With the recent launch of the iPhone 17 lineup, Apple has made a significant change by discontinuing the Plus model in favor of the new iPhone Air. This article explores the key differences and features of these two models to help you make an informed decision.
The most noticeable distinction between the iPhone Air and the iPhone 16 Plus lies in their designs. The iPhone Air is remarkably thinner and lighter, measuring just 5.64 mm in thickness compared to the iPhone 16 Plus's 7.80 mm. It weighs 165 g (5.82 oz), a significant reduction from the 199 g (7.03 oz) of its predecessor. Furthermore, the iPhone Air is also shorter and narrower, standing at 6.15 inches (156.2 mm) tall and 2.94 inches (74.7 mm) wide, compared to the iPhone 16 Plus, which measures 6.33 inches (160.9 mm) tall and 3.06 inches (77.8 mm) wide.
Another design feature worth noting is the full-width camera plateau on the back of the iPhone Air, which is shorter than that of the iPhone 16 Plus.
Apple has streamlined the color palette for the iPhone Air, offering a selection that includes Sky Blue, Light Gold, Cloud White, and Space Black. In contrast, the iPhone 16 Plus featured a more vibrant range of colors, such as Ultramarine, Teal, Pink, White, and Black.
The iPhone Air boasts a stunning 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR Display equipped with ProMotion technology, inherited from the iPhone 17 Pro. This upgrade introduces significant improvements over the iPhone 16 Plus, including:
An adaptive refresh rate ranging from 1Hz to 120Hz, resulting in smoother visuals and enhanced battery life. An Always-On display feature that allows the screen to display time, widgets, and notifications even when the device is asleep.Although the display on the iPhone Air is slightly smaller at 6.55 inches compared to the 6.69 inches of the iPhone 16 Plus, it maintains an impressive resolution of 2736 × 1260 at 460 ppi (pixels per inch), compared to the 2796 × 1290 at 460 ppi of the iPhone 16 Plus.
Additionally, the iPhone Air includes Ceramic Shield 2, enhancing screen durability with a new coating that provides three times better scratch resistance and features a seven-layer anti-reflective coating to minimize glare. The peak brightness has also been increased to 3000 nits outdoors, up from 2000 nits last year, promising twice the contrast in bright environments.
Equipped with the A19 Pro chip, the iPhone Air delivers superior performance compared to the iPhone 16 Plus, which features the A18 chip. The A19 chip enhances AI capabilities through new Neural Accelerators, promising “MacBook Pro-levels” of power for machine learning tasks and gaming, with the GPU boasting up to three times the peak compute performance of the previous generation. Furthermore, the iPhone Air features 12 GB of RAM, an increase from the 8 GB found in the iPhone 16 Plus, contributing to improved multitasking and performance.
According to Apple's tests, the battery performance of the iPhone Air is comparable to that of the iPhone 16 Plus in certain scenarios:
Up to 27 hours of video playback (downloaded), matching the performance of the iPhone 16 Plus. Up to 22 hours of streamed video playback, a slight decrease from the iPhone 16 Plus's 24 hours.Apple also provides a special MagSafe Battery accessory, which boosts performance to:
Up to 40 hours of video playback (downloaded), an improvement over the 27 hours. Up to 35 hours of streamed video playback, up from 24 hours.Additionally, the iPhone Air offers faster charging, achieving up to 50% charge in just 30 minutes with a 20W adapter or higher, compared to 35 minutes for the iPhone 16 Plus.
To achieve the sleek design of the iPhone Air, some compromises were made, notably the absence of an Ultra Wide camera. However, it retains the impressive 48MP Fusion Wide camera found in the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup. This “Fusion” technology allows users to capture full-resolution 12MP photos at 2x zoom without sacrificing quality through digital zoom. Although the camera itself isn't entirely new, it benefits from improved processing capabilities, maintaining excellent Portrait mode functionality.
One feature that has been removed is the Cinematic Mode for video recording, but the iPhone Air introduces the all-new Center Stage front camera. This upgraded front-facing camera utilizes a square image sensor, enabling seamless transitions between portrait and landscape orientations. With an 18MP resolution, it ensures high-quality selfies and video calls, automatically adjusting the frame during FaceTime calls or when taking selfies. Additionally, the camera supports dual capture mode, allowing simultaneous recording from both the front and back cameras.
The iPhone Air also features a new in-house wireless chip, enhancing overall connectivity and reliability for features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop. It now comes with Bluetooth 6, offering improved wireless performance. Furthermore, the device is equipped with precision dual-frequency GPS for more accurate location tracking and supports NavIC in India.
Additionally, the iPhone Air introduces the new C1X cellular modem, which boasts speeds up to twice as fast as the previous C1 modem while consuming 30% less energy. However, it's important to note that the C1X modem does not support mmWave 5G, limiting connectivity to sub-6GHz speeds.
The iPhone Air starts at $999 for the 256 GB model, aligning with the price of the iPhone 16 Plus with the same storage capacity. However, the iPhone Air does not offer a $899 128 GB option like its predecessor. For those needing more storage, a 512 GB model is available for $1,199, mirroring the pricing of the iPhone 16 Plus. A new 1TB option is also introduced, priced at $1,399. The iPhone Air is available for purchase online and in stores now.
In conclusion, the iPhone Air presents a fresh and innovative approach to Apple's smartphone lineup, showcasing significant advancements over the iPhone 16 Plus while maintaining a sleek design. Whether you're drawn by its ultra-thin profile, impressive display, or enhanced performance, the iPhone Air stands out as a compelling choice for consumers.
