Apple sells seven iPhone models, from the $699 iPhone 17e to the $1,999 iPhone Duo , but which iPhone is best for you? This is a good time of the year to buy an iPhone if you need to upgrade, since Apple just released its flagship models. (We don't expect the more affordable iPhone 18 models until spring 2027.) We've tested nearly every model and outlined their strengths and weaknesses so you can get the right one for you.
Check out our other Apple buying guides , including Which iPhone 18 Models to Buy , Which iPhone 17 Model to Buy , Best iPhone 17 Cases , Best MagSafe Accessories , Best MagSafe Chargers , Best MagSafe Wallets , and Best Apple 3-in-1 Chargers . Wondering what's new in iOS 27 ? We have details on that, too.
Updated October 2026: We’ve added more details on the iPhone Duo and links to our reviews and other related coverage now that it's available.
If you’re upgrading from an iPhone, you can trade it in to Apple for a small discount. Before you do that, check whether you can sell it elsewhere for more money. iPhones hold their value incredibly well, particularly if they’re in mint or good condition. We have a guide that runs through the process of selling your phone, and we generally recommend you use websites like Swappa , Gazelle , or Back Market .
Most people in the US purchase iPhones from carriers, which means the devices are locked to that network. If you bought an iPhone from Verizon, you can't easily switch to another carrier without breaking a contract and paying extra fees. It also poses headaches for travelers who want to use international SIM cards or eSIMs .
The easier approach is to buy directly from Apple, though there are some things you should know:
Connect to any carrier later: Choose this option for the most hassle-free experience. You get an unlocked iPhone, then all you need to do is transfer the SIM card or eSIM from your old iPhone to the new one to get started. This might be painless, though you may need to contact your carrier if the iPhone can't complete the eSIM transfer. In the US, Apple hasn't included a SIM tray since 2022's iPhone 14.
Choose a carrier: If you choose a carrier through Apple.com, you will get an unlocked iPhone, no matter which carrier you choose (except if you purchase with AT&T on an installment plan). The downside is that Apple doesn't have the same offers as the carriers, so you may lose out on a deal. However, carrier offers often require new lines, trade-ins, or an upgraded plan, and the savings come in the form of bill credits, so these deals aren't as amazing as they may seem.
Finance: You can finance your iPhone either with Apple's credit card via monthly installments or as Apple iPhone Payments via a Citizens One loan. You need to choose a carrier here, but Apple confirmed these devices are all unlocked. You have to fill out a credit application to see if you qualify. If you opt to finance through a carrier on Apple.com, only the T-Mobile and Verizon models will be unlocked. The AT&T and Boost Mobile options are locked iPhones, so it's no different from buying it on an installment plan directly from those carriers.
Apple Upgrade: Buying directly from Apple also nets you access to the Apple Upgrade leasing option. Is it worth it? Broadly speaking, no. Most people do not need to upgrade to a new iPhone every year or two. It's expensive, and you must return your leased iPhone in good condition to avoid additional charges. AppleCare is not included, as it was with the discontinued iPhone Upgrade Program .
The most hyped-up feature from the iPhone 16 range was Apple Intelligence , which rolled out in iOS 18.1. This is Apple's suite of AI features, following the wave started by the likes of ChatGPT and Google's Gemini . Apple Intelligence is available on the iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max and newer, including the iPhone 16e (not to mention select iPads and MacBooks ).
What exactly is Apple Intelligence in the first place? It's a collection of features that draw on the power of large language models to introduce “smart” capabilities. For example, in the Voice Memo and Notes app, you can now start a recording and get a real-time transcription. You can even record a call and get the transcription saved in the Notes app. Siri has been redesigned to understand when you misspeak and can even plug into ChatGPT for more powerful responses to open-ended questions. There are writing tools available throughout the operating system that let you change the tone of your emails or proofread text so you don't make an unnecessary typo on Threads.
This is just a small sampling. We've boiled down many of the Apple Intelligence features here , and additional features keep rolling out in iOS updates. For example, Genmoji —which lets you create your own emojis—debuted alongside the AI image-generation app, Image Playground, in iOS 18.2. In iOS 27, Apple added the revamped, conversational Siri AI assistant. Siri now understands personal context and can retrieve information from your messages, emails, and photos. It can also act on your behalf to draft a message with a particular tone or find a good restaurant for your partner's birthday dinner. Here's everything you can do with Siri AI .
If you don't care for Apple Intelligence and want to turn it off, you can! We have a helpful guide detailing the exact steps .
Magnetic MagSafe wireless charging is available on the iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15, iPhone 16, iPhone 17, and iPhone 18 models (except the iPhone 16e ), and it allows you to magnetically attach various accessories to the back of the iPhone. (iPhones support Qi2 , which is the open standard, whereas MagSafe is proprietary; you can use Qi2 accessories just like MagSafe.)
You can get first-party accessories like Apple's MagSafe Wireless Charger , which sticks to the back for faster charging. Or snag the MagSafe Wallet so you can keep your credit card attached to your phone. There are plenty of third-party accessories (you'll find quite a few in our guide ), and MagSafe doesn't just have to be charging accessories like power banks or wireless chargers . There is a wealth of useful tools, from wallets , tripods , and camera cages to notepads and ring lights that can attach to the back of the iPhone and add extra versatility.
If you plan to use a case, get one that has MagSafe embedded inside to ensure a strong magnetic connection with Apple's accessories (non-MagSafe cases can interrupt MagSafe and make the magnetic connection weaker). All of the cases in our case guides are MagSafe-tested. And yes, a case is a smart investment because iPhones are made of glass, and glass breaks, even if Apple uses ceramic to strengthen it. We cracked an iPhone 16 Plus after a 4-foot drop to the pavement—that model's ceramic glass was supposed to be twice as strong as previous iPhones, too! Ouch. See our favorite cases for the iPhone 17 , iPhone 16 , iPhone 15 , and iPhone 14 ranges.
The iPhone 17 is nearly the perfect phone, and it's what most people looking for a new iPhone should buy right now. With this model, Apple finally upgraded the screen's refresh rate to 120 Hz . This might not sound like the snazziest feature, but you'll immediately notice everything feeling smoother and more responsive as you use the phone, especially if you're coming from an iPhone with a 60-Hz display. The slightly larger display can also hit up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness, which means you shouldn't have any trouble reading it in sunny conditions, and the new anti-reflective coating should also help cut glare. It's protected by Apple's new Ceramic Shield 2 glass, which supposedly is three times more scratch-resistant than before.
More excitingly, the selfie camera has been upgraded to 24 megapixels (binned down to 18 MP). It's the same across the entire iPhone 17 lineup (excluding the iPhone 17e), and Apple is using a square sensor for the first time. It's smart and helpful because you can keep holding your iPhone firmly in portrait orientation, but digitally switch to landscape or portrait orientation when taking a selfie without having to rotate the phone in your hand. It'll also automatically zoom and rotate orientations when it detects more people in the frame (Apple calls it Center Stage). You can also natively shoot video with the front and rear cameras simultaneously with Dual Capture.
Storage was bumped to 256 GB (finally!), and the ultrawide camera was upgraded to 48 megapixels, delivering sharp results even in low-light conditions. There's a slightly bigger battery, too, and the results have been very impressive, easily lasting through a full day with more than six hours of screen-on time. I only wish Apple added a telephoto zoom camera here— Android phones at this price are starting to see more optical zoom options, like the Google Pixel 10 and Samsung Galaxy S26 , and it would make this iPhone more versatile. (At least the “optical-like” 2X zoom is decent.)
All in all, this is one of the most well-rounded and feature-rich iPhones in years, even if it doesn't feature the fun Camera Plateau design of the pricier iPhone Air or Pro models. Sadly, Apple increased the price of the iPhone 17 (and every other older model) by $100 when it unveiled the new 18 Pro lineup. If you're wondering why there isn't an iPhone 18, that's expected to debut in early 2027.
If you want an iPhone but want to spend less, the iPhone 17e is worth a look, especially if you don't want to go through the used iPhone marketplace . This is Apple's smallest iPhone in the lineup. There's a single camera on the back—it's decent but not as versatile, and it struggles the most in low-light conditions. This iPhone doesn't have the ultrawide-band chip, which allows for precision guidance when hunting for your AirTag . (You can still locate your misplaced item, just with more vague instructions to its location.) Oh, and the screen is stuck at 60 Hz, so it doesn't feel as responsive as the other iPhones here.
If those flaws don't seem like deal-breakers, then the iPhone 17e will be more than sufficient. It's powered by the A19 chip like the iPhone 17, except with one fewer graphics core, so there's a small hit to performance. However, I booted up Genshin Impact and didn't have much trouble playing it, even after maxing out graphics; you'll just see more stutters here and there.
I appreciate that Apple has installed its Ceramic Shield 2 glass to protect the screen, meaning improved durability, and there's a bump in base storage to 256 GB. Battery life has been reliable, easily lasting me a full day even with heavy use, but the biggest upgrade is the addition of MagSafe . A strange omission on the iPhone 16e, this capability means you can take advantage of the wealth of magnetic MagSafe accessories on the market, whether you want faster wireless charging or just an easier way to mount the smartphone on a tripod or car mount .
If the iPhone 17e's single-camera system turns you off, then take a look at the iPhone 16 . (Or maybe you prefer the bright and bold colors here.) Apple still sells this 2024 phone but has increased the price to $799 and discontinued the larger iPhone 16 Plus. I would try to find it for cheaper at other retail channels if possible—I wouldn't pay $799 for the iPhone 16. (There is no new iPhone 17 Plus model; Apple replaced it with the iPhone Air.)
The 6.1-inch iPhone 16 can get you through a day, but heavy users may need a top-up before bedtime. It features the Action Button, which replaced the mute switch on older iPhones, but you can bring that functionality back or customize this button to do something else. There's also Camera Control, which launches the camera and doubles as a shutter button. A light amount of pressure on this button lets you switch camera modes or photography styles, and you can slide your finger to cycle through them. (I hate this secondary function, so I always disable it: Settings > Camera > Camera Control > Customize and toggle off Light Press and Swipe .)
The iPhone Duo may have dominated the headlines recently, but Apple's true flagships are the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max . If you want the best battery life on a smartphone, this is it, particularly the Pro Max, because it packs a denser battery. You can easily make it through two days on a single charge. The smaller Pro generally had around 40 percent left by bedtime. These are also the most powerful smartphones, with the Apple A20 Pro chip backed by an improved vapor chamber design for cooling—ensuring the smoothest performance even when you're playing a AAA game like Control .
The Dynamic Island is a little smaller this year; it can now display three activities, making it a little more useful. There's no orange color option, but Apple is offering a lovely new burgundy. Perhaps the biggest enhancement is with the already versatile, triple 48-megapixel lens camera system, thanks to a new variable aperture in the main lens. Changing the aperture gives you more control over how much light you let in, allowing better low-light performance, and allows you to capture that coveted bokeh effect for blurred backgrounds or narrow it down to keep more of the scene and background in focus. It also adds enhancements to the already excellent video capture capabilities.
This minor refresh over the iPhone 17 Pro also comes with a price bump (an extra $100 across the board), and some handy new features in iOS 27 (though the iPhone 15 Pro and newer will get these, too). The revamped Siri AI is far more capable than previous versions, with more contextual understanding of what's onscreen and the ability to delve into your messages, emails, and photos.
Breaking the trend of incremental annual updates, the iPhone Duo is Apple's first foray into foldables, and it's astonishingly good for a debut. Instead of the book- and flip-style foldables that have dominated the market so far, Apple went with a passport-sized form factor, similar to Samsung's recent Galaxy Z Fold8 (our current pick for the best folding phones ). The Duo sports a 5.4-inch screen on the outside, but unfolds to reveal a 7.6-inch display inside that feels like an iPad Mini. You might even try working on it .
With a tough titanium frame, a precision hinge with magnets for that satisfying snap-shut, and an IP68 rating, this is one of the most durable foldables on the market, but not the slimmest or lightest (it's bigger and heavier than Samsung’s Fold8). But Apple has minimized the main screen’s crease with a special display stack and a matte-finish nanotexture screen.
There are trade-offs with folding phones, and the Duo drops Face ID (Touch ID is in the side power button instead) and makes do without a telephoto lens (you get a 48-megapixel primary camera and a 48-megapixel ultrawide). On the upside, it has the biggest iPhone battery ever, promising 24 hours of mixed use. You can expect to have around 40 percent in the tank after an average day's use.
Apple's take on the software is what we’re most excited about, as it finds unique ways to take advantage of the new form factor and encourages third-party apps, like Slack, to optimize for the folding format. However, it may take a while for all your favorite apps to be properly optimized. Controls are stacked vertically, there's plenty of split-screen support, and transitions are typically smooth. Features like Kid Cue, which helps you catch your kid's attention for photos, and enhanced StandBy support, which lets you use the outer screen as an alarm clock while the inner display gently pulses with light to wake you, will set this iPhone apart. Apple Pencil support is coming later this year.
Whether it's worth the considerable premium, when the iPhone 18 Pro models are more capable (on paper), depends on what you want from a phone. First-generation devices are never perfect, so it may be sensible to wait for the sequel.
The iPhone Air is the first model of its kind. Borrowing from other Air models—the original MacBook Air and iPad Air—it's the thinnest iPhone ever made at a mere 5.6 mm and one of the lightest at 165 grams. The difference is palpable, especially considering its large 6.5-inch screen. Use the iPhone Air for a day, and the iPhone 18 Pro will feel like a brick.
It's not for everyone. Think of it like an early-adopter iPhone, as the design innovations no doubt informed the folding iPhone Duo . But there are a few too many compromises considering the price. Namely, the camera system. We're all used to multi-camera setups on our smartphones, and a single-lens design for a $1,100 handset is too limiting. It sports the same 48-MP main camera as the iPhone 17, though the cheaper iPhone sometimes delivers sharper results. You can use the 2X “optical-like” zoom, but that's it. There's no ultrawide and no telephoto camera. I even tried to take a close-up photo of a flower, and the lack of a macro mode meant I couldn't move the iPhone Air as close to the subject. Thankfully, it has the same great 18-MP selfie camera as the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup.
The other major compromise is battery life, though this depends on how you use your phone. I was pleasantly surprised by the iPhone Air's runtime, which often hit more than five hours of screen-on time. That's better than I expected. With average use, it lasted me a full day, and I didn't feel too anxious about it dying on me. However, on busier days, I needed to top it up in the afternoon. If you're a heavy user, relying on various battery-sucking apps like Maps or gaming, the iPhone Air's battery won't impress.
This, alongside the iPhone 17e, has Apple's custom C1X modem, which is more power efficient, and one of the ways Apple can max out the battery life on the Air. The downside is that it doesn't support millimeter-wave 5G (mmWave). It won't impact you much since the dominant form of 5G is sub-6 ( we have an explainer here ), but mmWave is deployed in dense urban areas and high-traffic areas like airports and stadiums. It's weird to not have it on a flagship smartphone in 2025.
If you barely use the camera and are regularly near a charger, there are plenty of cheaper smartphones that will serve you well . But if you must have an iPhone and want to try a super-thin and lightweight device, I think you'll be happy with the iPhone Air.
Apple no longer sells the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max , but you can find them at alternative retailers. As long as you're not paying MSRP (anything close to what the new iPhone 18 Pro models cost), they're great buys. Note that new options often sell out fast.
They are some of the thickest iPhones in recent memory because Apple stuffed them with big batteries. For the first time, we didn't always need to charge an iPhone every single day. We routinely hit close to seven hours of screen-on time and had 30 or 40 percent left, depending on the device. Outside of battery and screen size, these two iPhones have the same features.
The second biggest upgrade in the iPhone 17 Pro models wasn't a sexy topic: thermal conductivity. Apple switched to aluminum and added a vapor chamber cooling system to manage heat better. By dissipating heat across the back of the devices, these iPhones stay cooler for longer and eke out more from the A19 Pro chipset. We played Assassin's Creed Mirage for more than an hour, and while the iPhone was warm, it had no hot spots. We saw no stutters or lag at max graphical settings, a step up from its predecessors. Meanwhile, the iPhone Air got uncomfortably hot in one spot, and we saw more stutters after prolonged play. If you plan to play demanding games on your smartphone or tackle processing-intensive tasks, buy one of the Pro models.
The cameras didn't just get a fun new redesign on the back. Apple upgraded the telephoto to 48 megapixels, so now every rear camera is 48 MP. It zooms up to 4X, though you can get optical-like quality at up to 8X. If you're wondering, yes, the iPhone 16 Pro offered 5X optical zoom, but the larger sensor and higher megapixel count mean you'll get sharper, brighter zoom photos on the iPhone 17 Pro. If you capture a lot of video with the rear cameras, that's another reason to buy these iPhones, because they offer some of the best native video quality on a smartphone. (We have plenty of examples in our review !)
The iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max are still plenty powerful for most folks. The new 18 Pro models slightly strengthen already strong areas of these phones (see above for what has been upgraded). But only the 17 Pro models come in orange!
While last year's iOS 26 debuted the divisive Liquid Glass , iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 focus squarely on quality-of-life improvements, with a redesigned and much improved Siri AI assistant , easier Shortcuts , and lots of little tweaks to enhance speed and stability.
Siri AI doesn't just look different—now resembling a glass orb—it can also understand your personal context , pulling info from your messages, emails, or even photos, and helping you draft messages or find the right wine to pair with your dinner. Siri can also now pop up in the camera app to help you choose your next book or split a bill with friends.
Apple says iOS 27 is faster than ever, with app launches up to 30 percent faster, newly captured photos in your Photo Library loading up to 70 percent faster, and AirDrop transfers completing up to 80 percent faster. For more details, read our guide on the top features in iOS 27 and how to download it .
Apple hasn't offered a charging brick in the box since the iPhone 12, so if you don't have one, we've got you covered with a few recommendations. Most of these are 30-watt chargers that will fast-charge most iPhones. If you want the fastest speeds on the iPhone 18 models, you'll need a 40-watt charger, and we have some picks for you.
Anker 511 Nano 3 30-Watt Charger for $16 : This is one of the tiniest chargers we've tested, and the prongs fold up for even more space savings. It comes in fun colors, and it's nice and cheap.
Counterpart The Charger for $44 : Why carry a charger and cable separately when you can get both in one? Retractable chargers are popular, and I love this attractive model from Counterpart. You can get it in a few colors, and the USB-C cable extends up to 4 feet. The prongs fold so they won't scratch anything in your bag, and the 35-watt output is enough to fast-charge most iPhones and iPads. It'll recharge a MacBook, though a MacBook Pro requires a more powerful charger.
Apple 40W Dynamic Power Adapter for $39 : Apple's Dynamic Power Adapter will get you the fastest charging speeds possible on the iPhone 17 models. That's 50 percent in just 20 minutes, and I was able to replicate that in my tests. It's a smaller charger than prior models, and it's one of the few chargers with SPR AVS support (Standard Power Range Adjustable Voltage Supply). It's a mouthful, but essentially, it can boost power output up to 60 watts when needed. That means it's a more versatile charger that you can use for your MacBook Air and your iPhone.
The problem with USB-C is that its capabilities are so vast, but not every USB-C cable supports every single function. You need to make sure the cable you buy supports video output, speedy data transfer, and fast charging if that's what you want. The cable Apple includes in the box can carry up to 60 watts of power, and that's pretty much it. You can use this cable to recharge a MacBook but maybe not a MacBook Pro under heavy load.
If you get a cable like this one from Cable Matters, you'll be covered for every scenario. It supports up to 100 watts of power so you can use it for all your gadgets, has DisplayPort to work with external monitors, and supports up to 40 gigabits per second of data transfer. It also comes in multiple lengths.
The beauty of MagSafe is that you can pop a battery on the back of your iPhone, and you don't have to worry about any wires. This is ou…
