Overview

• The reviewer reports the iPhone 17 lasted 12 hours 47 minutes in a battery drain test versus 12 hours 2 minutes for the iPhone Air.
• Charging tests with Apple’s 40W adapter showed the iPhone 17 reached 39% in 15 minutes and 71% in 30 minutes, while the Air hit 30% and 55% in the same times.
• The iPhone 17’s dual rear cameras, including a 48MP ultrawide, deliver ultrawide and macro shooting as well as spatial video capture, which the single‑camera Air cannot do.
• The two phones share many hardware and software features, including the new 18MP Center Stage front camera and iOS 26 capabilities such as Call Screen, Live Translation and Dual Capture.
• The iPhone 17 starts at $799 for 256GB compared with the iPhone Air at $999 for the same capacity, reinforcing the reviewer’s value-focused recommendation.