Apple’s hardware design chief said yesterday the company knew it would be hard for some to choose between the new iPhone Air and the iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max. That isn’t true for everyone, of course. For some, the decision will be very straightforward – but I can see how it could be tricky for others … If I think back to some of the tech purchases I’ve made over the years, there have been many cases where the decision was straightforward. Either the best product for my needs was immediately obvious, or it became very clear after some research. But as someone who appreciates both powerful technology and attractive design, there have been times where the decision wasn’t so simple. Where the most technologically capable device hasn’t been the most attractive, while a sleeker version has lacked some nice-to-have but not absolutely essential features. It’s sometimes amounted to a battle between my inner engineer and my inner artist, and I think some people are going to face the same struggle when considering this year’s iPhone lineup. I wrote yesterday that the internet seems to have fallen in love with the iPhone Air, and some of those who weren’t considering it based on the pre-launch reports find themselves doing so now that they’ve seen the presentation. I suspect that will be even more true next Friday when people can see and hold it for themselves in Apple stores. There are of course those for whom the iPhone Air is entirely irrelevant. For example, if you’re a video or filmmaking pro who likes to include iPhones in your production mix, then the decision is made. ProRes RAW and genlock immediately make the latest iPhone Pro and Pro Max a much more powerful tool. Similarly, if you take a lot of photos with your iPhone, it’s very unlikely you would want to swap out three cameras for one (even if Apple claims that the single camera in the iPhone Air is effectively two). I would imagine dedicated gamers would also easily opt for the more powerful processor with six GPU cores rather than five, and with better cooling capabilities. But there are others for whom the Pro models offer some appealing features, but not necessarily decisive ones. If you fall into this category, and also have an inner engineer and an inner artist, then the decision could get tricky. Apple’s industrial design chief, Molly Anderson said as much yesterday: ‘I like that it’s a hard choice,’ she said […] ‘I really think people will struggle with it,’ Anderson said. ‘Because, you know, the Pro is a beautiful and incredible product as well. But I think the lightness, the lean towards style, the idea of not carrying so much weight, is just such a different experience.’ I know a number of people who find themselves in this position. Instinctively and historically, they would automatically opt for the Pro or Pro Max, but they don’t absolutely need the features unique to those models, and the iPhone Air is just so beautiful, it’s hard to resist. Do you fall into this category? Are you struggling to make the decision? Or are you someone who would normally buy a Pro model but have this year decided to opt for the iPhone Air? Please share your thoughts in the comments. Highlighted accessories Photos: 9to5Mac composite of Apple photos