Three months ago, I chose the iPhone Air over the iPhone 17 Pro. After years of using Pro models, I was excited by the prospect of something new and futuristic. But despite being very happy overall with my iPhone Air, I’ve recently started second-guessing my choice.
iPhone Air is still impressive after three months of use
Ever since rumors for the iPhone Air first started circulating last year, I’ve been very excited by the prospect of an ultra-thin model.
And when iPhone Air launched this fall, it exceeded my high expectations.
Battery life is better than I expected, durability has been a non-issue, and the screen size—which is larger than I usually prefer—feels great with the ultra-thin design.
For most of the last three months, I’ve had zero complaints about the iPhone Air.
The design does go from feeling futuristic to just ‘normal’ very quickly. But that’s to be expected. And overall, I’ve been impressed by how Apple was able to deliver such a high-quality iPhone experience in a radically thin design.
But despite my overall satisfaction with iPhone Air, over the last few weeks the iPhone 17 Pro has become more tempting for me. That’s for two main reasons:
- Minor iPhone Air issues
- Life circumstance changes
Camera issues I likely wouldn’t encounter on iPhone 17 Pro
Let’s start with the issues I’ve experienced with iPhone Air. There are three in particular, all related to the camera—but they’re probably not what you’d expect.
As much as I liked the Telephoto lens on my iPhone 16 Pro, I’ve barely missed it or the Ultra Wide on my iPhone Air. Having just a single main camera has been fine for me.
However, the following have become problems in certain situations:
- Poor quality low-light photos
- Performance throttling that delays shots
- Distorted audio in video recordings
I’ve had several occasions recently when I was shooting photos in low-light environments and they turned out disappointing. DXOMARK noted in its iPhone Air camera review that the main camera is worse than iPhone 17 Pro in reduced lighting, despite being largely on par in daylight.
In those low-light environments, I also experienced performance throttling on iPhone Air that prevented me from capturing shots as quickly as I’d like. This would happen sometimes on my iPhone 16 Pro too, but I’ve heard iPhone 17 Pro’s vapor chamber and aluminum design make it a non-issue on that model.
Finally, with several videos I’ve shot on iPhone Air over the past three months, the audio is distorted in spots. This appears to be the result of me accidentally covering a microphone when recording. But I can’t recall that ever happening on prior iPhone models.
Reconsidering the iPhone 17 Pro
These camera issues alone aren’t enough reason to consider swapping my iPhone Air for an iPhone 17 Pro.
However, combined with some recent major life changes, I’m wondering if iPhone 17 Pro might prove a better option for me in the near future.
My wife and I recently decided to move out of New York City and into a more suburban environment. Trading a walk-first urban setting for the car-dominant suburbs reduces some of the appeal of iPhone Air for me, and makes iPhone 17 Pro’s bulk and weight less a concern too.
Top comment by CRisner
The Air was the right phone when you bought it.
Life changed.
Now it’s not.
You are about to have two babies. Your car isn’t the right car either now! Unless you like minivans and already own one. Heck my first home wasn’t the right home for two boys either. Once the second was born, we ran out of room.
That doesn’t make our first car, or our first house, the “wrong one”. It simply means life changed and so must a lot of our things.
As to the camera concerns, I noticed the same thing BUT didn’t buy the Air for the camera. So not having it be the best choice in specific limited scenarios is not a problem, as I knew that would be the case when I bought it.
And so did you.
Honestly it’s one of the reasons I never got rid of my previous Pro. Its now a dedicated camera phone for me when the Air doesn’t suffice, but that has been VERY few and far between.
We also learned that we’re expecting not one, but two baby girls this year. Having twins makes me want the best, most reliable iPhone camera system possible. iPhone Air might prove fine for my needs, but I’m now a little less certain of that. iPhone 17 Pro would prove a safer bet for capturing every precious moment.
iPhone Air has been everything I wanted and more. I’m just no longer certain it’s the right iPhone model for me.
I’m not making a decision today. But for the first time, I’m seriously considering giving the iPhone 17 Pro a solid try.
Are you an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone Air user? What has your experience been like with each device? Let us know in the comments.
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