It’s embarrassing how frequently they’ll yank out an important part and sell it as an add-on.

What on earth are you talking about? It includes a battery and there is both a cheaper and a more expensive version that has more battery, plus an add on battery pack. And you’re complaining about what exactly?

Yes, and then don’t even make it compatible with other phones. I’m a big fan of their previous (discontinued) MagSafe battery as that supports reverse charging, charge state display on phone and has the perfect size.

This new battery however is only compatible with the Air as other phones have a bigger camera bump.

And how much better would be if it had a physical connector so it's much more efficient. So you would have a bigger total charge and it wouldn't cook both batteries in the process. One can dream though.

Or one can buy. This works very well for me (as a stand and a battery pack):

https://freshnrebel.com/magnetic-wireless-powerbank-5000-mah...

It does the MagSafe thing, but will also offer a charge through the USB-C port.

Excuse me, that hump is the Iconic Plateau.

Signifying flatlining iPhone?

Different phones have different sizes and shapes. Not sure what you expect, for a product designed to match the phone's size exactly?

And batteries don't last forever. When you upgrade to a new phone after a few years you'd likely need a new one anyways.

Worst case scenario just sell the old one on eBay if it's still holding a good charge!

The previous MagSafe battery has the size of the MagSafe wallet and thus fits onto all the iPhones that have MagSafe down to the "Mini" variants. It's the perfect emergency power backup. But Apple discontinued this a while ago.

Selling a thin phone with half a battery where you have to buy the other half and keep it attached to get a proper battery runtime (turning it into a normal-sized phone) can't be the solution Apple intended. At least I hope so. And that battery doesn't fit other iPhones as the camera bump of those other phones is in the way.

Well, swappable batteries has the UX advantage of being able to swap in full charges.

I don't really understand all the complaining since it's merely a variant of the iPhone for people who prioritize thinness over battery.

For over a decade, HNers have complained that they don't want thinness to be forced on them and that there should be a separate SKU for it. Yet when it finally happens, HNers complain about the trade-off.

If the outcome is that non-air iPhones are allowed to get a little thicker now, that’d be super cool.

Consider that the folks complaining about one thing can be different groups from the ones complaining about another.

Either way, people have options now. If one doesn't like the compromises of the thin phone, they can buy the thick phone. Seems silly to complain about the thinness if you're not the target demographic.

"half a battery" yielding 27h seems kinda harsh criticism

Magsafe battery has also been a great fix for a 5-year old built-in battery for 1/3 the cost of a battery replacement, and when I finally replace this phone I'll still have the magsafe battery for travel/emergency.

3rd party versions of course, the official one was much more expensive than that.

why wouldn't it be compatible with other phones?

See this photo:

https://store.storeimages.cdn-apple.com/1/as-images.apple.co...

The camera bump on other models protrudes more towards the centre of the body. And thus the battery wouldn't fit (flush) and the Qi charging wouldn't engage properly.

So running the battery perpendicular to this photo isn't an option?

I'm sorry if I'm not completely familiar with this product: you are to have this battery attached at all times while you're charging, and it just stays in place? (gawd I sound like I'm from a different planet, I apologize -- wireless charging just never has been interesting to me)

Yes, the power icon on the back of the phone cases is a set of magnets designed to ensure rotation and x,y center magnetic lock.

I, for one, am looking forward to being forced to purchase the add-on MagSafe headphone adaptor. (And the MagSafe floppy drive.)

I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

I’ll wait for the MagSafe MiniDisc.

Some people: I don’t want to carry extra battery all the time for the one day a month I need it.

Other people: how dare you

You could get an iPhone Max as your iPhone Air backup. Or maybe just get the iPhone Max...?

Seems like Apple is way ahead of you.

Heck make the phone even thinner and sell it with the battery pack and we'll have reinvented phones with swappable batteries

The Moto Z was ahead of its time! (it was thinner and had a magnetic battery add-on).

You did have to pay extra for the battery, mind.

Except now your phone is getting energy wirelessly, which is less efficient and gets hot...

A big loss for a small coolness factor.