Apple iPhone 17 series buying guide

Photography is crucial to smartphones and their users, even if they only use it for documentation. That makes the change to Fusion Cameras for both the 48MP main and ultrawide the practical reason to upgrade. You get additional shooting support in the form of a 2x optical-like telephoto (via the main camera) and macro shooting (via the ultrawide).

The new 18MP Center Stage front camera also makes it easier to get correctly oriented selfies and an adjustable field-of-view. As a whole, Apple made photo and video-taking easier and more flexible, which can even satisfy some former Pro users.

Of course, there are other upgrades like 3,000-nit peak brightness, Ceramic Shield 2 (in front), and a new Photographic Style, but those are complementary to the overall device. That pretty much covers all the upgrades seen at the keynote.

iPhone Air

As this is a new Pro variant to the iPhone lineup as “the thinnest iPhone ever” (thus far), there really isn’t a point of comparison unless you look outside of iOS (like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge).

Here’s how it compares against the iPhone 17 Pro models:

• You get up to 27 hours of video playback battery life, which is 3 to 6 hours fewer than the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, respectively.
• It has a single, main 48MP Fusion Camera on the back, which means fewer optical/optical-like zoom options (down from the three Pro cameras you usually get).
• In return, it’s 5.6mm thin and weighs 165g, a whopping ~35% thinner and ~20% lighter body than the iPhone 17 Pro.
• It comes with a screen size of 6.5 inches, which sits between the Pro (6.3-inch) and Pro Max (6.9-inch).
• There’s no physical SIM with the iPhone Air, but the iPhone 17 Pro models continue to offer it.

When compared against the iPhone 17:

• The iPhone Air gets the A19 Pro chip, which will likely be more powerful than the iPhone 17’s A19 chipset.
• iPhone Air is also 2.31mm thinner and 12g lighter than iPhone 17.
• Both displays have very similar pixel density. iPhone Air has a bigger 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display, but the pixel resolution (2,736 x 1,260 pixels, ~463.41 PPI) is very close to the 6.3-inch iPhone 17 (2,622 x 1,206 pixels, ~458.10 PPI).
• iPhone 17 is rated for 3 more hours of video playback battery life than the iPhone Air.
• The iPhone 17 retains physical nano-SIM compatibility with eSIM support, while the iPhone Air is eSIM-only.
• iPhone 17 actually has more optical zoom options (ultrawide, 1x, and 2x) because it has two rear cameras. iPhone Air has a single rear camera.
• iPhone 17 doesn’t have 1TB storage, but iPhone Air does.

As assessed in our hands-on, iPhone Air is a Pro variant, but not in the way that it caters to videography professionals like the Pro and Pro Max models do.

This slim version matters more to people who have reliable charging throughout the day, appreciate travelling light, and want to minimise handling fatigue during prolonged use (as we found out in our Galaxy S25 Edge review). It sounds ideal if your workplace, home, and even commute have reliable charging options (at your office desk, in your car, etc.).

Where the iPhone Air makes us feel conflicted is in its comparison to the iPhone 17. Even if you don’t care for its extra processing power, the end result for an iPhone Air is a slightly slimmer and lighter phone, but at the loss of video playback hours (battery life) and optical zoom options. And, it costs more.

A possible hiccup is that the iPhone Air is eSIM-only, worldwide. For Singaporean travellers, it’s hardly an issue for roaming data, but it’s worth noting that some roaming eSIM plans do not come with phone numbers or talktime minutes. Being eSIM-only also may affect your local mobile plan since you might still be on a physical SIM card, or your preferred MVNO doesn’t have eSIM support yet.

iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max

Like recent Pro iPhones, Apple has catered the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max to professional videographers, filmmakers, and video-based creators (amateur or otherwise) more than any other user type. It’s expected that they will receive numerous helpful features in these areas (e.g., ProRes RAW, genlock, Apple Log 2).

For the mass market, they also get to benefit from its Ceramic Shield 2 front and Ceramic Shield rear, as well as the new 18MP Center Stage front camera, although those perks are also present in all of the new phones that just launched.

Of all the cameras, the telephoto received the most upgrades on paper (which you can read about here). 4x optical zoom sounds a little nearsighted when you remember previous Pro models had 5x optical zoom. However, the change to Camera Plateau and Fusion Camera upgrades to telephoto mean you get an additional 8x optical-like zoom, on top of an upgrade to 40x digital zoom. That’s Apple finally breaking past its old 25x digital zoom after several years.

We also expect better thermals (and performance) than titanium-based iPhone models of the past. There are at least three things Apple did to ensure this: Apple itself said (during the keynote) that aluminium has 20x better thermal conductivity than titanium, and the Pro models have an extra cooling vapour chamber with deionised water sealed within their systems. It also moved antennas into its Camera Plateau, so the gains don’t stop at its claims of “40% better sustained performance”, but also in stability and strength for mobile data connectivity.

Even if we don’t get the eSIM-only models with two extra hours of video playback battery life, we can still expect longer uptimes. On the Apple website, the iPhone 17 Pro Max claims to have up to 37 hours. You can subtract the 2 bonus hours from eSIM-only versions, and still get up to 35 hours of playback; that’s 2 more hours than the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s 33 hours of video playback.

Should I upgrade to any of them?

Situational circumstances and outliers aside (e.g. yearly upgraders, replacing a koyak phone, buying it as a gift, a Pro-Max-or-nothing user, being filthy rich, etc.), all four models have tangible upgrades, but choosing well comes down to the following observations:

iPhone 17 – The practical choice for most

Non-Pro iPhone users, as well as Pro users who’ve not upgraded in a while (at least three years), would be well served by the base iPhone 17 model because Apple brought lots of advancements that were once Pro-only to this tier.

Although the phone screen is slightly larger at 6.3 inches compared to the previous 6.1 inches, the absence of a Plus model still makes it notably smaller. You’d need to consider if the smaller 6.3-inch display is ideal for your needs, without going all-out for a Pro Max variant.

Size aside, we think iPhone 17 is the phone to get this cycle, if you have no exceptional requirements.

iPhone 17 Pro / Pro Max – For creators

With most of the mass market perks going to the non-Pro iPhone 17 and the engineering ingenuity going to the iPhone Air, it’s a natural consequence that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max feel a little muted this cycle.

However, you’d still need to buy them if the multiple optical and optical-like zoom on its triple rear cameras matter a lot to your daily use, or if you’ve been waiting forever for those telephoto upgrades.

A word on 2TB storage on iPhone 17 Pro Max

It’s entirely possible that some users need a S$3,000+ 2TB iPhone 17 Pro Max model even if they don’t work with massive video or RAW files, since their entire career or life might be on the phone.

If you don’t use your iPhone for work, you might want to consider smaller Pro or Pro Max storage variants paired with a paid iCloud+ subscription instead. Besides storing your files on the cloud, this alternative has perks like auto backups over Wi-Fi, a built-in online privacy service called Private Relay, and the ability to upload/download your entire phone with settings and quirks intact whenever you need to change or upgrade phones. It’s S$13.98 a month for 2TB iCloud+ with all those extra perks.

For non-work iPhone users, we believe paying for cloud storage is more sensible than opting for a physical 2TB. You will need to use a 1TB Pro Max (S$2,499) with 2TB iCloud+ for 42 months for it to cost as much as a 2TB Pro Max alone (S$3,099). Get the cloud subscription before you spring for a 2TB Pro Max.

What about my selfies, OOTDs, GRWMs, and performative male tendencies?

The 18MP Center Stage front camera is on all models. If selfies matter more than any other tool in your iPhone, the iPhone 17 is the most budget-sensible choice. In the off-chance you become rich and famous because of your selfies, you can always buy a Pro or Pro Max after you’ve made it (it’s never too late).

Say real: Who best suits an iPhone Air?

The iPhone Air isn’t really up in the air if you’re already familiar with how Apple handles iPhones’ battery life, and have also tried other super-slim phones. There are several caveats to making the most out of it.

Before you buy one, visit an official Apple Store to thoroughly examine, hold, and feel the handset. If you genuinely like its build, consider whether you already have a lifestyle that makes it easy to access charging points, and if you don’t mind carrying its MagSafe Battery pack (or a power bank) with you at all times.

It’s also an ideal corporate phone, as the iPhone Air strips away many of its cameras but retains the upgraded front camera for video calls and online meetings. It also packs a Pro-tier processor, but comes in just under the Pro and Pro Max prices.

We hope this buying guide helped you sharpen your iPhone choice. Be sure to read all the other iPhone 17 series articles list below while you finalise your purchase.

When and where can you get the new iPhone 17 models?

All the new iPhone models start pre-orders from 8 PM on 12 September, while general availability and retail sales will begin on 19 September.

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