Next year’s iPhone 17 Air has a better chance than ever to draw users away from the Pro models. The strong iPhone 16 base model has done that for some this year. But the ultra-thin, futuristic 17 Air could spark a fresh wave of users abandoning the Pro line. Here are the five things Pro users may have to give up to switch to the iPhone 17 Air.
Ultra Wide and Telephoto cameras
For years, some of the most important iPhone changes year to year have involved the camera system. Two rear-facing cameras have been the standard for years, and Pro models go even further by offering a third camera.
But the iPhone 17 Air is expected to offer just a single rear camera. It will drop the Ultra Wide and Telephoto options and only include the main ‘Fusion’ camera.
Depending on your camera habits, this will either be a huge sacrifice, or potentially not a big deal. Hopefully, Apple will have some innovative new tech ready for the Fusion camera that can partly make up for losing the other two.
A19 Pro chip
Pro users always get the best possible iPhone chip. For years, the non-Pro models always came with the prior year’s Pro chip. That changed this year, when every iPhone 16 gained a new A18 or A18 Pro. That change will extend into 2025’s lineup.
Reports indicate the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will come with a new A19 chip. But only the 17 Pro and Pro Max will get the top-of-the-line A19 Pro.
How much of a difference will this make? Maybe not a ton, but it’s always possible Apple will supercharge the Pro chip next year to make those models more compelling.
Battery life
This one may hurt the most. The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max get phenomenal battery life. Notably better than their non-Pro equivalents. And we all know ‘ultra-thin’ does not equal ‘best battery life.’
I’d be surprised if the iPhone 17 Air came with significantly worse battery than this year’s base iPhone 16. Likely if there is a decrease, it will be minor. But Apple could, again, lean harder into the ‘Pro’ branding by giving the 17 Pro and Pro Max more juice than ever. That would make the battery sacrifices for the 17 Air even harder to swallow.
Extra RAM
Apple’s iPhone Pro models tend to include more RAM than the entry models. This is widely seen as the reason last year’s iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max can run Apple Intelligence, but the base 15 and 15 Plus cannot. Only the Pro models have 8GB of RAM.
Next year, reports indicate the 17 Pro line will get bumped to 12GB of RAM. The 17 Air and base 17, however, will stick with only 8GB.
Not long ago, I didn’t care too much about RAM in my iPhone. But the advent of Apple Intelligence and partial obsoletion of the iPhone 15 has changed my mind. I’d hate to buy a 17 Air only to miss out on some cutting-edge AI features a year later.
Titanium design
This will probably make the smallest difference to most people, but the iPhone 17 Air is expected to have a primarily aluminum-based design, not titanium like the 17 Pro line. I say ‘primarily’ because it’s possible titanium will still be incorporated into part of the design, just not as much as the Pro models. How much will it matter? We’ll have to wait to find out.
17 Air vs. Pro: wrap-up
If you’re someone who always wants the best iPhone, 2025 is going to present quite a dilemma.
On paper, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will have the best specs. But the new, ultra-thin design of the 17 Air will make it the most appealing option for a lot of buyers. It’s still early, so we’ll see what new details about these models get revealed in the year ahead. One way or another, 2025 looks like a big year for the iPhone.
Do you plan to switch from a Pro model to the 17 Air? Which features above matter most to you? Let us know in the comments.
Best iPhone Pro accessories
- Anker 100W charging brick for fast charging
- 3.3ft USB-C cable for longer reach
- LONLI Leather case for 16 Pro (or 16 Pro Max)
- CarPlay-friendly USB-A to USB-C cable
- New MagSafe charger with faster speeds
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