The Apple iPhone Air is the thinnest iPhone ever, but cheaper options like the iPhone 17, Motorola Razr (2025), and Galaxy S25 Edge give it a run for its money.
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The iPhone Air is Apple’s first attempt at making an ultra-thin iPhone, and at 5.6 millimeters in thickness, the company has managed to achieve it without too many compromises. It’s powered by the same A19 Pro chip used in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, minus one GPU core, and has the same bright ProMotion OLED display as the other iPhone 17 models. It also features a more durable titanium casing than the other iPhones released this year. The thinness does come with a few drawbacks. When compared to the Pro model, our first real-life iPhone Air battery test indicates that you get about an hour less of use per charge, and you also lose out on the ultrawide and telephoto cameras.
However, one thing that some folks can’t digest is its price tag, which is $999 for the base 256GB model and $1,399 for the 1TB model. So, if this price tag has put the iPhone Air out of your budget, what are your alternatives? We have compiled four smartphones that cost less than the iPhone Air and are on the slimmer side of the smartphone spectrum.
If you prefer Apple’s walled garden, the iPhone 17 is the next best thing to the iPhone Air for you. Sure, it’s not particularly thin, but at 7.95 millimeters, it’s also not unreasonably thick. More importantly, it’s part of Apple’s 2025 lineup, so you won’t miss out on any of the new features, and the company has genuinely made this base iPhone model a pretty attractive choice for most buyers.
It packs a 120Hz ProMotion OLED display, and its new selfie camera, now equipped with a square sensor, was easily one of the most underrated reveals from the iPhone 17 event. It’s also powered by the A19 chip, which is more than powerful enough for most people. Some features are in fact better on the iPhone 17 than the iPhone Air, such as a bigger battery, faster wired and wireless charging, and the presence of stereo speakers.
