Between the iPhone 17 Air and Phone (3a), the iPhone 17 Air comes out ahead in antutu and weight, while the Phone (3a) wins on front camera and wired charging. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air scores 60.3 and the Phone (3a) scores 62.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (60.3 vs 62.5). The decision isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the iPhone 17 Air if the display is what you stare at all day — refresh rate, brightness, or sharpness is where the difference will be most visible. The biggest gaps in its favor are antutu, weight, pixel density, among others.
Pick the Phone (3a) 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 front camera, wired charging, battery capacity, among others.
Both ship with comparable ram, refresh rate, 5g support, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Why Apple - iPhone 17 Air wins
- ▲AnTuTu — 139.02% more. 1960000 vs 820000.
- ▲Weight — 55.00 g less. 146 vs 201.
- ▲Pixel density — 18.86% more. 460 ppi vs 387 ppi.
- ▲Water resistance: IP68 (vs IP64).
- ▲Promised OS updates: 6 (vs 3).
- ▲Wireless charging: 15 W vs 0 W.
Why Nothing - Phone (3a) wins
- ▲Front camera — 166.67% more. 32 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲Wired charging — 150.00% more. 50 W vs 20 W.
- ▲Battery capacity — 72.41% more. 5000 mAh vs 2900 mAh.
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
- ▲Screen size — 2.58% more. 6.77 " vs 6.6 ".
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Air | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 146 glead | 201 g |
| Thickness | 5.6 mmlead | 8.4 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68lead | IP64 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Air | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.6 " | 6.77 "lead |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 460 ppilead | 387 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2200 nits | 3000 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Air | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 2900 mAh | 5000 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 20 W | 50 Wlead |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 Wlead | 0 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Air | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Air | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOSlead | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 6 yearslead | 3 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, iPhone 17 Air or Phone (3a)?+
Phone (3a) has 72.4% more battery — 2900 mAh vs 5000 mAh.
Which is lighter, iPhone 17 Air or Phone (3a)?+
iPhone 17 Air is 55g lighter — 146g vs 201g.
Is iPhone 17 Air waterproof?+
iPhone 17 Air has an IP68 rating.
Does Phone (3a) support 5G?+
Yes, Phone (3a) supports 5G.
Which has a better camera, iPhone 17 Air or Phone (3a)?+
Phone (3a) has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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