Apple Industry News

Apple announced four new iPhones at its September 9 event: iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Out of all, the improvements made to the regular iPhone 17 made me the happiest, and here are seven reasons why!

120Hz ProMotion display

Apple first introduced 120Hz displays on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. It took them four years to add this amazing display technology to their base, non-Pro variants. And now that it’s finally here, it makes it so easy to recommend the iPhone 17 to nearly everyone.

Even inexpensive Android phones from the last couple of years, costing as little as $180, have 120Hz or even 144Hz displays. It was absurd that Apple’s regular and Plus iPhones, which aren’t inexpensive by any means, lacked this technology.

Now, diehard Apple fans have long argued that 60Hz on the iPhone is still comparable to 120Hz on Android. But that’s just nonsense. I’ve a cheap Android phone with a 120Hz display, and it’s significantly smoother than the 60Hz panel on my wife’s iPhone 16.

Apple’s 120Hz ProMotion HDR display on the regular iPhone 17, much like the new iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max, and previous Pro models, has adaptive refresh rates that can adjust automatically between 10Hz to 120Hz for a visually smooth yet battery-efficient operation.

Always On display

I don’t use Always On display, as it gives me the impression that I’m making my iPhone work unnecessarily hard and wasting battery life. Plus, I don’t like having to touch once to wake up the Always On display and then a second touch to interact with the screen.

That said, I know several people for whom Always On is a huge deal, as it allows them to keep track of the time, notifications, Live Activities, and more while the iPhone is on their work desk.

So, if you’re one of those who love an Always On display on Pro iPhones or Android phones, then this is going to be exciting for you.

The regular iPhone 17’s display can drop down its refresh rate to just 1Hz in Always On mode to show you the Lock Screen, without being a huge battery waster.

256 GB of base storage

I created a tutorial last year on how to maximize space on a 128 GB iPhone. Such users no longer have to worry about space constraints, as all new iPhone models, including the base iPhone 17, start with 256 GB of onboard storage. This means you can store more photos, videos, games, music, and HD movies on the device. Plus, it also ensures you won’t feel hesitant about enabling Apple Intelligence, which can take around 15 GB of local space.

Improved battery life

Last year’s iPhone 16 had an Apple-advertised battery backup of 22 hours on a single charge when watching offline videos. Thanks to new and advanced battery technology, this number for iPhone 17 has increased by 36% to a respectable 30 hours. Who doesn’t like more battery without paying extra!

A pair of 48MP rear cameras

I’ve always disliked taking ultra-wide photos on my wife’s iPhone 16 or even my iPhone 15 Pro Max, as these models have a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera. As a result, the wide pictures in 0.5x zoom mode often turned out to be grainy and of lower quality compared to the main 48MP sensor.

But now, just like iPhone 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max, the ultra-wide camera on the regular iPhone 17 is also 48 megapixels for crisp, detailed wide shots.

Center Stage (It’s a big deal)

I like the Center Stage feature on my iPad during FaceTime video calls, and now all new iPhone models, including the base iPhone 17, have an improved 18 megapixel Center Stage front camera for taking photos and video calls.

Apple says that the sensor size in iPhone 17 is almost twice as big as the previous generation, and for the first time ever, this sensor is square compared to 4:3 sensors in earlier models. 4:3 sensors dictate tall and wide photos based on the orientation in which you hold the iPhone.

But since the new iPhone 17 has a square-shaped front shooter paired with Center Stage, it ensures you don’t have to physically rotate your iPhone in landscape orientation when taking wide group selfies; you can just tap the rotate button on the camera viewfinder, and your iPhone will adjust to take a crisp wide photo, all while holding your iPhone in portrait orientation.

Additionally, Center Stage uses AI to automatically adjust your camera as new people walk into the frame. It can even auto-rotate the shot for you to fit even more people.

Watch Apple’s keynote from 38:23 minutes to see it in action:

The same $799 starting price

In addition to the above major improvements, the new base iPhone 17 also gets faster wired and MagSafe charging, thinner front bezels, Bluetooth 6, Dual Capture for video recording from both the front and back cameras simultaneously, 3000 nits of peak outdoor brightness, precision dual-frequency GPS, and a better Ceramic Shield 2 front glass.

Despite all these upgrades, the iPhone 17 still retains its old price and starts at $799! Compare this with last year’s iPhone 16, where you were getting 128 GB storage, no 120Hz refresh rate, and no Always On display for $799.

Note: The base iPhone 17 has a slight price increase in some countries, such as India, where it costs approximately 3,000 rupees ($35) more than last year.

Due to these much-needed improvements, the iPhone 17 is the best smartphone of the year for me. It offers incredible features at a great value, making it one of my top recommendations for friends and family.

Also, check out: 9 features missing on the thin new iPhone Air

Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2025/09/10/things-to-love-about-iphone-17/

Apple announced a super-thin iPhone, named iPhone Air, at its September 9 event, and while the device is impressive, it comes with a handful of compromises, which we’ll list and talk about here.

But first, some good things about iPhone Air…

Just like Elon Musk loves the letter ‘X,’ Apple loves the word ‘Air.’ You can find it in iPad Air, MacBook Air, AirPods, AirPlay, AirDrop, AirPrint, AirPort, and now, finally, the most revenue-generating device in Apple’s device portfolio gets a new ‘Air’ line.

The razor-thin iPhone Air is not the most powerful device announced in Apple’s September 9 ‘Awe Dropping’ event, as that title will go to iPhone 17 Pro Max. But this new Air device is undoubtedly the freshest and most eye-catching piece of hardware yet.

Coming in at just 5.6 mm thickness, iPhone Air is the thinnest iPhone ever, edging the previous title holder, iPhone 6 (6.9 mm) by a decent margin.

However, unlike the iPhone 6 that led to the famous ‘bend gate’ where it was easy to snap the device with two hands, the new iPhone Air has a Grade 5 titanium frame, and Apple even called it “more durable than any previous iPhone.”

While the actual strength test results will come when people start getting iPhone Air in their hands on 19th September, it’s safe to say the iPhone 6 saga won’t repeat.

Apple didn’t compromise on the chip either and has used the same powerful A19 Pro silicon that’s in iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. In comparison, iPhone 17 has the regular A19 chip, without the ‘Pro’ suffix. Apple said that the new iPhone Air has MacBook Pro-levels of computing power for artificial intelligence tasks.

Based on launch pictures and videos, the Sky Blue, Light Gold, Cloud White, and Space Black finishes of the iPhone Air are eye-catching and, in my opinion, the best color options for this year. Additionally, this year’s Pro models drop the black color option, so if you’re a fan of that shade, you’ll have to pick the new iPhone Air or the regular iPhone 17.

And that’s about all the highlights of the thin and light iPhone Air. Of course, it also has the 120Hz Pro Motion display, IP68 water and dust resistance, tough Ceramic Shield back, 18MP Center Stage front camera, dual video recording, satellite connectivity, and 3000 nits of peak outdoor brightness.

Now, let’s focus on the drawbacks or the compromises, and there are plenty to talk about.

1. Not the best battery life

Apple has advertised up to 27 hours of offline video playback for the new iPhone Air, which is the same as last year’s iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 Pro. However, its rated battery use time falls short of the new iPhone 17 by 3 hours and the 17 Pro Max by a whopping 12 hours!

Now, in the first few months or even the first year of usage, you should be able to get through the day on a single charge. However, once the battery health of the iPhone Air declines, you’ll need to carry a power bank or connect it to a power outlet more than once every day.

I believe Apple has sensed that people may have difficulty ending their day on a single charge, and thus they have introduced a MagSafe battery pack for iPhone Air, which gives a total run time of 40 hours, but in turn defeats the purpose of having a thin and light phone! Nevertheless, it’s good to have the option, if you don’t mind carrying the extra bulk.

2. No ultra-wide camera, no macro photography, no spatial photos and videos

iPhone Air has a single 48MP Fusion rear camera that can take super-high-resolution photos, including portraits. However, the lack of ultra-wide camera hardware means you don’t have the 0.5x zoom option or the ability for macro photography. So, no more taking super close-ups of food, plants, pets, or anything else. In comparison, even the regular iPhone 17 has macro photography.

Additionally, if you want to take immersive spatial photos and videos for viewing them in 3D on your Apple Vision Pro, then you’ll have to get the iPhone 17 or the Pro variants, as the lack of a second rear camera also means the thinnest iPhone can’t capture 3D spatial images or record spatial videos.

3. No Cinematic or ProRes video recording

Unlike the iPhone 13 mini and newer, the iPhone Air doesn’t have Cinematic video recording mode. And ProRes is limited to just the Pro models, and the iPhone Air this year is no exception to this tradition.

4. Slower MagSafe charging

The iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max support up to 25W of wireless MagSafe charging when using a 30-watt adapter; the new iPhone Air is limited to 20W. In contrast, last year’s iPhone 16 charges wirelessly at 22W. Space constraints and thermal concerns are likely the main reasons for slightly slower MagSafe charging, but it shouldn’t be a deal breaker for nearly anybody.

5. Slower wired fast charging

Apple has stated that iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max can fast charge to 50% in 20 minutes when using a 40W adapter. In contrast, iPhone Air takes 30 minutes to reach the same battery level.

However, one notable advantage is that the iPhone Air can fast charge to 50% in 30 minutes, even with a 20W adapter. So, if you’ve a 20W Apple adapter from your iPad or HomePod mini purchase, you can use that to quickly top up your new iPhone Air.

6. Slow USB-C port

Although the iPhone Air starts at $999 and the 1TB version costs $1399, its USB-C port still adheres to the USB 2.0 standard, with a maximum theoretical speed of just 480 Mbps. In comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro and all newer Pro and Pro Max models feature USB 3, which supports transfer speeds 20 times faster than those of USB 2.

If you frequently transfer photos, videos, music, movies, and large files between your computer, external drive, and your phone, it’s going to be a time-consuming affair on the new iPhone Air.

7. eSIM only

Apple has switched to an eSIM-only variant for iPhone Air worldwide to make space for battery and other components in a thin chassis. As always, you can use two eSIM lines simultaneously and store eight or more eSIMs on the device.

Now, iPhone 14 and later models sold in the United States already have no slot for a physical SIM. But the rest of the market still gets a physical SIM slot for iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max, with iPhone Air being the only exception. If you’re someone like me who must have a physical SIM slot, then the iPhone Air is not for you.

8. No 5G mmWave support

Unlike the iPhone 12, 12 mini, and later models, the iPhone Air doesn’t support 5G mmWave, which means you may not get the best 5G speeds. But dropping mmWave does mean less battery consumption, so that may have been Apple’s rationale behind this decision. Plus, for the most part, the lack of mmWave should not be a deal breaker, irrespective of which part of the world you’re in.

9. No LiDAR scanner

Even though the iPhone Air features a massive camera bump (called the plateau), it still lacks a LiDAR sensor. As it has been for a while, LiDAR remains limited to just the Pro iPhones and iPads.

My thoughts about the new iPhone Air…

The iPhone Air comes with compromises, most notable being a shorter battery life. But I still think this is an exciting device.

If you’re someone who doesn’t use a case with their phone, doesn’t care about macro or ultra wide photos, and has a habit of plugging in your phone for charging every night, the iPhone Air will be a great device for you.

But for everyone else, this year’s regular iPhone 17 with 120Hz display, good battery life, and 256 GB base storage, is the phone to consider.

Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2025/09/10/iphone-air-drawbacks/