On September 9th, Apple announced its latest lineup of iPhones: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
The one that caught my eye, and I am sure it did yours too if you watched their presentation, is the iPhone Air.
It is the thinnest iPhone they have made to date, and I love it. The feeling of holding this thin iPhone is so cool and satisfying. It’s not only the thinnest iPhone, but it is also one of the lightest smartphones that you can buy right now.
That said, should you just go and buy the iPhone Air just because it is the thinnest phone on the market? I mean, you can, but I would advise against it compromises on multiple aspects of the phone to achieve this thin structure.
If you are interested in buying the iPhone Air, let me share all of the things that are great about the new iPhone Air, and also some of the things that are frustrating.
Without much ado, let us dive right into it.
3 Things I Love About the New iPhone Air
If you’ve watched the keynote, you might know these already, but here are three things I absolutely love about the iPhone 17 Air.
The Display
This iPhone Air is basically a replacement for the iPhone 16 Plus, and the thing I didn’t like about last year’s model is addressed with this new model.
The iPhone 16 Plus didn’t have a 120 Hz display, but Apple made sure that customers weren’t left with any complaints this time around. So this time, they have given LTPO a high refresh rate display that can dynamically switch between 1 to 120Hz, making it more power efficient.
Well, how does it actually feel in real-world usage?
I didn’t have much time to test this display at my home because I was leaving for a trip to Las Vegas. But I made sure to find high-speed fiber internet near me for a seamless testing of this display. I played 4k movies on it, and it was a truly wonderful experience. Scrolling is smooth like butter on the iPhone Air.
In short, if display matters to you a lot, the iPhone Air will be perfect for you.
The Design (of course)
Design is where I was sold, and I am sure a lot of you people reading this will be too. I literally had finger fatigue holding my iPhone 16 Pro Max for a long period, but this one feels like Air (no pun intended).
It is really slim, and it might sound like a gimmick for now, but once you get your hands on the Air, I’m sure you will love it. No matter how many pictures I show you, you have to see it to believe it. Anyway, for all those looking for a unique design in iPhones, this is your best bet.
The Performance
Performance isn’t subpar either, the way last year’s iPhone 16 Plus was when compared to the Pro variants of the iPhones.
The new iPhone Air is powered by the latest and greatest Apple A19 Pro, which is powering the Pro variants of the iPhone 17.
But enough of the spec-talk, how does it perform really?
Whether you want to play high-end games on it or just use it for regular day-to-day tasks like taking pictures and scrolling social media, everything feels like a breeze on this phone.
However, there is a little concern that I must share with you.
It doesn’t have an aluminum build like the iPhone 17 Pro, but instead, a titanium build from last year. It is durable, but do you remember what happened to the iPhone 16 Pro?
It was getting overheated because titanium wasn’t dissipating heat as efficiently as aluminum. Since it is a titanium build, I am suspecting a few heating issues. I am yet to test it thoroughly, so please wait for the full review.
2 Aspects I Wish Were Better
While the iPhone Air offers a lot of improvements over the last few models, it does have a few downsides as well. Let’s dive in.
The Pricing
This not-fat phone might not have weight, but it sure does have weight when it comes to the price.
The starting price of the Air is 1000 bucks, which can go over if you upgrade the storage (the most Apple thing ever). And I wish it were under 1000 bucks. If I were to quantify it, then I wouldn’t consider it a value-for-money phone.
The Cameras
You are not even getting an ultrawide lens for 1000 bucks.
Apple says that they had to make space for the battery, so they compromised the cameras for that. It makes sense since it is the first iteration of the thin iPhones. However, I expect it to be back in the next iPhone with silicon carbon batteries, which can store more power even in a small size.
Anyway, it still sucks. If cameras are what you need in your phone, this is not the iPhone for you.
Should You Buy the New iPhone Air?
This is a big question, so let me answer it as simply as possible.
If you can compromise on cameras and a smaller battery, then this is the phone for you. If not, you’ll be better off buying other iPhones.
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