In this article, we’ll be comparing two smartphones that are a part of Apple’s latest iPhone 17 series. We’ll be comparing the Apple iPhone Air vs Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max. The iPhone Air may not have a number ‘17’ in its name, but it’s pretty much a member of that series that consists of four smartphones. The iPhone 17 Pro Max, on the other hand, is the most powerful smartphone in the series… and also the largest.
The iPhone Air is a newcomer for Apple, it replaces the iPhone 16 Plus, and the ‘Plus’ line in general. It is extremely thin, and that’s one of its main selling points. We’ll first list the specifications of both smartphones, and will then move to compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio output. Let’s get to it.
Specs
Apple iPhone Air
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
| Apple iPhone Air | Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 156.2 x 74.7 x 5.6 mm | 163.4 x 78 x 8.8 mm |
| Weight | 165 grams | 233 grams |
| Display | 6.5-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED | 6.9-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED |
| Refresh rate | 1-120Hz | 1-120Hz |
| Resolution | 2736 x 1260 | 2868 x 1320 |
| Chipset | Apple A19 Pro | Apple A19 Pro |
| RAM | 12GB | 12GB |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB/1TB | 256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB |
| Main camera | 48MP (f/1.6 aperture, 1/1.56-inch sensor size, sensor-shift-OIS) | 48MP (1/1.28 aperture, 1.22um pixel size, sensor-shift OIS, dual pixel PDAF) |
| Ultra-wide camera | N/A | 48MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV, 0.7um pixel size, PDAF) |
| Telephoto camera | N/A | N/A |
| Periscope telephoto camera | N/A | 48MP (f/2.8 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, PDAF, 3D sensor-shift OIS, 4x optical zoom) |
| Selfie camera | 18MP (f/1.9 aperture, OIS) | 18MP (f/1.9 aperture, OIS) |
| Battery size | 3,149mAh | 4,832mAh (nano SIM) / 5,088mAh (eSIM only) |
| Charging | Wired, 20W MagSafe wireless, 4.5W reverse wired (charger not included) | 40W wired, 25W MagSafe wireless, 4.5W reverse wired (charger not included) |
| Colors | Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, Sky Blue | Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue |
Apple iPhone Air vs Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max: Design
From the front, the two phones look very similar. They both have a flat display with basically identical corner curvature, and a pill-shaped cutout on the display. That cutout is the so-called Dynamic Island. The bezels around both displays are uniform, and they’re also very similar in terms of thickness. The frame is flat on both smartphones, but it’s very different in terms of thickness and even material. The iPhone Air’s frame is made out of titanium, while Apple went back to aluminum for the ‘Pro Max’ model.
With that being said, the button situation is the same across the two devices. The power/lock key sits on the right-hand side, while the Camera control key is also there. On the left, you’ll find the volume up and down keys, along with the Action key. You’ll spot even more differences if you flip them around. The iPhone Air has a pill-shaped camera bar, which protrudes on the back, and includes a single camera.
The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max, on the other hand, has a much larger camera bar, which includes three cameras. The camera layout remains the same as on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, though, a recognizable triangle that Apple has been using for years. The iPhone 17 Pro Max also has a different backplate in general, with a separate middle part for design purposes. Both smartphones are IP68 certified for water and dust resistance.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is the larger of the two phones. It is notably higher, wider, and thicker than the iPhone Air. It’s also a lot heavier. It weighs 233 grams, compared to 165 grams of the iPhone Air. This is perfeclty normal, as the device includes a notably larger display too, and a bigger battery as well.
Apple iPhone Air vs Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max: Display
Speaking of the display, the iPhone Air ships with a 6.5-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display. That panel is flat, and it has an adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz). HDR10 is supported, as is Dolby Vision. The peak brightness this display can deliver is 3,000 nits. The screen-to-body ratio is at around 89%, while the display aspect ratio is 19.5:9. The resolution you’re getting here is 2736 x 1260 pixels. The Ceramic Shield 2 protects this panel.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max, on the other hand, ships with a 6.9-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED panel. That display is flat, and it also supports an adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz). HDR10 and Dolby Vision are supported here too, and the peak brightness is the same as on the iPhone Air, 3,000 nits. The screen-to-body ratio is slightly higher, around 90%, but it’s not even a full percentage higher. The display aspect ratio is 19.5:9, while the resolution is 2868 x 1320 pixels. The Ceramic Shield 2 protects this panel.
Both of these displays are great, and they’re very similar too. Yes, the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s panel is larger, but other than that, they’re on the same playing field. They’re similar in terms of resolution and identical in pretty much every way. Both panels are vivid, sharp, and have great viewing angles, too. Not many people will find things to complain about when it comes to these two displays.
Apple iPhone Air vs Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max: Performance
The Apple iPhone Air is fueled by the Apple A19 Pro processor. That is actually the same chip that fuels the iPhone 17 Pro Max, well, kind of. There is one notable difference, the A19 Pro inside the iPhone Air has one less GPU core. It ships with a 5-core GPU, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s A19 Pro comes with a 6-core GPU. That could, technically, be beneficial for the highest-end games, though in reality, chances are you won’t even notice.
Both smartphones include 12GB of RAM, and both utilize NVMe flash storage. The iPhone Air offers up to 1TB of storage, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max comes in variants with up to 2TB. The storage is not expandable, however, so keep that in mind, and choose wisely when you get around to buying your model.
Both of these smartphones deliver when it comes to performance. The first reviews are out at this point, and as expected, neither one lacks in that department. One thing worth noting is that the the top-end of the iPhone Air’s body, towards the camera bar, gets quite hot when you’re gaming, especially graphically-demanding games. The same is not the case with the iPhone 17 Pro Max. In all other situations, both phones remains quite cool. The performance seems to be great on both, though.
Apple iPhone Air vs Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max: Battery
The Apple iPhone Air has a lot smaller battery than its sibling. It includes a 3,149mAh battery, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max ships with a 4,832mAh battery in a nano SIM model, and a 5,088mAh battery in an eSIM variant. So all units in the US are getting a 5,088mAh battery. That’s a massive difference in battery capacity right there, despite the fact the iPhone Air has a smaller display.
Based on the results from first reviews, the iPhone 17 Pro Max offers outstanding battery life. That’s what we expected, and that’s what happened. The iPhone Air is notably below it, but it still manages to surprise in terms of battery life. It’s much better than expected, actually, and it’ll be more than enough for most people. That seems to be the consensus thus far, we still haven’t had a chance to review either of the two, so we cannot attest to that.
The iPhone Air has slower charging than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. It manages to reach a 50% charge in around 30 minutes, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max will take a bit less than that, around 20 minutes. The iPhone Air supports 20W MagSafe wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wired charging too. The iPhone 17 Pro Max supports 25W MagSafe wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wired charging. Neither phone comes with a charger in the retail box, however.
Apple iPhone Air vs Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max: Cameras
What about the cameras? Well, the Apple iPhone Air has only one camera on the back. Apple opted to include a 48-megapixel camera (1/1.56-inch sensor size) here, the same snapper that is used as the main camera in the base iPhone 17 model. That’s decent hardware, but the fact that there’s no ultrawide or telephoto snappers on the back is disappointing. Apple had to think about thickness here, though, so it’s kind of understandable.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max, on the other hand, is fully packed out. It includes a 48-megapixel main camera (1/1.28-inch sensor size), a 48-megapixel ultrawide unit (1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV), and a 48-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (1/2.55-inch sensor size, 4x optical zoom). The main camera sensor is larger than the one in the iPhone Air, while it has decent ultrawide and telephoto hardware too.
The iPhone Air seems to be offering good camera performance. It is similar to what the iPhone 16 offers, but it seems to do better with colors. The iPhone 17 Pro Max does beat it, and even though that’s not always obvious, you’ll notice it. It is more noticeable in low light. The iPhone 17 Pro Max also wins in basically every shot that is 3x or higher, and it also has the option of ultrawide photos. Apple did improve the colors the cameras can produce with the two new models, that’s for sure.
Audio
The Apple iPhone Air has a single speaker, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max ships with dual stereo speakers. While the iPhone Air’s speaker does get plenty loud, it does sound tinny when you crank it all the way up, which is expected. The sound the iPhone 17 Pro Max can produce is notably nicer, and doesn’t have such issues.
Neither phone has an audio jack, but you can connect your wired headphones via their Type-C ports. Alternatively, both smartphones offer Bluetooth 6.0 support for wireless connectivity.
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