My husband is passionate about gadgets. He’s already on his second foldable phone — a Galaxy Z Flip7 — after owning a Motorola Razr as soon as it launched. I tend to be more skeptical about new tech. If something actually grabs my interest, I’ll jump in; otherwise, I stick with what works for me until I have a solid reason to change. I still recall purchasing an iPhone the moment Apple introduced Touch ID, putting an end to password hassles.
I’ve been an Apple user for over ten years, mainly because I use a Mac for work and it’s convenient to have my phone and watch seamlessly connected. That’s basically the famous Apple ecosystem in action. Still, I wouldn’t call myself an Apple superfan. For personal use, I actually chose an HP Spectre running Windows, and I’m very happy with it.
That’s why I’m still holding on to my iPhone 13. Even though I admire how easily my husband’s device fits in his pocket, I value functionality more than novelty. However, my phone’s battery and touchscreen are starting to show their age, and its processor can’t handle the anticipated Apple Intelligence AI features. So, I need to consider upgrading.
Today, I nearly decided to preorder the new iPhone Air. It seemed to offer the ideal mix: a bigger display that’s still comfortable for my small hands, the top chip available, and at $200 more than the 17, it’s still cheaper than the Pro. I’ve never gone for a Pro before. I’m not into shooting cinematic videos or creating content for social media, so the more affordable option has always made sense to me.
But after looking into the details, the iPhone 17 actually appears to be a better value.
The Air does have some advantages, like a 6.5-inch screen compared to the 17’s 6.3-inch, and it’s lighter too. Plus, it comes with the A19 Pro chip rather than the standard A19. Oddly enough, this isn’t the same Pro chip found in the Pro model. The Air’s chip has a 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU, which is pretty close to what’s in the 17. (The Pro, though, features a 6-core CPU and 6-core GPU.)
The 17 also outperforms the Air in battery life, offering up to 30 hours of video playback, while the Air manages only 27, according to Apple. You could buy a $99 battery pack for the Air to boost its life to 40 hours, but that kind of defeats the purpose of having a lighter, slimmer phone.
The Air is equipped with a new computational photography camera powered by software, allowing one lens to mimic several and even enabling both front and rear cameras to shoot at the same time — a fun feature for capturing reactions. Still, it misses the 48-megapixel Fusion Ultra Wide lens found on the 17.
You do get more storage options with the Air — up to 1TB — but that comes at a steep price. The 1TB version will set you back $1,400, just $100 less than a Pro with equivalent storage at $1,500.
Ultimately, as much as I’m drawn to the Air’s larger, lighter design, if I were to splurge on a top-tier phone, I’d probably just go for the Pro.
If the Air turns out to be Apple’s first foldable device, as some speculate, I might trade in my 17 for an impressive folding iPhone. But until then, for everyday users like me, the 17 still looks like the smarter purchase.
