I spent some time with the new 2025 iPhone releases in my latest trip to the Apple Store in Singapore. I got to fiddle with the iPhone 17, the iPhone 17 Pro, the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the new iPhone Air. Typical of iPhone release cycles, reactions could be either hills or valleys depending on the year of release and the phone you own. For many, the jump from the iPhone 15 to iPhone 16 was not very significant in value proposition. But this year, I’m making the case that the iPhone 17 line seems to be quite an upgrade, with a compelling value proposition in specs and price, compared to the previous models.
iPhone 17
The iPhone 17 seems to be the most practical iPhone for the majority of the Philippine population. Without increasing the price from last year’s model, Apple has set a new baseline for specs with a noticeably brighter screen at 120Hz refresh rate.
The iPhone 17 is the new “everyone’s iPhone.” It’s meant for people who have planned to upgrade from the 13 or the 16 and sets a new baseline for what makes the iPhone great. I often get asked if “[insert year] is a good year to upgrade to the new iPhone, and it seems that this 2025 has less overlap with models with all the releases catering to specific market segments. The iPhone 17 is good value. Again, without increasing the price you get the new Center Stage camera feature that auto adjusts for portraits and group shots, the 48MP main Fusion Camera and the 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide for versatile photography. This series comes with the new Ceramic Shield 2 which is tougher than anything they’ve released in the past.
iPhone Air
If I were to pick the most innovative iPhone product for 2025, it would be the iPhone Air, but not for the reasons you think.
Apple has marketed this phone as the thinnest iPhone ever made, and this is factually correct. They’ve highlighted design and aesthetics as the two pillars of what this phone is all about. After handling the iPhone Air for about half a day I have come to the conclusion that this is their version of the “AI Phone” without saying it. Before all this I was a little skeptical of the Air, thinking it was more of a marketing gimmick to have another “thin phone” at 5.6mm like most other smartphone brands. The push to only having one camera felt like a step down, just to get everything thinner. But then if that was the case, why did the iPhone Air come with the same A19 Pro chip as the iPhone 17 Pro? That wouldn’t make sense. I also found out that the majority of the phone is located inside the plateau, the upper 20% of the device. Everything else is battery and screen.
The A19 Pro chip is the beating heart of the iPhone Air, allowing for better compute power for AI workflows that is most apparent in the camera (among other things). The 48MP Fusion Camera system is versatile, making use of AI image processing to do more with a lot less real estate. You get 1x low light, and 2x optical-quality zoom with telephoto and the front centerstage camera that can adjust for portraits or group photos.
After moderate use, I was surprised with the heat management, with most of the heating concentrated on the plateau. The battery itself does not heat up.
Although the iPhone Air does not need a case, we’ve seen the return of the bumper case from way back and this low profile case is probably the best case to highlight the thin form factor.
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max
The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are gorgeous and hefty devices with the new plateau unibody design. Both devices run the new A19 Pro chip, which is also found in the iPhone Air. Both devices have enhanced cooling features with the vapor chamber surrounding the unibody perimeter. In real world use of content creation in the afternoon that I got to try the devices, the top half of the iPhone 17 Pro Max would noticeably heat up but the vapor chamber would dissipate this heat quickly. Without a case it might be uncomfortable for longer and demanding tasks so I would recommend your favorite silicon or rubber casings for comfort.
The main selling point of the Pro series is the triple Fusion camera with three 48MP cameras: a main 28mm, an ultra wide 13mm for that ‘Gen Z selfie’ and telephoto at 8x or 100mm.
So which one is for you?
You can’t go wrong with the base iPhone 17. Side by side in specs and price, you have a specced up iPhone upgrade from the 16 at the same price – a better camera, a better chip, and a sturdier body.
The iPhone Air was made for people who believed in the MacBook Air or iPad Air. Thin, light, yet sturdy. Shedding the extra grams is tantamount to the discussion with the ultrawide camera and farther zoom being luxuries you can avoid. It’s also eSIM only so that it appeals to certain vagabonds. The iPhone Air is a phone we’re going to watch out for in its future iterations as this was the most interesting in the fold.
The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are really for power users. Big hands and all-day on the go mobile warriors will go for the Pro Max. These are your concert camera equivalents, a photographer’s upgrade, and really the best-in-class for performance.
