My husband is a gadget lover. He is already using his second folding smartphone, the Galaxy Z Flip7. I’m a kind of gadget lover who “convinces me” more. If there’s a reason to be excited, I’m in there. Otherwise I’ll stick to what I have until I have a reason to upgrade. I still remember when Apple announced their Touch ID to end password fatigue. I bought it immediately.
My working computer is a Mac and monitoring my phone and viewing all together is practical and helpful, so I have been in the Apple ecosystem for over 10 years. Yes, that’s the definition of Apple Moat. But I don’t consider myself a fangirl. For the record, my personal computer (meaning I bought myself for job-related use) is the HP Spector for Windows. And I love it.
So I’m still using an iPhone 13. Just as I like Hubby’s phone fits very nicely in my pocket, I prefer practicality over novelty. However, my phone’s battery and touchscreen are aging and I don’t have a strong enough chip to run the promised Apple Intelligence AI Future. So it’s time to upgrade.
Today I was in the heartbeat of preparing to pre-order my new iPhone Air. It seemed to me like the best of all worlds: my little hands, a screen big enough to fit into the best chips, and just over $200 for over 17, but still cheaper than the pro. I was not a professional user. I don’t shoot Hollywood-style films and don’t have the hobby of a social media creator, so I’ve always opted for a better price.
But when I dive into the specs, the iPhone 17 looks like a better deal.
In favor of the air, it has a 6.5-inch screen compared to the 17’s 6.3-inch screen, but is lighter to hold. There is also an A19 Pro chip instead of an A19 chip. But, strangely enough, this is not the same as the Pro chip you’ve found on the Pro Phone. I have a 6-core CPU with a 5-core GPU. This is similar to the A19 on the 17 (Pro models have a 6-core CPU and a 6-core GPU).
According to Apple, the 17 beats the air with battery life and promises 27 hours for 30 hours of video playtime. Another $99 will buy a battery pack for air, with up to 40 hours of battery life, but the pack will beat the purpose of a lighter, thinner phone.
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Air uses a new, interesting calculation photography camera. In other words, the camera is equipped with software. This allows a single lens to function like multiple lenses. This includes some fun new features that allow for simultaneous front and rear camera shots. It’s good to film reactions to the world and it’s fun to own! However, the air doesn’t have the 48 megapixel fusion super-width lens that 17 has.
Air’s storage options are far better up to 1TB, but at a price. The 1T option costs $1,400, which means it’s $100 cheaper than the Pro’s 1T storage ($1,500).
Overall, as much as I want to love light air on the big screen, if I treat myself and get a high-end phone, I just go ahead and buy a pro.
If the air becomes Apple’s folding phone, then as part of the doubt you can throw away the 17 for a stunning folding iPhone at that point. Until then, for regular Joe users like me, 17 still seems like a better deal.
