New iPhone Air Review

iPhone Air

“the iPhone Air is a deliberate attempt to attract a different kind of customer to the iPhone world. It’s for people who are willing to deal with a few missing features (like a versatile camera) in exchange for a one-of-a-kind device that no one else has”

Say hello to the new iPhone Air. It’s the brand-new model that has everyone talking, and it’s Apple’s answer to those who love a stunning, high-end phone but crave a super-slim, easy-to-handle design. From its powerful A19 Pro chip, and gorgeous ProMotion display to its ultra-slim body and stylish titanium frame, the Air is definitely turning heads. But with a smaller battery and a single rear camera, did Apple cut too many corners to achieve this breakthrough design? We spent some quality time with this unique iPhone to find out if it’s really the “future” everyone’s been waiting for, or if it’s just a stylish compromise.

Overview

The new Apple iPhone Air is finally here, and it’s a huge deal. Apple even skipped the “17” in the name to mark the occasion. After the ‘Mini’ and ‘Plus’ models didn’t quite hit the mark, Apple is trying something new to make its flagship phones appeal to more people. Can the Air—a model that puts design front and center—be the one? The iPhone Air is priced like the old Plus but it’s a totally different beast. It’s got more in common with the Pro phones, boasting a high-end ‘Pro-motion’ display and the powerful A19 Pro chipset, plus a titanium frame. It even looks a little sleeker than the current Pro duo. 

However, it cuts corners in a couple of places. Firstly, the camera setup is more basic (similar to the iPhone 16e); and secondly, the battery is the smallest in the whole iPhone family. Clearly, this phone is meant for a specific crowd. The iPhone Air also offers a 6.5-inch screen—a new size that sits right between the 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. This gives you one more option for screen size. But the real star of the show is how unbelievably thin and light it is. In fact, it’s a mere 5.6 mm thin, and it weighs just 165g. That makes it a tiny bit thinner and only two grams heavier than Samsung’s super-slim S25 Edge competitor.

The phone only has a single rear camera, which is a disappointment for photo enthusiasts, but Apple thinks it’ll be fine for people who don’t demand much from their phone’s camera. On the flip side, the 18 MP selfie camera has a cool, new sensor, which might actually be a bigger deal to some users. Finally, there’s the battery. With just 3,149 mAh, it’s a bit worrying, even though Apple usually works its optimization magic to make even small batteries last. But enough talk. Let’s crack open the box and see if the iPhone Air is truly as good from as the hype and if Apple’s really on to a winner here.

Specs – iPhone Air

What’s to Like

1. Slim and lightweight design

The whole “slim phone comeback” actually started the second we heard rumors about Apple working on a 5.6mm phone that weighs just 165 grams. Samsung technically beat them to the punch with the Galaxy S25 Edge (which is two grams lighter). But the Air is still the one that feels thinner in your hand. Why? Probably because of its slightly curved edges, which make it super comfortable, while the S25 Edge is more blocky. Plus, the Air’s screen is smaller, which makes the whole phone feel more compact.

Apple really pushed their engineers to make this phone so thin while keeping it tough. The frame is made of high-quality recycled grade 5 titanium (even the Pro models didn’t get this). It also comes with the new Ceramic Shield Gen 2 on the front, which is pretty impressive engineering.

Now for the weird part: actually holding the Air is a little puzzling. We couldn’t quite figure it out, but the finish on the side frame feels a bit… cheap, almost plastic-like. And those tiny little gaps where the side frame meets the glass? They just don’t belong on a phone that’s supposed to be a design masterpiece. Oh, and that glossy bit on the camera bump? It looks and feels totally out of place.

But, it’s not all bad! The frosted back glass feels amazing, and the Sky Blue color we tested looks really sharp and doesn’t pick up smudges easily. You can also grab it in Light Gold, Cloud White, and Space Black.

Overall, the engineering is seriously cool, and it is the thinnest iPhone ever (if you ignore that camera bump). But the actual design decisions are a bit hit-or-miss. The materials are great, but the final assembly and feel don’t scream “premium” the way you’d expect from Apple. Still, if you’re looking for a lightweight flagship phone right now, there aren’t many other options out there, and that alone might make the Air a winner.

2. Impressive display

So the first thing to know about the display of the new iPhone Air is that it’s a beauty. It clocks in at 6.5 inches and uses that fancy Super Retina XDR OLED tech. Basically, it has the same excellent quality display as the high-end 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max models—it just sits perfectly in between them in terms of physical size. It also has ProMotion, which is Apple’s cool name for the variable 120Hz refresh rate. This is what makes scrolling and animations look super smooth, but it also saves battery when you’re just reading static text.

The screen resolution is nice and sharp at 1260 x 2736 pixels, and you get all the color goodies like HDR10 and Dolby Vision support. The True Tone feature is there too, of course, to make sure the colors always look natural based on your environment. Apple actually toned down the overall brightness numbers a bit this year, but don’t worry—in real life, the sunlight visibility is still amazing.

Here’s the quick brightness scoop:

Now, about Apple’s crazy claim of nearly 3,000 nits? We managed to see that peak brightness, but it only happens for a very short moment, and only when a tiny part of the screen is lit up. So, technically, they’re right, but it’s not something you’ll experience constantly. The good news? The new anti-reflective coating is the real MVP here. It helps a ton with cutting glare, which is why the screen is so easy to see in bright light, even if the high brightness peaks only last a second or two.

It seems the display could run brighter for longer, but the system is programmed to dial it back, probably to keep things cool. Regardless, you’re getting an impressive display, with good brightness and tech that is set to provide you with top-tier viewing experience. 

3. Impressive performance… almost

The iPhone Air is run by the brand-new Apple A19 Pro processing chip, which is similar to the one included in the 17 Pro and the 17 Pro Max models. But this is where it gets confusing. As much as the chip is similar, it’s not really the same. 

Let’s break it down: Firstly, both the Air and the Pro/Pro Max versions have a 6-core CPU (the part that handles general tasks) and they run at the same speeds. So, for everyday things, they’re identical. And lastly, the key difference is the graphics. The powerful Pro/Pro Max models get a 6-core GPU, but the Air only gets a 5-core GPU. You’ll only notice this if you’re doing intense gaming or video editing, but it’s important to know the Air has a slightly  dialed-back graphics engine.

The rest of the top-range hardware specs include: 12GB of memory (RAM), which helps with multitasking; The storage base model starts at a generous 256GB, with model options from 512GB or 1TB, which will cost you extra; and the N1 networking chip for to improve connectivity. This is for things like Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, and the latest Ultra Wideband features for precise location tracking.

So how fast is it really? Well, compared to last years chip, the A19 Pro in the Air shows a 15% boost multi-core tasks. And for graphics, it was barely ahead of last year’s A18 Pro, and actually fell behind even the non-Pro iPhone 16 chip on another. Bottomline. The iPhone Air is super fast for launching apps and general use, but its GPU performance is lacking as it perform inconsistent for high-end gaming compared to the true Pro models.

4. Good overall camera system

The first thing you need to know is that the thin design meant Apple had to make a tough choice: only a single smaller camera lens on the back. The Main Camera is a 48 MP wide sensor, which is similar to the standard iPhone 17 model, but not the bigger, newer sensors from the Pro/Pro Max models. It’s a great camera, but it’s clearly a step down from the absolute best that Apple offers.

Next is the Front Camera, which is actually the more interesting piece of tech. It has a brand-new 18 MP sensor that’s shaped like an octagon (weird). It features Center Stage, which is great because it keeps you perfectly in the frame even if you move around during video calls. It also has Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), which is super rare for a front camera and means your selfies and videos will be much steadier. Plus, the shape of the sensor lets you easily take full 4:3 photos whether you hold the phone normally or sideways, without having to mess with the settings.

Here’s the classic Apple issue: the full camera settings are still a mess. Even with the new UI, if you want to change basic things like switching between the 12 MP and 24 MP resolution options, you can’t do it easily. You have to go deep into the main Settings app, then find the Camera menu, and then toggle an option just to enable some quick controls in the app. It’s a mix of intuitive new controls right on the screen and the old, disorganized settings being buried way out of sight.

5. Good battery life

So, on paper, the battery in the iPhone Air looks a little tiny—it’s only 3,149 mAh. That number might make you think you’ll be constantly hunting for a power source. But here’s the cool part: thanks to the super-efficient ProMotion screen and that slightly toned-down A19 Pro chip, this phone performs way better than its battery size suggests.

From tests done, the iPhone Air reached almost 13 hours of battery life on moderate use. Not as good as other top-range smartphones but it’s a great result. In fact, for things like streaming videos and gaming, it actually outlasts some of the top Android phones that have massive batteries, like 5,000 mAh and higher. That really shows how efficient Apple has made the whole system.

Now, we noticed the scores for regular calls and web browsing aren’t exactly mind-blowing, but honestly, this phone isn’t designed to be a marathon runner. Apple’s goal with the Air was simple: make sure you don’t have to charge it multiple times a day. And it definitely achieves that. In the end. Sure, you can find other iPhones that last longer, but the Air’s job isn’t to beat its siblings. It’s to offer that super-slim design without giving you battery anxiety. And it seems to pull that off.

6. Impressive Sustained Performance under Pressure

Considering how incredibly thin the iPhone Air is, Apple’s engineers actually did a decent job managing the heat from the powerful processing chip. Here’s the breakdown of what happens to the iPhone Air when it’s pushed to the limit (due to long gaming sessions or other intensive tasks):

The graphics (GPU) stays pretty stable, holding around 61% of its top speed without completely dropping off. The main processor (CPU) slows down a bit more, settling at 76% of its max speed. This is what we call “throttling,” and it’s basically the phone trying to prevent overheating. The good news is the actual body of the phone maintains a reasonable temperature. The only part that feels genuinely hot is the small area right around the camera bump, where the chip sits. Even the metal frame stayed cool to the touch.

Overall, the sustained performance and heat management is alright. It’s not the absolute best, but we have to remember that Apple made the slim design it’s top priority here. They managed to deliver a very slim phone that still gives you decent, sustained power without heating your hand.

7. New iOS 26

The new iOS 26 is probably one of the biggest changes Apple has made to its phone software in a long time. They’ve introduced this new look they call “Liquid Design,” and honestly, it really makes the whole operating system feel fresh and modern. It’s a nice visual update that was definitely needed. Beyond just the look, they packed in a ton of great new features across the board. We’re really happy to see things like:

Basically, it’s not just a new coat of paint—it feels like a complete refresh that makes the experience of using the iPhone Air really great.

What’s Not to Like

1. Slow charging

When it comes to charging speed, here’s the honest truth: the iPhone Air is a bit behind the times. Apple says the phone hits its fastest speeds with a standard 20W Power Delivery (PD) charger. Crucially, that means it doesn’t support the fancy new 42W PD charger that the other new iPhone 17 smartphones are using. From using an 18W PD charger, even with a relatively small battery, it takes a while compared to the competition. Here’s what we found: In 30 minutes, the phone is close to 50% charged, and for 100% full charge it takes up to 90 minutes. 

To put that in perspective, that speed is similar to last year’s iPhone 16 Pro, but it’s noticeably slower than the rest of the new iPhone 17 family. You might find it frustrating since most competitors—even ones with bigger batteries—can charge up much faster. Overall, the iPhone Air charges slower than the other iPhone 17 phones in the series.  

2. Slower file transfers

The iPhone Air includes a slower USB-C 2.0 port, where as the Pro/Pro Max models get the super-fast USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, which can transfer up to 10Gbps. You’ll definitely notice the difference when you’re transferring large files to and from your computer—the Air will be significantly slower.

3. Buggy iOS

While the new “Liquid Design” definitely feels fresh, we’re not sure Apple totally nailed the landing. To be honest, it brings a sort of retro vibe that can look a bit messy in places, and some elements feel chaotic.

What used to be known for its clean, symmetrical look now feels like an animated jumble. Apple definitely needs to go back and polish a lot of these rough edges, especially rethinking where some buttons and elements are placed. The bigger disappointment is that iOS 26 is still missing some core features that Android has had for years.

The bottom line, if you’ve been using iOS for years and are used to its limitations, you probably won’t find much wrong with iOS 26. It’s a very stable operating system, but when it comes to modern features, it’s starting to feel pretty dated.

iPhone Air Alternatives

1. iPhone 17

2. Pixel 10 Pro

3. S25 Edge

4. iPhone 16 Pro

Verdict

All in all, the iPhone Air tries to do things differently in an attempt to bring in new crowds under the iOS banner. The kind of people that will take a one-of-a-kind device even with significant drawbacks instead of heading to the arena of flagships fighting over a few extra pixels. There’s certainly no shortage of such customers, but it remains to be seen how many of them are willing to pay the premium price of the Air.

Here’s the thing that’s a little worrying: we thought the build quality felt kind of cheap, even though it uses premium materials. That’s a highly subjective feeling, though, so please don’t just take our word for it. If you feel the same way, that’s probably a deal-breaker for a phone that’s supposed to be all about design. Even if you pass on it, you have to admit the Air is an impressive achievement from an engineering perspective—with great performance and decent battery into a package this thin is amazing.

Ultimately, the iPhone Air is a deliberate attempt to attract a different kind of customer to the iPhone world. It’s for people who are willing to deal with a few missing features (like a versatile camera) in exchange for a one-of-a-kind device that no one else has. There are definitely people out there who value style over a few extra pixels, but let’s to wait and see if enough of them are willing to pay a premium price for it.

Thanks for checking out this review. Now it’s your turn. What are you impressions the new iPhone Air? Are you someone who usually prefers a thinner phone, or do you always go for the model with the biggest battery and best camera? If you have comments, I would appreciate it so much if you left them here below. And if you wanna purchase the new iPhone Air, then click HERE. That’s all from me. Stay safe. Until next time 😀

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max

“the iPhone 17 Pro Max is definitely the most capable iPhone to date”

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is officially here, and yeah, it’s still enormous. This year, Apple decided to stop being subtle, giving us a bold aluminum frame and a massive camera ‘plateau’ that looks less like a camera bump and more like a tiny, high-tech landing pad. But don’t let the sheer size fool you; this tank of a phone is packed with an absurdly long-lasting battery (you might actually forget where your charger is) and a game-changing 4x optical zoom. To find out more, let’s check out the review of the new iPhone 17 Pro Max to see if it’s truly the king of the castle, or just the heaviest thing in your pocket.

Overview

It’s time for the new best iPhone ever, the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max to take the platform. Apple finally decided to shake things up this year. They ditched the old ‘Plus’ model for the super-slim iPhone ‘Air’, and finally gave every new iPhone 17 phone a ProMotion screen. Like, it was about time, right?

The new Pro Max has a sleek, brand-new aluminum body, which helps keep the weight down and stops it from getting too hot while gaming or binge-watch. Internally, you get the latest Apple A19 Pro chip, faster charging, and a bigger battery. Storage-wise, the whole line-up starts at 256GB, and if you’re a media hoarder, the Pro Max now has a crazy 2TB option. This thing is also the perfect home for the new iOS 26 with that cool Liquid Glass interface.

The camera also got an upgrade, too. You’re getting a brand-new 18MP selfie camera with Center Stage and a new 48MP telephoto lens with 4x optical zoom. And for the video nerds, you can now shoot up to 4K video with Dolby Vision. Oh, and the new signature color is a vibrant Cosmic Orange. The one thing that didn’t change is the Dynamic Island—looks like we’ll have to wait a little longer for a smaller notch! Overall, it’s a huge update that really changes the game, for better or worse!

What’s to Like

1. Large impressive display

So, the new iPhone 17 Pro Max’s display is huge— like 6.9-inches huge. But to be honestly, it’s pretty similar to last year’s model— same sharp screen resolution and even the same pill-shaped camera cutout. But here’s the cool part: they upgraded the protection with a stronger glass called Ceramic Shield Glass 2. It also has a new anti-reflective coating, which basically means it’s much easier to see outside in bright sunlight. You’ll definitely notice the difference. 

The screen uses that ProMotion tech, which is just Apple’s fancy way of saying the refresh rate is super smooth (like up to 120Hz smooth), but it can drop all the way down to 1Hz to save battery when you’re just looking at a static picture or using the “always-on” mode. In terms of brightness, it has plenty. It gets incredibly bright when you’re outdoors (up to 3,000 nits in peak moments) and can also get super dim at low light, which is great for your eyes.

And with media, Apple’s claims that it’s an excellent, bright display that handles content like HDR movies (Dolby Vision) flawlessly. Oh, and one final thing: the vibration feedback (the “haptics”) when you tap or press things is still fantastic. 

So in the end, you get a large display, with smooth scrolling, better glass protection, and good brightness in any situation.     

2. Impressive battery life with fast charging

They gave the battery a tiny little boost in size—not a massive jump from last year, but hey, we’ll take it. If you get the physical SIM card slot version, the battery’s slightly smaller than the eSIM-only model, but the difference isn’t that much. The important thing is, this phone’s battery lasts pretty well. On average use you get up to 18 hours of battery life, which is actually amazing. So, you’re not going to worry about hunting for a power outlet halfway through the day.

Apple is finally trying to speed things up. They’re now using a charging standard that lets the phone charge much faster. Apple has a new 40W charger that they claim will charge the phone to 50% in 20 minutes, and a full charge from almost dead to 100% took us just 1 hour and 12 minutes. If you get a different charger it won’t be as fast but at least it will charge. The good news is, we found that a bunch of other third-party, high-powered chargers could hit these same fast speeds, too. You don’t necessarily have to buy the Apple-branded one.

Wireless charging is included, and it also gotten faster, too. If you use a MagSafe or a new Qi2 charger, you can get the phone to 50% charge in just 30 minutes. The 17 Pro Max includes smart settings to keep the battery healthy for longer. It can learn when you usually unplug and stop charging at 100% until just before that time. Plus, you can manually set it to stop charging at 80% to preserve the battery lifespan, and you can always check your battery health in the settings.

So you get the iPhone 17 Pro Max with a full day’s battery life, that chargers faster, either using wired or wireless charging. It also comes with settings you can control to help keep the battery going. 

3. Impressive performance

So what’s under the hood? This new iPhone 17 Pro Max comes with the newest, faster performance chip called the A19 Pro. Same chipset in the iPhone 17 Pro. Think of it as the super-smart engine that makes everything run. Performance is noticeably better than last year’s model. In simple terms, things load 10% faster and when you’re doing a lot at once, it’s about 20% faster overall. If you’re upgrading from a two-year-old phone, you’ll feel a huge difference. The graphics part of the chip is a step up, especially with something called Ray Tracing, which makes shadows and reflections in games look way more realistic.

Apple finally added a special cooling system (a vapor chamber) inside. This means when you’re pushing the phone really hard for a long time (like a huge gaming session), it won’t overheat and slow down. They say this makes performance 40% better under stress.

There’s even more things to know. Firstly, you get a nice memory increase of 12 GB of RAM (that’s the short-term memory that keeps your apps running smoothly), which is a welcome increase. Next is the base storage, which is now a larger 256 GB. No more worry about storage space. And if you need a ton more room, the Pro Max even has an exclusive 2 TB option. Lastly, the bottom USB-C port is super quick, meaning transferring big files (like 4K videos) to your PC or external hard drive happens way faster than before.

Basically, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is an impressive performer. It comes with Apple’s top-of-the-line fast processor, with more memory, more storage, and faster speed transfer. It’s really know for its speed and can handle anything you throw at it.  

4. Camera upgrades

Let’s talk about the cameras on the new iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple usually doesn’t change much year-to-year, but this time, they made some improvements, namely: the telephoto (zoom) lens and the front (selfie) camera. 

The telephoto camera gets a higher-resolution sensor at 48 MP instead of 12 MP from last year’s model. The zoom feature is a little less—with now at 4x optical zoom now, down from 5x, however, by sacrificing a tiny bit of reach, the new sensor takes much better, cleaner photos when you use the 4x zoom and even the digital zoom. The quality is simply higher.

The selfie camera comes with a completely new, high-res sensor (which is 18 MP) that’s designed to take full advantage of the space in the cutout. It’s “smart” and can take photos in different sizes (like 4:3 or 1:1 square) without losing its wide field of view, which is pretty clever.

The primary wide and the ultrawide cameras have the same hardware as last year, yet there’s no need for an upgrade as they already had impressive camera sensors great. Now, all three rear cameras can take super detailed 24-megapixel photos, which used to be only for the Main lens. All the rear cameras can also shoot at full 48-megapixel resolution if you want the absolute highest detail.

Overall, the camera upgrades has improved it seems like a solid upgrade that brings better clarity and resolution across the board. 

5. Includes new iOS

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is running Apple iOS 26 right out of the box. Yes, they totally skipped a bunch of numbers to match the year and unify their whole operating system lineup, which is actually a pretty smart move for simplicity. But the real star of the show is the software itself. The biggest, most beautiful upgrade is something called Liquid Glass—this is Apple’s gorgeous new design language, and it’s a total game-changer. Clearly inspired by visionOS, Apple says it makes digital things feel “natural and alive.” And honestly, it does look stunning. Think crystal-clear, liquid-like elements all over the UI with an incredibly dynamic and responsive feel when you interact with the screen.

Plus, the customization options are awesome. You can play around with new fonts, animations, and colors to really make the phone your own. Best of all, they didn’t forget the details—tons of core apps like Photos, Messages, Safari, Maps, and even features like Apple Intelligence and CarPlay got a fresh new look and cool updates! It’s a massive software refresh that makes the entire experience feel brand new and super advanced.

What’s Not to Like

1. Controversial Design

Apple has officially brought back the aluminum frame. They totally dumped the super-tough titanium and steel from the Pro models this time. It really feels like Apple took a major step back here, which feels a lot less premium, less fancy, less exclusive. That’s a shame.

That’s not all. The whole back design changed dramatically, and it’s causing some drama. You’ve got this enormous, rectangular camera section, the aluminum, and then a separate glass piece just for wireless charging. Honestly, all that mixing and matching of parts makes the design look messy, not like the smooth, seamless Apple products we’re used to. To make matters worse, you can actually see little, uneven gaps where the glass meets the metal. Not a good look. 

Now with the soft aluminum frame and the giant camera bump creates a huge headache for durability, because scratches and dents are practically guaranteed. One unlucky drop could easily bend the frame, totally messing up your water resistance. If you risk carrying the 17 Pro Max without a case, that huge camera area is going to look scuffed up super fast. Since this aluminum is way softer than the titanium or steel we had before, you absolutely must case up if you want to keep your phone looking nice.

2. Improved Telephoto Camera not such a great upgrade

Alright, let’s talk about that new telephoto camera. Honestly, after all the hype, it’s a bit of a letdown. We expected more. The 24MP zoom shots are fine, but they’re certainly not what you’d call razor-sharp. If you drop down to the 12MP version of the 4x shots, they might look a tiny bit sharper up close, but the detail still feels artificial, not organic. And don’t even bother with the 48MP mode. Those images are soft and kind of grainy, meaning it’s only worth it if you plan to spend ages fixing them up yourself later.

The new camera doesn’t even look better than the old iPhone 16 Pro. The 17 Pro Max’s 24MP photos look softer when you compare them closely. And if you switch to the 12MP mode? They’re just as good as the 16 Pro’s, not actually better. That’s a major bummer. When you zoom in on people at 4x, the situation doesn’t magically improve. You still get that overdone facial smoothing and highlight fixing, which gives skin tones that extra warm, slightly fake glow. And even the 8x zoom shots are just “alright”—nothing to write home about. In fact, the iPhone 16 Pro might actually produce slightly sharper 8x photos (even if they have a little more grain). So far? No real advantage coming from this “new” telephoto.

3. Limited availability and charger not included

 The “special” 40W charger for the iPhone 17 Pro Max is promising a lot according to Apple. It says that the new charger promises to charge the Pro Max to 50% in 20 minutes. That’s all well and good, but the problem is that the “special” charger is not bundled with the iPhone on purchase. You’re gonna need to buy it separately. And the other thing is that, This new charger is only available in the US. For the rest of us, we’re gonna have to find a good 40W charger, hoping that it will match the charging speed as advertised. 

iPhone 17 Pro Max Alternatives

The new iPhone 17 Pro Max is probably one of the most expensive smartphones in 2025. So if you can’t afford it, I don’t blame you. But don’t give up yet. If you want a cheaper premium option, let’s take a look at some great alternatives to the iPhone 17 Pro Max. 

1. Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

2. Apple iPhone 17 Pro

3. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

4. Google Pixel 10 Pro XL

Verdict

You know how the new iPhone 17 Pro Max is supposed to be the best? Well, there’s a lot to like but also a lot not to like. For instance. First off, they made a risky move by switching the body to aluminum. Sure, it keeps the weight down and helps with the phone’s performance overtime, but it makes the phone way more prone to scratches. The mix of materials and those new colors on the back apparently don’t look as sharp as previous models either. It’s just… less lovable.

And the screen? Yeah, it’s amazing and now has a cool anti-glare finish, but the camera cutout (Dynamic Island) is still exactly the same, which is a bit disappointing. We’ve seen this great screen before. We definitely need to give props for the better battery life and faster charging speeds, even if the new charger needed to make it happen has a ridiculous name and protocol.

The camera updates for selfies and zoom photography are nice, no doubt. But here’s the kicker: the upgrade isn’t the giant leap Apple wanted us to believe. Even with all that Apple processing power, the photos are still only “very good to great,” and frankly, some of those Chinese ‘Ultra’ phones are already ahead of the curve in 2025. However, where the 17 Pro Max is absolutely unbeatable is video. Seriously, no matter which lens you use or what conditions you’re shooting in, this iPhone crushes it. Apple’s camera app is also genius for making pro features easy for mainstream users.

Overall, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is definitely the most capable iPhone to date, but it’s shaping up to be one of the less popular ones. Between the questionable new design direction and the fact that iOS 26 is still a little buggy and unpolished (especially that ‘Liquid Glass’ interface), many people will buy it, but maybe not as many will be genuinely hyped. It feels like the improved battery and the new zoom camera have the tough job of carrying this expensive phone all on their own. Hopefully, Apple quickly irons out those software wrinkles soon.

So what’s your take on this new iPhone 17 Pro Max? Is it the ideal smartphone you’ve been looking for? Which one of the features do you like or dislike? And what about the alternatives listed, are you more likely to consider them if the 17 Pro Max doesn’t meet your expectations? If you have anything to say or have to add, you are more than welcome to please add them below. And if you wish to buy it, then click HERE to see you options. That’s all from me. Take care. Until next time 😀  

iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

“The iPhone 17 Pro is full of contradictions: you get something new, but it comes with a but. Things are improved, but maybe not as much as they should be.”

If you’re hanging on to your older iPhone 16 Pro, good for you. But after reading this review, you might thing twice. Yep. The new iPhone 17 Pro is here and it looks better than last year’s model. There are other impressive improvements too, but I’m not going to spoil it for you. Beside, it’s just better for you see them for yourself. So, without wasting any time, let’s check out the review of the Apple iPhone 17 Pro, and see if it’s worth ditching for the new or keeping the older model.

Overview

When last did you see the iPhone Pro look this good, this fresh, this unique? For me, it has been a while. Well, it looks like this year Apple is doing something different to the new iPhone 17 Pro. No more titanium frame. Now it’s the aluminum frame design.  It’s not just a facelift, this new model genuinely looks exciting and the upgrade may actually be worth it. Besides the cool new aluminum look, Apple’s added a bunch of other goodies to the iPhone 17 Pro. Firstly, they’ve thrown in a vapor cooling system to help get rid of heat generated from the processing chip. This should keep the brand-new Apple 19 Pro chipset running smoothly, especially when it’s powering the slick new Liquid Glass interface and animations in iOS 26. 

Next is the camera. The selfie camera is not an 18MP square sensor (kind of) with a wide lens that lets you snap landscape selfies even while holding the phone straight up. Then the telephoto camera has also been improved, too. It’s now 4x optical zoom with a much bigger 48MP sensor, which means better zoom quality. Thirdly, get ready for a better day-to-day experience because the battery capacity has seen a significant jump—the biggest increase for iPhone this year. This is even true for the models that still have a physical Nano SIM slot or the eSIM model, which is the only version that gets a bigger battery. Plus, there’s a new charging standard. 

But hey, it’s Apple, so some things are sticking around. You’ll still see that pill-shaped front camera cutout—no change there. And yeah, it looks like we’re still waiting for a fingerprint reader to make a comeback. Overall, though, the iPhone 17 Pro seems like a major step forward that brings a lot of genuinely useful improvements. What do you think about the aluminum body returning?

What’s to Like

1. Excellent Performance

Let’s look at the performance of the iPhone 17 Pro. Under the hood, the Pro is rocking the new Apple A19 Pro chip. Think of it as the better A19 chip version. It’s faster than the standard A19 in the regular iPhone 17 and even slightly more capable than the A19 Pro in the iPhone Air. This specific A19 Pro packs a punch with a 6-core CPU, which is super-fast performance and helps to save battery-power, and a 6-core GPU. Plus, a 16-core Neural Engine makes those “Apple Intelligence” features fly. Apple has finally addressed the heat issue. They’ve given the 17 Pro a new vapor chamber and a different aluminum frame body (ditching the older Titanium). This will improve the cooling of the phone significantly, that is said to delivers 40% better performance when you’re gaming or really pushing the phone for a long time.

And then there’s the improved memory of 12GB of RAM which will make your iPhone less likely to freeze. Then there’s the storage capacity starting from 256GB up to 1TB. And now there’s this new N1 networking chip, bringing Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, and a blazing-fast USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port.

Long story short: it’s seriously fast. Compared to the previous 16 Pro, you’ll see about a 14% to 20% performance boost in performance. If you’re upgrading from an older iPhone 15 Pro, the difference is even more massive—like a massive 30-55% overall speed boost. It’s truly a beast, keeping pace with the top Android phones even in intense tests like ray-tracing graphics. Overall, excellent performance. 

2. Impressive OLED Display

Next, let’s dive into the iPhone 17 Pro’s screen. Did I mention that it’s seriously impressive. When you open the box, you’re looking at a sharp, vibrant 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display. It still features ProMotion, which is Apple’s way of saying it has a super-smooth variable refresh rate (up to 120Hz) that drops all the way down to 1Hz when you’re just looking at a static screen or using the Always-On mode. This keeps everything feeling fluid while saving battery.

The biggest physical upgrade is the new Ceramic Shield Glass 2. It’s not just tougher; it has a new anti-reflective coating that really helps with legibility outdoors. Speaking of outdoors, Apple claims this screen can hit an insane 3,000 nits peak brightness in bright sunlight. Now, the screen is smart. The phone manages that extreme brightness automatically, meaning it’s harder to manually force it to max brightness than on older models. But don’t worry—when the conditions call for it (like standing under the noon sun), it pumps up the nits beautifully, giving you excellent sunlight visibility.

To top it off, you get premium features like HDR10 and Dolby Vision support, and Apple’s famous Taptic Engine ensures the physical feedback (haptics) feels responsive and satisfying. This is a gorgeous screen that focuses on being perfectly readable no matter where you are.

3. Excellent battery life with Fast Charging

Let’s talk about the one thing everyone actually cares about: the battery life. The good news is, all the phones in the entire iPhone 17 series all got bigger batteries, but the iPhone 17 Pro is the most impressive. The battery size is noticeably bigger—about 12% larger than the iPhone 16 Pro. It does stop there. If you’re getting the eSIM-only model, that battery is even 20% bigger than the old model.

That’s a huge, welcome change. The bigger battery delivered a significant boost, especially when you’re doing things like watching videos and gaming. While web browsing and call time stayed about the same, the overall usage is way up.

Fast charging is insane. If you can get yourself a 35W charger, you can charge your iPhone 17 Pro up to 70% in half an hour, and to full charge will take you  just over an hour. The bottom line? The iPhone 17 Pro lasts an insane crushes it with an average  Active Use Score of 15 hours and 23 minutes! That puts it way ahead of rivals like the Pixel 10 Pro and the Galaxy S25. You can finally relax a bit more about finding an outlet!

4. High-quality Photos & Videos

The iPhone 17 Pro got a pretty significant camera upgrade overall this year, with major improvements to hardware on both the rear and the front cameras. Let’s start with the telephoto camera. First, it’s been upgraded to a 48 MP camera, with a lower 4x optical zoom, which is actually better for taking portrait-style shots and mid-range photos.

Secondly, all three rear cameras shoot in high quality instead of only the main camera, with the main and ultra-wide camera still having the same 48 MP camera, and all the cameras uses image stabilization to keep your shots steady.        

Next is the selfie camera. It’s been boosted to 18 MP from 12 MP. It can also take photos in both portrait and landscape without losing any of the scene on the side. You don’t even have to rotate your phone to get a wider group shot. 

Next is the video quality. No changes here. It still captures impressive quality videos with awesome contrast, bright colors, and great detail.  With videos you can capture up to 4K video quality using the rear cameras at 120 frames per second (fps) and with the front camera, video quality is similar at up to 4K video but at 60 fps. Once again video stabilization is available making walking shots look smooth.  

The only downside is that, at night, if there are bright lights, you still get those noticeable internal reflections (little light dots/streaks) from the lenses, especially when you zoom in. Overall, it’s a huge step up for both the zoom lens and the selfie camera, making the iPhone 17 Pro a video and photo powerhouse—just be ready to learn a few new tricks in the camera app.

5. Excellent Durability

So, Apple ditched the fancy-sounding titanium this year and went back to aluminum as the main frame for the new iPhone Pros. While aluminum might not sound as “posh,” it’s probably better overall, even if it might scratch a little easier than the older Pro models.

They call it an aluminum unibody, but since they needed to allow for wireless charging, there’s a glass panel in the back. Honestly, the way they cut the glass into the metal looks a little jarring and not as perfectly “seamless” as you usually expect from Apple—it almost feels like an afterthought!

Because aluminum is softer, your iPhone 17 Pro might pick up nicks and scratches more easily. While the tough finish will handle light stuff, that sharp edge around the camera seems especially prone to chipping. Basically, be careful which pocket you place your iPhone if you keep it with your keys and coins.

The display is protected by the latest Ceramic Shield 2, and now it even has an anti-reflective coating. This is a small, subtle change, but it makes the screen easier to read when you’re outside in bright sunlight.

The iPhone 17 Pro is the “smaller” of the two Pro models and it feels really good in your hand. Even though it’s kind of heavy for its size, the smooth, rounded aluminum edges make it comfortable to hold. It might have lost a little of that super-premium titanium feel, but it’s still a nice piece of hardware that’s tough too. With the familiar water resistance rating (IP68), it can survive being submerged in water for a good amount of time.

In the end, the iPhone 17 Pro has gone back to having the softer aluminum frame, however, it includes a tougher front glass display with anti-reflective coating. It’s still water resistant and feels good to hold on your hand.   

What’s Not to Like

1. Expensive

The new iPhone 17 Pro is the compact version of the Pro Max, which means it has all the Pro Max features but smaller. With that being said, it’s no surprise that it’s so expensive. But, if you don’t like the big brother, or can’t afford the Pro Max, then the Pro version will have to suffice as the better alternative. There are other alternatives, which we will explore them later.

2. Telephoto camera not that impressive

As much as the telephoto camera has been upgraded, it’s not really as impressive as the other two lenses. For starters, the pictures look good overall thanks to the detail and excellent color shots, but lacks the sharpness compared to other lenses.    

3. Heat issues from gaming

If you’re worried about this iPhone getting too hot or slowing down when you’re playing demanding games for a long time, here’s the good news: it handles the heat pretty well! The best part is how cool it stays on the outside. Even when pushing it hard for a long time, the hottest spot on the phone barely got above 45 degrees.

In simple terms? It won’t be scalding hot in your hand after a marathon gaming session. So, while the internal speed is similar to the last generation, the cooling seems to be doing a good job of keeping the phone comfortable.

iPhone 17 Pro Alternatives

1. Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge

2. Apple iPhone 16 Pro

3. Apple iPhone Air

4. Xiaomi 15T Pro

Verdict

So what can I say about the iPhone 17 Pro? It’s definitely a mixture of big improvements, and things that are basically the same as last year’s model. With the design, it finally got a fresh new look—which was honestly overdue. The new design, with its aluminum frame, is noticeable and has some practical benefits, even if it’s not everyone’s favorite style.

The internal cooling seems to help manage the heat, which is good. That said, it’s not a miracle worker, and the performance still slows down a bit under heavy use. But hey, at least it’s faster overall. And battery charging speeds are quicker now, which is a welcome change.

The upgraded telephoto camera is all well and good, but not groundbreaking. And while the new selfie camera is also better, because you can take wider shots without having to rotate the iPhone, yet it’s solving a very minor problem. The upgraded zoom camera is also fine, but not a dramatic improvement. The new software looks fancier, but it’s really not any easier or more intuitive to use. It’s all flash and less substance on the user-friendly front.

The iPhone 17 Pro is full of contradictions: you get something new, but it comes with a but. Things are improved, but maybe not as much as they should be. It’s a gorgeous, premium phone that’s going to sell like crazy, but personally, it just doesn’t feel like a must-have upgrade this year.

So what do you think of the iPhone 17 Pro? Is it the iPhone you was expecting? What features do you think would be better for this iPhone 17 Pro? What do you think of these alternatives, are you more likely to get one of them? Let me know at the comments below. And if you feel the iPhone 17 Pro caters to all your needs, then it’s either you hit the red “BUY NOW” button on the top, or Click Here to find out more.  That’s all from me. Until next time, stay safe 😀