Which iPhone 17 Mannequin Ought to You Purchase?

Apple’s 2025 iPhones are right here, and issues are fairly totally different for the primary time shortly. The bottom iPhone 17 will nonetheless really feel acquainted, however the iPhone 17 Professional fashions have a very new look, and there is a brand-new mannequin known as the iPhone Air. The “Air” branding has been considerably diluted of late—the current-gen iPad Professional fashions are lighter than the iPad Air—however the iPhone Air brings which means again to the authentic concept: a super-thin and ultra-lightweight gadget.

Preorders kick off September 12, and official gross sales begin September 19. If you happen to’re contemplating an improve, what mannequin do you have to get? I will break down the important thing variations and similarities among the many iPhone 17 lineup, so you possibly can hopefully make a extra knowledgeable selection in your subsequent iPhone.

You Don’t Have to Improve

In case you have an iPhone from only a few years in the past, you in all probability needn’t improve to Apple’s newest, until your gadget has points. Even then, there are issues you are able to do to repair your iPhone, like getting a battery alternative, or you possibly can attempt a few of these troubleshooting steps. The purpose is, you should not really feel the necessity to improve simply because Apple has a brand new mannequin.

If you happen to’re set on shopping for an iPhone 17 mannequin, we’ve a information on the way to promote your iPhone in order that it does not simply accumulate mud in a drawer. When your new gadget arrives, again up your previous iPhone earlier than switching to the brand new one, then observe our information on manufacturing unit resetting your gadget earlier than promoting or giving it away. We even have tips about the way to arrange your new iPhone and what settings to alter to get essentially the most out of it.

Which iPhone 17 Is Proper for You?

Let’s rapidly discuss in regards to the similarities throughout all of the iPhone 17 fashions this yr, and sure, that features the iPhone Air, even when it does not have “17” within the identify.

The Show

Though iPhones differ in display screen dimension, all of them function an OLED display screen (Apple refers to it as a Tremendous Retina XDR show) and make use of ProMotion expertise. That is the primary time the non-Professional fashions have ProMotion, which is basically a 120-Hz refresh price.

This has been a typical function on Android telephones for some time, nevertheless it means your show refreshes 120 occasions per second slightly than 60, like on the iPhone 16, so every part you do will really feel smoother. (We’ve a broader explainer right here.) These are adaptive refresh charges that may drop as little as 1 Hz when there’s little exercise on the display screen, which is why the brand new iPhone 17 and iPhone Air now assist the always-on show.

Apple additionally says there is a new Ceramic Protect 2 entrance glass that is 3X extra scratch-resistant than earlier than, and a brand new antireflective coating to scale back glare. All of those screens may also hit as much as 3,000 nits of peak brightness, which means it will be simpler to learn your iPhone display screen on sunny days.

The Digital camera

The front-facing selfie digital camera is equivalent on all of the iPhone 17 fashions. It is a new square-shaped 18-megapixel sensor, and which means you possibly can count on extra element out of your selfies. Nonetheless, the sq. sensor additionally introduces a wiser method to seize group selfies. You may hold holding your telephone in portrait orientation for the very best grip, and it’ll routinely zoom out to ensure everybody suits within the body, whereas additionally switching to a panorama orientation for the widest view. All of those fashions additionally assist Twin Seize, which helps you to shoot with each the entrance and rear cameras on the identical time. You may learn extra about these options right here.

The Typical Specs

The entire iPhones are IP68 water- and dust-resistant and have Face ID, the Digital camera Management button, Motion Button, USB-C, and Qi2 magnetic wi-fi charging (MagSafe). All gadgets begin at 256 GB of storage. There’s Apple Intelligence on these gadgets, the identical Emergency SOS through Satellite tv for pc and Crash Detection capabilities, and so they make the most of Apple’s new N1 wi-fi networking chip for Bluetooth 6, Wi-Fi 7, and Thread assist.

The Variations

{Photograph}: Julian Chokkattu

Now, here is the place they diverge, which can enable you higher perceive what mannequin to purchase.