How the iPhone 17 Air Differs from the Premium iPhone 17 Pro Max
Over the coming months, Apple is expected to announce several important things, most between the new generation of software across products and new devices, like the iPhone 17 series among many others. Barely two days back, Apple confirmed WWDC 2025 dates, thus sprouting some hopes on even bigger software upgrades, Apple Intelligence features, and the like. Leaks have continued to pile up on the iPhone 17 series by almost each passing month, giving clues on what Apple might reveal.
The iPhone 17 Air is one of the highly talked-about models from the series, likely to be a successor to the Plus variant. This new model is said to have an ultra-slim body, thereby becoming the first slim flagship phone from Apple. But before rumors spread across the internet, let us take a look at how this new model will differ from the grand entry of the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
iPhone 17 Air vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Design and display
There will be quite significant design differences between the iPhone 17 Air and the Pro Max. To talk about the model, the expected thickness of it will be around 5.5mm while the iPhone 17 Pro Max can boast of this measurement that goes up to maybe 8.725mm. The sleeker variant would be the one with glass and titanium, whilst this Pro Max model could reintroduce the aluminum and glass build.
Another major difference would be the camera setup-the iPhone 17 Air may feature a Pixel-like camera module, sporting just one rear camera, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max boasts a much larger camera module with three camera sensors. Yet another design difference may be the absence of a SIM tray on the iPhone 17 Air and a single speaker, which would distinguish it from the Pro Max model.
In terms of the display, the iPhone 17 Air is expected to have a 6.6-inch OLED display that makes use of ProMotion technology that would deliver better refresh rate and brightness to it. As for the iPhone 17 Pro Max, it could come with a 6.9-inch OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate. Both models are expected to support the Dynamic Island on the top of the display.
iPhone 17 Air vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Performance and battery
In the area of performance, the iPhone 17 Pro Max will likely feature an A19 Pro chip made through TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process. In addition, the new model could bring along 12GB RAM and a new vapour chamber cooling system designed for improved thermal performance. On the flip side, the iPhone 17 Air is expected to adopt an A19 Bionic chip in conjunction with an 8GB RAM setup. The smartphone may not be built around the new thermal-cooling system.
Regarding the battery life, the iPhone 17 Pro Max will probably accommodate the largest battery in Apple’s history, considering a thicker and larger build. On the contrary, for iPhone 17 Air, some battery trade-offs may arrive in consideration of the slender design profile.
iPhone 17 Air vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Camera
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to have a single 48MP rear camera with limited flagship features such as ultra-wide and telephoto lens abilities, while the bigger Pro Max may include three cameras with an upgraded 48MP main camera, a new 48MP ultra-wide camera, and a 48MP telephoto lens with advanced optical zoom enhancement, meaning the Pro Max may hold more camera-fun for the users. In regard to selfies, both models are expected to house a 24MP front camera.
