Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPhone Air vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Life Compared in New Test

johannnn said:
So Apple says that 17 should have 90% of the Pro (30h vs 33h), but this test shows it's more like 82% ((12*60)+47)/((15*60)+32)

What's up with the disapponting base model battery?
Click to expand...
Because video playback has nothing to do with how real people use their phone. Web surfing over 5G is a much more realistic test, IMHO. To compare it to the base 16, the base 17 does show a small gain over last year's model, both of which fall behind their Android size-equivalents. So it is still disappointing, but at least it's not a new problem specific to this year's model.

Screenshot 2025-09-18 115641.jpg
 
EugW said:
Not much lighter than the 17 but has worse battery life and costs significantly more.
Click to expand...
But has a much bigger screen, and its noticeably lighter. 0.4 ounces makes a big difference on a smaller phone making it feel much heavier in comparison since there is less surface area to distribute the weight. Light weight is a premium feature.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dca100
MacRumors said:


Tom's Guide this week published the results of its iPhone Air vs. iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 17 Pro vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max battery life test, which involves continuous web browsing over 5G. Each model was set to 150 nits of display brightness.

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

Here is how long each iPhone model lasted on a full charge:
  • iPhone Air: 12 hours and 2 minutes
  • iPhone 17: 12 hours and 47 minutes
  • iPhone 17 Pro: 15 hours and 32 minutes
  • iPhone 17 Pro Max: 17 hours and 54 minutes
For this specific usage, the highest-end iPhone 17 Pro Max lasted 48.5% (nearly 1.5×) longer than the ultra-thin iPhone Air.

The results are similar to Apple's figures, which show the Pro Max offering up to 44.5% longer battery life than the Air for offline video playback.

Here are Apple's offline video playback figures for each model:
  • iPhone Air: Up to 27 hours
  • iPhone 17: Up to 30 hours
  • iPhone 17 Pro: Up to 33 hours
  • iPhone 17 Pro Max: Up to 39 hours
Of course, most people are not using their iPhones to browse the web or watch videos for an entire day or two nonstop, without using the device for any other purpose. So, these battery life tests do not reflect typical real-world usage. Still, they help to set expectations, and plenty of additional tests will follow over the coming days.

All of the new iPhone models launch this Friday.

Article Link: iPhone Air vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Life Compared in New Test
Click to expand...
Wow! So all the doom and gloom about the Air battery was unfounded. Not surprised really. The Air seems like a nice addition to the lineup.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dca100 and citysnaps
This is a pretty meaningful test, and getting that 12hrs battery life is impressive.
note: most “normal” people do not spend that much time on their phone on their typical days, they actually have a life unlike so many folks here.
The Air is a winner for Apple.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ab2c4
TimAppleObamna said:
I am convinced that Apple omitted the second speaker purposefully on the Air to boost battery life to acceptable levels.
Click to expand...
Bingo. I have a feeling those initial rumors of a sub-3000mAh battery WERE probably pretty accurate. And Apple wanted to prove everybody wrong, and get endurance in line with the base model at the very least, so they cut the bottom speaker to add in another 300mAh (10%) or so of battery.
 
CATiNTHESTORE said:
Because the air won't take out for a day under load mostly. If the Apple was sure, they would not produce an additional accessory immediately at the start of sales in the form of a proprietary air battery
Click to expand...
None of the current iPhones will last a day under load. Even Pro Max will die before 20 hours. Or less than 7 under very heavy load.

If you're using your phone for "heavy load", I'd honestly recommend maybe... lugging along an iPad or something else that will actually last longer and do any task faster.

As always, Air is for those who already got another device that will do everything else. You know, people who actually don't use their phones for "pro" work if that makes sense.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ab2c4
Thinking about buying the iPhone Air and care about battery life?

I'd encourage you to look at other tests by other reviewers. When the review embargo was lifted the other day, several professional reviewers said they couldn't quite make it through a full day on the Air, they'd have to top off the battery in the late afternoon or by dinner time at the latest.

I think the Air is an amazing device and will be a great pick for many people. I just want people to have as much information as possible about likely battery life before making their purchase decision.
 
  • Like
Reactions: EugW
ab2c4 said:
But has a much bigger screen, and its noticeably lighter. 0.4 ounces makes a big difference on a smaller phone making it feel much heavier in comparison since there is less surface area to distribute the weight.
Click to expand...
Not really. It has a slightly bigger screen than the iPhone 17 but a much smaller screen than the 17 Pro Max.
 
EugW said:
Not really. It has a slightly bigger screen than the iPhone 17 but a much smaller screen than the 17 Pro Max.
Click to expand...
When you work out the math, the weight difference between Air and other devices will be easier to see in numbers.

Base 17 is about 7% heavier than Air, sure. But density-wise, base 17 is actually almost 18% denser than Air. That will be very noticeable. Hence why early previews of Air impressed people and also scared them at the same time.

For perspective, 17 Pro Max is a whopping 45% denser than Air. You're not getting 45% more battery life for nothing. The phone is literally that much heavier as well.

Edit: guess you'll wonder about it as well: together with the MagSafe battery pack, Air is actually just 12% heavier than 17 Pro Max in perspective. So density difference between Air + battery pack vs iPhone 17 Pro Max is actually LESS than Air alone vs base 17. And Air does get similar battery life as base 17 from what we have seen.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ab2c4
CATiNTHESTORE said:
Because the air won't take out for a day under load mostly. If the Apple was sure, they would not produce an additional accessory immediately at the start of sales in the form of a proprietary air battery
Click to expand...
For the love of god.

Air is for users who do not use their phone under load all day long.

And for anxious people the battery is a peace of mind.

Stop defending your pushy rhetoric and go buy a 17 or 17 Pro.
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: dca100 and ab2c4
The_Martini_Cat said:
You get battery life of 15 hours, but you can watch video for 33 hours? Like, without doing anything else, is that the point? 🍸😸
Click to expand...
Those numbers are not very meaningful for real world usage. Active browsing with a bright screen will use up battery way faster than watching a video with no other interaction with the phone.
 
All this whining and complaining over a new product, sheesh. I wasn't here when the Macbook Air came out but was it this bad? I will say this, the Air is dominating the attention of the phone world it seems, people don't even seem to mention the other models or brands.

Is it going to be like this next year when the folding iphone comes out? Or if they ever release another Mini?
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: dca100
ab2c4 said:
All this whining and complaining over a new product, sheesh. I wasn't here when the Macbook Air came out but was it this bad? I will say this, the Air is dominating the attention of the phone world it seems, people don't even seem to mention the other models or brands.
Click to expand...
The MacBook Air was indeed problematic at launch, because it was both expensive and underspec'd, in some ways analogous to the iPhone Air. However, the MacBook Air got much better over time, and it eventually replaced the MacBook completely. I might expect a similar path for the iPhone Air going forward - interesting yet flawed at launch - but will improve greatly over time, and other models may also adopt some of the Air design language over time too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ab2c4
HouseLannister said:
No, but your point is irrelevant to Apple's marketing plan. You can call out the journalism as "lazy" but it's really just semantics. The goal at Apple is to have 4 phones to choose from and you still have four.
Click to expand...
My point is my point, it is not irrelevant. You might want or need it to be irrelevant but it isn’t. The Air as I said is not replacement for the Plus, it’s its own unique offering. Yes they have 4 phones still but this is not relevant to my point that the Air is not a replacement for the Plus. If they added a Fold this year instead of the Air would that be a replacement for the Plus if for some reason it was the same price? No of course it wouldn’t, because it’s a different type of phone with different benefits as is the Air.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back