iPhone Air vs. iPhone 17 Pro Buyer's Guide: 35+ Differences Compared

[MacRumors]

Apple's new iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models are just $100 apart and excel in different areas, creating one of the most difficult buying decisions for customers in years.

Instead of the familiar split between standard and Pro models, Apple this year introduced the new iPhone Air. The iPhone Air is positioned as a design-focused iPhone with an ultra-thin, premium, and minimalist aesthetic, with trade-offs in terms of cameras, speakers, and battery life. On the other hand, the iPhone 17 Pro is now more performance-focused than ever with vapor chamber cooling and a thicker frame that contains an even larger battery.

The iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro share a brighter ProMotion display, the A19 Pro chip, 12GB of memory, a 48-megapixel Fusion main rear camera, an all-new front-facing camera with Center Stage, Ceramic Shield 2, and more. This guide offers a detailed look at every difference—dimensions, design, cameras, battery life, and pricing—so you can make an informed choice between the two devices.

	iPhone Air	iPhone 17 Pro	iPhone 17 Pro Max
Height	6.15 inches (156.2 mm)	5.91 inches (150.0 mm)	6.43 inches (163.4 mm)
Width	2.94 inches (74.7 mm)	2.83 inches (71.9 mm)	3.07 inches (78.0 mm)
Depth	0.22 inches (5.64 mm)	0.34 inches (8.75 mm)	0.34 inches (8.75 mm)
Weight	5.82 ounces (165 grams)	7.27 ounces (206 grams)	8.22 ounces (233 grams)

The iPhone Air is dramatically thinner and lighter than the iPhone 17 Pro, but to achieve such a radical design Apple had to make some trade-offs with features.

iPhone Air	iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max
6.5-inch display	iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch display
Polished titanium frame with glass back	Anodized aluminum unibody
	Vapor chamber cooling
5-core GPU	6-core GPU
Single rear camera	Triple rear cameras
	48-megapixel ultra wide camera
	48-megapixel telephoto camera
1x and 2x optical zoom options	0.5x, 1x, 2x, 4x, and 8x optical zoom options
	LiDAR Scanner
True Tone flash	Adaptive True Tone flash
	Macro photography
	Spatial photos
	ProRAW
	Cinematic mode
	ProRes video recording
	ProRes RAW
	Academy Color Encoding System
	Apple Log 2 video recording
	Genlock support
	Macro video recording, including slo‑mo and time‑lapse
Slo‑mo video support up to 1080p at 240 fps	Slo‑mo video support for 1080p up to 240 fps and 4K Dolby Vision up to 120 fps
3,149 mAh battery	iPhone 17 Pro: 4,252 mAh battery iPhone 17 Pro Max: 5,088 mAh battery
Up to 27-hour battery life	iPhone 17 Pro: Up to 33-hour battery life iPhone 17 Pro Max: Up to 39-hour battery life
MagSafe wireless charging up to 20W	MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W
Up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher, or 30W adapter or higher paired with MagSafe Charger	Up to 50% charge in 20 minutes with 40W adapter or higher
Support for Apple MagSafe battery
USB-C (USB 2)	USB-C (USB 3 for up to 20x faster transfers)
Mono speaker	Stereo speakers
Built-in mics	Studio-quality four-mic array
eSIM only	eSIM and physical SIM
256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage	iPhone 17 Pro: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage iPhone 17 Pro Max: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB storage
Available in Cloud White, Space Black, Sky Blue, and Light Gold	Available in Silver, Deep Blue, and Cosmic Orange

At all storage tiers, the iPhone 17 Pro is just $100 more than the equivalent iPhone Air:

	256GB	512GB	1TB	2TB
iPhone Air	$999	$1,199	$1,399
iPhone 17 Pro	$1,099	$1,299	$1,499
iPhone 17 Pro Max	$1,199	$1,399	$1,599	$1,999

Which One Should You Choose?

The iPhone Air is clearly the choice for those looking for a more minimal iPhone experience that prioritizes delivery of a lightweight and super-thin design. Due to this and its adoption of a polished titanium frame and a subtle color palette, it is also the most premium-looking iPhone available today. It's also the iPhone of choice for those looking for a display size that sits between the 6.3-inch Pro and the 6.9-inch Pro Max.

With its ProMotion display, A19 Pro chip, 12GB of memory, rear 48-megapixel Fusion main camera, an all-new front-facing camera with Center Stage, and Ceramic Shield 2, there are surprisingly few compromises. Nevertheless, the lack of additional rear cameras, stereo speakers, and better battery life may be a dealbreaker for some.

The iPhone Air is a whole new kind of iPhone, so those looking for a fresh experience should choose it over the iPhone 17 Pro. The iPhone Air also likely sets the stage for Apple's first foldable next year.

The iPhone 17 Pro, on the other hand, disregards a thin design and minimalism to offer as many features as possible. It should be the model of choice for those who need the most versatile camera system, best performance, and longest battery life.

Pre-orders of the new iPhone lineup are now open, with launch on Friday, Septemb... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: iPhone Air vs. iPhone 17 Pro Buyer's Guide: 35+ Differences Compared

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

that single speaker in the earpiece is bloody nasty

 

[imamacperson]

Wow there sure is a lot of features missing under the iPhone Air for just a $100 difference.

I think the Air is Apple's "gimmick" this year.

A mono speaker? totally unacceptable for me!

 

[JPack]

Chart should include the size of the camera sensor. Otherwise, uninformed buyers will think Air vs. Pro is the same 48MP camera, and the difference is “just” being the missing ultrawide and telephoto.

 

[xmach]

The mono speaker will be a dealbreaker for some, but many others usually use their iPhone with AirPods when interacting with audio, so this won't be a problem most of the time.

Overall I agree with Hartley Charlton's assessment that the iPhone Air sports "surprisingly few compromises." This is a job well-done by Apple's engineers.

Separately, it will be interesting to see what improvements Apple is able to make in next year's Air 2. The more efficient 2 nm A20 chip will surely enable greater battery life. Hopefully Apple will also upgrade the port from USB 2 to USB 3. What else?

 

[spaxxedout]

I was expecting the Air to have half the processing power at 1.5 times the price. It’s a really great deal and looks great in black. Plus, my ATT bill will go down by like $15 from 16pm512.

 

[gadget123]

The mono speaker will be a dealbreaker for some, but many others usually use their iPhone with AirPods when interacting with audio, so this won't be a problem most of the time.

Overall I agree with Hartley Charlton's assessment that the iPhone Air sports "surprisingly few compromises." This is a job well-done by Apple's engineers.

Separately, it will be interesting to see what improvements Apple is able to make in next year's Air 2. The more efficient 2 nm A20 chip will surely enable greater battery life. Hopefully Apple will also upgrade the port from USB 2 to USB 3. What else?

Thought next years Air won’t be released to Spring 2027? pro and fold only probably why they dropped iPhone 17 air from the name

 

[JPack]

Thought next years Air won’t be released to Spring 2027? pro and fold only probably why they dropped iPhone 17 air from the name

Air is part of premium lineup per Kuo. Next one will drop in September 2026. Followed by one with a larger display in September 2027.

 

[Sammy in SoCal]

I’ve pre-ordered the iPhone air in cloud white. And I will be one of the first in line on 9/19 when my local Apple store opens up to do a walk-in for the pro max. Do I need both phones? Of course not, at least not in my case. But this is the first time apple has done a redesign in years on the pro line and something different altogether(never been done before)on the iPhone air(the base 17 is business as usual design-wise), and I’m there for it.

 

[jml12286]

Was tempted to get an air, but don't want a phone thats bigger than my current 16 pro and have less cameras that I love using such as the 0.5x and 5x lens. If it were the same L x W or smaller than current phone I would have definitely ordered even though the camera limitations....

 

[lolski]

I was expecting the Air to have half the processing power at 1.5 times the price. It’s a really great deal and looks great in black. Plus, my ATT bill will go down by like $15 from 16pm512.

i'd imagine the downside being lesser sustained performance due to lack of thermal. use it at max power for a half an hour and it'll start throttling as it gets hot

 

[B.A.T]

It's nice to have more options to choose from.

 

[marinersaptcomplex]

I am currently on the 16PM and even though it’s a sidegrade at best and a downgrade from almost every technical standpoint, this phone appeals to me immensely. Unfortunately I’m not a very talented photographer and I wouldn’t miss the 2 lenses, and the only reason I chose the PM last year was ProMotion. The idea of having a sleek, light, and simple phone really does seem like a net gain to me. I’m curious why people are saying the mono speaker is a dealbreaker? Would it be noticeable for someone only using it on the occasional phone call with family/friends?

 

[spaxxedout]

i'd imagine the downside being lesser sustained performance due to lack of thermal. use it at max power for a half an hour and it'll start throttling as it gets hot

Totally agree. Not much of a gamer myself, but local LLM’s will definitely suffer under sustained load. Plus one less GPU core and (probably) down-clocked. I just think it’s more iPhone per dollar if you’re not big into photography.

 

[citysnaps]

The iPhone 17 Air not being able to record photos in RAW format makes it an instant pass for me. Disappointed as I really wanted a thinner iPhone.

 

[Sammy in SoCal]

The iPhone Air is not for professional videographers, photographers, or content creators. They have the pros for that. It’s for people who want to take a break from bulky phones and enjoy the aesthetics. It really does look like a piece of jewelry. Imagine how it will feel in your hands and pocket.

 

[Sammy in SoCal]

The iPhone 17 Air not being able to record photos in RAW format makes it an instant pass for me. Disappointed as I really wanted a thinner iPhone.

Do like me and buy both 🤪

 

[citysnaps]

Do like me and buy both 🤪

Nope. I'm not going to carry around (or purchase) two iPhones.

 

[klasma]

I’m curious why people are saying the mono speaker is a dealbreaker? Would it be noticeable for someone only using it on the occasional phone call with family/friends?

It’s a non-issue for phone calls, which are mono anyway. People are thinking of video/music/gaming.

Note that all iPhones had only a mono speaker before the iPhone 7 in 2016.

 

[B-Mc-C]

I am currently on the 16PM and even though it’s a sidegrade at best and a downgrade from almost every technical standpoint, this phone appeals to me immensely. Unfortunately I’m not a very talented photographer and I wouldn’t miss the 2 lenses, and the only reason I chose the PM last year was ProMotion. The idea of having a sleek, light, and simple phone really does seem like a net gain to me. I’m curious why people are saying the mono speaker is a dealbreaker? Would it be noticeable for someone only using it on the occasional phone call with family/friends?

I like to lay down, turn my phone sideways, and consume some podcasts on YouTube at 2x. Having the audio only come out of one side of the phone is going to suck. I preordered but may end up returning because of this. Convinced the second gen will fix this glaring omission. Remember rumors of the portless iPhone? I actually think this would have been a good one to try it on (could have been justified by the precious need for internal space savings), and would much rather have preferred a speaker there instead of a USB-C port. Ever since I started using two phones (16PM and my previous 15PM), one is always on the wireless charger showing standby mode and I just rotate them. Before this I was a plug-in person because I’d inevitably forget to put my phone on the charger before bed sometimes.

 

[klasma]

Thought next years Air won’t be released to Spring 2027? pro and fold only probably why they dropped iPhone 17 air from the name

It’s the regular iPhone 18 that’s rumored to move to spring 2027.

We don’t know why Apple dropped the “17” for the iPhone Air. They may wait and see how well it sells before deciding its future. If there’s an 18 Air, it likely will be very similar to the first one.

 

[Falhófnir]

I like to lay down, turn my phone sideways, and consume some podcasts on YouTube at 2x. Having the audio only come out of one side of the phone is going to suck. I preordered but may end up returning because of this. Convinced the second gen will fix this glaring omission. Remember rumors of the portless iPhone? I actually think this would have been a good one to try it on (could have been justified by the precious need for internal space savings), and would much rather have preferred a speaker there instead of a USB-C port. Ever since I started using two phones (16PM and my previous 15PM), one is always on the wireless charger showing standby mode and I just rotate them. Before this I was a plug-in person because I’d inevitably forget to put my phone on the charger before bed sometimes.

If you find you really like the phone apart from the audio you could try using it with headphones/ AirPods?

 

[txscott]

I'm an every other year upgrader, so I'm keeping my current iPhone 16 Pro. However, I don't play games on my phone, don't run local LLM's on it, don't do photo editing, etc. I text, use email, look at spreadsheets, take snapshots (not photos) of my grand kids doing goofy and endearing things, FaceTime, surf the web, watch the occasional video, interact on sites like this, manage my apple home, listen to music, check my investments, pay bills, read books, test the pool chemicals, manage my router, etc. Oh, and make and receive phone calls. Nothing that would in any way tax the iPhone Air.

I look back at the pictures I took with the iPhone 7 I had in 2017 and don't see that they were any worse than what I take today. So if the iPhone Air camera is better than the iPhone 7 camera, I'll be fine. I don't want to fiddle with settings, I want to point and shoot.

What I would like is a smaller lighter phone with a generous screen that would do all that and I'm in on the Air next year when I upgrade.

Your needs and wants in a phone may be vastly different. Apple should make iPhone models that appeal to as many market segments as they can profitably.

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

Wow there sure is a lot of features missing under the iPhone Air for just a $100 difference.

I think the Air is Apple's "gimmick" this year.

A mono speaker? totally unacceptable for me!

I think the slender form factor is the appeal.

I don't think "Pro" users will even consider it.

 

[Electrikblue]

It feels nice to finally after years, not feel the need to upgrade…i’m fine with my iphone 15 pro. Will probably upgrade my partners phone from the 14 pro to a 15 or 16 pro just so they can have usb-c