{"id":272292,"date":"2025-09-23T09:08:48","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T13:08:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/?p=272292"},"modified":"2025-09-23T09:14:46","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T13:14:46","slug":"hands-on-with-apples-iphone-17-pro-iphone-air-airpods-pro-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/gear\/hands-on-with-apples-iphone-17-pro-iphone-air-airpods-pro-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Hands-On With Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone Air & AirPods Pro 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apple<\/a> recently delivered one of their strongest lineups ever for a fall product launch. The new iPhone 17 Pro<\/a> leans into size and power, while the strikingly thin iPhone Air<\/a> will likely inform the design language of the iPhone\u2019s future. Both are complemented by the new AirPods Pro 3<\/a> earbuds, a must-have accessory for any iPhone owner that takes a big step forward into the future of wearables. After using them for a week, here\u2019s my breakdown of Apple\u2019s buzziest new products.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

iPhone 17 Pro<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Apple\u2019s flagship phone is also the tech giant’s most powerful one yet. That’s not really a surprise as they continue to pack more Apple Silicon chips into them but now, with the inclusion of a vapor chamber, the reversion back to aluminum for better heat management and the additional GPU core, there\u2019s seemingly no task too big for the professionally-minded iPhone 17 Pro<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Given it is meant to handle heavy workloads, especially creative ones, much of the form factor of the iPhone 17 Pro line is in service of heat dispersion. That\u2019s the driving factor behind the choice to revert back to an aluminum chassis from the titanium of the past two years.\u00a0The iPhone 17 Pro, though still substantial in heft, is noticeably lighter than its titanium predecessors as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Coupling the material change with the addition of the all new vapor chamber, the iPhone 17 Pros do an admirable job of staying cool no matter how intense a task I throw at it. Even during the initial setup, a time when any iPhone is firing on all cylinders, the 17 Pro Max I tested stayed noticeably cooler than the iPhone Air and last year’s model<\/a> too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, the 17 Pro Max handled gaming with barely a blink. Graphics-heavy use was no challenge at all and recording extended 4K video<\/a> were chewed up and spit out without a hiccup, immediately switching back to any task seamlessly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Staying consistent with the recent annual upgrades to the Pro iPhones, the 17 Pro features Apple\u2019s cream of the crop camera array. Not only are all camera sensors now bumped up to 48MP, the telephoto lens gets an upgrade to 8x optical quality zoom, a first in an iPhone, that\u2019s able to maintain incredible detail at a great distance, whether shooting video or still images. With professionals in mind, RAW and ProRes formats, among others, are available to seamlessly integrate footage shot on an iPhone 17 Pro with larger creative workflows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the vastly versatile outer camera array, the iPhone 17 Pro also features the new Center Stage front-facing camera sensor. It is, perhaps, the biggest advancement I\u2019ve seen to an iPhone camera in several years and allows for neat new tricks like automatic selfie framing and dual (front and rear) video recording simultaneously. Though the 17 Pro line does feature the Center Stage camera, it\u2019s not unique to them and does feature in every new iPhone Apple released this year, so more on that later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rounding out the iPhone 17 Pro features are the large Super Retina XDR 120mhz display that are now brighter and feature an anti-glare coating that are legitimately easier to see in direct sunlight. A battery bump thanks to larger batteries packed into the phone and increased efficiencies with iOS26 meant I never went to bed with less than 25% battery left, even during days of heavy use. Speakers are still terrific and sound seems to emanate straight out of the iPhone 17\u2019s screen so viewing videos or playing games don’t even require headphones, though there are lots of good reasons to have them.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Finally, I can\u2019t say enough about the Cosmic Orange color option. Pro iPhones rarely get anything this fun or instantly recognizable. Where the Classic Silver is, well, classic and the Deep Blue is subtle and understated, the Cosmic Orange (which I\u2019ve heard called the Pumpkin) is flashy, overtly metallic and a huge departure from previous Pro color offerings. We hope this is the first step towards Apple acknowledging that people don\u2019t want to sacrifice personality just to get Pro. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Apple\u2019s iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are available now, though ordering one today will likely mean it arrives in a few weeks after a surge of initial pre-orders. All the Pros start with 256GB of internal storage and the Pro Max can actually go up to an enormous 2TB. The base models begin at $1099 for the Pro and $1199 for the larger-screened 17 Pro Max<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

iPhone Air<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Apple\u2019s ability to make things impressively thin may have waned for a few years but it\u2019s back with the iPhone Air.<\/a> Every time I let someone hold my review unit, it came with the same response of \u201cohhhh wow.\u201d The photos and videos don\u2019t do it justice, it needs to be seen in person to be believed. Not only is it thin, it feels weighty and significant in the hand, it\u2019s perfectly balanced, it\u2019s incredibly sturdy and the camera hump, which should disqualify its claims of being only 5.6mm thin just\u2026doesn\u2019t, which is an even bigger testament to its design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I call it the camera hump but that\u2019s not entirely accurate because the hump at the top of the iPhone Air doesn\u2019t just carry the camera, it houses the A19 Pro Apple Silicon chipset and almost every other component that makes the Air work, besides the batteries. I fully anticipated the hump to disrupt the overall design of the iPhone Air but it ends up being more like a feature, creating a groove below it where my hand naturally sits and adding some stability when my thumb travels around the 6.55\u201d screen which is slightly bigger than the 17 Pro and smaller than the 17 Pro Max. Apple may have stumbled on the perfect size screen as a result of this neither\/nor approach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Because the guts are all up top, my hand also sits below where the phone gets hottest and it can<\/em> heat up when it\u2019s being put through the paces. Ironically, the activity that got the iPhone Air the hottest (aside from the initial setup) was gaming<\/a>, which is largely done in landscape where holding the phone in landscape is the norm. It\u2019s a small price to pay though because the iPhone Air handles gaming exceptionally well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s thanks to that A19 Pro chip. Even without the extra GPU of the A19 Pro chip found in the 17 Pros, the Air takes on graphics-heavy games without a hiccup. The chipset makes the iPhone Air feel peppy no matter what it\u2019s doing. App switching is seamless and there\u2019s never a stutter even if streaming video is playing in a PiP. For the average person, there\u2019s very little to be wanted in terms of performance here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Aside from overall performance, the true test of modern phones comes in the way of cameras. Every iPhone Apple released this year features the aforementioned front-facing Center Stage camera sensor for selfies<\/a>. Essentially, it’s square sensor that automatically adapts to the selfie I was trying to take, changing aspect ratio automatically for what’s detected in the picture. A solo shot gets a traditional portrait. Add a person and the sensor zooms out to frame the duo properly. Three or more and the sensor switches to landscape without needing me to awkwardly turn my hand. This new feature and its inclusion on all this year\u2019s phones is the best recent example of Apple delivering that old magic that takes something we all do and makes it instantly and easily better so we wonder how we ever did it any other way before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The rear-facing camera, on the other hand, is still a tale of have and have not. While the iPhone 17 Pro\u2019s camera array is the most robust ever, the iPhone Air is forced to do with less in order to preserve its unique form. Instead of a multiple lens array like this year\u2019s other iPhones, the Air gets a single 48MP fusion camera lens that works four times as hard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Functionally, that means sacrificing wide-angle and telephoto shooting, two things that might not have been missed even a few years ago but are certain to be a dealbreaker for those like myself who have come to rely on them. Still, the iPhone Air does have terrific optical image stabilization, shoots videos a lot like last year\u2019s Pro and boasts the new front\/rear dual recording feature so the trade-off is minor and specific. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, the iPhone Air also accomplishes its striking form by cutting back on speakers. Specifically, cutting back to a single speaker. For most, that’s a negligible tradeoff; watching TikTok videos<\/a> doesn\u2019t exactly require surround sound. However, for those who use their iPhone to devour content like TV and movies, it\u2019s something to take into consideration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Minor sacrifices aside, the iPhone Air is clearly paving the way for the future of Apple\u2019s mobile design language. It wouldn\u2019t be a huge leap in thinking the rumored upcoming foldable iPhone will likely look like two iPhone Airs hinged together and working in tandem. There\u2019s no shame in wanting to be a part of that future right now. The iPhone Air comes in four colors (Sky Blue, Space Black, Cloud White and Light Gold) and the base model starts at $999<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

AirPods Pro 3<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

No matter which iPhone I was using, I can confidently say that they\u2019re both better with AirPods. In this case, that specifically means the new AirPods Pro 3 <\/a>earbuds that Apple also just released.\u00a0Of all the Apple accessories I\u2019ve tested, there\u2019s no debate that AirPods, with their immediate and easy connectivity, excellent sound quality and top-tier active noise cancelling, are the most important companion to an iPhone. The AirPods Pro 3<\/a> take that philosophy and then go much, much further with their capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Right off the bat, audio quality is bumped up from their predecessors. I actually made the switch from AirPods Pro 2 and it\u2019s a noticeable increase in clarity, specifically with the Pro 3\u2019s delivering more and clear bass than before. It\u2019s especially noticeable with Spatial Audio tracks in Apple Music but even online video seems to benefit from the upgrade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Part of that increase in audio quality comes from the better in-ear fit. The AirPods Pro 3 now come with five tip options, up from the previous three, that create an even tighter seal, regardless of the size of the ear it\u2019s in. It\u2019s the combination of these new, more customizable ear-tips and Apple\u2019s actual audio tech that make a noticeable difference in creating active noise cancelling that really blocks out everything from a loud coffee shop to a noisy subway to the rumble of a jet engine. In fact, the ANC is so effective that I found myself choosing the Adaptive noise cancelling over the complete ANC because I found the absolute silence jarring.  Obviously that’s not a real problem when the ANC helps focus on dialogue in a movie or blasting tunes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sound is a priority for any earbuds but, having largely conquered that arena, the AirPods Pro 3 aren\u2019t just about audio anymore. Apple is making strides to round them out as a lifestyle product. It\u2019s not a bad idea considering I carry them with me at all times anyway. Pair them with the Fitness app on iPhone and you\u2019ve basically got a personal trainer in your pocket. The new heart rate monitor is an especially big stride for those who may opt for more collectible watch options<\/a> than the average Apple Watch.<\/a> Add a premium Apple Fitness+ subscription and they\u2019ll deliver entire workouts and preset Apple Music playlists. With even better water resistance than before, I can (and do) pour sweat onto them confidently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the other side of the lifestyle front is travel. AirPods have been a travel essential for me for quite some time now but the exciting, Apple Intelligence-powered Live Translation feels like an actual breakthrough. It\u2019s the babelfish from Hitchhiker\u2019s Guide to the Galaxy<\/em>, realized. through science. Shove AirPods in, pair them with a phone featuring Apple Intelligence, download a language pack and foreign languages automatically turn into English as they’re spoken. Responding will translate back to the other language and display it on your iPhone\u2019s screen. Best yet, it\u2019s a feature that was introduced with the AirPods Pro 3 but, because it relies on Apple Intelligence, it\u2019s also available on the previous AirPods Pro 2 and the regular AirPods 4.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the day, the AirPods Pro 3 aren\u2019t just earbuds, they\u2019re a must-have companion for any iPhone owner, providing killer audio, smarter workouts and an unprecedented leg up when traveling. At the same $249 <\/a>as the previous edition, there\u2019s little question that Apple will continue setting the bar for earbuds for the foreseeable future. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We spent a week with Apple’s impressive trio of new releases\u2014here’s what we learned. ","protected":false},"author":69,"featured_media":272316,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_comments":false,"tpd_coauthor":[],"tpd_feed_delay":{"delay_type":"default"},"is_tpd_lists_single_post":false,"tpd_featured_posts_arr":"","tpd_franchise_content":"","hide_featured_img_single_post":false,"msn_featured_video":[],"_msn_custom_title":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2025-09-23T13:08:55Z","apple_news_api_id":"5f19bb60-b009-4bbf-a54e-54838a1297ed","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2025-09-23T13:14:44Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AXxm7YLAJS7-lTlSDihKX7Q","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"tpd_featured_video":[],"tpd_sponsored_post_logo":"","tpd_sponsored_post_logo_link":"","tpd_sponsored_post_logo_width":0,"tpd_sponsored_enable_nofollow":true,"tpd_disable_incontent_ads":false,"tpd_disable_right_rail_ads":false,"tpd_disable_after_content_ads":false,"tpd_disable_header_ads":false,"tpd_disable_sticky_footer_ads":false,"tpd_disable_video_ads":false,"tpd_disable_outbrain":false,"tpd_affiliate_disclaimer":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,24,75],"tags":[24205,31,488,19,1708,24203,24295,23,2456,399],"coauthor":[],"feeds":[],"class_list":["post-272292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gear","category-entertainment","category-news","tag-airpods-pro-3","tag-apple","tag-collectibles","tag-gear","tag-headphones","tag-iphone-17-pro","tag-iphone-17-pro-max","tag-luxury","tag-phones","tag-technology"],"apple_news_notices":[],"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Apple-Trifecta-Hero-428x241.jpg","coauthors":[],"primary_category":{"term_id":52,"name":"Gear","slug":"gear","taxonomy":"category","url":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/gear\/"},"fimg_url_thumb":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Apple-Trifecta-Hero-428x241.jpg","featured_img_medium":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Apple-Trifecta-Hero-788x444.jpg","author_name":"John Sciarrino","author_avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d16ba05d86c8b431cd204b5c9b5011e5c1ad5088953c058c70175eb438bb3257?s=96&d=mm&r=g","author_link":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/author\/john-sciarrino\/","post_categories":["Gear"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/69"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=272292"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":272390,"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272292\/revisions\/272390"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/272316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=272292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=272292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=272292"},{"taxonomy":"coauthor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthor?post=272292"},{"taxonomy":"feeds","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feeds?post=272292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}