It looks to me as though Apple went all out to maximize what the iPhone 17 Pro camera could accomplish. The one stat that jumps out at me is that the camera is 48 megapicsel. I guess that's super significant. Though you can't certify that by me, perhaps my AIRA or Be My Eyes volunteers may appreciate 48 megapicsel. Perhaps it'll improve AI mediated image descriptions, too.
However, just comparing the physical size of the massive camera assemply on the phone with the inbuilt camera on my brand new Rayban Meta Gen 2, I doubt the Rayban is anywhere near 48 megapicsel or could be anytime soon. No way is anyone going to wear anything as massive as the iPhone camera hardware on eyeglasses. That isn't going to happen. So, while I agree worn cameras are more attractive from a functionality point of view, there may be a quality trade-off here that sighties won't give up so readily, i.e. grab the phone instead of using the glasses if you want a really good picture. I read the Air review that Brad posted the other day more closely this morning and was shocked to discover the USB-C port in the Air is only USB 2. That could matter. Like the review said, USB 2 is really only good for charging anymore. The jokester in me wants to suggest Apple isn't selling iPhones these days. Rather, they're selling iCamera devices that also make phone calls. Seems I just bought an iCamera 17 Pro, whatever good that'll do me! Thankfully the computer processing is behaving pretty well, and that's why I upgraded from my third gen SE. Anyway one looks at it, Air or 17 Pro, that's a big jump. But, I think that's a much bigger jump for me than it would be for you, Donna. So, I suspect you won't reconsider giving up on the Air anytime soon. I guess we'll experience holding someone else's Air at some point in the months to come! :) Best, Janina 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries writes: > Hi Janina, > > I???ll be happy to share my impressions. After the trip to the Apple Store,, > but I???ve decided I???m not going to upgrade. It just seems like making > that many compromises in the interest of form factor isn???t a good plan. I > also think what I said before, that if I wait, there will undoubtedly be > improvements in the next iteration of the iPhone Air > > Re the camera and smart glasses, it seems like that shift is already > underway. It will be interesting to see how phone manufacturers respond to > that. Samsung is already working on their own smart glasses, but once again, > Apple seems to be lagging far behind. > Cheers, > Donna > > > On Sep 25, 2025, at 7:15???AM, 'Janina Sajka' via MacVisionaries > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Hi Donna: > > > > I'll be interested to learn your thoughts after visiting the Apple store > > and experiencing holding the Air in your hand. Sorry to say, I suspect > > thumb upgrades aren't going to happen, but I hope you're right about > > cameras moving to eyeglasses! :) > > > > Best, > > Janina > > > > 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries writes: > >> Hi Janina, > >> > >> I *totally get what you say about computers. It irks me to no end when I > >> have to wait for my computer. I mean, it just shouldn???t happen, right? > >> I???m lucky in that I get a really good upgrade deal through my employer, > >> so I???ve been able to upgrade my phone every two years. For the most > >> part, that???s been sufficient. But I do still have my old 12-mini. I > >> don???t use it often, but when I do, you can really tell a difference in > >> the performance. > >> > >> So yeah, in general I???m a speed freak, which is one reason I currently > >> have the 16 Pro. But my desire for speed has come to compete with a > >> desire for small or thin and light, as the arthritis in my thumbs has > >> really started to become a thing. Realistically, it???s probably a dumb > >> upgrade. But I do think I???ll at least go into the Apple Store and take > >> a look at it. I have to go to the Apple Store anyway, because it???s the > >> year when I upgrade my watch, so I might as well look at everything. > >> (How???s that for a juicy rationalization?) :) > >> > >> Another thing I think is really interesting in all of this, is that I > >> think very soon, the iPhone camera is going to become irrelevant, at least > >> for most people. I suspect that within a year or two, we???ll all be > >> using the cameras in our smart glasses, and the camera in the phone will > >> serve little purpose accept maybe for very serious photographers. If my > >> prediction is correct, it'll make that big ugly camera in the iPhone Air > >> seem sort of silly. > >> > >> It did help hearing your decision process, so thanks for sharing. > >> > >> Enjoy your 17 Pro! > >> Cheers, > >> Donna > >> > >>> On Sep 24, 2025, at 7:05???AM, 'Janina Sajka' via MacVisionaries > >>> <[email protected]> wrote: > >>> > >>> Sure, Donna. I get that. Playing music on my phone is also not my > >>> preferred way to listen. It's not even the most important activity I do > >>> with my phone. I guess that for me, the thinness just wasn't worth the > >>> mono sound trade-off, especially when the price difference is just $100 > >>> as Brad points out. > >>> > >>> It's interesting to me how we individually weigh these factors in making > >>> our decisions. Because, the impetus for me upgrading at this time had > >>> nothing to do with playing music or with stereo vs mono hardware. I was > >>> getting frustrated by the mismatch between newer versions of IOS and my > >>> increasingly dated hardware. What I mean is that I was seeing my phone > >>> performance become less and less responsive. I'm just not patient with > >>> computers. I think they should wait on me, and not the other way around. > >>> > >>> So, I imagine the Air would accomodate me in this way quite well and I > >>> looked at its specs and considered it. The slightly less capable chip > >>> hardware would probably not impede me much. But, ultimately I didn't > >>> consider taller for thinner, or thinner for mono worth it. And, while > >>> I'd prefer a smaller device in my hand, and while I certainly don't > >>> expect much benefit from the huge camera assembly on my phone, I do feel > >>> I got what I set out to buy. Your priorities--other individual's > >>> priorities may be different, but I hope my decisioning process is at > >>> least helpful weighing those priorities. > >>> > >>> Best, > >>> Janina > >>> > >>> 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries writes: > >>>> I???m really not sure how much that matters to me. I won???t say I > >>>> never listen to music on my phone, but I don???t do it often. Usually > >>>> if I???m playing music on my phone, I???m listening either with my Meta > >>>> glasses or my AirPods Pro. > >>>> > >>>> But I???m glad you???re happy with your choice, Janina. :) > >>>> Cheers, > >>>> Donna > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>> On Sep 23, 2025, at 6:18???AM, 'Janina Sajka' via MacVisionaries > >>>>> <[email protected]> wrote: > >>>>> > >>>>> J?rgen Fleger writes: > >>>>>> ... ... > >>>>>> Firstly it's only mono because it only has one speaker. The speaker > >>>>>> sounds good but it's not stereo. > >>>>> Fwiw, this is exactly why I just bought the 17 Pro instead. > >>>>> > >>>>>> Secondly thee Camera on the back is really huge and really ugly. > >>>>> It's the same on the Pro. > >>>>> > >>>>> Best, > >>>>> Janina > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> -- > >>>>> > >>>>> Janina Sajka (she/her/hers) > >>>>> Accessibility Consultant https://linkedin.com/in/jsajka > >>>>> > >>>>> The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) > >>>>> Co-Chair, Accessible Platform Architectures > >>>>> http://www.w3.org/wai/apa > >>>>> > >>>>> Linux Foundation Fellow > >>>>> https://www.linuxfoundation.org/board-of-directors-2/ > >>>>> > >>>>> -- > >>>>> The following information is important for all members of the Mac > >>>>> Visionaries list. > >>>>> > >>>>> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, > >>>>> or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact > >>>>> the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list > >>>>> itself. > >>>>> > >>>>> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. You can reach mark > >>>>> at: [email protected] and your owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara > >>>>> at [email protected] > >>>>> > >>>>> The archives for this list can be searched at: > >>>>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > >>>>> --- > >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > >>>>> Groups "MacVisionaries" group. > >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send > >>>>> an email to [email protected]. > >>>>> To view this discussion visit > >>>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/macvisionaries/aNKB-R6HfuVrTIKN%40A11y.NYC. > >>>> > >>>> -- > >>>> The following information is important for all members of the Mac > >>>> Visionaries list. > >>>> > >>>> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or > >>>> if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the > >>>> owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. > >>>> > >>>> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. You can reach mark > >>>> at: [email protected] and your owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at > >>>> [email protected] > >>>> > >>>> The archives for this list can be searched at: > >>>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > >>>> --- > >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > >>>> Groups "MacVisionaries" group. > >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send > >>>> an email to [email protected]. > >>>> To view this discussion visit > >>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/macvisionaries/97854A4E-4188-46A7-81DF-D534C29E6431%40me.com. > >>> > >>> -- > >>> > >>> Janina Sajka (she/her/hers) > >>> Accessibility Consultant https://linkedin.com/in/jsajka > >>> > >>> The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) > >>> Co-Chair, Accessible Platform Architectures > >>> http://www.w3.org/wai/apa > >>> > >>> Linux Foundation Fellow > >>> https://www.linuxfoundation.org/board-of-directors-2/ > >>> > >>> -- > >>> The following information is important for all members of the Mac > >>> Visionaries list. > >>> > >>> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or > >>> if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the > >>> owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. > >>> > >>> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. You can reach mark > >>> at: [email protected] and your owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at > >>> [email protected] > >>> > >>> The archives for this list can be searched at: > >>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > >>> --- > >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > >>> "MacVisionaries" group. > >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > >>> email to [email protected]. > >>> To view this discussion visit > >>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/macvisionaries/aNPedAydxNUENx9f%40A11y.NYC. > >> > >> -- > >> The following information is important for all members of the Mac > >> Visionaries list. > >> > >> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or > >> if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the > >> owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. > >> > >> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. You can reach mark > >> at: [email protected] and your owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at > >> [email protected] > >> > >> The archives for this list can be searched at: > >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > >> --- > >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > >> "MacVisionaries" group. > >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > >> email to [email protected]. > >> To view this discussion visit > >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/macvisionaries/9216777E-3CD4-4C34-80CA-F0A0FE1C26D6%40me.com. > > > > -- > > > > Janina Sajka (she/her/hers) > > Accessibility Consultant https://linkedin.com/in/jsajka > > > > The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) > > Co-Chair, Accessible Platform Architectures http://www.w3.org/wai/apa > > > > Linux Foundation Fellow > > https://www.linuxfoundation.org/board-of-directors-2/ > > > > -- > > The following information is important for all members of the Mac > > Visionaries list. > > > > If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if > > you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners > > or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. > > > > Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. You can reach mark at: > > [email protected] and your owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at > > [email protected] > > > > The archives for this list can be searched at: > > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > > --- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > "MacVisionaries" group. > > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > > email to [email protected]. > > To view this discussion visit > > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/macvisionaries/aNUyVwSW2n0pJOkd%40A11y.NYC. > > -- > The following information is important for all members of the Mac Visionaries > list. > > If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if > you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or > moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. > > Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. You can reach mark at: > [email protected] and your owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at > [email protected] > > The archives for this list can be searched at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MacVisionaries" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/macvisionaries/F0798B97-297B-4CAE-9BB7-A083E7154BD7%40me.com. -- Janina Sajka (she/her/hers) Accessibility Consultant https://linkedin.com/in/jsajka The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) Co-Chair, Accessible Platform Architectures http://www.w3.org/wai/apa Linux Foundation Fellow https://www.linuxfoundation.org/board-of-directors-2/ -- The following information is important for all members of the Mac Visionaries list. If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. You can reach mark at: [email protected] and your owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at [email protected] The archives for this list can be searched at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/macvisionaries/aNVKDpidCs62FK9w%40A11y.NYC.
