The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 and is the phone with the full Pro camera system, a 2-nanometer A20 Pro chip and up to 36 hours of video playback. The iPhone Air is the 5.64 mm, 165-gram phone with a single 48MP rear camera and up to 27 hours of playback, and Apple has not changed it today.
Apple did not announce a second-generation Air at the “Surprise and shine” event, as our explainer on today’s missing iPhones notes, so the 2025 Air remains the thin option in the range. The two phones are separated by 0.2 inches of screen, one rear camera against a full array, and a chip generation.
iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone Air: spec comparison
| Spec | iPhone Air (2025) | iPhone 18 Pro (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.5-inch OLED, 2736×1260, ProMotion | 6.3-inch |
| Thickness and weight | 5.64 mm, 165 g | Apple has not published |
| Frame | Titanium | Aluminum (17 Pro design carried over) |
| Chip | A19 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU | A20 Pro (2nm), 6-core CPU, 7-core GPU, 32-core Neural Engine |
| Main camera | 48MP Fusion, f/1.6, sensor-shift OIS | 48MP Fusion, variable aperture f/1.48 to f/4 |
| Telephoto | 12MP optical-quality 2x from main sensor | Not detailed in Apple’s release |
| Ultra Wide | None | 48MP on 17 Pro; no change announced for 18 Pro |
| Front camera | 18MP Center Stage | No change announced |
| Video playback | Up to 27 hours (up to 40 with MagSafe Battery) | Up to 36 hours (eSIM-only model) |
| Fast charging | 50 percent in 30 minutes (20W or higher) | 50 percent in about 15 minutes wired |
| Storage | 256GB to 1TB | 256GB to 2TB |
| Colors | Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, Sky Blue | Black, Silver, Glacier, Burgundy |
| US starting price | Apple has not published a current price in its release | $1,199 (256GB) |
What the Air gives up for its thinness
The Air has one rear camera. It is a 48MP Fusion main with a 2x optical-quality crop, and there is no Ultra Wide and no dedicated telephoto. The 18 Pro’s main camera has a six-blade variable aperture from f/1.48 to f/4, manual aperture and shutter speed controls, Smart Focus and faster Night mode, and Apple did not announce changes to the Ultra Wide or front camera it inherits from the 17 Pro generation.
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The chip is a generation apart. The Air’s A19 Pro has a 5-core GPU, while the 18 Pro’s A20 Pro has a 7-core GPU that Apple rates up to 40 percent faster than the A19 Pro, along with double the AI processing and 50 percent more memory bandwidth, cooled by a vapor chamber attached directly to the chip.
Battery is the third gap. Apple rates the Air at up to 27 hours of video playback, or up to 40 hours with the MagSafe Battery attached, against up to 36 hours for the 18 Pro on its own. The Pro also charges faster, reaching 50 percent in about 15 minutes on a cable compared with 30 minutes for the Air.
What the Air still does better
Weight and size. The Air is 5.64 mm thick and 165 grams with a titanium frame and a larger 6.5-inch screen. Apple has not published the 18 Pro’s weight, but it uses the same aluminum design as the 17 Pro, which Apple lists at 206 grams.
The Air also has a larger screen than the smaller Pro, 6.5 inches against 6.3, and offers the same 18MP Center Stage front camera that Apple left unchanged on the new Pro. Apple has not changed the Air’s specifications or published a current price in today’s materials, so check Apple’s store for what it costs alongside the iPhone 18 Pro’s confirmed pricing.
The iPhone 18 Pro goes on pre-order Saturday, September 12 at 5 a.m. PT and arrives Friday, September 18. Our pre-order expectations guide has the details, and Apple has not said when or whether an iPhone Air 2 will follow.
