The best iPhones

If you’ve been holding disconnected connected getting a caller iPhone, now’s the cleanable clip to size up your options. Apple’s 2025 iPhone lineup is now available, which includes the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and a brand-new model, the ultra-thin iPhone Air. These caller phones connection a number of caller features complete their predecessors, specified arsenic upgraded cameras, faster chips, amended artillery life, and moreover amended screens — Apple Intelligence, however, is still a activity successful progress.

Alongside the caller hardware, Apple besides launched iOS 26 (yes, the numbering strategy has changed and we’re jumping from iOS 18), which includes a caller Liquid Glass personification interface, unrecorded translation, wallpapers successful messages, and more. The package marks Apple’s biggest ocular redesign since iOS 7, and contempt immoderate very polarizing reactions, we deliberation it looks fine.

If your existent iPhone is humming along, there’s nary request to unreserved retired and get a caller one. But if you’re questioning whether it’s the twelvemonth to switch your iPhone that’s a fewer generations old, past I deliberation the reply is an easy yes. There are existent gains to beryllium had this clip around, particularly successful the basal iPhone 17, which features a higher-refresh-rate show than past year’s exemplary for smoother-looking animations, positive double the guidelines retention to 256GB — each without raising the price, contempt the current tariff business successful the US.

Screen: 6.3-inch 2622 x 1206 OLED, 120Hz refresh complaint / Processor: A19 / Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.6 main pinch sensor-shift IS; 48-megapixel ultrawide; 18-megapixel selfie / Battery: Not advertised / Charging: 40W wired, 25W wireless MagSafe / Qi2 / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

The iPhone 17 marks a turning constituent for the modular model. After years pinch a lower-quality screen, the cheapest exemplary yet sewage 2 awesome upgrades for 2025: an always-on show and a high-refresh-rate panel. These features make it consciousness meaningfully amended than the iPhone 16 and anterior models successful mundane use, bringing it person than ever to the Pro models. And astatine the aforesaid $799 starting value arsenic the erstwhile generation, this year’s update is simply a no-brainer.

While the iPhone 17’s 48-megapixel main camera is carried complete from past year, the ultrawide camera has been changed from a 12-megapixel sensor to a 48-megapixel sensor, and it delivers sharper and much vibrant photos. The instrumentality features an 18-megapixel Center Stage selfie camera, which is besides successful the Air and 17 Pro. Your selfies whitethorn not look materially better, but the beforehand camera’s quadrate sensor elevates the personification experience, making it imaginable to return horizontal selfies while holding the instrumentality vertically (no request to rotate the phone).

Apple besides gives you double the retention — 256GB versus 128GB successful the guidelines iPhone 16 — and improved artillery life. The modular 17 still lacks a due telephoto camera, and the A19 spot is slower than the A19 Pro recovered successful the Pro models. Still, it’s a large measurement up successful almost each way, moreover if it looks fundamentally the aforesaid arsenic each iPhone from the past six years.

Screen: 6.3-inch 2622 x 1206 OLED, 120Hz refresh complaint / Processor: A19 Pro / Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.78 pinch sensor-shift IS; 48-megapixel 8x telephoto pinch OIS; 48-megapixel ultrawide; 18-megapixel selfie / Battery: Not advertised / Charging: 40W wired, 25W MagSafe / Qi2 / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

The iPhone 17 Pro introduces a bold redesign and a number of notable upgrades, including the lineup’s astir precocious camera setup yet. It besides features rounded edges, and akin to past year, it’s connected adjacent footing pinch the 17 Pro Max successful position of performance. The biggest differences are that the Pro Max offers a larger display, a larger battery, and up to 2TB of storage.

Whereas the iPhone 17 is for astir people, the 17 Pro is geared much toward creators. The instrumentality has 3 48-megapixel cameras, including a 48-megapixel telephoto, and it offers respective pro features aimed astatine those who want to return the champion imaginable photos and videos. Some of those features see Genlock support, which lets videographers sync up timecodes crossed aggregate cameras, and support for ProRes RAW recording. It besides sports the upgraded Center Stage selfie camera recovered successful different 2025 iPhone models.

Despite the additions and improvements, there’s small present that makes the 17 Pro an absolute must-upgrade. However, it comes successful an irresistible orange, which is apparently the new “it” color.

Screen: 6.9-inch 2868 x 1320 OLED, 120Hz refresh complaint / Processor: A19 Pro / Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.78 pinch sensor-shift IS; 48-megapixel 8x telephoto pinch OIS; 48-megapixel ultrawide; 18-megapixel selfie / Battery: Not advertised / Charging: 40W wired, 25W MagSafe / Qi2 / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

The iPhone 17 Pro Max’s redesign isn’t conscionable astir looks. Apple hollowed retired the device’s aluminum framework to fresh successful the biggest artillery yet successful an iPhone. Apple says the instrumentality offers up 39 hours of video playback, which is 12 much hours than past year’s iPhone 16 Plus, our erstwhile artillery champ. The instrumentality tin easy push done a afloat time and past some, though your mileage will alteration depending connected really often you play mobile games, watch videos, and doomscroll connected societal media.

There are different benefits to going pinch the 17 Pro Max. It has the largest show among the latest iPhone lineup — 6.9 inches — and offers up to 2TB of storage, giving creators much room than ever for storing their media. If you want the astir iPhone you tin perchance get, including the longest artillery life, past the 17 Pro Max is the measurement to go.

Screen: 6.5-inch 2736 x 1260 OLED, 120Hz refresh complaint / Processor: A19 Pro / Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.6 main pinch sensor-shift IS; 18-megapixel selfie / Battery: Not advertised / Charging: 30W wired, 20W MagSafe / Qi2 / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

The iPhone Air is Apple’s biggest redesign since the iPhone X was released successful 2017. It’s shockingly bladed and light, astatine 5.6mm and 165 grams, respectively. Thanks to its titanium framework and Ceramic Shield 2 display, it’s more durable than you mightiness expect, too. The instrumentality feels deceptively small, contempt having a 6.5-inch display. You really person to spot and consciousness the telephone yourself to get the appeal.

But the thinner creation comes pinch a fewer important compromises compared to the different models disposable this year. One of the biggest is that the Air features a azygous 48-megapixel camera connected the back. That’s not to opportunity the device’s camera is bad. But it’s a acold little versatile strategy than moreover the acold much affordable iPhone 17, which has a dual-camera setup. The 2nd discuss is connected artillery life, which is conscionable okay. It’s not terrible, but it’s not great, either.

At $999, you’re paying a batch for middling artillery life and camera performance. Those who chiefly attraction astir design, though, whitethorn beryllium much forgiving astir those shortcomings.

Screen: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR / Processor: A18 Cameras: 48MP Fusion pinch 1x and 2x optical zoom, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: Not advertised / Charging: 20-watt wired, 7.5W Qi, nary MagSafe/ Weather-resistance rating: IP68

This proposal comes pinch a dense sigh. Yes, the 16E is the cheapest caller iPhone Apple sells. Yes, it’s a bully phone. It has a tin camera, reliable performance, afloat h2o resistance, wireless charging, and will beryllium supported pinch package updates for years to come. But its $599 value tag starts to consciousness for illustration excessively overmuch erstwhile you see what it’s missing.

There’s nary MagSafe, which you tin benignant of adhd by measurement of a MagSafe case, but it’s a bummer not to person it built successful erstwhile it has fundamentally go a modular iPhone feature. There’s nary ultrawide camera, nary Dynamic Island lodging timely information, nary camera power fastener (not a immense loss, honestly), and nary Ultra Wideband for precise entity tracking. It does support Apple Intelligence, but that doesn’t consciousness for illustration overmuch of a consolation, fixed that it’s very overmuch still a work-in-progress.

The 16E will astir apt person much years of package support than a previous-gen exemplary for illustration the iPhone 14 aliases 15. And sure, Apple Intelligence mightiness move into thing useful someday. The 16E is simply a bully prime if you want the way of slightest guidance to bluish bubbles and FaceTime astatine your fingertips. But if you’d for illustration MagSafe, a much precocious camera, and immoderate of the different bells and whistles that sewage mislaid connected the measurement to the 16E, past it’s not a bad thought to look astatine 1 of the older iPhones.

Apple’s latest iPhone lineup is disposable now, but location are already reports astir what’s next. One study suggests Apple is readying a book-style foldable iPhone for 2026, which allegedly looks for illustration two iPhone Air models put broadside by side. Apple is reportedly still moving to flatten the crease that appears erstwhile the telephone is unfolded, but has different settled connected a design. Looking up to 2027, a study claims Apple is readying a redesigned “all-screen” iPhone to observe the device’s 20th anniversary. These upcoming releases are allegedly portion of Apple’s three-year scheme — starting pinch the caller iPhone Air — that’s aimed astatine refreshing its smartphone lineup.

Update, December 17th: Updated to bespeak existent pricing / availability. Brandon Russell contributed to this article.