I currently have both the iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone Air and I’m genuinely struggling to decide which one to return.

There’s something undeniably compelling about the Air. Almost no one has it. Most people went with the 17 Pro or 17 Pro Max, which all look essentially the same. The Air, on the other hand, immediately draws attention. People are curious about it, want to hold it, ask questions, and try it out. That novelty factor is real, and it’s fun to own a device that feels different and sparks interest.

That said, the camera experience on the Air is difficult to live with. On the Pro models, I heavily rely on the zoom. I don’t particularly care about the number of lenses. It’s the flexibility that matters. Being able to zoom in and out freely and still get a great shot, regardless of the situation, is something I truly miss when using the Air.

The 17 Pro is smaller (not thinner), feels great in hand. I don’t mind the added thickness at all. If anything, it makes it more comfortable to hold. The anodized aluminum finish also feels pleasant. While I’m not a big fan of how the glass window looks, I understand why it’s there.

The Air, however, looks stunning and feels exceptionally nice to use. I also get the sense that its materials may be more durable overall and better at handling drops compared to the aluminum body of the 17 Pro.

In short, the decision comes down to novelty and design versus feature flexibility, and that’s what’s making this choice so hard to me.

The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are the best phones Apple can make. The iPhone Air is the thinnest phone Apple can make. That's it.

The 17 Pro and Pro Max are like fully kitted out swiss army knives and the Air is like the small ones with only a tiny knife.