Apple iPhone Air vs Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max

Comparing the Apple iPhone Air vs Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max across performance, display, camera, battery, storage, expert reviews and user rating to help determine the better smartphone.

Here is the summary of the results:

Performance: Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max scores higher on the Geekbench Multi-Core test with 9,921, while Apple iPhone Air scores 9,481, making Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max the better performer.

Display: Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max offers a screen size of 6.9 inches, while Apple iPhone Air offers 6.5 inches, making Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max the larger display of the two. Both Apple iPhone Air and Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max feature the same Super Retina XDR OLED display.

Rear Camera: Both Apple iPhone Air and Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max feature a 48 MP primary rear camera.

Front Camera: Both Apple iPhone Air and Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max feature a 18 MP primary front camera.

Battery: Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max offers a higher battery capacity with 4832 mAh, while Apple iPhone Air offers 3149 mAh, making Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max better for longer battery life.

Storage: Both Apple iPhone Air and Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max offer the same internal storage of 256 GB.

Expert Review: Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max receives a higher expert rating of 8.6 from the editorial team, while Apple iPhone Air is rated 8.1.

User Rating: Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max receives a higher user rating of 4.7, while Apple iPhone Air has a rating of 4.6.

Apple iPhone Air

₹96,990

@ Amazon

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max

₹149,900

@ Amazon

Summary

Release Date

19 Sep, 2025

14 May, 2026

Performance


Apple A19 Pro	Apple A19 Pro	Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Hexa Core (upto 4.26 GHz)	Hexa Core (upto 4.26 GHz)	Octa Core (upto 4.61 GHz)
8 GB RAM	12 GB RAM	16 GB RAM

Display


6.5 inches (16.51 cm)	6.9 inches (17.53 cm)	6.82 inches (17.32 cm)
Super Retina XDR OLED	Super Retina XDR OLED	AMOLED
1260x2736 px (FHD+)	1320x2868 px (FHD+)	1440x3168 px (QHD+)
120 Hz Refresh Rate	120 Hz Refresh Rate	144 Hz Refresh Rate

Rear Camera


48 MP Primary Camera (upto 2x Optical Zoom)	48 MP Wide Angle Primary Camera	200 MP Primary Camera (upto 3.7x Optical Zoom)
N/A	48 MP Ultra-Wide Angle Camera	200 MP Telephoto Camera
N/A	48 MP Telephoto Camera (upto 4x Optical Zoom)	50 MP Ultra-Wide Angle Camera

Front Camera


18 MP Wide Angle Lens	18 MP Wide Angle Lens	50 MP

Battery


3149 mAh	4832 mAh	6600 mAh
20W Fast Charging	40W Fast Charging	100W Flash Charging
Wireless Charging	Wireless Charging	Wireless Charging

Storage

256 GB	256 GB	512 GB
NVMe	NVMe	UFS 4.1

Expert Review

8.1/10

Read Expert Review

8.6/10

Read Expert Review

8.7/10

Read Expert Review

Pros

Ultraslim & lightweight
Pro-grade display
Smooth performance
Excellent primary camera

Vapour chamber for sustained performance
Upgraded telephoto & selfie cameras
Refreshed design
Solid battery life & faster charging

Stellar and versatile three-lens camera system
Excellent performance
Bright and crisp 2K AMOLED display

Cons

No dedicated telephoto & ultrawide lens
No stereo speakers
Pricey

Digital zoom still lacking
Apple Intelligence needs improvement
Thicker & heavier
Pricey

Battery life could have been better
Very expensive with camera kit
No shortcut key

User Ratings

4.6/5

(212 ratings)

4.7/5

(1,456 ratings)

4.7/5

(34 ratings)

Benchmarks (The higher, the better)

2,067,200 AnTuTu Score	2,521,699 AnTuTu Score	3,977,648 AnTuTu Score
N/A	N/A	15h 10m Battery Life (PC Mark)

Compare Prices

₹96,990

@ Amazon

₹149,900

@ Amazon

₹159,999

@ Amazon

Video

1 More Video

2 More Videos

1 Video

User Feedback

General

Launch Date

Sep 09, 2025

(Official)

Sep 19, 2025

(Official)

May 06, 2026

(Official)

Operating System

iOS v26

Android v16

OS Updates

N/A

5 Year

Security Updates

N/A

7 Year

Custom UI

N/A

Origin OS

Performance

Performance Rating

Excellent

Best In Class

Chipset

Apple A19 Pro

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SM8850-AC

Processor

Hexa Core

4.26 GHz, Dual core Quad core

Octa core

4.61 GHz, Dual core, Oryon 3.62 GHz, Hexa Core, Oryon

Architecture (The higher, the better)

64 bit

Fabrication (The lower, the better)

3 nm

Graphics (GPU)

Apple GPU (Five-core graphics)

Apple GPU (six-core graphics)

Adreno 840

RAM

8 GB

12 GB

16 GB

RAM Type

LPDDR5X

LPDDR5X Ultra

Performance Test Results

AnTuTu Score (The higher, the better) AnTuTu benchmark measures overall performance of a phone by stress-testing CPU, GPU, RAM, etc.

2,067,200

2,521,699

3,977,648

Bootup Time (The lower, the better)

16.0 s

17.0 s

14.0 s

Gaming Test Results

Wild Life Extreme (The higher, the better) Wild Life Extreme is a classic mobile benchmark; it renders in 4K to test the peak performance of a wide range of devices.

N/A

6,450

Battery Drain* (The lower, the better)

8.0 %

3.0 %

7.0 %

Heating* (The lower, the better)

12.0 %

15.6 %

21.7 %

* after 30 mins of gaming

Display

Display Rating

Excellent

Best In Class

Display Type

Super Retina XDR OLED

AMOLED

Screen Size

6.5 inches (16.51 cm)

6.9 inches (17.53 cm)

6.82 inches (17.32 cm)

Resolution

1260x2736 px (FHD+)

1320x2868 px (FHD+)

1440x3168 px (QHD+)

Peak Brightness

3000 nits

4500 nits

HBM Brightness

1600 nits

N/A

Refresh Rate

120 Hz

144 Hz

Aspect Ratio

N/A

19.5:9

19.8:9

Pixel Density

460 ppi

510 ppi

Screen to Body Ratio (calculated)

88.69 %

91.5 %

89.7 %

Screen Protection

Yes

Bezel-less Display

Yes

Yes with punch-hole display

HDR 10 / HDR+ Support

N/A

Yes

Screen to Body Ratio (claimed by the brand)

N/A

94.49 %

Design

Height

156.2 mm

163.4 mm

162.98 mm

Width

74.7 mm

78 mm

76.81 mm

Thickness

5.64 mm

8.75 mm

8.19 mm

Weight

165 grams

231 grams

232 grams

Build Material

Back: Ceramic Shield 2

Back: Glass

Water Resistance

Yes Water resistant IP68 (up to 30 minutes in a depth of 6 meter)

N/A

Ruggedness

N/A

Dust proof

N/A

Rear Camera

Rear Camera Rating

Very Good

Excellent

Best In Class

Resolution

48 MP
Primary Camera10x Digital Zoom 2x Optical Zoomf/1.626 mm focal length 1/1.56" sensor size Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

48 MP
Primary Cameraf/1.78 Wide Angle24 mm focal length 1/1.28" sensor size Sensor-shift Image Stabilization 1.22µm pixel size

200 MP
Primary Camera105x Digital Zoom 3.7x Optical Zoomf/1.8535 mm focal length LYT 901 0.7µm pixel size

N/A

48 MP
f/2.2 Ultra-Wide Angle Camera13 mm focal length 0.7µm pixel size

200 MP
f/2.67 Telephoto Camera85 mm focal length 1/1.28" sensor size

N/A

48 MP
f/2.8 Telephoto Camera100 mm focal length 0.7µm pixel size

50 MP
f/2.0 Ultra-Wide Angle Camera14 mm focal length

Autofocus

Yes Multi-directional Phase Detection Autofocus

Yes

OIS

Yes Sensor Shift Optical Image Stabilisation

Yes

Flash

Yes LED Flash

Yes Dual-color LED Flash

Yes Dual LED Flash

Image Resolution

N/A

8000 x 6000 Pixels

N/A

Settings

N/A

Exposure compensation

N/A

Shooting Modes

High Dynamic Range mode (HDR)
Burst mode

Continuous Shooting
High Dynamic Range mode (HDR)
Burst mode

N/A

Camera Features

10 x Digital Zoom
2 x Optical Zoom

Digital Zoom
Apple ProRAW
Auto Flash
Face detection
Touch to focus

105 x Digital Zoom
3.7 x Optical Zoom

Video Recording

4k @24/25/30/60 fps
Full HD @25/30/60 fps
HD @30 fps

4k @24/25/30/60/100/120 fps
Full HD @25/30/60/120/240 fps
HD @30 fps

8k @30 fps
4k @30/60/120 fps
Full HD @30/60/120 fps

Video Recording Features

Dual Video Recording
Slow Motion
Night Time-Lapse
Action Mode
Audio Zoom

Optical Image stabilization
Dual Video Recording
Slow Motion
Video HDR
Night Time-Lapse
Macro Video
Action Mode
ProRes Video
Audio Zoom
Stereo recording

N/A

Front Camera

Front Camera Rating

Best In Class

Resolution

18 MP
f/1.9 Wide Angle Primary Camera

50 MP
f/2.45 Primary Camera

Autofocus

Yes Phase Detection Autofocus

N/A

Flash

Yes Retina Flash

Yes Screen flash

Camera Features

Wide Angle Selfie

N/A

Video Recording

4k @24/25/30/60 fps
Full HD @25/30/60 fps

4k @30/60 fps
Full HD @30/60 fps

N/A

Battery

Battery Rating

Excellent

Capacity

3149 mAh

4832 mAh

6600 mAh

Battery Type

Li-ion

Quick Charging

Yes 20W Fast Charging 50% in 30 minutes

Yes 40W Fast Charging 50% in 20 minutes

Yes 100W Flash Charging

Wireless Charging

Yes 20W Wireless Charging

Yes 30W Wireless Charging Charging Time: 30 mins

Yes 40W Wireless Charging

Wireless Reverse Charging

Yes

N/A

Battery Test Results

Battery Life (PC Mark) (The higher, the better) PCMark Battery benchmark measures battery life of a phone with various activities such as web browsing, photo editing, writing, video editing, etc.

N/A

15h 10m

Charging Time (20% to 100%) (The lower, the better)

1h 35m 0s

1h 17m 0s

0h 36m 0s

Storage

Internal Storage

256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB

256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB

512 GB

Storage Type

NVMe

UFS 4.1

Expandable Storage

N/A

Network & Connectivity

SIM Slot(s)

Dual SIM

SIM Type

SIM1: eSIM SIM2: eSIM

SIM1: Nano SIM2: eSIM

SIM1: Nano SIM2: Nano

Network Support

5G 4G

VoLTE

Yes

SIM 1

5G Bands:

FDD N1 / N2 / N3 / N5 / N7 / N8 / N12 / N20 / N25 / N26 / N28 / N30 / N66
TDD N38 / N40 / N41 / N48 / N53 / N77 / N78 / N79

5G Bands:

FDD N1 / N2 / N3 / N5 / N7 / N8 / N12 / N20 / N25 / N26 / N28 / N30 / N66
TDD N38 / N40 / N41 / N48 / N53 / N77 / N78 / N79

5G Bands:

FDD N1 / N2 / N3 / N5 / N7 / N8 / N12 / N18 / N20 / N25 / N26 / N28 / N66
TDD N38 / N40 / N41 / N48 / N77 / N78 / N79 / N80 / N81 / N83 / N84 / N89

4G Bands:

TD-LTE 3500(band 48) / 2600(band 38) / 2300(band 40) / 2500(band 41) / 2100(band 34) / 1900(band 39) / 3500(band 42)
FD-LTE 1700(band 66) / 2100(band 1) / 1500(band 32) / 1800(band 3) / 2600(band 7) / 900(band 8) / 700(band 28) / 1900(band 2) / 1700(band 4) / 850(band 5) / 700(band 13) / 700(band 17) / 850(band 18) / 850(band 19) / 800(band 20) / 1900(band 25) / 850(band 26) / 2300(band 30) / 700 (band 12)

4G Bands:

TD-LTE 3500(band 48) / 2600(band 38) / 2300(band 40) / 2500(band 41) / 2100(band 34) / 1900(band 39) / 3500(band 42) / 3700(band 43)
FD-LTE 1700(band 66) / 2100(band 1) / 1800(band 3) / 2600(band 7) / 900(band 8) / 700(band 28) / 1900(band 2) / 1700(band 4) / 850(band 5) / 700(band 17) / 850(band 18) / 850(band 19) / 800(band 20) / 1900(band 25) / 850(band 26)

SIM 2

5G Bands:

FDD N1 / N2 / N3 / N5 / N7 / N8 / N12 / N20 / N25 / N26 / N28 / N30 / N66 / N70 / N75
TDD N38 / N40 / N41 / N48 / N53 / N77 / N78 / N79

5G Bands:

FDD N1 / N2 / N3 / N5 / N7 / N8 / N12 / N20 / N25 / N26 / N28 / N30 / N66
TDD N38 / N40 / N41 / N48 / N53 / N77 / N78 / N79

5G Bands:

FDD N1 / N2 / N3 / N5 / N7 / N8 / N12 / N18 / N20 / N25 / N26 / N28 / N66
TDD N38 / N40 / N41 / N48 / N77 / N78 / N79 / N80 / N81 / N83 / N84 / N89

4G Bands:

TD-LTE 2600(band 38) / 2300(band 40) / 2500(band 41) / 2100(band 34) / 1900(band 39) / 3500(band 42) / 3500(band 48)
FD-LTE 2100(band 1) / 1800(band 3) / 2600(band 7) / 900(band 8) / 700(band 28) / 1900(band 2) / 1700(band 4) / 850(band 5) / 1500(band 32) / 700(band 13) / 700(band 17) / 850(band 18) / 850(band 19) / 800(band 20) / 1900(band 25) / 850(band 26) / 2300(band 30) / 1700(band 66) / 700 (band 12)

4G Bands:

TD-LTE 2600(band 38) / 2300(band 40) / 2500(band 41) / 2100(band 34) / 1900(band 39) / 3500(band 42) / 3700(band 43) / 3500(band 48)
FD-LTE 2100(band 1) / 1800(band 3) / 2600(band 7) / 900(band 8) / 700(band 28) / 1900(band 2) / 1700(band 4) / 850(band 5) / 700(band 12) / 700(band 17) / 850(band 18) / 850(band 19) / 800(band 20) / 1900(band 25) / 850(band 26) / 1700(band 66)