iPhone Air vs 15

Phone 1

Phone 2

Winner

Xiaomi 15

The 15 wins this one, taking battery and camera decisively. Against the iPhone Air it's also the sounder buy at $16.81 per month of safe use.

Value Score: iPhone Air 62 · 15 67 — 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$13.28/mo

2025◆ Buy-by Sep 20302032

Xiaomi 15 $750

Safe to buy$16.81/mo

2025◆ Buy-by Mar 20282030

Category by category

Display

iPhone Air 9015 90

Both displays are effectively the same class.

Performance

iPhone Air 10015 98

Performance is a wash — same chip tier.

Camera

iPhone Air 5015 79

The 15 has the stronger camera system (3 real rear lenses vs 1).

Battery

iPhone Air 4315 85

5,240mAh vs 3,149mAh — the 15 lasts longer between charges.

Software longevity

iPhone Air 9015 53

The iPhone Air is supported until Sep 2032 — 31 months longer than the 15.

Value

iPhone Air 6215 67

Overall value goes to the 15 at $16.81 per month of safe use.

Full spec table

Spec	iPhone Air	15
Price (street)	$999	$750
Display	6.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, ProMotion 1–120Hz, up to 3000 nits peak	6.36-inch CrystalRes AMOLED, 2670×1200 (460 ppi), 1–120Hz LTPO, up to 3200 nits peak, Dolby Vision/HDR10+
Chipset	Apple A19 Pro	Snapdragon 8 Elite
RAM	12GB	12GB
Storage	256GB/512GB/1TB	256GB/512GB
Battery	3,149 mAh	5,240 mAh
Charging	Wired — 50% in ~30 min with a 20W+ adapter; MagSafe/Qi2 wireless up to 20W	90W wired, 50W wireless
Rear cameras	48MP main	50MP main (Light Fusion 900, f/1.62), 50MP ultra-wide, 50MP telephoto (Leica 60mm floating)
Dimensions	156.2 × 74.7 × 5.64 mm	152.3 × 71.2 × 8.08 mm
Weight	165 g	191 g
Water resistance	IP68	IP68
Supported until	Sep 2032	Mar 2030

iPhone Air full verdict →15 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.