If you're in the market for a new iPhone, an iPhone Air vs iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone 17 Pro Max comparison is just what you need to help you decide between these premium flagships. So which of these is the best iPhone for you? There are some key similarities — like the front camera, A19 Pro chip and Apple Intelligence features — but some pretty big differences, too.
As you'll see in our iPhone Air hands-on review, this new device is all about portability. It's super thin at just 5.6mm yet packs a fairly large 6.5-inch display and a powerful A19 Pro chip in a super svelte design that's built tough with titanium. Meanwhile, our iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max hands-on review reveals an absolute beast, with a triple 48MP camera system and the largest batteries ever in an iPhone (at least in the Pro Max model). Here's the key iPhone Air vs iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone 17 Pro Max differences you need to know.
iPhone Air | iPhone 17 Pro | iPhone 17 Pro Max | |
Starting price | $999 / £999 / AU$1,799 | $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,999 | $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,199 |
Display | 6.5 inches | 6.3 inches | 6.9 inches |
CPU | A19 Pro (5-core GPU) | A19 Pro (6-core GPU) | A19 Pro (6-core GPU) |
Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB |
Rear cameras | 48MP main | 48MP main, 48MP ultrawide, 48MP 4x telephoto | 48MP main, 48MP ultrawide, 48MP 4x telephoto |
Front camera | 18MP | 18MP | 18MP |
Colors | Sky Blue, Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold | Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue | Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue |
Battery life (rated) | 27 hours video | 33 hours video | 39 hours video |
Size | 6.2 x 2.9 x 0.22 inches (156.2 x 74.7 x 5.64 mm) | 5.9 x 2.8 x 0.34-inches (150 x 71.9 x 8.75mm) | 6.4 x 3.0 x 0.34-inches (163.4 x 78 x 8.75mm) |
Weight | 5.82 ounces (165 grams) | 7.27 ounces (206 grams) | 8.22 ounces (233 grams) |
iPhone Air vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Pricing
The iPhone Air starts at $999 for 256GB of storage. That's $100 more than the previous iPhone 16 Plus but but $100 less than the $1,099 iPhone 17 Pro and $200 less than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Check out our iPhone 17 pre-order deals page for the lowest price on all of these new iPhones.
So at least on paper, the iPhone Air is the best value. But it really comes down to what you are looking for in your next phone. The iPhone Air is still very much a premium handset and you're paying for its sheer portability. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are the more versatile devices, especially in terms of their cameras.
iPhone Air vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Design and colors
The iPhone Air is so thin and light that it's hard to believe when it's in your hand. It's just 5.6mm thick and a super light 5.82 ounces. Compare that to 8.75mm for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, which weigh a hefty 7.27 and 8.22 ounces, respectively.
I'm telling you that you can easily slip the iPhone Air in your front pocket and almost forget that it's there. The iPhone 17 Pro Max for me is a back pocket affair. And the iPhone 17 Pro is compact enough to go in your front pocket, though you'll notice the bulk.
The iPhone Air sports a titanium frame that's designed to be quite durable, while the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max opt for aluminum unibody designs. Apple ditched titanium on the Pros for aluminum partially to help dissipate heat better.
All three of these iPhones have a Cearmic Shield 2 front with 3x better scratch resistance and a Ceramic Shield Back to protect against drops.
The iPhone Air has four color options. Take your pick from Sky Blue, Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold. But I'd argue the iPhone 17 Pro series is having more fun with its Cosmic Orange option, which is joined by Silver and Deep Blue.
iPhone Air vs iPhone 17 Pro: Displays
The iPhone Air's 6.5-inch display is right in between the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The regular Pro sports a 6.3-inch screen, and the Pro Max is a massive 6.9 inches.
Personally, I find the iPhone 17 Pro too small, but there's lots of people who prefer a smaller screen.
The displays on these three phones are pretty similar otherwise. All of them feature OLED panels with always-on display functionality and ProMotion refresh rates that go from 1 to 120Hz. And all three displays get up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness. The biggest difference is really size.
iPhone Air vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Cameras
This is where you'll see the biggest iPhone Air vs iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max differences. The iPhone Air sports a single rear 48MP camera. Yes, it offers the equivalent of a 2x optical zoom by cropping in for 12MP close-ups, but you don't get an ultrawide shooter (which also means no macro mode) or a true telephoto lens.
The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are armed with three 48MP cameras. So you get a main wide camera, ultrawide shooter and 4x telephoto lens that can produce 8x optical quality shots via cropping that come out as 12MP. The digital zoom on the iPhone Air is 10x and the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max go all the way up to 40x.
The good news is that the iPhone Air's front Center Stage camera is just as capable as the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. You get an 18MP shooter with a square-shapred sensor that's smart enough to switch between portrait and landscape mode on the fly based on how many people are in the frame.
In terms of video, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max deliver more features. For instance, the iPhone Air doesn't offer Cinematic mode or ProRes recording up to 4K and 120fps.
True creative pros will appreciate the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max's exclusive support for features like ProRes Raw, Apple Log 2 video recording and Genlock.
iPhone Air vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Performance
On paper, the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro series should offer comparable performance, as they both feature the advanced A19 Pro chip. But there's a notable difference.
While both the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro series sport a 6-core CPU, the iPhone Air gets a 5-core GPU. That compares to a 6-core GPU for the A19 Pro that powers the Pro and Pro Max. So you should expect better gameplay on the Pros.
The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max should also give you better sustained performance because of Apple's new vapor chamber cooling system. This lets you enjoy intense games and tackle other tasks for longer without your phone overheating or slowing down.
iPhone Air vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Battery life and charging
Apple says the iPhone Air is capable of delivering "all-day battery life." That's thanks in part to a design that puts several components in the so-called plateau (the camera bump to you and me), leaving room for a large battery. But the iPhone Air realizes efficiencies in other ways, including Apple's C1X modem and a new N1 chip that combines that Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread radios.
The iPhone Air is rated for 27 hours of video playback, which is the same as last year's iPhone 16 Pro. However, the iPhone 17 Pro is rated for 33 hours, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max offers a whopping 39 hours. Apple will sell you a MagSafe battery for the back of the iPhone Air for $99 that can get you up to 40 hours of juice, but to me that defeats the purpose of the design.
We'll have to see how these phones do in the Tom's Guide Battery Test to see which can make our best phone battery life list.
So what about charging? The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max both support 40W charging, which can get you to 50% in just 20 mintues. But the iPhone Air can only do that in 30 minutes with a 20W adapter.
Similarly, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max offer faster wireless charging at 25W, compared to 20W for the iPhone Air.
iPhone Air vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Bottom line
If you're on the fence between the iPhone Air vs iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, here's your cheat sheet. The iPhone Air is the phone to get if you want the thinnest and lightest possible iPhone while still enjoying Pro-level performance on the go. It's also the most affordable option between the three phones.
On the other hand, I'd go for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max if you prefer to have a more versatile camera system with an ultrawide lens and telephoto zoom. And you should go Pro if you want longer battery life along with better sustained performance, thanks to that vapor chamber cooling.
Stay tuned for our full reviews of all of these phones with final test results. We'll be updating this comparison to help you decide.
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