With the new iPhone Duo available on the 22nd and the iPhone 18 Pro / Pro Max midway last month, it breaks from the pattern of recent iPhone events where the entire year’s lineup is announced all at once. The iPhone Air and 17 are awaiting a refresh, rumored to arrive sometime in Spring 2027 – both are still solid choices for someone just looking to get a new phone.

Last year when the iPhone 17 lineup was announced I was still hanging onto a Deep Purple iPhone 14 Pro, somewhat indecisive until I saw JerryRigEverything’s video – that and the Air’s design sealed the deal. When it comes to chip performance, it probably would have made no meaningful difference to choose a 17, an Air, or a Pro – the A19 was already a massive improvement over the A16 Bionic. Living with an iPhone Air showed me why durability matters.

What I miss about the 14 Pro

Mainly the looks and cameras are what I miss about the 14 Pro, having to adapt without Ultra Wide lens shots, ultimately doing different techniques to get the better detail up-close shot. That, and Bokeh blur isn’t the way it used to be, now being on a single lens iPhone. I remember having more color depth, and more range of options being able to take photos, including more zoom.

It was a heavier Stainless Steel iPhone but not too unwieldy, the tradeoff being worth the remarkable durability over the 3 years it was my go-to – this stuck with me.

• See: iPhone 14 Pro Value Equation – 2025.01.05

In years past, my greatest fear of owning any smartphone was breaking it in a way that made it unusable without an ability to replace it, so I tended to be more careful, especially since I’d go out of my way to get a device I really like. In the 2010 – 14 era when I had devices like an iPhone 3Gs, iPhone 4, Droid X, Droid Razr Maxx and Droid Mini (all Motorola Droids), getting an Otterbox or someting comparable felt like the right choice. If you dropped a smartphone like a Droid X without a case, the battery cover and battery would separate, catapulting in random directions across the room.

As structural rigidity and build quality improved over the years, naturally, you want to feel like you can trust the device can hold up on day to day use without it so much as being an active thought. Buying a thin, translucent case is a reflection of my trust in the device’s ability to remain intact despite it being dropped, only stopping it from getting chips and scuffs from direct impacts against rough surfaces. The iPhone 14 Pro was the first phone where I didn’t feel like I needed an Otterbox-like case anymore. Still, I felt wary of the screen.

What iPhone Air got right

• No more frequent overheating: Happened only once in the entire time I had it. The 14 Pro would frequently overheat in the last year and last summer I had it, particularly when doing video calls.
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• Lighter: More comfortable to hold versus a 14 Pro, but also lower kinetic energy upon impact when dropped.
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• Larger screen: More screen real-estate, feels more like the Pro Max phones I bought before the 12 Pro Max introduced a sharp 90 degree angle metal side bands. Beautiful look, though.
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• Titanium: Significantly stronger and more scratch resistant than aluminum, resists deformation, does not bend into screen upon impacts
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• Sky Blue: I like the Sky Blue. I would have liked it more blue, and hope this color option remains through next year. It’s hard to pick, they all look good, even the gold reminds me of iPhone Xs Max from back in 2019.
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• 256 GB base storage: As someone who moved over from a 128 GB base model 14 Pro, the increased storage is much appreciated.
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• A19 Pro chip: Sure it’s not an A20 Pro, but it’s a very responsive, dependable, lag-free experience. It feels like it’ll remain a fast device for some time.
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• Center Stage 18 MP camera: Best front facing camera experience on any iPhone.
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• Rounded metal edges: More comfortable to hold versus the earlier 90 degree Pro iPhone designs, while keeping the sleek polished metal look.
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• Dedicated action camera button: Took some time of getting used to, but now I’d rather have one. It’s exactly what the Motorola Droid X had in 2010.
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• Raised plateau: Makes it easier to hold.

What I was considering

Before settling on the iPhone Air, I kept a more open mind to non-pro models than in past upgrades as I was looking mostly at generational CPU performance improvements, power consumption/battery enhancements, and something I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about with drops/accidents. Backtracking on cameras after springing for the Xs Max, 12 Pro Max and 14 Pro still has me wanting more, but this camera does a ton from its single lens.

Last year:

• iPhone 17: Had the extra camera, cost less, could have went with white, black or lavendar like the Purple iPhone, the A19 is a an incredibly fast chip with nearly all the benefits of the A19 Pro.
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• iPhone 17 Pro: It does have the vapor chamber for better CPU performance, a larger battery and a continuation of the types of camera I was used to. If I went with one of these, it would have been a Deep Blue color with a sturdier case like the Otterbox days. Aluminum felt like a downgrade even if it has better thermal properties for a smartphone than Titanium. Aluminum is a softer metal than Titanium.
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• Keeping the 14 Pro another year or more: The phone wasn’t slow, I imagine replacing the battery and fixing the mild screen de-lamination would’ve resulted in a similar experience as having the iPhone Air, but heavier, and with the occasional ice pack to keep the warning thermometer away.
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• Sell the 14 Pro, go back to an 11 Pro Max until something else: For a brief moment, I considered this. A larger screen, still had the triple camera array, I could get a used one with more storage while pocketing the rest, and it would have the rounded sides which made iPhone more comfortable to hold before the 12 Pro Max. Not sure if I would’ve liked going back to a 60 Hz screen, though.

This year:

• iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max: The new Sky Blue and Burgundy colors are quite nice as is the variable aperture. Vapor chamber is massively improved, an improved battery, and back to the triple camera setup. Still, the aluminum. If it were Titanium + glass, I’d buy one, even with a reduction in vapor chamber performance.
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• iPhone Duo: It’s a very fascinating phone, with a more squarish screen and a massive amount of screen real estate inside. It looks almost like a second generation Air, but foldable. The idea if using a square screen isn’t something I’m against, but it’s difficult to imagine. I tend to spring for newer technologies, though what could help me decide is by testing such a phone out for a week or so. My main concern is dropping the phone on it’s hinge, or having any sort of drop warp the hinge beyond usability.

(Above: Screenshot from Introducing iPhone Air 2 | First Look – fpt.)

• Why iPhone Air 2: It’s like taking the philosophy of a Pro iPhone from the 2017 X through 11 Pro Max era, except bringing it to modern spec – that era’s convergence of sleek polished metal design, performance, durability, ergonomic rounded metal sides, and increased cameras stuck with me. My iPhone Air survived being in my back pocket when I slipped, fell, and sat on it.

(Above: Screenshots from Introducing iPhone Air 2 | First Look – fpt.)

Battery after a year

Despite appearances, iPhone Air has about the same sized battery as the iPhone 14 Pro, and remains in the ballpark of what I expect on a day to day. More battery power would be nice, though the Air was doing better on iOS 26 with Apple Intelligence turned off.

I’m tempted to do the same in iOS 27, as I’m not seeing a real-world benefit yet. 94% Maximum capacity, 297 Cycles over 389 Days, 95% charge limit, and it’ll sometimes go to 100%, seldom let it get below 10%. Battery gets me through the day, I charge it whenever, and if I’m doing something which drains the battery such as video chatting with friends or using Zoom for work, running some emulations and games, etc; chances are I’m near a charger. It fast charges to 50% in 30 minutes on a 20-Watt charger (or better), which is nice.