iPhone Air
Xiaomi 17
🏆 Verdict
Xiaomi 17 is the better pick overall by 26.1 points, leading in Battery, Charging and Camera. The gap is large; iPhone Air only makes sense for a lower price or one specific feature.
Xiaomi 17 offers more for the money ($630 vs $999 at launch).
By category
Performance
Xiaomi 17 is faster with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (performance index 100 vs 99). You notice it in heavy games and video editing, less in daily use. Xiaomi 17 has more RAM (16 GB vs 12 GB), which helps multitasking.
Camera
Xiaomi 17's main camera is 50 MP vs 48 MP. More pixels help cropping and digital zoom, but final quality depends on sensor size and processing. Only Xiaomi 17 has an optical 2.6× telephoto; the other relies on digital zoom. Only Xiaomi 17 has an ultrawide lens. Xiaomi 17 has the higher-resolution selfie camera (32 MP vs 18 MP).
Battery
Xiaomi 17's battery is 3,851 mAh larger (7,000 vs 3,149 mAh), about 122% more. Real battery life also depends on chip and display efficiency.
Charging
Xiaomi 17 charges faster over cable (100W vs 20W). Wireless charging is faster on Xiaomi 17 (50W vs 20W).
Display
iPhone Air has the larger screen (6.5" vs 6.3"). Xiaomi 17's screen gets brighter (3,500 vs 3,000 nits), which shows outdoors.
Build & durability
iPhone Air has a titanium frame. iPhone Air is 26 g lighter.
Updates
iPhone Air should get OS updates for longer (6 vs 4 years, per the maker's policy at launch).
Specifications
| iPhone Air | Xiaomi 17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Apple A19 Pro | Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| 12 GB | RAM | 12 GB / 16 GB |
| 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB | Storage | 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB |
| 6.5" LTPO OLED | Display | 6.3" LTPO AMOLED |
| 120 Hz | Refresh rate | 120 Hz |
| 2736×1260 (463 ppi) | Resolution | 2656×1220 (464 ppi) |
| 3,000 nits | Peak brightness | 3,500 nits |
| 48 MP | Main camera | 50 MP |
| None | Ultrawide | 50 MP |
| None | Telephoto | 50 MP · 2.6× |
| 18 MP | Front camera | 32 MP |
| 3,149 mAh | Battery | 7,000 mAh |
| 20 W | Wired charging | 100 W |
| 20 W | Wireless charging | 50 W |
| IP68 | Water & dust rating | IP68 |
| titanium | Frame | aluminium |
| 165 g | Weight | 191 g |
| 6 years | OS updates (estimated) | 4 years |
| $999 | Launch price | CNY 4,499 (≈ $630) |
| 2025-09 | Released | 2025-09 |
Official source: iPhone Air · Official source: Xiaomi 17
⚠ Data pending confirmation: Xiaomi 17
iPhone Air
Pros
- Titanium frame
- Light at 165 g
- 6 years of updates
Cons
- No optical telephoto
- No ultrawide lens
- Smaller battery
- Slower charging (20W)
Xiaomi 17
Pros
- 16 GB RAM
- 2.6× optical zoom
- 7,000 mAh battery
- 100W charging
- 3,500 nits peak
Cons
- Heavier (191 g)
- Shorter update window
How is the score calculated?
Each phone gets 0–100 points in seven categories (performance, camera, battery, charging, display, build, updates), computed only from its published specs, then combined with fixed, published weights. A gap under 2.5 points counts as a tie. The performance index is an estimate based on benchmark results published at launch.
Figures come from the manufacturers’ official pages. Some specs vary by market. We do not sell devices or earn commissions.