Should you buy iPhone Air or stick with your current model?

WEB DESK: When Apple announced the iPhone 17 lineup earlier this month, all eyes were on a newcomer: the iPhone Air. This sleek and ultra-thin device replaces the old “Plus” model in the series, and Apple is clearly betting big on its design appeal.

But with a price tag starting at $999, the question many buyers are asking is simple: is it actually worth it?

Let’s break down what the Air offers, how it compares to last year’s iPhone 16 Plus and the rest of the iPhone 17 family, and whether it’s really a smart buy.

First impressions

Apple is marketing the Air as the “thinnest iPhone ever” and they are not exaggerating. At just 5.64 mm thick, it is noticeably slimmer than the iPhone 16 Plus, which was 7.8 mm. The weight has also dropped significantly, from 199 grammes to 165 grammes.

In your hand, this change is instantly obvious. The Air feels feather-light compared to the Plus, and for many people, that alone will make it attractive. Apple has also trimmed down its height and width slightly, giving it a more compact frame despite its large screen. The back design has changed too: the camera block now stretches across the width of the phone, a design Apple says improves balance and grip.

And of course, there are new colours. The Air is offered in Sky Blue, Light Gold, Cloud White, and Space Black. These shades are more understated than last year’s bold Ultramarine and Teal, which suggests Apple is aiming for a more elegant look.

The screen: smaller, but smarter

Here’s where things get interesting. The iPhone Air’s display is slightly smaller than the 16 Plus, dropping from 6.69 inches to 6.55 inches. At first glance, this sounds like a downgrade. But Apple has compensated by packing in serious upgrades.

The Air borrows features from the Pro models, including the coveted ProMotion display. That means the screen can refresh anywhere from 1Hz to 120Hz depending on what you’re doing. Scrolling feels smoother, gaming looks sharper, and battery life improves because the phone isn’t wasting power when you’re reading something static.

You also get an Always-On display, which keeps the time, widgets, and notifications visible without waking the phone. Outdoor visibility has been boosted with 3,000 nits of peak brightness, which is a major step up from last year’s 2,000 nits. Combined with a new anti-reflective coating, the Air is one of the easiest iPhones to use under harsh sunlight.

‘MacBook Pro-level performance’

Inside, the iPhone Air is powered by Apple’s new A19 Pro chip, which is also found in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. Apple claims it delivers “MacBook Pro-level performance”, and early tests show it’s not far off. AI tasks, such as photo editing and live translation, run much faster thanks to upgraded Neural Accelerators. Gaming also benefits, with Apple boasting a GPU that’s three times faster than last year’s A18.

The Air comes with 12 GB of RAM, up from 8 GB in the iPhone 16 Plus, and storage starts at 256 GB. Unfortunately, Apple has scrapped the cheaper 128 GB option, which means the entry-level price is higher than the Plus model’s base.

The compromises

To make the Air so thin, Apple had to cut back somewhere. The biggest loss is in the camera department. The iPhone 16 Plus came with both wide and ultra-wide cameras. The Air only has a single 48MP Fusion Wide camera.

It’s still a strong shooter, capable of capturing full-resolution images at 2x zoom without losing detail, but you won’t get the flexibility of an ultra-wide lens. Cinematic Mode for video is also gone. For casual photographers, this may not matter much, but anyone who loved experimenting with multiple lenses might find it limiting.

The front camera, however, is a huge improvement. Apple introduced its new Center Stage technology on iPhone for the first time. Using an 18MP square sensor, the camera automatically adjusts during video calls to keep you in frame, whether you’re moving around or taking group selfies. It’s a clever touch that makes video chats feel more natural.

Battery life and charging

Despite being thinner, the Air manages up to 27 hours of offline video playback, which is the same as the 16 Plus. Streamed video playback has dipped slightly, from 24 hours to 22, but Apple offers a new MagSafe battery pack accessory that can push it up to 40 hours.

Charging is faster too: you can now hit 50% battery in just 30 minutes using a 20W adapter, compared to 35 minutes before. It’s not a huge difference, but every minute counts when you’re rushing out the door.

Connectivity upgrades

The iPhone Air introduces Apple’s first in-house wireless chip, designed to improve AirDrop and hotspot reliability. It also includes Bluetooth 6 and precision dual-frequency GPS, plus support for India’s NavIC system. On top of that, the new C1X modem promises faster speeds while using 30% less energy than the Qualcomm alternatives.

There is one catch though. It doesn’t support mmWave 5G, so you’ll be limited to sub-6GHz bands. For most users, especially outside the US, this won’t be a dealbreaker.

iPhone Air price in Pakistan

Here’s where things get tricky. The iPhone Air starts at $999 for the 256GB model, the same launch price as the iPhone 16 Plus. However, the Plus offered a cheaper $899 entry point with 128GB storage. That option no longer exists, which means the minimum buy-in for a new iPhone has gone up.

The 512GB version of the Air costs $1,199, while a 1TB model is available for $1,399. Compared with the Pro and Pro Max, the Air is cheaper, but it sits in the middle of Apple’s latest lineup.

In Pakistan the situation is very different. Since Apple does not officially operate here and has no retail store, iPhones are brought in by private companies and sellers who set their own prices. Officially, the iPhone Air’s $999 price converts to around Rs282,200. But due to import restrictions and early demand, the same model is currently being sold for as high as Rs400,000 in the local market for the 256GB dual e-SIM model.

That Rs400,000 price tag applies to non-PTA approved Air units. To get a phone officially PTA-approved for use with local SIM cards, buyers may need to pay up to Rs210,000 in additional PTA registration fees. This pushes the total cost even higher, making the iPhone Air an expensive purchase for many. Still, loyal Apple fans or those drawn to its ultra-thin design may not hesitate to pay the premium.

At present, prominent “distributors” such as Airlink and Mercantile have not yet released box-packed, PTA-approved iPhone 17 units in Pakistan. Market watchers expect prices to ease once these companies begin offering officially cleared stock. For now, however, local shops and individual sellers are charging whatever the market will bear, and in the first few months after launch, that usually means significantly inflated prices.

Who should buy the iPhone 17 Air?

The iPhone 17 Air is a stylish piece of engineering. It’s the thinnest and lightest big-screen iPhone ever, with premium features like ProMotion, Ceramic Shield 2, and the powerful A19 Pro chip. The design alone will win over buyers who want a phone that looks and feels different from everything else in the lineup.

But it comes with trade-offs. Losing the ultra-wide camera and Cinematic Mode might disappoint content creators. Battery life, while still good, is not class-leading. And with no budget-friendly storage tier, the Air feels slightly overpriced.

If you value portability, design, and cutting-edge performance more than having the best camera setup, the Air makes sense. If photography and battery endurance matter more, the Pro models are better suited.

So, is the iPhone 17 Air worth it? For design enthusiasts, absolutely. For everyone else, it may just be a beautifully thin compromise.