Between the iPhone 17 Air and Phone (3), the iPhone 17 Air comes out ahead in weight and promised os updates, while the Phone (3) wins on wired charging and front camera. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air scores 60.3 and the Phone (3) scores 68.7 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Phone (3) is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 8.4 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the iPhone 17 Air if you carry the device everywhere and weight or thickness has been the deciding factor before. The biggest gaps in its favor are weight, promised os updates.
Pick the Phone (3) if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are wired charging, front camera, battery capacity, among others.
Both ship with comparable refresh rate, 5g support, water resistance, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Phone (3) is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - iPhone 17 Air wins
- ▲Weight — 50.00 g less. 146 vs 196.
- ▲Promised OS updates: 6 (vs 5).
Why Nothing - Phone (3) wins
- ▲Wired charging — 225.00% more. 65 W vs 20 W.
- ▲Front camera — 166.67% more. 32 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲Battery capacity — 77.59% more. 5150 mAh vs 2900 mAh.
- ▲RAM — 50.00% more. 12 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲AnTuTu — 4.59% more. 2050000 vs 1960000.
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
- ▲Screen size — 1.52% more. 6.7 " vs 6.6 ".
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Air | Nothing - Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 146 glead | 196 g |
| Thickness | 5.6 mmlead | 8.4 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Air | Nothing - Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.6 " | 6.7 "lead |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 460 ppi | 460 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2200 nits | 4500 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Air | Nothing - Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 48 MP | 50 MPlead |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 32 MPlead |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Air | Nothing - Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 2900 mAh | 5150 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 20 W | 65 Wlead |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 W | 15 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Air | Nothing - Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Air | Nothing - Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOSlead | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 6 yearslead | 5 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, iPhone 17 Air or Phone (3)?+
Phone (3) has 77.6% more battery — 2900 mAh vs 5150 mAh.
Which is lighter, iPhone 17 Air or Phone (3)?+
iPhone 17 Air is 50g lighter — 146g vs 196g.
Is iPhone 17 Air waterproof?+
iPhone 17 Air has an IP68 rating.
Does Phone (3) support 5G?+
Yes, Phone (3) supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, iPhone 17 Air or Phone (3)?+
Phone (3) offers 12GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, iPhone 17 Air or Phone (3)?+
Phone (3) has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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