Apple
iPhone 17 Air
A19 · 6.6″ · 5.4 mm thin
92
/ 100
From $999
VS
Xiaomi
Xiaomi 15 Ultra
Snapdragon 8 Elite · Leica · 1-inch sensor
92
/ 100
From $1,499
Specdex verdict
Dead heat — it comes down to priorities.
In our weighted Specdex score, iPhone 17 Air lands at 92 and Xiaomi 15 Ultra at 92. With scores tied, the decision hinges on which sub-scores matter most to you.
Pick iPhone 17 Air if…
- ✓Thinnest iPhone ever (5.4 mm)
- ✓Light in hand (165 g)
- ✓Still 120Hz ProMotion
Pick Xiaomi 15 Ultra if…
- ✓1-inch LYT-900 main sensor
- ✓Leica tuning on every camera
- ✓90W + 80W wireless charging
Score breakdown
iPhone 17 Air
92 cpu 97
gpu 94
camera 86
battery 76
display 92
design 100
Xiaomi 15 Ultra
92 cpu 96
gpu 96
camera 98
battery 92
display 94
design 88
Specs side-by-side
Spec
iPhone 17 Air
Xiaomi 15 Ultra
Display
6.6″ LTPO OLED, 120Hz
6.73″ LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz, 3200×1440
Chipset
Apple A19 (3 nm)
Snapdragon 8 Elite
RAM
8 GB
12/16 GB
Storage
256 / 512 GB / 1 TB
256 GB – 1 TB
Battery
3200 mAh
6000 mAh
OS
iOS 19
HyperOS 2 / Android 15
Weight
165 g
—
Rear camera
—
50 MP 1″ + 50 MP 3× + 50 MP 4.3× periscope + 50 MP UW
Charging
—
90W wired, 80W wireless
iPhone 17 Air
Pros
- +Thinnest iPhone ever (5.4 mm)
- +Light in hand (165 g)
- +Still 120Hz ProMotion
Cons
- −Single rear camera
- −Battery smaller than Plus (3200 mAh)
- −No telephoto
Xiaomi 15 Ultra
Pros
- +1-inch LYT-900 main sensor
- +Leica tuning on every camera
- +90W + 80W wireless charging
Cons
- −Limited US availability
- −HyperOS still maturing
- −Large and heavy
FAQ: iPhone 17 Air vs Xiaomi 15 Ultra
Which is better, iPhone 17 Air or Xiaomi 15 Ultra? +
Both score 92 on our weighted rubric — tied. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is iPhone 17 Air worth the price? +
At $999, iPhone 17 Air delivers a Specdex score of 92 — strongest in design.
Is Xiaomi 15 Ultra worth the price? +
At $1,499, Xiaomi 15 Ultra delivers a Specdex score of 92 — strongest in camera.
Does iPhone 17 Air or Xiaomi 15 Ultra last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.