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Title: iPhone Air vs. iPhone 17 Pro: Which one is right for you?

Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2025 00:15:39 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/i...

iPhone Air is much thinner compared to the iPhone 17 Pro. (Apple)

Now that we've seen the actual iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models ΓÇö they
were revealed at the Apple iPhone event today ΓÇö it's time to decide if
you're ready to upgrade to one of the newer devices. If you watched Apple's
keynote or pored through Engadget's liveblog, you probably noticed the Air
and 17 Pro share quite a few similarities ΓÇö many of the specs are
identical, or nearly so.

For starters, both run the new A19 Pro chip, giving each of them a
performance edge over the non-Pro A19 in the baseline iPhone 17. And their
screens, bodies and basic feature sets ΓÇö high-refresh ProMotion screens,
Apple Intelligence, scratch-resistant Ceramic Shield front and back, Camera
Control button, MagSafe wireless charging ΓÇö are all largely aligned, too.
And there's only a $100 delta in their price tags, with the iPhone Air
starting at $999 and the iPhone 17 Pro at $1,099.

But these two phones have two very different audiences. The Pro, as usual, is
designed to be the no-compromise iPhone, while the Air is much more of a
fashion statement. It's the thinnest iPhone ever, and that comes with some
notable compromises.

To that end, let's take a deep dive on the key areas where the newly
introduced iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro diverge. (For more of today's Apple
releases, check out our hands-on with the new AirPods Pro 3 and the Apple
Watch Series 11.)

Size and weight

The iPhone Air is Apple's thinnest phone yet, at just 5.6mm thick. In
comparison, the iPhone 17 Pro is 8.75mm thick ΓÇö that's more than 3mm
thicker than the Air! I'm almost certain the Air would get lost between my
couch cushions on day one.

When it comes to the screen size, the iPhone Air has a 6.5-inch display,
which is larger than the 17 Pro's 6.3-inch screen. (If you want larger still,
the iPhone 17 Pro Max is a whopping 6.9 inches diagonally). But the screen
tech uses the identical Super Retina XDR technology with all the same bells
and whistles ΓÇö ProMotion high refresh rate, P3 color gamut, True Tone. They
should look pretty much identical.

As for weight, the Air with its titanium casing tips the scales at just 5.82
ounces (165 grams), while the iPhone 17 Pro weighs 7.27 ounces (206 grams)
with an aluminum chassis. That's a tad more than the iPhone 16 Pro's weight
of 7.03 ounces (199 grams), probably due to the newer model's larger battery.

If you decide to upgrade to the 17 Pro Max instead, it has a larger 6.9-inch
display and weighs a whopping 8.22 ounces (233 grams).

But long story short, the Air's superthin design and wispier weight is pretty
much the reason you're buying this phone.

The Air is pretty light and thin in comparison to all other iPhones. (Apple)
Cameras

Here's where the biggest differences lie: the cameras. While the iPhone 17
Pro has three rear 48MP cameras, the iPhone Air has just one (also 48MP,
though it serves as two cameras in one). Here's what they include:

iPhone 17 Pro rear cameras: The Pro boasts a triple array "Pro Fusion camera
system," where the three 48MP cameras combine to offer .5x, 1x, 2x, 4x and 8x
optical zoom options. The Pro also offers macro photography, spatial photos
and can shoot in ProRAW image mode. Video offerings are also full-tilt, with
4K Dolby Vision video recording up to 120fps, along with a litany of
sophisticated options that will appeal to more serious video shooters (ProRES
Raw, Genlock support, cinematic mode and more).

iPhone Air rear camera: By comparison, the Air has a single 48MP Fusion
camera system that delivers only 2x optical zoom in addition to standard.
That also means it lacks even the ultrawide (.5x) mode found in the baseline
iPhone. Video recording is similarly limited to just half the Pro's
framerate, albeit still in 4K Dolby Vision.

Both phones have the new Center Stage 18MP front-facing "selfie" camera,
which eliminates the need to rotate your phone to take a landscape photo. You
instead just tap to expand the field of view. And when others join the photo,
the camera automatically expands the view. And when you're on a video call,
the camera uses artificial intelligence to adjust the frame. They also both
offer Dual Capture, so you can shoot from the front and back cameras
simultaneously.

The iPhone 17 Pro has three rear-facing cameras. (Apple)

Still, the camera compromises are arguably the Air's biggest shortfall. Don't
get this phone if you like long zooms, ultrawide shots or top-notch video
quality.

Battery life

Battery life ratings should always be taken with a grain of salt. That said,
Apple claims the Air will deliver up to 27 hours of video playback and can
get up to a 50% charge in 30 minutes. The good news is that basically matches
the battery claims of last year's iPhone 16 Pro. The bad news is that it
falls well short of the new and improved battery specs on this year's 17 Pro.
That model is rated up to 33 hours of video playback and up to a 50% charge
in just 20 minutes with a 40-watt charger.

Apple

Now, unlike the cameras, there's a workaround for the Air's shorter battery
life. Apple offers an add-on iPhone Air MagSafe battery which snaps on to the
Air's backside and gets you up to 40 hours of video playback. But it costs
$99 and fattens up your superthin phone ΓÇö doesn't that kinda get you back
to square one?

Price

The iPhone Air starts at $999, which matches the price at the 256GB tier of
the iPhone Plus model it's replacing (which just so happens to be my
favorite). So that's $100 more than the starting price of last year's 128GB
Plus, but with the storage doubled, I guess I can't complain too much.

For 512GB, it'll cost you $1,199; and if you splurge on 1TB, you'll be paying
$1,399. And the Air is available in four lighter color palettes.

On the other hand, the iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099 with 256GB, which is
just $100 more. You can also choose 512GB for $1,299 or 1TB for $1,499. (The
iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199 for 256GB and goes up to $1,999 for 2TB.)
The Pro comes in only three colors, though the Cosmic Orange is unusually
bold for the iPhone Pro line.

iPhone Air vs. iPhone 17 Pro: How to choose

As I suggested above, the iPhone Air is certainly eye-catching, but you
really need to make sure you're ready to accept those camera and battery
compromises. The iPhone 17 Pro is much more of a "no compromise" choice,
albeit one that's less of a looker (depending on how you feel about that new
"camera plateau" at the top). That said, remember you can always default to
the baseline iPhone 17, which is arguably better than ever ΓÇö and has some
nice feature one-ups on the Air, to boot.

If I were choosing between the Air and the Pro, I know which one would be the
clear winner for me ΓÇö but I'll leave that decision up to you because I'm
holding out (and hopeful) for a foldable iPhone in 2026. In the meantime, you
can check out Engadget's initial hands-on impressions of the iPhone Air,
iPhone 17 Pro and baseline iPhone 17, as well as our full reviews of those
models coming in the near future.

$100 more for a Pro model really isn't that bad. (Apple)

Full specs comparison

iPhone Air

iPhone 17 Pro

Starting price

$999

$1,099

Dimensions

6.15 x 2.94 x 0.22 inch

5.91 x 2.83 x 0.34 inch

Weight

5.82 ounces (165 grams)

7.27 ounces (206 grams)

Processor

A19 Pro chip

A19 Pro chip

Display

6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display

6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display

Storage

256GB / 512GB / 1TB

256GB / 512GB / 1TB

Battery

Up to 27 hours

Up to 33 hours

Camera

Main: 48MP Fusion camera system / 48MP Fusion Main
Front: Center Stage 18MP

Main: 48MP Pro Fusion camera system / 48MP Fusion Main /48MP Fusion Ultra
Wide / 48MP Fusion Telephoto
Front: Center Stage 18MP

Colors

Sky Blue, Light Gold, Cloud White, Space Black

Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/i...
one-is-right-for-you-001538431.html?src=rss

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