iPhone Air vs Phone (3)

Phone 1

Phone 2

Winner

Nothing Phone (3)

The Phone (3) wins this one, taking battery and camera decisively. Against the iPhone Air it's also the sounder buy at $10.96 per month of safe use.

Value Score: iPhone Air 62 · Phone (3) 70 — methodology

The lifespan decider

When specs are close, support length decides it — this is what each phone costs per month of safe use.

Apple iPhone Air $999

Safe to buy$13.31/mo

2025◆ Buy-by Sep 20302032

Nothing Phone (3) $799

Safe to buy$10.96/mo

2025◆ Buy-by Jul 20302032

Category by category

Display

iPhone Air 90Phone (3) 70

The iPhone Air's screen is the better one — 6.5-inch super retina xdr oled, promotion 1–120hz, up to 3000 nits peak.

Performance

iPhone Air 100Phone (3) 86

The iPhone Air's Apple A19 Pro is simply the faster chip.

Camera

iPhone Air 50Phone (3) 79

The Phone (3) has the stronger camera system (3 real rear lenses vs 1).

Battery

iPhone Air 43Phone (3) 83

5,150mAh vs 3,149mAh — the Phone (3) lasts longer between charges.

Software longevity

iPhone Air 89Phone (3) 87

Both phones' support windows end around the same time.

Value

iPhone Air 62Phone (3) 70

Overall value goes to the Phone (3) at $10.96 per month of safe use.

Full spec table

Spec	iPhone Air	Phone (3)
Price (street)	$999	$799
Display	6.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, ProMotion 1–120Hz, up to 3000 nits peak	6.67-inch LTPS AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 960Hz PWM dimming
Chipset	Apple A19 Pro	Snapdragon 8s Gen 4
RAM	12GB	12GB/16GB
Storage	256GB/512GB/1TB	256GB/512GB
Battery	3,149 mAh	5,150 mAh
Charging	Wired — 50% in ~30 min with a 20W+ adapter; MagSafe/Qi2 wireless up to 20W	65W wired, 15W wireless
Rear cameras	48MP main	50MP main, 50MP ultra-wide, 50MP periscope 3x
Dimensions	156.2 × 74.7 × 5.64 mm	160.6 × 75.6 × 9.0 mm
Weight	165 g	218 g
Water resistance	IP68	IP68
Supported until	Sep 2032	Jul 2032

iPhone Air full verdict →Phone (3) full verdict →Longevity master board →

Scores and verdicts are computed from our verified database — see exactly how. Specs from manufacturer documentation; prices reflect major US retailers.