iPhone 17 Pro Max phones are more in demand than the iPhone Air: Here’s why!

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo just announced that the iPhone 17 Pro Max is very much in demand where preorders have immediately caused backorders, particularly in the popular orange colour. Chinese resellers observed that the iPhone 17 sold as much as iPhone 16 in the opening full day of its sales in a minute. According to Kuo, Apple intended to manufacture about 25 percent more units of iPhone 17 series models than iPhone 16 series, where production of the Pro Max in particular went up by 60 percent, which validates the fact that the Pro Max remains a massive seller on its release date.

Based on shipping dates in Apple online shops, Kuo noticed that the delivery time of iPhone 17 Pro Max was the same as that of iPhone 16 Pro Max, which is a good sign of demand. But he was not as sure about the sales of the iPhone Air in that it could be found everywhere to be delivered immediately during the preorder day. According to Kuo, Apple was making three times the quantity of iPhone Air compared to iPhone 16 Plus that they are replacing, and actual demand cannot be estimated using solely store availability.

However, Apple itself does not publish manufacturing or sales data, so it is difficult to understand which number of units are manufactured or sold and how they are allocated to online and physical retailers. Kuo anticipates the high iPhone 17 sales volume to have a favourable effect on the next Apple earnings report but views the profits as a short-term one as the investors are already anticipating the next generation iPhone 18 models. But why are iPhone 17 Pro Max phones more in demand than the iPhone Air?

iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air: Design and build

iPhone 17 Air is going to be ultra-thin and light with a thickness of only 5.5 mm and a weight of approximately 146 grams. It includes a high-endurance grade 7000 aluminum frame with the Ceramic Shield protection of the front and back of the iPhones, which is durable and in the stylish case. On the contrary, iPhone 17 Pro Max has dimensions of 8.7 mm and a weight of about 227 grams, which makes it bigger and fatter. The Pro Max is anodised aluminum unibody with a larger camera bump to fit its new triple-camera system.

Display: Is the iPhone 17 Pro Max better than the iPhone Air?

iPhone 17 Air has 6.1 inch or OLED screen with 1200 x 2600 pixels and a refresh rate of 60 Hz. In the meantime, iPhone 17 Pro Max has a significantly bigger 6.9-inch OLED display with a sharp 1320 x 2868 pixels of resolution and a smoother adaptive refresh rate of 120 Hz. They are both compatible with Apple Ceramic Shield and have vivid colour displays, but the Pro Max offers a richer viewing experience, being suitable with media and games.

iPhone 17 Pro Max or iPhone Air: Performance

Both phones operate on Apple's latest octa-core chipset and run iOS 26. Nonetheless, the Pro Max can have 12GB RAM over 8GB RAM with iPhone 17 Air, and it is available in more storage options (up to 2TB). This renders the Pro Max more convenient towards power users who are very multitaskers or need large storage of media.

Camera difference: iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air

There is a significant deviation in the camera system. The iPhone 17 Air comes with a dual camera setup having a wide and ultra-wide lens of 12MP which is perfect in casual photography. The iPhone 17 Pro Max, on the other hand, features a more advanced triple 48MP camera with wide, telephoto (4x optical zoom), and ultra-wide sensors with professional-level photographic and video functionality. More features such as ProRes video and LiDAR depth mapping are also available in the Pro Max.

Battery and charging: iPhone Air or iPhone 17 pro max

The battery capacity varies significantly: the Air will have a smaller 3,149 mAh battery, which will last up to 27 hours of video play and 20W MagSafe wireless charging. The Pro Max will have a powerful 5,088 mAh battery with a capacity of 39 hours, improved 25W MagSafe wireless charging and increased wired charging speeds. This is particularly beneficial to heavy users and professionals due to this long battery life.

iPhone Air and 17 Pro Max: Price

As anticipated, the iPhone 17 Air is priced lower than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, starting at approximately Rs79,990, being a more design oriented phone, with the 17 Pro Max being a premium flagship phone, priced at nearly Rs1,69,990 owing to its enhanced hardware and capabilities.

iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air: Specifications 

In short, the iPhone 17 Air is the right device when the users focus on the thin, lightweight design and good everyday use but with a lower price tag. In the meantime, iPhone 17 Pro Max is aimed at power users and content creators that require the best possible cameras, a bigger display, increased RAM and storage, and a longer battery life. The decision will be mainly based on the utilisation needs and financial choices.

Disclaimer: The information regarding the gadgets/devices listed in the table and article has been sourced from various secondary sources. For detailed product specifications, please refer to the brand sources.