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iPhone 17 vs iPhone Air

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Starting at

£682.49

£799 new

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Starting at

£637.19

£999 new

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iPhone 17Starting at £682.49See options
iPhone AirStarting at £637.19See options
1.0/5 (1 review)
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In a nutshell

They share the same 48MP main camera, the same 120Hz refresh rate and the same IP68 rating. The iPhone 17 has the lower launch price, longer battery life and an ultrawide camera. The iPhone Air counters with more memory with 12GB of RAM, a bigger 6.5-inch screen and a lighter 165g body.

At 256GB, the iPhone 17 launched at £799 and the iPhone Air at £999.

Available models

iPhone 17

Capacity

Condition grades in stock

Pristine, Excellent, Great

iPhone Air

Capacity

Condition grades in stock

Pristine, Excellent, Great, Good

Durability

iPhone 17 89/100
iPhone Air 94/100

Both should get OS updates for the same length of time, until about 2032 (est.).

Frame:The iPhone 17 has an aluminium frame and the iPhone Air a titanium one.

Weight:The iPhone 17 weighs 177g and the iPhone Air 165g, so the iPhone Air is the lighter phone.

Water and dust:Both are rated IP68, the same protection against dust and water.

Front glass:Both have the same Ceramic Shield 2 on the front.

Released

2025
2025

Updates until (est.)

2032
2032

Water resistance

IP68
IP68

Frame

Aluminium
Titanium

Weight

177g
165gLighter

Release date

19 September 2025
19 September 2025

Front glass

Ceramic Shield 2
Ceramic Shield 2

Dimensions

149.6 x 71.5 x 7.95 mm
156.2 x 74.7 x 5.64 mm

Biometrics

Face ID
Face ID

Repairability

EU repairability class C
EU repairability class C

Performance

iPhone 17 85/100
iPhone Air 94/100

The iPhone Air has more memory, 12GB against 8GB.

Chip:The iPhone 17 runs the A19 and the iPhone Air the A19 Pro.

Memory:The iPhone Air has 12GB of RAM against 8GB on the iPhone 17, which helps keep more apps open in the background.

Storage:The iPhone 17 launched in 256GB and 512GB and the iPhone Air in 256GB, 512GB and 1TB.

AI features:Both support Apple Intelligence, the same AI suite.

Chip

A19
A19 Pro

RAM

8GB
12GBMore memory

Storage options

256GB, 512GB
256GB, 512GB, 1TB

AI features

Yes
Yes

Screen quality

iPhone 17 97/100
iPhone Air 98/100

The iPhone Air has the bigger screen, at 6.5 inches.

Size:The iPhone Air's 6.5-inch screen is bigger than the 6.3-inch screen on the iPhone 17.

Panel:The iPhone 17 uses a Super Retina XDR OLED panel at 2622 x 1206 and the iPhone Air a Super Retina XDR OLED panel at 2736 x 1260.

Smoothness:Both refresh at the same 120Hz.

Brightness:Both peak at the same 3000 nits, by the makers' figures.

Screen size

6.3"
6.5"Bigger screen

Screen type

Super Retina XDR OLED
Super Retina XDR OLED

Refresh rate

120Hz
120Hz

Resolution

2622 x 1206
2736 x 1260

Peak brightness

3000 nits (maker figure)
3000 nits (maker figure)

Camera

iPhone 17 60/100
iPhone Air 40/100

The same 48MP main camera on both, so everyday shots start from the same resolution.

Ultrawide:Only the iPhone 17 has an ultrawide camera, a 48MP one. The iPhone Air has none.

Zoom:Neither has a telephoto lens, and both offer the same 2x crop from the main sensor.

Selfies:Both have the same 18MP selfie camera.

Video:Both record video at up to 4K 60fps Dolby Vision, the same top setting.

Main camera

48MP
48MP

Ultrawide

48MPMore megapixels
None

Telephoto

None
None

Optical zoom

None
None

Front camera

18MP
18MP

Video recording

4K 60fps Dolby Vision
4K 60fps Dolby Vision

2x zoom

Crop from the main sensor, no telephoto lens
Crop from the main sensor, no telephoto lens

Battery

iPhone 17 89/100
iPhone Air 78/100

The iPhone 17 lasts longer on Apple's figures, up to 30 hours of video against 27.

Battery life:Apple rates the iPhone 17 at up to 30 hours of video playback and the iPhone Air at up to 27 hours.

Capacity:The iPhone 17 has the bigger battery, 3692mAh against 3149mAh.

Wireless charging:For wireless charging, the iPhone 17 supports MagSafe 25W, Qi2 25W and the iPhone Air MagSafe 20W, Qi2 20W.

Battery

3692mAhBigger battery
3149mAh

Wireless charging

MagSafe 25W, Qi2 25W
MagSafe 20W, Qi2 20W

Video playback (maker)

Up to 30 hours
Up to 27 hours

Connectivity

iPhone 17 78/100
iPhone Air 78/100

Both have 5G and the same Wi-Fi 7.

SIM:The iPhone 17 takes Nano-SIM + eSIM and the iPhone Air Dual eSIM.

Port:Both have the same USB-C (USB 2, 480Mb/s) port.

Bluetooth:Both have the same Bluetooth 6.

5G

Yes
Yes

Port

USB-C (USB 2, 480Mb/s)
USB-C (USB 2, 480Mb/s)

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 7
Wi-Fi 7

SIM

Nano-SIM + eSIM
Dual eSIM

Bluetooth

Bluetooth 6
Bluetooth 6

Our verdict

Buy the iPhone 17 if you want the lower launch price and longer battery life. Buy the iPhone Air if you want more memory with 12GB of RAM and a bigger 6.5-inch screen.

Buy the iPhone 17 if

  • You want the lower launch price
  • You want longer battery life
  • You want an ultrawide camera
Shop from £682.49

Buy the iPhone Air if

  • You want more memory with 12GB of RAM
  • You want a bigger 6.5-inch screen
  • You want a lighter 165g body
Shop from £637.19

FAQs

The iPhone Air's 6.5-inch screen is bigger than the 6.3-inch screen on the iPhone 17.

Every Reboxed phone has a minimum of 80% battery health. If you want the closest thing to new, some phones offer our New Battery Upgrade, professionally installed before your phone is dispatched. If it's available, you'll see it on the product page.

Pristine, Excellent, Great and Good. Pristine has zero blemishes and at least 90% battery health. Good can show noticeable wear on the casing but works perfectly. Every grade is TechCheck certified and comes with a 12-month warranty.

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