iPhone 17 vs iPhone Air – Which 2025 Apple Phone Should You Really Buy?

Apple unveiled the iPhone 17 lineup on September 9, adding a new device called the iPhone Air to its portfolio. The range includes the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the newly introduced iPhone Air, which Apple says is its thinnest smartphone so far. The devices go on sale September 19 after preorders opened earlier this week.

The iPhone 17 marks the end of the “Plus” variant. In its place comes the iPhone Air, which is 5.6mm thick and weighs 165 grams. The slim build results in trade-offs such as a smaller battery and a single 48MP rear camera housed in an elliptical camera island. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, on the other hand, feature a redesigned rectangular camera layout stretching across the phone’s back and include a 48MP telephoto sensor.

The standard iPhone 17 now includes ProMotion LTPO display technology with a 120Hz refresh rate, Always-on Display, and peak brightness of 3,000 nits. A 48MP ultrawide camera has also been added. Both Pro models are powered by Apple’s A19 Pro processor paired with a vapor chamber cooling system to handle extended workloads.

The iPhone Air runs on the same A19 Pro chip but comes with one fewer GPU core and no vapor chamber, which could affect sustained performance. Its 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display sits between the iPhone 17 Pro’s 6.3-inch screen and the Pro Max’s 6.9-inch panel.

Apple estimates battery life in terms of video playback. The iPhone 17 is rated at 30 hours, the iPhone 17 Pro at 31 hours, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max at 37 hours. The iPhone Air delivers up to 27 hours, with Apple offering a separate MagSafe battery pack to extend runtime.

All four models ship with iOS 26, which introduces a refreshed interface called “Liquid Glass.” The update is also available to older devices beginning with the iPhone 11. However, Apple’s intelligence-based features are limited to recent phones, including the iPhone 15 Pro series, iPhone 16, iPhone Air, and the new iPhone 17 family.

In India, the iPhone 17 is priced at Rs 82,900. The iPhone 17 Pro costs Rs 1,34,900, the iPhone 17 Pro Max Rs 1,49,900, and the iPhone Air Rs 1,19,900. U.S. pricing is lower, with the base model starting around Rs 70,500.

Compared to the iPhone 16 series, Apple has increased prices slightly but doubled the base storage and added higher-resolution cameras. The Pro and Pro Max variants represent a larger leap with faster processors and new telephoto systems.

The iPhone 17 series, including the Air, will be available worldwide starting September 19.