The MacRumors Show: iPhone Air and 17 Pro First Impressions

On this episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk over first impressions of the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro.


Apple's new iPhone lineup has been available for over a week, so we reflect on the devices now we've had some time to check them out. We discuss the radically thin and light design of the ‌iPhone Air‌, and what it really feels like to use the device. We look at its surprisingly impressive durability and battery life, as well as its drawbacks in terms of speakers and rear camera versatility.

We talk through the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌'s controversial design and improved thermals, and examine the all-new 48-megapixel Fusion telephoto camera. We also look at the impressive scratch-resistance of Ceramic Shield 2, as well as the brighter display panel.

In addition, we weigh up recent debates around the durability of the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models, which have come under fire for being highly susceptible to damage compared to previous generations due to the move to an aluminum unibody design. The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.

You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.

If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up to hear our discussion about iOS 26 and Apple's other major software updates, which officially launched last week.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Kayci Lacob, Kevin Nether, John Gruber, Mark Gurman, Jon Prosser, Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Sam Kohl, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

‌The MacRumors Show‌ is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.

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Top Rated Comments

Mazda 3s Avatar
20 weeks ago
I’ve been using my Air for the past week and love it. Get down to about 20-ish percent battery when I stick it in my nightstand MagSafe charger at night (without charging it during the day). That’s perfectly acceptable to me.

Really loving the weight and thinness.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mac Fly (film) Avatar
20 weeks ago

Is this an advertisement for the Air and 17 Pro ?
No, it's a video about those phones in an Apple Forum.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mac Fly (film) Avatar
20 weeks ago
You should upload this pod onto the regular MR YouTube channel with 616K subs and forgo this second channel.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KennyJr Avatar
19 weeks ago
Good review!

Surprising to me on my new iPhone Air is the display quality differences between my iPhone Air and my previous iPhone 16 Pro Max. The new screen is not just brighter, but its sharper - detail shows up better.

Here I learned that some people like the heaviness and clunkiness of the iPhone Pro series. Personally, I got tired of all that, thus my purchase of the iPhone Air.

As for the Pro cameras, I felt I could live without them, at least for a year. But this review has left me with second thoughts on that issue.

As for the speaker, I have a daily reminder (15 minutes before sunset) that plays music from my music library as a notification. To me it sounds pretty good.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)