KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 — The TikTok algorithm tells me over and over again to get the iPhone 17 (if I’m buying) because it’s good enough.
Sure, the iPhone 17 now shares the same display as the iPhone 17 Pro: Super Retina XDR with Apple’s ProMotion tech (which gives you a 120hz refresh rate) as well as the same front camera.
There’s also a decentish 2x optical zoom and a hefty 48MP ultrawide camera.
Storage also starts at 256GB this time (finally) so on paper the base model iPhone has never looked so good.
What is the pull, then, for the Pro and Air models?
I’d say they will appeal to the same crowd who get the Samsung Ultra and Fold models instead of the FE and Flips.
Sometimes, you just want more power.
17 Pro Max — ergonomics matter
Currently being in treatment for a chronic illness makes me appreciate devices that don’t stress my hands out too much.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max is still very much a good phone but the weight and strain of using it one handed can be irksome even on days I feel great.
Tried to follow a Webex conference call by holding the phone and boy, was my hand cramped after.
Kids, don’t do what I did, just prop the phone up on a stand.
What the new 17 Pro design does is to make it easier to hold; while I’m somewhat sceptical about the camera bumps’ durability, the new design does make it easier to grip.
The aluminium also lightens the load and I’m hoping the better conductivity and heat dissipation also means better internet.
One thing I wasn’t happy about with the 16 Pro Max was that I could never be sure if it was my phone provider or the phone modem when my data signal was weak.
The iPhone 16e did show better mobile connectivity so I hope to see that as well with the 17 Pro.
Having only three colour choices — Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue and Silver — is par for the course with Apple and I wait for the day when the “chosen” colour of the year will be pink.
A metallic pink will see the Pro models flying from the shelves so I’m wondering what’s taking so long.
Orange is a rather divisive colour, while Deep Blue is the closest to black so if you want something sedate, this should fit the bill.
If you are the type who got the gold iPhones because they were just so shiny, Silver will probably scratch that itch.
Off-hand there isn’t anything irksome about the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s design but we’ll see if my opinion changes in the next few weeks.
What will be most exciting to test is the upgraded camera setup – all three rear cameras have 48MP and the front camera for all models is a hefty 18MP, and supports the new Center Stage features that let you capture landscape photos without needing to flip the phone on its side, as well as dual-capture video (rear and front simultaneously).
There’s also the 8x “optical-quality” zoom that should be fun to try out.
The iPhone Air hearkens back to Apple’s very slim phone days. — Picture by Erna Mahyuni
The era of thin phones returns
I am not looking forward to the videos of people trying to bend or run over the new iPhone Air.
Who could forget “Bendgate” or when Apple’s thin phones buckled easily under very bored tech reviewer’s experiments?
Still, Apple did share videos online of the punishing durability trials the new iPhones endured.
However, they have not met my sister who can shatter a phone screen by just looking at it sideways so it’s a good thing she is on a different continent.
I know who wants an iPhone Air; someone who carries their phone in their pocket or in-hand all the time.
The other day I saw a woman using a phone case with a crossbody strap (this was before Apple announced its own strap accessory) and seeing that it was an iPhone Pro, I thought, hey lady, I relate.
A skinny titanium phone that is so thin that it can’t fit the fancy Pro cameras? Well.
Last year, I’d laugh at the Air but after lugging around a very powerful but very heavy phone? I get it now.
If you’re a very heavy phone user who is always working on the phone the Air makes sense.
It will probably also appeal to the sociopaths (I say lovingly) who insist on using their phones “naked” — no case, sometimes not even a screen protector.
Just for fun I did try to see if I could bend it at the edges and nothing happened because I am not The Hulk.
The true test in the next coming days will be to see if I will find myself reaching for the sleeker, lighter iPhone Air or if I’ll prefer to rely on the more powerful iPhone that is probably smarter than all my ex-boyfriends combined.
In-hand it’s light but doesn’t feel flimsy and I look forward to seeing whether the iPhone Air (and additional optional external battery) is more than a novelty.
Still, even though it shares the same A19 Pro chip (but with one less GPU core than the iPhone 17 Pro models) it having only one rear 48MP camera with 2x optical zoom might be a dealbreaker for some.
Consider that Samsung’s Flip 7 costs the same, has a sleek folding design with two rear cameras though it also lacks a dedicated telephoto camera (like the iPhone Air).
The iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max pricing is as follows: RM5,499/RM5,999, RM6,499/RM6,999 and RM7,499/RM7,999 for the 256GB, 512GB and 1TB models respectively with the Pro Max having an additional option of 2TB for RM9,999.
As for the iPhone Air, it starts at RM4,999 for the 256GB model, RM5,999 for 512GB and RM6,999 for 1TB.
Both models are available from September 19 both online and in-store from the Apple Store or official retailers.
Look out for full reviews of the most powerful phones in the latest iPhone line-up in the coming weeks.