Fruits are highly nutritious due to their antioxidant content (phenolic). However, their utilization is limited because they are highly perishable and stationary. Therefore, the search for technologies that extend shelf life while preserving the quality attributes of fresh produce is of interest. The objective was to preserve diced apples by freeze-drying and hot air drying, comparing the effects of these technologies on phenolics and antioxidant activity. Red Delicious apple samples were cut into cubes (1.2 cm) and then dried in an air convection oven at 80°C and freeze-dried (-50°C, 26 Pa) to obtain a moisture content of 25% (wet basis). Dehydrated apples were evaluated for total phenol content (Folin–Ciocalteu) and antioxidant activity (ABTS). Additionally, rehydration capacity in distilled water and color parameters (L, a, b) were evaluated using image analysis software (ImageJ). Total phenol and antioxidant activity values ​​were significantly higher (p≤0.05) in the hot air-dried samples, which could be attributed to the formation of Maillard reaction compounds that interact with the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent, resulting in an overestimation of total phenol content. These compounds also possess antioxidant activity. The apples had an initial moisture content of 85.32±0.31%. After drying, the moisture content decreased to 25%, with durations of 2 and 24 hours for hot air drying and freeze-drying, respectively. After rehydration, the diced apples dried by hot air reached a moisture content of 72.18±0.01% in 80 minutes, while the freeze-dried apples rehydrated to 85.21±0.68% in 5 minutes. The color parameters L and a were significantly influenced (p<0.05) by the drying method, with the hot air-dried sample exhibiting the lowest luminosity and greatest redness due to browning reactions. While both methods allow for preserving diced apples, freeze-drying requires a higher investment cost and long processing times. However, it is the most appropriate option for preserving the quality in terms of the final product's appearance.