iPhone 17 Air vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Style versus power
The feather-weight iPhone 17 Air faces the heavy-weight champion - the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Intro
The iPhone 17 series is right around the corner, and this year there's an exciting new addition to the lineup—the iPhone 17 Air. After Samsung launched the Galaxy S25 Edge, Apple seems to be hopping on the thin smartphone bandwagon as well.
But one question remains open. Do people really want these super thin phones, or would they rather go for something more conventional, such as the iPhone 17 Pro Max, for example? Which leads us to this comparison. On the one hand, we have a super-thin and stylish design, and on the other—a regular Apple powerhouse. So, let's see what the strengths and weaknesses of both are.
A quick disclaimer—both phones are still under wraps, and the info is based on leaks, rumors, and our experience in the industry. We will update the article with tests and benchmarks once both phones are official.
iPhone 17 Air vs iPhone 17 Pro Max expected differences:
| iPhone 17 Air* | iPhone 17 Pro Max* |
|---|---|
| New thin design with different camera housing | The same new camera bump design, but thicker and heavier |
| Aluminum body, glass back | Titanium frame here (aluminum possible) |
| New camera housing design | The same new design but much more pronounced |
| 120Hz OLED display, but more durable and power efficient | The same ProMotion 120Hz OLED display |
| Slightly smaller 6.6-inch (or 6.65-inch) OLED display, 120Hz ProMotion | 6.9-inch display with 1320 x 2868 pixels pixels resolution |
| New Apple A19 chip built on a next-gen 3nm process | Apple A19 Pro chip with better performance |
| The same 8GB of RAM | 12GB of RAM |
| Single 48MP wide camera | 48MP main camera, additional 48MP ultrawide, 48MP telephoto |
| The same old 12MP selfie camera | 24MP selfie camera |
| 3000 mAh battery, potentially shorter battery life | Bigger 4700 mAh battery |
| MagSafe support unclear | MagSafe support |
Table of Contents:
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Design and Size
Style vs power
Not only is Apple expected to make a big design change with the iPhone 17 series, but now we have the slim arms race forming on the horizon. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to employ the new camera bump design, but given it will only house one camera, the overall look is not as radical as with the other models in the portfolio. We're talking about a single thin bar across the back, much like a Pixel phone.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max situation is different, as the camera bump houses three big lens rings; hence, it's much wider, giving the phone a pretty unique look. Design is subjective, but many users have already voiced their concerns about the iPhone 17 Pro Max not being the prettiest iPhone.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max situation is different, as the camera bump houses three big lens rings; hence, it's much wider, giving the phone a pretty unique look. Design is subjective, but many users have already voiced their concerns about the iPhone 17 Pro Max not being the prettiest iPhone.
| iPhone 17 Air* | iPhone 17 Pro Max* |
|---|---|
| Thickness 5.5 mm | Thickness 8.725 mm |
| Weight 146 grams | Weight 227 grams |
Now, onto the biggest selling point of the iPhone 17 Air—its thickness. The phone is expected to be just 5.5 mm thin and weigh just 146 grams. It's a technological feat, but we have to see what this super-thin design does to durability. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to feature a grade 7000 aluminum frame and Apple's proprietary Ceramic Shield on the back and on top of the display.
Let's quickly list the color expectations for the iPhone 17 Air versus what we have available on the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
| iPhone 17 Air colors* | iPhone 17 Pro Max colors* |
|---|---|
| Black | Teal Titanium |
| Steel Gray | Green Titanium |
| TBA | Dark Green Titanium |
| TBA | TBA |
| TBA | TBA |
*speculated or rumored
Display Differences
120Hz ProMotion for everybody!
Apple is bringing its iPhone 17 lineup to the modern display world with 120 Hz ProMotion on all models, including the iPhone 17 Air. It was an upgrade long overdue, but rejoice, all new iPhones will be buttery smooth.
In terms of screen size, the iPhone 17 Air is expected to come equipped with a 6.6-inch OLED display with a 1320 x 2868 pixel resolution and a 458 PPI pixel density. The rumored brightness is 1000 nits typical and 2000 nits in HBM (high brightness mode).
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is expected to retain the display size of its predecessor at 6.9 inches. The latest rumors on the subject point toward Samsung's M14 display panel material as a building block for the iPhone 17 Pro models, which means a peak brightness of around 3000 nits, substantially higher than what we expect on the iPhone 17 Air.
In terms of screen size, the iPhone 17 Air is expected to come equipped with a 6.6-inch OLED display with a 1320 x 2868 pixel resolution and a 458 PPI pixel density. The rumored brightness is 1000 nits typical and 2000 nits in HBM (high brightness mode).
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is expected to retain the display size of its predecessor at 6.9 inches. The latest rumors on the subject point toward Samsung's M14 display panel material as a building block for the iPhone 17 Pro models, which means a peak brightness of around 3000 nits, substantially higher than what we expect on the iPhone 17 Air.
| iPhone 17 Air* | iPhone 17 Pro Max* |
|---|---|
| Size 6.7" (6.6 or 6.65) 120Hz | Size 6.9" 120Hz |
| Brightness 1000 nits (typ) 2000 nits (HBM) | Brightness 2000 nits (typ) 3000 nits (HBM) |
Another piece of info points toward a new technology called LDTEE (Low-dielectric TEE) which aims to bring improved efficiency and durability to the iPhone 17 series, but we don't know if the iPhone 17 Air is going to get it or whether it will be reserved for the Pro models.
As always, we will conduct our detailed and thorough display tests once we lay our hands on the iPhone 17 lineup, so stay tuned.
Performance and Software
A-level silicon but only one is Pro
The iPhone 17 series is expected to get the next-gen A19 silicon. Initial rumors suggested that this silicon might be built on a 2 nm manufacturing node, but the latest information points toward an updated 3 nm technology.
The iPhone 17 Air will get the non-Pro version of this chipset, while the 17 Pro Max will come equipped with the A19 Pro, but specific differences in core clock speeds and power are scarce at the moment.
The RAM situation is as follows: the iPhone 17 Air is believed to land with 8GB of RAM, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max will most likely get the same 12GB of RAM as its predecessor.
In terms of storage, we don't expect big changes; the iPhone 17 Air should offer 128/256/512 storage options, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max will most likely start at 256GB and go all the way up to 1TB. The synthetic benchmarks will show what the exact leap will be, but we'll have to wait for these.
The iPhone 17 Air will get the non-Pro version of this chipset, while the 17 Pro Max will come equipped with the A19 Pro, but specific differences in core clock speeds and power are scarce at the moment.
The RAM situation is as follows: the iPhone 17 Air is believed to land with 8GB of RAM, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max will most likely get the same 12GB of RAM as its predecessor.
In terms of storage, we don't expect big changes; the iPhone 17 Air should offer 128/256/512 storage options, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max will most likely start at 256GB and go all the way up to 1TB. The synthetic benchmarks will show what the exact leap will be, but we'll have to wait for these.
| iPhone 17 Air* | iPhone 17 Pro Max* |
|---|---|
| Chip Apple A19 | Chip Apple A19 Pro |
| Process 3nm (2nm potentially) | Process 3nm |
| RAM 8GB | RAM 12GB |
In terms of software, the iPhone 17 Air will launch with iOS 26 out of the box, the same goes for the iPhone 17 Pro Max being part of the same lineup. You can check out our early iOS 26 preview for more details.
Camera
One versus three
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to get the same single-camera treatment as the iPhone 16e. The main camera is expected to be 48MP, most likely the same as the one used on the previous generation of non-Pro iPhones.
| iPhone 17 Air* | iPhone 17 Pro Max* |
|---|---|
| Main 48 MP f/1.6 26mm (wide) 1/1.56" | Main 48 MP f/1.6 26mm (wide) 1/1.56" |
| Ultrawide - | Ultrawide 48 MP f/2.2 13mm (ultrawide) 1/2.55" |
| Telephoto - | Telephoto 48 MP f/2.8 5x optical zoom |
The iPhone 17 Pro Max, on the other hand, is the real deal when it comes to cameras. It will come equipped with three 48MP cameras, though details are scarce at the moment. The rumor mill has it that the Pro Max telephoto camera will be upgraded from the 12MP sensor of the previous model, while the main and ultrawide will probably be carried over from the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
As always, post-processing algorithms and AI will determine the end result, so stay tuned for some real-life samples once we lay our hands on the iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Battery Life and Charging
No silicon-carbon on the horizon?
There's no way to beat physics, especially when it comes to batteries. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be just 5.5 mm thick, so there's not much space for a battery inside. We kind of hoped Apple would hop on the silicon-carbon train and offer more capacity, but the conservative approach remains.
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to come equipped with a 3000 mAh cell. This is not bad, all things considered, but quite far from the 4700 mAh expected capacity of the iPhone 17 Pro Max. It's a trade-off that's not surprising, given the iPhone 17 Pro Max is 8.7 mm thick and also bigger and heavier.
Our battery test will determine the real difference, so stay tuned for some hard numbers soon.
Our battery test will determine the real difference, so stay tuned for some hard numbers soon.
| iPhone 17 Air* | iPhone 17 Pro Max* |
|---|---|
| Battery capacity 3000 mAh | Battery capacity 4700 mAh |
Charging speeds 35W? | Charging speeds 35W wired 25W wireless (MagSafe) |
In terms of charging, there are some rumors suggesting that the iPhone 17 lineup will receive a bump up in charging speeds with figures floating around the 35W mark. This includes the iPhone 17 Air and the iPhone 17 Pro Max as well. It will be a tiny step forward, given the 100W+ charging available on Motorola and OnePlus phones, but we guess it still counts for an upgrade.
Specs Comparison
Here's a quick (preliminary) specs comparison between the iPhone 17 Air and the iPhone 17 Pro Max (follow the link for a more detailed comparison on PhoneArena):
| iPhone 17 Air* | iPhone 17 Pro Max* |
|---|---|
| Size, weight 163 x 77.6 x 5.5 mm 146 g | Size, weight TBA 227 g |
| Screen 6.65" OLED 120Hz ProMotion | Screen 6.9" OLED 120Hz ProMotion |
| Processor Apple A19 3nm, or possible 2nm | Processor A19 Pro 3nm |
| Versions: 8/128GB 8/256GB 8/512GB LPDDR5 | Versions: 12/256GB 12/512GB 12/1TB LPDDR5 |
| Cameras: 48MP main 12MP front | Cameras: 48MP main 48MP ultra 48MP telephoto 24MP front |
| Battery: 3000 mAh | Battery: 4700 mAh |
| Charging: USB-C 35W wired MagSafe | Charging: USB-C 35W wired MagSafe |
*rumored or speculated
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Summary
These two phones represent different approaches to what's important in our modern smartphone reality. The iPhone 17 Air aims to conquer the fast-emerging "slim" smartphone niche, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max is just the best and most powerful iPhone you can get.
If you opt for the Pro Max, you'll get two additional cameras, a bigger battery, a potentially faster processor, and also a larger display. On the other hand, the iPhone 17 Air offers something unique—it's just 5.5 mm thick.
We have to wait for the prices to be officially revealed to be able to judge objectively which one offers a better package. We'll update this piece with all the tests and benchmarks once the iPhone 17 series goes official.
If you opt for the Pro Max, you'll get two additional cameras, a bigger battery, a potentially faster processor, and also a larger display. On the other hand, the iPhone 17 Air offers something unique—it's just 5.5 mm thick.
We have to wait for the prices to be officially revealed to be able to judge objectively which one offers a better package. We'll update this piece with all the tests and benchmarks once the iPhone 17 series goes official.
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