The Regular iPhone 17 is Reportedly Proving Popular — Here's Why

[ThatsMeRight]

A lot of people keep quoting this as if its gospel, and its from Apples site so fair enough (video watching hours), but in real world battery usage I am almost certain the iPhone Air will be noticeably inferior to the 16 Pro.

Apple has published the EU battery test results (which is a very wide mix of web browsing, phone call, streaming, gaming, etc). The Air beats the 16 Pro in that test.

 

[Sammy in SoCal]

IMO, the Air is inferior. It is smaller than Plus sized, but missing a camera. Also, it's eSIM only which can be an annoyance in some countries.

The Air specs really reminds me of the 16e, just thinner with a bigger screen. However, the 16e is value priced, and the Air isn't.

If that’s your assessment, you’re missing the point. And the point is the aesthetics as Apple has not ever done a phone this thin with a titanium frame. Lots of people will be drawn to having something that’ll feel like holding a display in your hand. Also, let’s not miss the point that the air will have 12gb of ram and the A19 Pro.

 

[ThatsMeRight]

I actually kind of want the regular 17 just due to the lighter weight. The 17 pro is now at like 7.3oz, approaching half of a fricking pound for a phone.

My AT&T plan lets me get both the pro and regular 17 for free though, so seems silly to not take advantage and get the pro. Really only care about the camera system.

These 17's in general seem great, but the 18s next year will probably also be a pretty large leap forward due to:
- 2nm lithography for even more efficiency (we've been on 3nm for quite a while now)
- introduction of C2/N2 chips for even more efficiency
- A20 will likely have some serious AI optimization areas of the SoC

Aren't you than just paying too much for your phone plan? Obviously nothing is free in life and you're paying one way or another. Maybe it's time to get a cheaper phone plan?

 

[Artemiz]

I don’t know how popular it is considering it’s still gonna be delivered on launch day with no delays.

 

[EugW]

If that’s your assessment, you’re missing the point. And the point is the aesthetics as Apple has not ever done a phone this thin with a titanium frame. Lots of people will be drawn to having something that’ll feel like holding a display in your hand. Also, let’s not miss the point that the air will have 12 GB of RAM in the A19 Pro.

That's not missing the point, it's being realistic. While it has it charms, most people aren't going to be swayed by those, and as I said before, I think it will be the worst seller of the four models this year.

The 12 GB RAM is nice to have, but 8 GB is totally fine, which is what is in last year's 16 Pro Max. As for the A19 Pro SoC, it's binned, and has the same number of GPU cores as the A19 non-Pro. Furthermore, if you actually need the A19 Pro's advanced SoC features, you're probably going to want an iPhone Pro anyway. Nobody is going to be buying the iPhone Air to shoot professional 4K video for example.

To put it another way, in Jonny Ive design fashion, the Air sacrifices almost everything else in the pursuit of thinness.

 

[Sammy in SoCal]

I don’t know how popular it is considering it’s still gonna be delivered on launch day with no delays.

Actually, I went to Apples website to try to order one to see if that was the case and I have to say that you are right. BUT, I think once people are able to visit the store and see it in person and hold it in hand and marvel at the aesthetics and weight, I think that’s when you’ll see the uptick in sales. How much of an uptick remains to be seen.

 

[EugW]

Actually, I went to Apples website to try to order one to see if that was the case and I have to say that you are right. BUT, I think once people are able to visit the store and see it in person and hold it in hand and marvel at the aesthetics and weight, I think that’s when you’ll see the uptick in sales. How much of an uptick remains to be seen.

I agree. It may sell better once people have it in hand. But I also still think it will still sell the worst.

 

[Sammy in SoCal]

That's not missing the point, it's being realistic. While it has it charms, most people aren't going to be swayed by those, and as I said before, I think it will be the worst seller of the four models this year.

The 12 GB RAM is nice to have, but 8 GB is totally fine, which is what is in last year's 16 Pro Max. As for the A19 Pro SoC, it's binned, and has the same number of GPU cores as the A19 non-Pro. Furthermore, if you actually need the A19 Pro's advanced SoC features, you're probably going to want an iPhone Pro anyway.

To put it another way, in Jonny Ive design fashion, the Air sacrifices almost everything else in the pursuit of thinness.

From a tech enthusiast point of view, it will be missing features that we will be conscious of, I agree. And sales being the worst? Maybe. Worst than than the previous plus phones? Don’t know. But how will the average consumer who is not conscience of the variables such as your average female look at this and not be an enamored by it? lol I’ll be curious to see how it plays out.

 

[JPack]

People buying the Air are just beta testing future, thinner versions of the Pro without their knowledge.

Thinner versions of the Pro without the cameras, audio quality, battery life, or sustained performance.

That’s like a meatless burger.

Used car salesmen would love to apply this pitch to their products.

 

[EugW]

From a tech enthusiast point of view, it will be missing features that we will be conscious of, I agree. And sales being the worst? Maybe. Worst than than the previous plus phones? Don’t know. But how will the average consumer who is not conscience of the variables such as your average female look at this and not be an enamored by it? lol I’ll be curious to see how it plays out.

Well, ignoring the 16e for the moment the iPhone 16 Plus was the worst seller out of the 16 series. I'm not claiming the Air will do worse than the 16 Plus, but that's a pretty low threshold to hit. It will be interesting too to see if it can sell as many as the 16e. However, I'm pretty sure the Air will exceed the sales of the minis.

Overall, I think this year's big winner will be the iPhone 17. The Pros will do well, but I'm thinking they may not do as well as in previous years, since the 17 is now really a Pro Lite and a very attractive buy at its price point. People moving away from the Pros won't move to the Air for the most part. They will move to the 17.

 

[bradman83]

Pro-motion.

Hopefully the iPad Air and mini will follow. Then the pro will become less popular.

The biggest thing keeping me on a MacBook Pro is ProMotion. If I could upgrade the Air to the screen of a Pro as a BTO option I would totally go that route for the thinness.

 

[SouthPalito]

bold prediction. we already know the Pro is in more demand than the Air.

and with the base model getting "premium" features like 120Hz then there is less reason for people to spend more now.

All the Air does is restructure the iPhone line up and help Apple justify a future "ultra" iPhone which will be the folding iPhone.

Thats demand from the small group of Apple enthusiasts who eagerly purchase the new models on the first day. However, the majority of people will buy the Air from their cell service providers.

 

[winxmac]

Even though I don't like the number 17, I can say that the iPhone 17 is the best iPhone since they introduced multiple sizes in 2014.

iPhone XS, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro, have the same set of features as their larger counterpart except for the bigger screen and bigger battery.

 

[schneeland]

Man ... if they'd made a slightly smaller option I'd be all over it.

This is just such a large screen/device still.

Yeah. It's not that I really expect Apple to offer it, but a somewhat smaller version (doesn't need to be 5.4" like the previous Minis, 5.7" or 5.8" is fine) would definitely be compelling.

I'd also appreciate if they found a way to integrate the cameras which allows the phone to lie flat on the table again, but that can probably be mitigated by a 3rd party case.

 

[TVreporter]

Makes me regret having the 15 base even more and how quickly it was neglected (thanks AI!)

Stuck on a contract for another year with the model. May the 18 base offer much of the same!

 

[@Brett]

With all due respect, who wrote this article? "Because of the screen"? and that's it?

People are talking everywhere about how the base iPhone 17 will be bought in mass.
Not a SINGLE reviewer/youtuber recommends either the pro or the air, just the base model.

Why? Because is almost identical (if not better) to any previous Pro iPhone. And nobody is talking about specific picky details so don't come at me telling me "But A19 pro..."

We should have a proper and way larger article about the benefits of the base model vs previous years and the EXTREME popularity the base iPhone will have this year.

I think the problem is relying on reviewers/youtubers. They all have their own agenda. You need to choose what is right for you based on your use case.

 

[JosephAW]

It’s the only one left 📱

 

[Johnny907]

Only reason I went with the Pro is the Cameras. I’ll be holding onto it for at least 3 years and I really want that longer zoom. But for most people the base 17 is more than enough.

 

[WPT_Bill]

I’m looking forward to the entry level 17! I’ve never been a photographer… ½ of my camera roll is probably screen shots… and I think they’ve added all the compelling features this time around. I was a fan of the Mini and would buy another in a heartbeat but since I can’t, entry 17 sounds great. And I’m upgrading from… the iPhone 15 Pro!! Am I crazy? With trade-in it’ll cost me about $400!

 

[Johnny907]

I think the problem is relying on reviewers/youtubers. They all have their own agenda. You need to choose what is right for you based on your use case.

Good reviewers will give a balanced pro/con breakdown. This is why I always appreciated Dieter’s videos over at the Verge. I stopped visiting that site when he left. Nilay isn’t bad but you can tell he knows who butters his bread and is not as critical about Apple as he really should be.

 

[Moac]

The regular iPhone 17 seems the most obvious upgrade for most. I am still on 12 mini and it still runs great with new battery installed. I might upgrade but might wait a year or two more. What would really have me buying a new iPhone if they made another mini model. Maybe the cheaper version gets the mini size down the line?

 

[Peepeenuts]

Thinner versions of the Pro without the cameras, audio quality, battery life, or sustained performance.

That’s like a meatless burger.

Used car salesmen would love to apply this pitch to their products.

That's kind of my point... Right now there's just the thinness, but after the live beta testing and advancement in technology it might be the future of the pros (and the foldable probably).

 

[smulji]

Pretty much everything he said also applies to the 12" MacBook, but we all know how well that went.

It also applies to the first MBA that Steve Jobs pulled out of that skinny yellow envelope when he showed it off and we also know how that went. It went on to become the best-selling laptop and an industry-standard when it comes to industrial design. So, it can go either way.

 

[robvalentine]

Why buy an air, when the base 17 is a much better value, in fact the 16 isn't worth bothering with as the upgrade from 128 to 256gb gets you a much better phone. Also with the Air you need to spend another £100 to get actuall all day battery life with a magsafe battery.

 

[robvalentine]

I pre-ordered the 17. It has the same screen as the Pro while being $300 less and 29 grams lighter. A no brainer (for me) while I await the folding iPhone.

If I had better fiscal sense I would have done the same, I went pro max in the end, I like the size, and for me the telephoto is needed, but I did strongly consider it