Trying Out Apple's New Products

A couple of iPhones and the new AirPods; most not really exciting with one huge (unexpected) highlight.

So after talking about me moving to the Pixel 9a with GrapheneOS, and then writing about how I am not ready for GrapheneOS yet, I decided to not only go back to the iPhone but try out the new iPhone 17 Pro, Apple’s shiny new iPhone Air, and the AirPods Pro 3.

Overall, I felt these updates were underwhelming, except for one highlight that I’m not sure if I’m going to stick with or not. This isn’t to say that Apple’s fall releases are bad, but for anyone who has an iPhone 14 or 15 and newer, they probably won’t find the phones much better — unless you really, really like Orange. Sorry, but I find that phone really ugly.

iPhone 17 Pro

I probably should have tried out the iPhone 17 Pro Max, but after using the Pixel 9a for a while, I thought going back to the smaller iPhone 17 Pro would be the right move for me. Unfortunately, the size was just too small. I have large hands, and after using it for four days I just couldn’t get used to it (maybe not long enough, but I don’t care). Even though I’m trying to use my phone less, texting and the screen space felt too tight on a 6.3-inch display for me now. The Max has ruined me.

Even though the size is small, I will say that it is still a great phone. I think the Deep Blue color is also great. Of all the colors that iPhones have come in over the years, I still think the Natural Titanium color is the best, and I still regret getting the black iPhone 15 Pro Max to this day. I still like my Pro Max, but the Natural Titanium is just so good looking.

The smaller bezels and more rounded sides, which I think are similar to the 16 Pro, on the 17 Pro are great. It does feel like an upgrade, just not enough for me. I also don’t mind that Apple went back to aluminum since my 15 Pro Max gets so hot so often. The screen dims all the time, which was part of the reason I considered upgrading. But overall, the 17 Pro just didn’t feel like it provided enough to keep it, so I returned it and traded it in for an iPhone Air to try out.

AirPods Pro 3

Before I go over the iPhone Air, let’s go over the AirPods Pro 3. I didn’t need these — I’m still really happy with the AirPods Pro 2. But after watching and reading a number of reviews on how the new versions fit and sounded better, I thought I would give them a try. And since I no longer wear the Apple Watch often, I thought the built-in heart rate monitor might be a nice alternative when working out.

Not only do the new AirPods Pro 3 not sound that different to me, but I also don’t think they fit better. Sometimes after wearing my Pro 2’s for a while, they start to get loose and fall out. I’ve swapped out different sized tips (and also bought some third-party ones), but after a while they just slip out. It could be that I wear them a lot and, after some sweat and earwax build-up, it’s just inevitable.

So I was hopeful that the new design and foam tips on the Pro 3’s would help. I don’t know if they did, because I just couldn’t get them to be as comfortable as my Pro 2’s. I tried every tip size from Large to XXS, and no matter what, they just did not fit my ears well. I’ve gone back to the Medium size in my Pro 2’s, and to this day they are the most comfortable — even if they eventually start to fall out.

I do like the additional bass that the AirPods Pro 3 have, but since I just can’t get them to be comfortable in my ears, I decided to move back to my Pro 2’s. I missed the opportunity to get the USB-C case for them, since Apple stopped selling it after the Pro 3’s launched. Other than the fact that my case still has Lightning, I’m very happy with the AirPods Pro 2’s. I’m worried and sad if this is the new design for the AirPods Pro, because I just can’t seem to get them to feel as good as my current pair.

iPhone Air

Now the shiny star in Apple’s lineup, in my opinion, is the iPhone Air. This phone is fantastic! Does it have some sacrifices? Absolutely. And I don’t know if they’re worth me keeping it, but if you can overcome them, I think you’d be very happy with this phone. Yes, it’s light, yes it’s very thin, but those are just details on paper. You have to hold the device and experience the whole package in hand to truly appreciate how great it is.

Not only is it thinner and lighter, but one thing that wasn’t sacrificed on the Air is the display. It is so bright, crisp, and smooth with ProMotion. With the 6.5-inch gorgeous screen, holding this phone just feels amazing. I think if the phone had an iPhone 16 Plus screen it wouldn’t be the same. The fact that it has the same Pro display, and now the regular 17’s screen, but sits in the middle of the 6.3-inch and 6.7-inch options, makes it feel like the perfect phone.

But after you get past the feel of the phone and the great screen, you start to notice the compromises. Though it isn’t a huge deal to me, I get why it would be for others. Having one camera is mostly fine, but not having the Telephoto lens with 5x Zoom like my 15 Pro Max does suck sometimes. I also don’t like that I can no longer get the fastest 5G wireless service since it lacks mmWave, which my 15 Pro and newer iPhones have.

These two things, again in my opinion, are not that big of a deal. If you have an older iPhone, I’d consider checking the Air out. Obviously, the camera is going to be the biggest hurdle for many, but I can think of a few people in my family who might find this phone perfect for their needs.

One last thing I have to mention with the Air is the battery and heat. The battery for me has yet to be an issue at all. Depending on how I use my iPhone 15 Pro Max, I sometimes have to charge it during the day. Sometimes I forget to plug in my 15 Pro Max, but since I have the luxury of working at a desk all day, I have a fast charger nearby to top it off, no problem. I expect the same for the Air.

Even when the phone was indexing and downloading all my iCloud data in the background for the first couple of days, I did not see an issue with battery life at all. By the end of the day, during those early “honeymoon” days (meaning I was using the phone a ton) while indexing, I still ended up with 30–40% battery by the time I went to bed. So while many are worried about battery life, I’d say, like with all smartphones, it really depends on your use — and for me, it just hasn’t been a concern.

Now when it comes to heat, this thing does remind me of my 15 Pro Max. One of the reasons is probably because it’s also titanium, but up near the camera plateau I felt it warming during the transfer and heavy use in those early days of setting up the Air. Since then, I haven’t really noticed it getting too hot again, but during that time when it did, the screen dimmed just like my 15 Pro Max — which I really hate. So far, after four days of use, it hasn’t gotten hot or dimmed again, but I think I need more time to say it’s better than the 15 Pro Max.

Camera Control

Now, this isn’t really iPhone Air-specific, but I do want to talk about the Camera Control button. Since I didn’t upgrade to the 16 Pro, using the 17 Pro for a week and now the Air, I will say that I think it’s pretty great. My biggest problem is I forget to use it. I still use the Camera shortcut on my lock screen, so I think it’s just muscle memory that has to be retrained over time.

So far, I’m not understanding all the criticism of changing the camera controls and other things with the button. I like using it to swipe between zoom modes and change settings, and I’ve found it pretty intuitive and fun when I’m taking a lot of pictures. I’m sure it will take more time to get used to, but so far I’ve been able to use it a lot without too many issues.

iPhone Air Bumper

The last thing is the bumper for the iPhone Air. Maybe this is one of the reasons I’m leaning toward keeping this device, but I really like the bumper. One thing I wish is that the camera was slightly smaller so the bumper could lay flat all around, removing the issue of the phone not sitting flat with any case. Other than the Pixel 9a and maybe some other phones I’m not aware of, we live in a world with camera bumps now and just have to accept it.

The bumper though — I know some sneer at it because it takes away from the super thin sides of the Air, but I really like it. I got the Sky Blue iPhone with the Sky Blue bumper and I really love the combo. I like that I can still feel the back of the phone when using it, and it still feels thinner to me than using a case. I’ve been using it off and on over the last few days and can’t complain either way. I really am happy the bumper is back, because I loved it on my favorite iPhone of all time, the iPhone 4.

So with all of Apple’s new stuff, surprisingly the standout for me is the iPhone Air. I know I have yet to try the iPhone 17 Pro Max, but after playing with it in the Apple Store a few times, I’m just not sure I want that big of a phone. I think the 15 Pro Max is the biggest I’d like to go, and not only is the 17 Pro Max thicker, but the larger screen isn’t really that important to me.

I will probably keep the iPhone Air after the return period because I really want to put it through its paces. We’ll see if I end up keeping it or going back to my iPhone 15 Pro Max, but as of right now I’m really loving it.