The best iPhones to buy in 2026

If you’ve been holding off on getting a new iPhone, now’s the perfect time to size up your options. Apple’s 2025 iPhone lineup is now widely available, which includes the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and a brand-new model, the ultra-thin iPhone Air. These new phones offer a number of new features over their predecessors, such as upgraded cameras, faster chips, better battery life, and even better screens. Apple Intelligence, however, remains a work in progress.

Alongside the new hardware, Apple also launched iOS 26 (yes, the numbering system has changed), which includes a new Liquid Glass user interface, live translation, wallpapers in messages, and more. The software marks Apple’s biggest visual redesign since iOS 7, and despite some very polarizing reactions, we think it looks fine.

If your current iPhone is humming along, there’s no need to rush out and get a new one. But if you’re questioning whether it’s the year to replace your iPhone that’s a few generations old, then I think the answer is an easy yes. There are real gains to be had this time around, especially in the basic iPhone 17, which features a higher-refresh-rate display than last year’s model for smoother-looking animations, plus double the base storage at 256GB. And that’s all for the same price as last year’s model, despite the ongoing tariff situation in the US.

The best iPhone for most people

Screen: 6.3-inch 2622 x 1206 OLED, 120Hz refresh rate / Processor: A19 / Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.6 main with 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 point for the standard model. After years with a lower-quality screen, the cheapest model finally got two major upgrades for 2025: an always-on display and a high-refresh-rate panel. These features make it feel meaningfully better than the iPhone 16 and prior models in everyday use, bringing it closer than ever to the Pro models. And at the same $799 starting price as the previous generation, this year’s update is a no-brainer.

While the iPhone 17’s 48-megapixel main camera is carried over from last year, the ultrawide camera has been upgraded from a 12-megapixel to a 48-megapixel sensor, which delivers sharper, more vibrant photos. The device features an 18-megapixel Center Stage selfie camera, which is also in the Air and 17 Pro. Your selfies may not look materially better, but the front camera’s square sensor elevates the user experience, making it possible to take horizontal selfies while holding the device vertically (no need to rotate the phone).

Apple also gives you double the storage — 256GB versus 128GB in the base iPhone 16 — and improved battery life. The standard 17 still lacks a proper telephoto camera, and the A19 chip is slower than the A19 Pro found in the Pro models. Still, it’s a big step up in almost every way, even if it looks basically the same as every iPhone from the past six years.

Screen: 6.3-inch 2622 x 1206 OLED, 120Hz refresh rate / Processor: A19 Pro / Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.78 with sensor-shift IS; 48-megapixel 8x telephoto with 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 most advanced camera setup yet. It also features rounded edges, and similar to last year, it’s on equal footing with the 17 Pro Max in terms 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 most people, the 17 Pro is geared more toward creators. The device has three 48-megapixel cameras, including a 48-megapixel telephoto, and offers several pro features aimed at those who want to take the best possible photos and videos. Some of those features include Genlock support, which lets videographers sync up timecodes across multiple cameras, and support for ProRes RAW recording. It also sports the upgraded Center Stage selfie camera found in other 2025 iPhone models.

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

The iPhone with the best battery life

Screen: 6.9-inch 2868 x 1320 OLED, 120Hz refresh rate / Processor: A19 Pro / Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.78 with sensor-shift IS; 48-megapixel 8x telephoto with 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 just about looks. Apple hollowed out the device’s aluminum frame to fit in the biggest battery yet in an iPhone. Apple says the device offers up 39 hours of video playback, which is 12 more hours than last year’s iPhone 16 Plus, our previous battery champ. The device can easily push through a full day and then some, though your mileage will vary depending on how often you play mobile games, watch videos, and doomscroll on social media.

There are other benefits to going with the 17 Pro Max. It has the largest display of any phone in Apple’s current iPhone lineup — 6.9 inches — and offers up to 2TB of storage, giving creators more room than ever for storing their media. If you want the most iPhone you can possibly get, including the longest battery life, then the 17 Pro Max is the way to go.

The best iPhone for people who hate bulky phones

Screen: 6.5-inch 2736 x 1260 OLED, 120Hz refresh rate / Processor: A19 Pro / Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.6 main with 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 in 2017. It’s shockingly thin and light, coming in at 5.6mm and 165 grams, respectively. Thanks to its titanium frame and Ceramic Shield 2 display, it’s more durable than you might expect, too. The device feels deceptively small despite its 6.5-inch display, though you really have to see and feel it yourself to understand the appeal.

But the thinner design comes with a few substantial compromises compared to other models. One of the biggest is that the Air features a single 48-megapixel camera on the back. That’s not to say the device’s camera is bad. But it’s a far less versatile system than even the far more affordable iPhone 17, which has a dual-camera setup. The second compromise is on battery life, which is just okay. It’s not terrible, but it’s not great, either.

At $999, you’re paying a lot for middling battery life and camera performance. Those who primarily care about design, though, may be more forgiving regarding the shortcomings.

The best inexpensive-ish iPhone

Screen: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR / Processor: A18 Cameras: 48MP Fusion with 1x and 2x optical zoom, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: Not advertised / Charging: 20-watt wired, 7.5W Qi, no MagSafe/ Weather-resistance rating: IP68

This recommendation comes with a heavy sigh. Yes, the 16E is the cheapest iPhone Apple sells. Yes, it’s a good phone. It has a capable camera, reliable performance, full water resistance, wireless charging, and will be supported with software updates for years to come. But its $599 price tag starts to feel like too much when you consider what it’s missing.

There’s no MagSafe, which you can kind of add by way of a MagSafe case, but it’s a bummer not to have it built in when it’s basically become a standard iPhone feature. There’s no ultrawide camera, no Dynamic Island housing timely information, no camera control button (not a huge loss, honestly), and no Ultra Wideband for precise object tracking. It does support Apple Intelligence, but that doesn’t feel like much of a consolation, given that it’s very much still a work-in-progress.

The 16E will most likely receive more years of software support than a previous-gen model like the iPhone 14 or 15. And sure, Apple Intelligence might turn out to be useful someday. The 16E is a good choice if you want the path of least resistance to blue bubbles and FaceTime at your fingertips. But if you’d like MagSafe, a more advanced camera, and some of the other bells and whistles that got lost on the way to the 16E, then it’s not a bad idea to look at one of the older iPhones.

Update, January 28th: Updated to reflect current pricing and availability. Brandon Russell and Brandon Widder also contributed to this article.