iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone Air: a choice between head and heart

Date:
Mon, 20 Apr 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Description:
I've spent months testing the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air here's which one you should buy.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member
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1,099 at Carphone Warehouse



The iPhone 17 Pro is a feature-packed powerhouse offering great cameras, strong battery life, and an interesting new design. Pros Fantastic cameras Excellent performance Strong battery life Cons More expensive than the Air
... and thicker and heavier iPhone Air 699 at Amazon 799 at Mobiles.co.uk 799 at Carphone Warehouse 1,149 at very.co.uk



The iPhone Air has fewer cameras and weaker battery life than the iPhone 17 Pro, but its gorgeous design gives you a feeling that no other iPhone can match. Pros Impossibly thin and light The only iPhone with a 6.5-inch display Pro-equaling chipset Cons Battery life could be better Can get warm during certain tasks If youre in the market for a new iPhone and have the means to spend big, youre probably deciding between two very different products: the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air . The former is a feature-packed powerhouse with excellent cameras, while the latter is among the most interesting iPhones, design-wise, Apple has ever made. So, which should you buy? Ive used both the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air for months at a time, meaning Im well-placed to walk you through each models strengths and weaknesses. Youll find my overall verdict at the bottom of the page, but rest assured that, whichever model you choose, youll be getting a powerful and durable iPhone that should see you through the next few years with ease. Let's get into it. Article continues below You may like iPhone 17e vs iPhone 17: which should you buy? iPhone 17e vs Google Pixel 10a Best iPhone 2026 iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone Air: specs comparison Before we dig into the details, heres an overview of both phones key specs: Swipe to scroll horizontally Header Cell - Column 0

iPhone 17 Pro

iPhone 17 Air

Weight:

206g

165g

Display:

6.3-inch OLED

6.5-inch OLED

Resolution:

2622 x 1206

2736 x 1260

Refresh rate:

120Hz

120Hz

Peak brightness:

3,000 nits

3,000 nits

Chipset:

A19 Pro (6-core GPU)

A19 Pro (5-core GPU)

Storage:

256GB, 512GB, 1TB

256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Rear cameras:

48MP wide (24mm, /1.78), 48MP ultra-wide (13 mm, /2.2), 48MP telephoto (8x optical zoom)

48MP wide (26mm, f/1.6)

Front camera:

18MP (/1.9)

18MP (f/1.9)

Battery:

3,149mAh

3,988mAh (SIM tray); 4,252mAh (eSIM)

Charging:

40W wired, 25W wireless

20W wired, 20W wireless

Colors:

Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue

Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, Sky Blue iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone Air: price and availability (Image credit: Future) The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone
Air both launched in September 2025 and are available globally. The former retails for $1,099 / 1,099 / AU$1,999, and the latter for $999 / 999 / AU$1,799. Both phones come with 256GB of storage as standard, and can be configured with up to 1TB of storage (or 2TB if you choose the iPhone 17 Pro Max).

Full pricing is as follows: Swipe to scroll horizontally iPhone 17 Pro
pricing

Storage

US price

UK price

AU price

256GB

$1,099

1,099

AU$1,999

512GB

$1,299

1,299

AU$2,399

1TB

$1,499

1,499

AU$2,799 Swipe to scroll horizontally iPhone Air pricing

Storage

US price

UK price

AU price

256GB

$999

999

AU$1,799

512GB

$1,199

1,199

AU$2,199

1TB

$1,399

1,399

AU$2,599 So, the iPhone 17 Pro is $100 / 100 / AU$200 more expensive than the iPhone 17 Air in every configuration. And in fact, if youre shopping for an unlocked device, Apples super slim iPhone is also on sale at third-party retailers a lot more frequently than the iPhone 17 Pro, so that price gap is often even wider. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Winner: iPhone Air iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone Air: design Image 1 of 2 The iPhone 17 Pro in Deep Blue (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) The iPhone Air in Cloud White (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future) Surprise! The biggest differences between the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air come in the design department.

The iPhone 17 Pro is smaller, thicker, heavier, and has a much larger camera block or Camera Plateau that runs vertically across the width of its rear panel. Both this camera block and the phones frame are made of aluminum, and the iPhone 17 Pro also has a rectangular glass cutout on the back for MagSafe and wireless charging. What to read next I tested the iPhone 17e, and I'm convinced it's an even better-value iPhone The iPhone Air for 699 might be
the best iPhone deal Ive ever seen Four months with the iPhone 17 Pro has changed the way I use my phone for better or worse (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) The 17 Pro does actually look very different from the 16
Pro before it, and it feels great to hold in the hand. In any other year, it would be the standout iPhone in terms of design. But the iPhone Air is
another level of premium.

First, its improbably thin. Measuring just 5.64mm at its thinnest point, the iPhone Air is 31% smaller than the iPhone 17 Pro and some 41g lighter,
despite boasting a larger 6.5-inch display, which well come to later. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future) (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future) As
on the 17 Pro, Apple houses all of the Airs core components in a rear Camera Plateau, though here that module is pill-shaped and made entirely of glass. Glass is also the material of choice for the whole rear panel, and the iPhone Air is housed in a titanium frame rather than an aluminum one.

In the hand, Apples super slim iPhone feels like nothing else before it, and if you dont think youll care about the Airs thickness (you will), youll definitely appreciate its weightlessness. Ive had to double-check my pockets at times just to remind myself that the Air is in fact where I left it, and when you do take the phone out of your pocket, itll definitely attract more attention than the Pro which again, looks great, but its a different type of great. (Image credit: Future) Whats more, despite the Airs thin and lightweight design, Apple still makes room for the Action button and Camera Control, so you wont lose out on either feature by choosing not to go Pro.

Both phones are also protected by Ceramic Shield 2 , which is way more scratch-resistant than previous versions of iPhone glass, and both get an
IP68 rating, meaning theyre water-resistant to depths of six meters for up to 30 minutes, and dust-proof.

As for the slightly more subtle design differences, the iPhone 17 Pro has stereo speakers at the bottom of its frame, while the iPhone Air has a single mono speaker in the earpiece area.

The 17 Pro also ships with a SIM card tray in the UK, Europe, and Australia, whereas the Air is eSIM-only in every region.

As for colors, the 17 Pro comes in Silver, Cosmic Orange, and Deep Blue,
while the Air ships in Sky Blue, Cloud White, Space Black, and Light Gold (though beware: the gold is not very gold).

Winner: iPhone Air iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone Air: display Image 1 of 2 The iPhone 17 Pro (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) The iPhone Air (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future) From the front, both the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air look nigh-on identical, save for their different screen sizes.

Like the regular iPhone 17, the 17 Pro uses a 6.3-inch OLED panel (2622 x 1206), while the Air uses a 6.5-inch OLED panel (2736 x 1260), which is
unique among the iPhone 17 lineup. If you go for the 17 Pro Max, youll get an even larger 6.9-inch display.

Both of these screens boast 120Hz refresh rates and Apples always-on display technology, as well as the Dynamic Island cut-out for live alerts, background activities, and app controls.

Both the 17 Pro and iPhone Air also share an outdoor peak brightness of 3,000 nits, so you wont struggle to see either phones screen in bright sunlight.

In other words, this section is a straight tie, though personally, I think
the iPhone Airs 6.5-inch screen size is the sweet spot for a smartphone display.

Winner: Tie iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone Air: cameras Image 1 of 2 The iPhone 17 Pro (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) The iPhone Air (Image credit:
Jacob Krol/Future) Now we come to the first big compromise of the iPhone Air: it only has one camera.

Apples marketing will tell you that the Airs 48MP Fusion lens is both a wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens in one, but this 2x optical-quality crop is no substitute for the true 4x telephoto zoom youll get on the iPhone 17 Pro.

Apples latest flagship also offers optical-quality zoom up to 8x, and youll
be thankful for that extra versatility when filming at concerts, sports
games, or basically anywhere that has you far away from the subject.

The 17 Pro also offers a 48MP ultra-wide lens, which makes it easy to capture landscapes, buildings, and small spaces, while the iPhone Air has no such lens.

Lastly, the 17 Pro can capture video in 4K at up to 120 fps, while the Air is limited to 4K at 60 fps, so content creators will probably want to opt for
the former.

On paper, then, the iPhone 17 Pro wipes the floor with the Air in the camera department, and its true that the 17 Pro is among the best camera phones
money can buy.

However, its worth thinking about what type of photos you regularly take before dismissing the iPhone Air out of hand. When swapping from the Pro to the Air, I was worried about how much Id miss the formers telephoto lens, but actually, I found the wide lens to be perfectly fine in 80% of situations.
The lack of a proper zoom lens did prove frustrating at times, but I didnt really notice the lack of an ultra-wide lens, and the portability gained by having only one camera on the iPhone Air is worth bearing in mind.

Both phones also share the same excellent 18MP selfie camera, which uses subject tracking to automatically keep you in the frame and lets you switch between portrait and landscape modes on the fly.

Winner: iPhone 17 Pro iPhone 17 Pro camera samples Image 1 of 12 (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) iPhone Air camera samples Image 1 of 12 (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future) (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future) (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future) (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future) (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future) (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future) (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future) (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future) (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future) (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future) (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future) (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future) iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone Air: performance and software Image 1 of 2 The iPhone 17 Pro (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) The iPhone Air (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future) The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air both use Apples latest A19 Pro chipset, meaning theyre two of the most powerful phones on the market. But there are some slight differences in terms of how they handle all that power.

The chipset inside the 17 Pro actually has an extra GPU core, though youll never notice the difference while scrolling, streaming, or web browsing.
Where the 17 Pro does pull away from the Air is in its management of heat.

Apples latest flagship features a dedicated vapor chamber cooling system for better sustained performance, while the super slim Air features no such system.

Again, you wont notice the benefits of this vapor chamber while scrolling through TikTok or watching YouTube , but it does keep the 17 Pro much cooler than the Air while gaming for sustained periods or recording video in 4K.

The Air also has a tendency to heat up during extended FaceTime sessions or when you download multiple apps in one go, which isnt really a problem, but its definitely a noticeable difference versus the iPhone 17 Pro.

The 17 Pros stereo speakers are also much better than the single mono speaker in the iPhone Air, and for data transfer, the Pro gets USB 3 speeds, while
the Air is limited to USB 2.

As for software, both phones offer an identical experience, supporting iOS 26 out of the box and likely supported with updates until at least 2030.

Winner: iPhone 17 Pro iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone Air: battery Image 1 of 2 The iPhone 17 Pro (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) Apple sells an Air-specific battery pack for the iPhone Air (Image credit: Jacob
Krol/Future) You wont be shocked to learn that the iPhone 17 Pro (4,252mAh) features a bigger battery than the super slim iPhone Air (3,149mAh). Apple says youll get up to 33 hours of video playback from the 17 Pro, and up to 27 hours from the Air, and both of those figures are accurate if you do nothing but stream video on either phone.

Sustained web browsing over 5G will knock both of those numbers down significantly, and in our lab testing where we used a proprietary app to cycle through a series of 22 websites until the phones batteries had completely drained the 17 Pro lasted for 15 hours, and the iPhone Air lasted for just over 12 hours. In other words, the 17 Pro is a true all-day phone (youll probably get nearer two days of use if you use it casually), whereas the iPhone Air needs to be charged every night.

Again, thats not a deal-breaker I put my phone on charge every night as a matter of routine but its true that the 17 Pro has noticeably better battery life than the iPhone Air, so in a straight endurance shootout, Apples
flagship takes the crown.

As for charging, the iPhone 17 Pro supports fast wired charging up to 40W,
and wireless charging up to 25W. The iPhone Air tops out at 20W charging regardless of the delivery method. That sounds like a dramatic difference,
but in reality, youll be able to juice up the 17 Pro to 50% in around 20 minutes, and the Air to the same figure in around 30 minutes.

Neither phone supports reverse wireless charging.

Winner: iPhone 17 Pro iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone Air: verdict (Image credit: Future) Overall, then, the iPhone 17 Pro is the smarter buy on paper. Its got two more cameras than the Air, better thermal performance, longer battery life, and faster charging. But youll pay for those extra features via a
higher price tag, and its worth remembering that the iPhone Air is on sale much more frequently than the iPhone 17 Pro, so the price gap between the two phones will likely be more than the official $100 / 100 / AU$200 difference.

The iPhone Air, meanwhile, is the slimmer, lighter, and much more
eye-catching device, with a display and main camera that match those of the iPhone 17 Pro. For me, those are the features I use most often on any phone, and so my experience of using the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air has been largely comparable.

The real difference is how the iPhone Air makes me and, maybe, you feel.
Its a lovely piece of craftsmanship that gives me a pang of excitement every time I take it out of my pocket, and thats not a feeling Ive felt about any iPhone for a long time.

The iPhone 17 Pro is a truly exceptional phone, and probably the device Id be more confident recommending to most people, but choosing between these two iPhones is like choosing between head and heart. Which one do you trust more? Today's best iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air deals Contract Deals Sim Free Apple iPhone 17 Pro 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 1GB data 100 upfront 62.37 /mth View Deal at Vodafone Ltd See all prices Apple iPhone Air 36
months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 5GB data 40 upfront 41.49 /mth View
Deal at Vodafone Ltd See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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