Phones · Compare

Apple iPhone 17 vs Apple iPhone Air

Reviewers rate the Apple iPhone 17 clearly higher: 86 against 72 for the Apple iPhone Air.

86

Apple iPhone 17

Reviewers agree · 11 reviews

Suits buyers who want a Pro-level 120Hz screen, long battery life and 256GB storage at $799 without paying for Pro models. The trade-offs are no telephoto lens, weaker zoom, and AI features that reviewers find underwhelming.

Every Apple iPhone 17 review →

72

Apple iPhone Air

Some disagreement · 14 reviews

Suits buyers who want the thinnest, lightest iPhone and do not need multiple cameras or long battery life. Main trade-offs are the single rear camera, average battery life, and a high price for the camera hardware offered.

Every Apple iPhone Air review →

Scores

MeasureApple iPhone 17Apple iPhone Air
Consensus score8672
design80100

Category scores are averages of the category marks publishers print, out of 100. The higher figure in each row is in bold.

Reviewers who tested both

7 publications have scored both phones. 6 scored the Apple iPhone 17 higher.

PublicationApple iPhone 17Apple iPhone Air
Trusted Reviews4.5/54.5/5
Tom's Guide4.5/53.5/5
Tech Advisor4.5/53.5/5
CNET9.1/108.6/10
Wired9/107/10
TechRadar4.5/54/5
The Verge8/107/10

Key specs

SpecApple iPhone 17Apple iPhone Air
ReleasedSeptember 2025September 2025
Launch price (USD)$799$999
Launch price (UK)£799£999
Launch price (Europe)€949€1,229
Form factorStandardStandard
OSiOSiOS
Display6.3″6.5″
Main camera48 MP48 MP
Telephoto lensNoNo
Battery3,682 mAh3,149 mAh
Wired charging40 W20 W
ChipsetApple A19A19 Pro
Base storage256 GB256 GB
Weight177 g165 g
Water resistanceIP68IP68
Software updates5 years5 years

Specs come from the reviews' own spec boxes. Prices are launch prices of the base model.