iPhone Air vs iPhone 17: What’s the difference?

Need a new iPhone but aren’t sure which model to go for? We’ve got you covered.

We’ve reviewed both the two cheaper handsets in Apple’s current flagship series, the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air, and highlighted the key differences between them here. 

Once you’re finished here, our best smartphones guide lists our current favourite handsets. Not sure if iOS is for you? Make sure you visit our best Android phones guide instead.

Specs table

Price and Availability

The iPhone 17 is the cheapest of the two, with a starting price of £799/$799 for the 256GB handset.

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The iPhone Air, on the other hand, is a more expensive option compared to the Plus model it has replaced, with a starting RRP of $999/£999.

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Design

• iPhone Air is the thinnest iPhone ever, as 5.64mm
• iPhone Air doesn’t have a physical SIM slot
• Both have the Camera Control and Action buttons

While the iPhone 17 looks similar to the iPhone 16 before it (and then some), the iPhone Air is a complete redesign that looks unlike any other iPhone. At just 5.64mm thin and weighing 165g, the iPhone Air is impossibly thin and feels incredibly light in hand. 

You’d be forgiven for thinking that such a thin phone might feel too delicate to use, however this isn’t the case at all. Not only did we conclude that the iPhone Air feels balanced in-hand, but it’s also fitted with Ceramic Shield 2 at its front and Ceramic Shield at its back too. This means the handset is protected from scratches, although the front boasts three times the protection as the back, according to Apple’s claims. 

In addition, much like the rest of the iPhone line-up, the iPhone Air has an IP68 rating too and is fitted with both the Camera Control and Action Button too. 

Keep in mind that the iPhone Air doesn’t have a physical SIM slot and relies on an eSIM instead. If you already have a physical SIM then don’t worry, as it’s easy to turn your SIM into an eSIM – as long as your network provider allows it. The iPhone 17, on the other hand, still sports a physical SIM slot. 

Otherwise, as mentioned earlier, it’s business as usual with the iPhone 17, and this isn’t a bad thing. Sure, it’s not quite the major redesign as the iPhone Air, but it feels reassuringly familiar in hand too. Alongside an IP68 rating and Camera Control and Action buttons, the iPhone 17 also benefits from Ceramic Shield 2 but on both the front and back. 

As it’s such a radical redesign, and feels great in hand, we’ll give this win to the iPhone Air. Having said that, the iPhone 17 is still undoubtedly a well-designed handset that’ll suit most. 

Winner: iPhone Air

Screen

• Both have 120Hz ProMotion displays 
• iPhone Air has a larger 6.5-inch screen compared to the iPhone 17’s 6.3-inch
• The Dynamic Island remains on both

Once reserved for the Pro models, Apple has now finally introduced its 120Hz ProMotion technology to its entire flagship lineup. This means the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air benefit from an LTPO-enabled 1-120Hz refresh rate – and the difference is clear. Animations and gaming on the iPhone 17 feels brilliantly smooth, especially when compared to the likes of the iPhone 16. 

As mentioned earlier, the iPhone Air has a slightly larger display at 6.5-inches compared to the iPhone 17’s 6.3-inch panel. We found both screens were pleasures to use, although arguably the iPhone Air is the happy medium between the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Max’s 6.9-inch display.

Otherwise, as both are OLED panels, you can expect vibrant colours and deep, inky blacks too. 

Winner: iPhone Air

Camera

• The iPhone Air has just one single camera at its rear while the iPhone 17 has dual 48MP lenses
• Neither handset has a dedicated zoom lens
• Both have an 18MP square lens front camera

If photography is important to you, then straight away we’d recommend opting for the iPhone 17 Pro or one of the best camera phones instead. That’s not to say the iPhone Air or iPhone 17 are bad at taking pictures, it’s just that they lack some of the more advanced features that keen photographers will likely have grown accustomed to.

Even so, the iPhone Air has the least versatile camera hardware of the two, as it sports a single 48MP Fusion sensor at its rear. At this price point, a phone with just one rear camera feels like a major step back although it does have some admirable features.

Firstly, the iPhone Air can jump to 2x zoom without too much sacrifice, and overall it’s able to take impressively detailed images with rich yet accurate colours. Even in low lighting conditions, we found the iPhone Air was confident and didn’t take an age to snap a photo at night. 

Instead, the iPhone 17 is fitted with a 48MP main and a 48MP ultrawide rear lens, with the latter seeing a jump from 12MP on the iPhone 16. Yes, the iPhone 17 misses out on the iPhone 17 Pro’s dedicated telephoto lens, but for most users it’s still an excellent snapper. With this in mind, if you’re not quite a keen photographer but do enjoy snapping great shots for sharing on social media, then we’d recommend you lean more towards the iPhone 17 than the iPhone Air.

However, avid selfie takers will appreciate both the iPhone Air and iPhone 17’s front camera. Both have an 18MP square sensor that allows you to take both portrait and landscape shots without moving the phone. It may sound small, but it makes it so much easier to take selfies and group shots.

Winner: iPhone 17

Performance

• Although the iPhone Air is powered by the A19 Pro chip, it’s not quite the same one as the iPhone 17 Pro
• The iPhone 17 runs on the A19 chip
• We noticed the iPhone Air had an occasional tendency to heat up

In terms of sheer power, the iPhone Air sits in-between the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro, thanks to its A19 Pro. Although at first glance, this may seem like the same chip used in the iPhone 17 Pro, the iPhone Air’s own has one less GPU core and doesn’t boast the same cooling chamber. 

So what does that really mean? In practice, this means the iPhone Air is great for short bursts of more intensive tasks but doesn’t quite offer the same sustained performance as the iPhone 17 Pro. Plus, as all the phone’s components are housed in the camera bump, it has a tendency to get warm. 

Otherwise, the iPhone 17 runs on Apple’s A19 chipset. While it may fall slightly short of either the iPhone Air or iPhone 17 Pro’s A19 Pro performance, in reality the handset should be powerful enough for most users. In fact, unless you’re playing demanding AAA console titles or editing multiple 4K video streams, you’re not likely to notice a difference between A19 or A19 Pro. 

Winner: iPhone Air

Software

• Both ship with iOS 26
• Apple Intelligence is present on both but remains something of an afterthought

Both the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air ship with iOS 26, which is an easy-to-use operating system that, even despite the new Liquid Glass design, will feel familiar for most veteran iPhone users. 

In addition, the entire iPhone 17 series (and the iPhone 16 series for that matter) is fitted with the Apple Intelligence toolkit. While some of the features are interesting, such as Writing Tools and Image Playground, generally it still feels as if the toolkit is more of an afterthought and is easily forgotten. 

Essentially, although we appreciate iOS 26, Apple Intelligence probably shouldn’t be the sole reason you opt for an iPhone Air or iPhone 17. 

Winner: Tie

Battery

• Neither are two-day phones, although the iPhone 17 offers slightly more endurance
• Both support Qi2 wireless charging
• Both took around 80 minutes to recharge

It’s worth mentioning that if you’re coming from an Android like the OnePlus 15 with a huge 7300mAh cell, then you may struggle with either the iPhone 17 or iPhone Air’s battery performance. Neither are terrible by any means, but they’re both pretty modest. 

We found that the iPhone Air struggled the most, as while after light use-days the phone ended with around 20% battery remaining, heavier days required a top-up in the early evening. In comparison, the iPhone 17 usually ended most days with at least 20% left in the tank. 

However, for more convenient charging you can opt for a compatible wireless charger to keep both handsets topped up during the day. 

Otherwise, wired charging is still pretty slow, especially when compared to the Honor Magic 8 Pro’s 100W speeds. The iPhone Air actually slightly surpassed the iPhone 17, with a 100% charge taking around 80 minutes while the latter took 85 minutes. 

Verdict

Generally speaking, for most users we would recommend the iPhone 17 over the iPhone Air. Sure, the iPhone Air boasts a gorgeous design but its tendency to heat up, single rear camera and lower battery life means it’s simply not as reliable as the iPhone 17.

Not only that, but with the inclusion of ProMotion technology, an admirable chip and welcome camera upgrades, the iPhone 17 is one of the easiest iPhones to recommend in a long time.