 352 cycles in two years.

I ran a similar test and got similar results each year:

• 15 Pro Max - 99% battery health after 296 cycles.

• 16 Pro Max - 100% battery health after 270 cycles.

I would say my numbers are higher because I use MagSafe more than 90% of the time in cool environments, whereas Juli had a 50/50 mix between MagSafe and fast charging via USB-C, not to mention using battery packs while outside in warmer environments.

Heat is the biggest factor that degrades battery health, and you get the most heat with the fastest charging speeds. The bulk of my charging is in two different bedrooms that are pretty cold - one has a Anker MagGo Magnetic Charging Station (8-in-1) and one has the standard Apple MagSafe charger.

Annual phone upgraders don’t need a charge limit, unless they want to sell the phone at the best price possible with a higher battery health (yours truly). If you trade in your device each year, then don’t even worry about charge limits.

Ceramic Shield 2 - the real winner this year for iPhone.

“Scratchgate” might be unjustly taking the headlines for Apple’s new lineup of phones, but what isn’t getting the praise it deserves is Apple’s Ceramic Shield 2. For years we have seen phones being tested, and they have always had the same scientific scratch results per Jerryrigeverything:

Scratches at a level 6, with deeper grooves at a level 7.

Zack’s famous quote (referring to Mohs Scale of hardness) is recognized by millions of phone nerds and saboteurs of technology, but that ended with the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and iPhone Air. This is a big deal because even though coins and keys couldn’t scratch your screen, any other grit in your pocket would easily scratch your screen. I’m talking about fine sand particles that comes from day to day living and end up in your pocket.

Sand particles have a high quartz content, which is a level 7.

Even though I am a bit OCD about cleaning my dedicated phone pants pocket, my screens still got scratched each year. Nothing huge, but still annoying. And no, I’m not throwing a screen protector on just to destroy the beautiful flow between the body and screen. Now with Ceramic Shield 2, I can lower my OCD levels just a tad knowing that even quartz will be less likely to gash my screen.

Apple’s investment with Corning is a huge win for the economy and for iPhone purists who hate the idea of a screen protector. Remember, this is the first time ever that a mainstream smartphone display has this level of resistance to scratches.

Makes me wonder how durable that new display is on Apple Watch Series 11.

More details about the intimate relationship between the iPhone Air battery and its dedicated external battery pack.

Yours truly a few days ago:

If Apple made a single battery pack for all new iPhones, it would be a more generic experience across the board since the iPhone 17 lineup still uses a 3rd party Qualcomm modem. The Battery Pack wouldn’t meet Apple’s standards of true optimization. It would still be better than a generic 3rd party battery pack that just destroys battery health, but this unique, intimate relationship with the MagSafe Battery and the iPhone Air makes it outlast the iPhone 17 Pro Max at 40 hours of video playback vs 39 hours, making the combo the best battery life of any iPhone to date.

Now we have confirmation from iFixit that the MagSafe Battery is the same as the iPhone Air’s battery:

And in a fun twist, we’ve confirmed that it’s the exact same cell found in Apple’s MagSafe battery pack. You can swap between them and the phone still boots up just fine. Like a rear-mounted spare tire on an SUV, an iPhone Air with a MagSafe battery pack is ready for an on-the-go swap, if you will. Granted it’ll take a bit more than a tire iron to make it happen.

The intimate relationship is deeper than I thought. The MagSafe Battery for iPhone Air is like getting a kidney transplant from your twin versus a complete stranger.

How my iPhone 16 Pro Max looks like after 11 months of use (an OCD perspective).

I’ve seen some of the most disgusting iPhones over the course of my existence, and I get it that most people don’t care about their phones as long as it works. I, however, am not one of those people. My iPhone is not just a tool…

It’s jewelry.

A hard look at the fine craftsmanship and attention to detail is something I do more often than I would like to admit to admire the fine precision from the folks over at Cupertino. To throw a case on every once in a while is fine for protection, but putting on a screen protector is where I draw a hard line. The smooth transition between metal and glass will be utterly destroyed, leading to a mediocre experience when twirling the device in hand or dancing between swipes and edge gestures.

To keep the pristine look of my main device, I usually resort to a thorough cleaning of my right front pocket and my right back pocket - the two homes for my iPhone - making sure there’s no lint nor any fine grains of sand that can easily scratch the screen. I even have a toothbrush that is exclusively used for cleaning the top speaker, bottom speaker, microphone holes, USB-C port, and dust around the rear cameras, always making it look brand new.

You really can’t tell this phone is even used, even though I used it daily.

That’s right, I sold my 16 Pro Max in anticipation of the iPhone Air. My current device of choice has been an iPhone 13 mini, which is now thankfully fresh with a new battery from Apple since it was becoming chaotic.

Here are some pics of my iPhone 16 Pro Max before it went to its new home. I still get goosebumps admiring the shiny, brushed, titanium chassis. You would be hard pressed to tell that it was even used for 11 months.

I miss ProMotion and the giant screen, but it’s only a few more days for the next best thing.

Maybe we’ll see a fingerprint reader instead of Camera Control for iPhone Fold?

No lint or dead skin here…

or here.

Part of me feels a bit of regret, selling a physical SIM version of the 16 Pro Max, but I think I will be alright.

The new MagSafe Battery for iPhone Air might seem like a misstep, but it makes perfect sense for two reasons.

Control and optimization.

The iPhone Air is the first iPhone to have all chips be Apple-designed chips, giving them unprecedented control of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Thread, and cellular efficiencies. The Apple-developed A19 Pro can talk to the N1 network processor and the C1X cellular modem at a more optimal level, maximizing battery and function based on multiple factors.

If Apple made a single battery pack for all new iPhones, it would be a more generic experience across the board since the iPhone 17 lineup still uses a 3rd party Qualcomm modem. The Battery Pack wouldn’t meet Apple’s standards of true optimization. It would still be better than a generic 3rd party battery pack that just destroys battery health, but this unique, intimate relationship with the MagSafe Battery and the iPhone Air makes it outlast the iPhone 17 Pro Max at 40 hours of video playback vs 39 hours, making the combo the best battery life of any iPhone to date.

Remember - Love is in the Air.

Who knows, maybe in the future when all iPhones have Apple-designed chips, Apple could go back to making one MagSafe Battery Pack that is optimized across the board.

iPhone Air - first bend test makes its debut.

Courtesy of a Tom’s Guide interview with Joz and John Ternus in collaboration with Lance Ulanoff from Tech Radar. See it for yourself.

iPhone Air is the Goldilocks of iPhones.

Just a few hours before Apple’s “Awe Dropping” event, I expressed my true emotions about the iPhone Air and what it would take for me to buy one:

I can deal with the lack of ultra wide and telephoto cameras.

I can deal with the lack of reverse wireless charging.

I can deal with a binned A19 Pro or standard A19 chip.

I can deal with worse battery life.

But please Apple, for the love of God, give us a truly immersive, gorgeous display.

The display is a 1:1, uncompromised panel matching the iPhone 17 Pro, and the 6.5 inch display is not too big and not too small.

It is just right.

Love is in the Air.