Apple iPhone 17 Air
$899
Apple iPhone 17 Air vs Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max
$1,299
| iPhone 17 Air | iPhone 18 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | USD 899 | USD 1,299 |
| Battery | 4200 mAh | 5391 mAh |
| Charging (W) | 25 | N/A |
| RAM | 8 GB | 12 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB | 256 GB |
| Chipset | Apple A18 | Apple A20 Pro |
| Display | 6.1" • LTPO OLED • 120Hz | 6.9" • OLED • 120Hz |
| Main Camera | 48MP | 48MP |
| Front Camera | 12MP | 18MP |
| OS | iOS iOS 26 | iOS 27 |
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Key Differences
Only the differences that meaningfully separate these phones.
Price
USD 400 cheaper
iPhone 17 AirUSD 899
vsiPhone 18 Pro MaxUSD 1,299
RAM
4 GB more RAM
iPhone 18 Pro Max12 GB RAM
vsiPhone 17 Air8 GB RAM
Storage
2× more storage
iPhone 18 Pro Max256 GB
vsiPhone 17 Air128 GB
Battery
28% larger battery
iPhone 18 Pro Max5,391 mAh
vsiPhone 17 Air4,200 mAh
Performance
Different chipsets
iPhone 17 AirApple A18
vsiPhone 18 Pro MaxApple A20 Pro
Display
Larger display
iPhone 18 Pro Max6.9-inch
vsiPhone 17 Air6.1-inch
Build
69 g lighter
iPhone 17 Air180 g
vsiPhone 18 Pro Max249 g
Best For
Where each phone stands out based on this comparison.
Best if you want
Lower priceApple iPhone 17 Air
Much lower purchase priceUSD 899
Lighter build180 g
Smaller 6.1-inch display6.1″
Best if you want
More hardwareApple iPhone 18 Pro Max
More RAM and storage12 GB RAM · 256 GB
Larger battery5,391 mAh
Larger 6.9-inch6.9-inch
What CompareTab says about Apple iPhone 17 Air vs Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max offers more RAM, storage and a larger battery than iPhone 17 Air, with 12 GB of RAM versus 8 GB, 256 GB of storage versus 128 GB, a 5391 mAh battery versus 4200 mAh, and a 6.9 inch display versus 6.1 inch. It also adds a higher-resolution front camera (18 MP versus 12 MP) and a telephoto rear camera. Apple iPhone 17 Air, however, is around $400 cheaper, lighter at 180 g versus 249 g, and thinner at 7.6 mm versus 8.75 mm. The main trade-off is the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s extra RAM, storage, battery capacity, larger display, and camera features versus the iPhone 17 Air’s lower price and lighter, thinner build.
