Why I’d Choose the IPhone 17 Over the IPhone Air
After Apple’s iPhone 17 reveal, I was thinking about which non-Pro phone I’d buy. This year, the choice is not so simple, as both the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air have a number of shortcomings, and even though the iPhone Air is a bit more expensive, it’s not necessarily better in every way. Here are the most important differences between the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air, and the reasons why I think the former is the better option, at least for me.
iPhone 17 Available in More Colors
I care about the look of my iPhone, even if my previous, less vibrant models said otherwise. I’ve usually stuck with muted, dark shades, but this time I wanted to mix things up a bit and go for a bright option. The iPhone 17 gives me plenty of great options with five different colors. In addition to the usual white and black, the phone comes in lavender, sage (green), and smoky blue. That gives it five different color options, many of which are exactly the kind of bright colors I’m looking for.
On the other hand, the iPhone Air only comes in four colors: Sky Blue, Light Gold, Cloud White, and Space Black. Of these, I like the black and white options, but the others have felt a bit too subdued this year.
iPhone Air Promises Better Build Quality
When you compare the displays of the iPhone Air and iPhone 17, you’ll notice that they’re identical in every way except size. The iPhone Air has a slightly larger screen at 6.5 inches, while the iPhone 17 has a 6.3-inch display. In terms of overall dimensions, the iPhone Air is 6.5 inches tall, 2.94 inches wide, and 0.22 inches thick. Yes, that means it’s the thinnest iPhone to date, but the iPhone 17 isn’t without its appeal. Its smaller screen makes it a bit more compact at 5.89 inches tall and 2.81 inches wide. You’ll just have to live with the fact that it’s a bit thicker at 0.34 inches.
Then there’s weight. Even though the iPhone Air is larger, it’s lighter than the iPhone 17. The iPhone Air weighs 5.82 ounces (165 grams), while the iPhone 17 weighs 6.24 ounces (177 grams).
In my opinion, the main difference in build quality is that the iPhone Air also has a ceramic shield on the back. The iPhone 17 still has a glass back, which means it is more likely to crack if dropped. The display of both phones is protected by Ceramic Shield 2.
iPhone Air Has Faster Processor, But Worse Battery Life
The iPhone Air has the same A19 Pro chip as the iPhone 17 Pro models. It has a 5-core GPU instead of the 6-core GPU in the 17 Pro, but otherwise the iPhone Air should deliver similar performance gains. The iPhone 17, on the other hand, has the A19 chip. Unless you use your iPhone for heavy-duty tasks like video editing, shooting a lot of video, or playing graphics-intensive games, you probably won’t notice much of a difference between the A19 Pro and the A19. However, for those who do use their smartphones a lot, the extra processing power will come in handy.
It’s not just an upgrade, though. A side effect of the thinner, lighter weight is a decrease in battery life, which is a major downside to the iPhone Air. Apple says the iPhone Air will deliver up to 27 hours of video playback on a single charge, while the iPhone 17 will deliver 30 hours. That means you might want to consider Apple’s MagSafe battery pack to boost the Air’s battery life to 40 hours of video playback, but then you’ll be getting a bulkier, heavier phone that pretty much defeats the whole point of it.
The iPhone 17 also charges faster than the iPhone Air. Apple says the iPhone Air supports up to 20W of MagSafe wireless charging with a 30W adapter, while the iPhone 17 supports up to 25W with a 30W adapter. That means the iPhone 17 will charge faster wirelessly. It’s a similar story with wired charging, with one caveat. According to Apple’s specs, the iPhone Air can charge from zero to 50% in 30 minutes with a 20W adapter or higher, while the iPhone 17 can do it in 20 minutes with a 40W adapter. That’s faster, though we don’t currently have charge times for the base iPhone 17 using a 20W charger, so this isn’t an exact comparison with the Air.
iPhone 17 is better for photography
For me, the iPhone Air’s single camera is a deal-breaker for a $1,000 phone. The 48-megapixel camera sensor is probably good enough on its own (Lifehacker hasn’t tested it yet), but with the Air, you’re missing out on the ultra-wide lens found on all other iPhone 17 models. That means no 0.5x shooting mode. The iPhone 17 also supports macro/video and spatial photo/video, which the iPhone Air lacks. Luckily, the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air share the same Center Stage camera , so you can shoot horizontal video even when holding the phone vertically.
iPhone 17 is cheaper than iPhone Air
After looking at all the specs of both phones, I’m leaning toward the iPhone 17 over the iPhone Air. I’m not as concerned with how thin and light a phone is as I am with what it can do. I’d rather have more camera options and longer battery life, and the iPhone 17 is better in both areas based on Apple’s own specs. The biggest plus, however, is the iPhone 17’s price, which is a full $200 cheaper than the iPhone Air.
The iPhone 17 with 256GB of storage costs $799, while the 512GB option costs $999. The iPhone Air comes in three storage options: 256GB for $999, 512GB for $1,199, and 1TB for $1,399. If I were pre-ordering an iPhone today, I’d likely go with the 512GB iPhone 17. That keeps the price around $1,000 and gives me more than enough storage for all my photos, videos, apps, and games for years to come. As good as the iPhone Air looks, I think most people would be better off either spending a little more on the better cameras on the iPhone 17 Pro or just saving up and getting the well-rounded iPhone 17.