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Buyer's Guide: iPhone 17, Air, Pro, or Pro Max? 40 Differences Compared

No more iPhones for me. My iPhone 13 Pro freezes for 10 seconds randomly, and AirDrop fails a lot. Apple confirmed there’s no hardware or battery issue. They sell the same phone every year. I hate Android, so I’ll likely go for a dumb phone which just works.
 
I've gotten a new "pro" phone every year since they started releasing them in 2011. I'm gonna switch to Air this time, but I'm worried I will miss the zoom lens. I figure, if I miss it too much, I can go back to pro next year.

Anyone else going for the "light gold" option? Also an unusual choice for me personally, but, again, one year!
 
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Really glad there is feature parity between the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max for the first time.

The only difference for a phone with a larger screen should be battery life. Everything else should be identical on the same models.
 
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wmmead said:
I've gotten a new "pro" phone every year since they started releasing them in 2011. I'm gonna switch to Air this time, but I'm worried I will miss the zoom lens. I figure, if I miss it too much, I can go back to pro next year.

Anyone else going for the "light gold" option? Also an unusual choice for me personally, but, again, one year!
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Same... I've been getting my iPhones (and since pro came out, pros) on launch day since like 2012 as well, but even though the FOMO is strong, I'm going to wait this year and test out how the air in my hands first before I make any final decision as to whether I can give up my pro max. I love the pro max cameras, but this is the year to try the air, since 2027 I'll be doing a long trip back to Japan and will probably end up with either the Pro Max 18 or maybe if they have a folding one, the foldable one and then just lug around my Leica camera for photos.
 
I’m that dummy who rents his phone—i.e. I signed up for the Upgrade Program and trade in every year. Kinda nice to always try the new thing and not have a drawer full of old phones. I always go for the less-huge Pro/flagship model.

Last year I was really close to trading my 15 Pro for a [regular-ass] 16 but of course I talked myself into the 16 Pro. This year it’s even tougher: I really think I’d barely notice most of the missing features on the 17, it’s got some colors I like, and I’d lower my payment for a while. And then if I switched back to an 18 Pro it’d seem like an extra big YoY upgrade. Anyone else thinking about going from 16 Pro to 17 [no modifier]?
 
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Orange Bat said:
It’s a strange phone. It is worse than the base model except for the processor yet costs $200 more. IMO, it’s a novelty. The only sale pitch it has to offer is being thin and light. It’s not even a smaller footprint than the base model, just thinner. It may have been a compelling choice if was priced the same as the base model, but otherwise it’s a head scratcher.
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Maybe they're "practicing" with thinness in the field as they work on iPhone Fold 1 and 2. 😅
 
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macduke said:
Can we please stop referring to 2x and 8x as optical zoom options? Those are both digital zoom options, literally cropping in to 12MP on the main lens for 2x and 12MP on the telephoto lens for 8x. This phone only has 0.5x, 1x, and 4x optical zoom.
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Didn’t previous iPhone Pros have a real 2x optical zoom?
 
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NoIdentity said:
Can aynone who has more experience with the proRAW give more information how much difference does it make? Considering that either format will be processed to a certain degree, what gets baked in the proRAW and what doesn't?

I would love to go for the lower model, but as a photographer is really hard to move away from the option of a RAW format. But since it isn't exactly RAW, is it really worth it?
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It's worth it if you're sick of apple over processed and oversharpened pictures that look like an oil painting, and want to use apps like "no fusion" that make use of the proRAW pipeline
 
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Lwii2boo said:
I think the regular 17 is the best value by far with 120Hz and 256Gb for same price as 60Hz 128Gb regular 16 last year.

The only think that make may me question about getting the regular 17 is the huge difference in RAM vs the rest of 17 series. 17 has 8GB RAM, 17 Pro / Air 12GB RAM. It's a big jump.
I am fairly confident 17 is the last iPhone with 8GB RAM with potential upcoming 17e and then the default will be 12 GB RAM minimum for all models.

8GB is perfectly enough for the vast majority of users right now but if you are the kind of person who multitask apps a lot or plan to keep your phone at least 4 years it could be the one limiting factor for upcoming iOS 27+ etc features and overall snappiness overtime.
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It isn't when apple intelligence takes 3gb of ram and might take more
 
drmacnut said:
I'll bet it's all about however much RAM it takes to run an on-device large-language model (LLM) to process our user data in the future. The 17's might be the first fully capable generation, but we won't see it put to use for another year at least.
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If we don't see it until the 18, it seems likely that they'd limit the new features to 18 line only anyway
 
MacRumors said:


Apple's four new iPhones launch later this month, with more differences between the latest models than ever before.

iPhone-17-vs-Air-and-Pros-Feature.jpg

Instead of the familiar split between standard and Pro models, Apple has introduced the new iPhone Air, expanded the feature gap between tiers, and refined each model to serve a clearer audience. The result is a four-device family that ranges from the affordable and practical iPhone 17 to the feature-packed iPhone 17 Pro Max, with distinct trade-offs in size, materials, camera hardware, and battery life along the way. All models share Apple's latest A19 chip platform, meaning performance is fairly consistent across the board, but their designs, display sizes, and camera features are more specialized than ever before.

This guide offers a detailed look at every difference—dimensions, design, cameras, battery life, and pricing—so you can make an informed choice. Whether you prioritize design, photography, or battery life, this year's iPhones are no longer one-size-fits-all devices, and understanding the lineup is key to choosing the best model for you and your budget.

Sizes and Weights

iPhone 17iPhone AiriPhone 17 ProiPhone 17 Pro Max
Height5.89 inches (149.6 mm)6.15 inches (156.2 mm)5.91 inches (150.0 mm)6.43 inches (163.4 mm)
Width2.81 inches (71.5 mm)2.94 inches (74.7 mm)2.83 inches (71.9 mm)3.07 inches (78.0 mm)
Depth0.31 inches (7.95 mm)0.22 inches (5.64 mm)0.34 inches (8.75 mm)0.34 inches (8.75 mm)
Weight6.24 ounces (177 grams)5.82 ounces (165 grams)7.27 ounces (206 grams)8.22 ounces (233 grams)


Designs

iPhone 17iPhone AiriPhone 17 ProiPhone 17 Pro Max
Anodized aluminum framePolished titanium frameAnodized aluminum unibodyAnodized aluminum unibody
Camera plateauCamera plateauCamera plateau
Ceramic Shield frontCeramic Shield front and backCeramic Shield front and backCeramic Shield front and back
6.3-inch display6.5-inch display6.3-inch display6.9-inch display
Available in White, Black, Mist Blue, Sage, and LavenderAvailable in Cloud White, Space Black, Sky Blue, and Light GoldAvailable in Silver, Deep Blue, and Cosmic OrangeAvailable in Silver, Deep Blue, and Cosmic Orange


Battery Life and Charging

iPhone 17iPhone AiriPhone 17 ProiPhone 17 Pro Max
3,692 mAh battery3,149 mAh battery4,252 mAh battery5,088 mAh battery
Up to 30-hour battery lifeUp to 27-hour battery lifeUp to 33-hour battery lifeUp to 39-hour battery life
MagSafe wireless charging up to 25WMagSafe wireless charging up to 20WMagSafe wireless charging up to 25WMagSafe wireless charging up to 25W
Up to 50% charge in 20 minutes with 40W adapter or higherUp to 50% charge in 30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher, or 30W adapter or higher paired with MagSafe ChargerUp to 50% charge in 20 minutes with 40W adapter or higherUp to 50% charge in 20 minutes with 40W adapter or higher


Camera Hardware

iPhone 17iPhone AiriPhone 17 ProiPhone 17 Pro Max
Dual rear camerasSingle rear cameraTriple rear camerasTriple rear cameras
48-megapixel ultra wide camera48-megapixel ultra wide camera48-megapixel ultra wide camera
48-megapixel telephoto camera48-megapixel telephoto camera
0.5x, 1x, and 2x optical zoom options1x and 2x optical zoom options0.5x, 1x, 2x, 4x, and 8x optical zoom options0.5x, 1x, 2x, 4x, and 8x optical zoom options
LiDAR ScannerLiDAR Scanner
True Tone flashTrue Tone flashAdaptive True Tone flashAdaptive True Tone flash


Camera Features

iPhone 17iPhone AiriPhone 17 ProiPhone 17 Pro Max
Macro photographyMacro photographyMacro photography
Spatial photosSpatial photosSpatial photos
ProRAWProRAW
Cinematic modeCinematic modeCinematic mode
ProRes video recordingProRes video recording
ProRes RAWProRes RAW
Academy Color Encoding SystemAcademy Color Encoding System
Apple Log 2 video recordingApple Log 2 video recording
Genlock supportGenlock support
Macro video recording, including slo‑mo and time‑lapseMacro video recording, including slo‑mo and time‑lapseMacro video recording, including slo‑mo and time‑lapse
Slo‑mo video support up to 1080p at 240 fpsSlo‑mo video support up to 1080p at 240 fpsSlo‑mo video support for 1080p up to 240 fps and 4K Dolby Vision up to 120 fpsSlo‑mo video support for 1080p up to 240 fps and 4K Dolby Vision up to 120 fps


Other Differences
... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: Buyer's Guide: iPhone 17, Air, Pro, or Pro Max? 40 Differences Compared
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Thank you MacRumors for this type of content.
 
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drmacnut said:
Maybe they're "practicing" with thinness in the field as they work on iPhone Fold 1 and 2. 😅
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Actually, you might be on to something. It could be a way to see how a phone half the thickness of a foldable performs in peoples’ hands. This isn’t saying that Apple is treating consumers as guinea pigs, but it could be getting them used to a phone that will be very very similar to the foldable while monitoring for any major issues on such a slim design. Or maybe not, I don’t know. 😁
 
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JM2 said:
I've never needed a thinner or lighter phone. However I have needed more battery life, better camera, more storage, faster data transfers. I have 14 Pro currently so a 17 Pro is the logical choice for me. I was never a fan of the bigger Max size, I'm fine with a medium (regular?) sized phone.
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I have a 14 Pro too. It’s a good phone in 2025 after the battery replacement. I should get a new one this year bcs my kid destroyed her model 13 and I am considering getting the base 17 since the trade offs are much better when comparing to the Pro line. Another important thing is the weight of base models (starting with the 15) which makes them feel like they weigh nothing while using them in one hand.
 
Does the absence of lidar in the air detract from portrait mode or anything key?
Does the air not support taking RAW photos?
 
cardfan said:
Was kinda thinking they should have just said no to this. Or made it much smaller. A thin mini iphone would be much more appealing. Might've jumped on it.
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I’m going for the Air. I regretted the heft of the XS Max so much that when it broke, I went with the 12 mini. My vision isn’t what it was then so now while I can’t go back to a heavy phone, but I cannot manage on a small screen either.
I’m a casual user things, and features such camera RAM graphics are all secondary to form factor
 
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