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Marques Brownlee - iPhone 17/Pro/Air Unboxing: 1 Hot Take!

Thumbnail of the video “Marques Brownlee - iPhone 17/Pro/Air Unboxing: 1 Hot Take!”
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Author: Marques Brownlee
Categories: Technology
Tags: technology
Views: 2 · Last viewed: 2026-10-16 08:09 UTC

Short Summary

Main recommendation: The iPhone 17 base model is the most sensible buy in this year's lineup, and Brownlee calls it one of the best smartphone deals available. Brownlee's "hot take" is that the base iPhone 17 offers more value than the Pro or Air models for most people, though the Air is the most eye-catching device for its thinness. This is a first-impressions unboxing, not a full review.

Key Points

  • The base iPhone 17 gets a stronger chip, a better primary and ultrawide camera than the base Pixel, a 120 Hz display, improved selfie cameras, and 256 GB starting storage, all at a price about $100 lower than the equivalent Pixel.
  • The iPhone Air is extremely thin, with a battery of 3,149 mAh. Brownlee's early real-world use suggests around 4.5 hours of screen-on time per day, which he calls acceptable but not great.
  • The Pro models gain 12 GB of RAM, up from 8 GB last year, and the smaller Pro's battery is nearly 20% larger year over year.
  • Compared with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, Brownlee personally leans toward the S25 Edge mainly because he prefers its camera system and boxier design, though he says the iPhone Air is the more interesting phone overall.
  • The Pro colors include a bright two-tone orange that Brownlee says has proven controversial online (he personally likes it but compares it to a bright shirt), and a blue he says is the closest to black, which he prefers for filming reflections.

Details Worth Noting

  • Concrete instructions: No setup steps or how-to instructions are given. The actionable advice is to buy the base iPhone 17 for the best value, consider the Air only if thinness matters most, and consider the blue Pro if you want a dark-colored phone for filming.
  • The base iPhone 17 box includes a braided USB-C cable and paperwork, with no SIM tray, stickers, or extra accessories.
  • The Air battery is a 3,149 mAh MagSafe-style battery designed specifically for the iPhone Air, fitting under the camera bump. It would not align properly with the other phones.
  • Apple does not advertise battery capacities, but they can be found in specifications. The Pro Max battery now exceeds 5,000 mAh for the first time.
  • The iPhone Air lacks a full main camera, an ultrawide camera, and stereo speakers, and has no bottom speaker.

Bottom Line: For most buyers, the base iPhone 17 is the strongest value this year, while the Air's appeal is mostly its thin design, and Brownlee says the final verdict on battery life awaits his full review.