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What is the most premium looking new iPhone?!

  • iPhone 17

    Votes: 9 8.0%
  • iPhone 17 Pro / Pro Max

    Votes: 23 20.4%
  • iPhone Air

    Votes: 81 71.7%

  • Total voters
    113
Most people agree it’s the Air. Of course it looks nice, but I don’t care what my phone looks like, I just choose a case that I like the looks of. I only care that my phone is the most useful tool for my own needs.

Of course. Well said my friend
 
I saw the 17 Pro and Pro Max at the Apple Store and they look so cheap. I wanted to upgrade but it feels like a big step down from my 13 Pro. Guess I will wait until next year to see if they make any changes.
 
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The Air does have a premium look for sure, but I like the Pro's. I think the new Pro style is a premium look (very subjective I know), but the beefy solid look seems more premium to me than the ultra thin Air.
 
The polished frame looks tacky. For me premium design is not about shiny materials.
I prefer beautiful lines and proportions (iPhone 17)
But I do love the Air nevertheless, even if it doesn't look premium in my eyes.
 
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Let’s see what the members here at MacRumors think…
"Premium" is a misleading choice of word IMO. The iP17 Air with its titanium alloy frame clearly has the most elegant design, but IMO intentionally changing use of the word premium by saying "premium-looking" in a poll is misleading when the Pro unequivocally has the features that define a more correct definition of premium.
 
"Premium" is a misleading choice of word IMO. The iP17 Air with its titanium alloy frame clearly has the most elegant design, but IMO intentionally changing use of the word premium by saying "premium-looking" in a poll is misleading when the Pro unequivocally has the features that define a more correct definition of premium.

I disagree. We are not talking about the features here. We are just talking about the looks and the design. Therefore the word premium looking.
 
Does the Air look premium, or does it simply look unique?

Never confuse innovation with quality.

This is my take as well after observing customers and listening to comments at an Apple Store.

Many comment that it’s thinner, not that it’s nice. The moment they flip over the phone and see the back, they’re a bit turned off by the single camera. Reminds me of the intrigue people had with the mini.
 
Air can take the most premium looking spot, I will gladly take the most premium performing phone any day.

Of course. I’m with you 100%

If you want the best performance then the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max is the clear winner hands down. No questions asked. Nothing else comes close.

And if you want the most stylish, luxurious and premium looking iPhone, there is only one winner and that is the iPhone Air.
 
I've handled all the new iPhones and I would say that the Air is definitely the most premium device.

I wouldn't purchase it though as I am more interested in the uncompromised performance of the Pro or even base 17.
 
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The light gold iPhone Air is nice, but wish it was more gold than just the edge. It's more off-white and a gold edge.

I also wouldn't purchase the Air, the 17 Pro is the better phone overall.

I still like my natural titanium iPhone 15 Pro.
 
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Premium looking: It’s the air. I was at the Apple Store playing around with it. And it’s a very premium device. That being said, I think the Premium overall phones are the pro and pro max.
 
Premium looking: It’s the air. I was at the Apple Store playing around with it. And it’s a very premium device. That being said, I think the Premium overall phones are the pro and pro max.
It has premium performance yes, but we are talking about the build quality/feeling in the hand.

PS: Looks like the Air is winning by a landslide... over 70% of votes.
 
This is purely subjective as I have been reading in these posts. It comes down to what is it that you, the user, desire in any iPhone. For some they are happy with the base model whereas others are primarily focused on top of the line where there are no compromises in performance and features. I get it. I got my 15 Pro Max based on not wanting to compromise on anything and getting the titanium frame. For me this was the epitome of having a premium iPhone and I have been happy with my iPhone since.

What changed for me is form factor, even though my 15 Pro Max is an awesome iPhone, it is heavy compared to the new iPhone air. Looking at the current lineup, I being a Pro Max owner, was not impressed by the build quality of the new Pro series iPhone but that is my preference not yours (everyone reading this post).

For a premium level iPhone I still prefer the use of Titanium for the frame for stronger support and finish. When I saw the new Air, I was enamored with the thinness of this iPhone and that it also had the A19 Pro processor (even with one less GPU core). For my use, the one less GPU core, was not an issue nor not having the vapor chamber in my use case.

As these phones continue to increase in price, I decided to get the 1TB Air which sadly, costs pretty much the same as my 1TB 15 Pro Max did. I don't feel I downgraded with the new iPhone as others here may disagree. For my use case this new iPhone does everything that I have been using an iPhone for so the added features as Pro Raw, which I never used on my 15 Pro Max, is a feature I realize I did not need on an iPhone going forward.

If I had to choose the new iPhone all over again, my choice is very clear . . . I would chose getting a 1TB iPhone Air and would still have it in Space Black. So premium is subjective on what it is that you desire. For me the iPhone Air is a premium level phone that is not quite at Pro level performance and features however is still premium in the choice of materials and footprint. It is an amazing looking and light iPhone that fits right into how I use my iPhone, perfect for me which is all that truly matters.
 
Wow, how times have changed… In the good old days, we’d have burned this place to the ground after days of passionately arguing about these horribly mismatched curves!
Bildschirmfoto 2025-09-27 um 17.25.46.png
 
"Premium" is a misleading choice of word IMO. The iP17 Air with its titanium alloy frame clearly has the most elegant design, but IMO intentionally changing use of the word premium by saying "premium-looking" in a poll is misleading when the Pro unequivocally has the features that define a more correct definition of premium.

So... fun fact: this is the actual dictionary definition of premium:

IMG_6469.jpeg
It's actually simple: quality + higher priced.

The Pro line and even base this year are the "best value". No doubt. You are getting more features for less money.

But durability, material choice, and design all go to Air. You can't argue "quality" between titanium vs aluminum. And finally, Air is objectively "higher priced" per feature vs all others. So it actually fits the dictionary definition of "premium" to a tee.
 
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