The iPhone Air is a fact! It is the thinnest iPhone ever and according to Apple: in the core a pro. Is that also so? Does a smartphone with an A19 Pro chip immediately make the device a pro model? If you ask us, not.
The iPhone Air looks impressive, but the compromises are difficult to ignore. The Air display is sublime, but must hand in in the field of cameras, battery life and performance. We list the most important differences with the iPhone 17 (Pro) for you.
iPhone Air compared to iPhone 17 (Pro)
Comparing the Air with the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro models feels a bit like comparing apples with pears. Although they are all four smartphones from Apple, they are completely different devices. For example, the Pro is really intended for professional use and the Air is a device that offers slightly more than the standard iPhone 17 model, or not?
Design and dimensions
The Air is the thinnest iPhone that Apple has ever made, designed for people who mainly appreciate lightness and elegance. The standard model, and especially the Pro,, on the other hand, is more robust and heavier, but also still handy.
The dimensions of the iPhone 17 series are as follows: the iPhone Air measures 156.2 mm high, 74.7 mm wide and is only 5.64 mm thin; The iPhone 17 has a height of 149.6 mm, a width of 71.5 mm and a thickness of 7.95 mm; The iPhone 17 Pro is 150 mm high, 71.9 mm wide and 8.75 mm thick; And with 163.4 mm the iPhone 17 Pro Max is the largest, with a width of 78 mm and an equal thickness of 8.75 mm. The iPhone Air is therefore the thinnest and lightest of the series. These differences ensure a different user experience in size and weight.
120HZ Display with Promotion
The difference between the displays is the size, because all four iPhone models from 2025 have a 120Hz display with promotion with a variable Refresh Rate for smoother display.
The iPhone Air has one 6.5 inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen; The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro have a slightly smaller 6.3 inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen; and the iPhone 17 Pro Max is the largest with one 6.9 inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen. The pro models have a peak clearance of 3000 Nits in direct sunlight, the other iPhones 2000 Nits.
Fusion camera system
The biggest difference is in the cameras. The iPhone Air has only one 48-megapixel Fusion camera on the back. The 17 Pro, on the other hand, has three 48-megapixel cameras: a wide-angle, tele- and ultra-wide corner camera plus a Lidar scanner for depth. The iPhone 17 has a Duallens-camerasytem with a 48-megapixel wide-angle and ultra-wide angle camera. All four telephones have an 18-megapixel camera at the front.
For an iPhone that profiles itself as ‘in the Pro Core Pro’, the choice for only one camera is anything but Pro. The iPhone 17 is cheaper and has a better camera system. The iPhone Air simply no longer fits more camera lenses, but only one lens is scanty.
Duration
The battery in the Air is smaller because of the thin design. With the help of software and optimization, Apple has ensured that the iPhone Air has an ‘all day’ battery life and that you can play video for up to 27 hours, while the 17 Pro keeps it up for up to 31 hours. The iPhone 17 Pro does that a scoop: 37 hours and the iPhone 17 keeps it up for 30 hours.
Esim
The iPhone Air only supports Esim, which means that there is no physical SIM card slot. This makes the device thinner and offers extra space for parts such as the battery. The iPhone 17 series, on the other hand, still has a physical SIM card slot in many regions, including in the Netherlands and Belgium. This is especially useful if your provider does not yet support ESIM.
Performance
The iPhone 17 has an A19 chip, while the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air use an A19 Pro chip. This means that the iPhone 17 is suitable for standard tasks and daily apps, but is slightly less powerful than the Pro models. The iPhone Air uses a variant of the pro chip with one GPU-Core less, but is still much more powerful than the regular A19 chip.
The 17 Pro is also equipped with a new vapor room for cooling that helps to combat overheating. As a result, the A19 Pro chip performs longer and better with demanding tasks, something that is missing from the Air.
All four devices have USB-C. The iPhone 17 and iPhone Air support USB 2 (up to 480 MB/s), while the iPhone 17 Pro models support USB 3 (up to 10 GB/s) for faster data transfer.
Conclusion iPhone Air vs. iPhone 17 (Pro)
Because the screen of all four the iPhone models are equal to each other, apart from the size and peak clearance, there is no more distinction and no reason to go for a certain device. This means that the user experience is virtually identical for everyone, regardless of which model you choose.
The iPhone 17 Pro mainly has an advantage when it comes to camera and battery life, but is therefore also more expensive. The iPhone Air is ultra -run and lighter and is only € 100 cheaper, but has to make concessions in terms of cameras, battery and cooling. Those who want the best possible camera and best performance opt for the 17 Pro; Those who want a slim, cheaper device can go well for the Air.
Do you have less with the thin design of the Air and do you just want a good device with an excellent camera system? Then the iPhone 17 is the best choice and also the cheapest in the list! In addition, the iPhone 17 this year is more like the Pro than ever, which makes it a very interesting device.