Best iPhone to buy in 2026: We compare cameras, value, battery

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What’s the best iPhone to buy right now? That question just got a lot more interesting.

During its September “Surprise and Shine” event, Apple unveiled the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max with upgraded cameras, a revamped vapor chamber cooling system, longer battery life, and a fresh, AI-ready chipset. The company also “one more thinged” the iPhone Duo, its first-ever foldable phone, confirming nearly a decade’s worth of rumors. The new Apple phones join (or will soon join) the flagship iPhone 17, the budget iPhone 17e, and the super slim iPhone Air to round out the 2026 iPhone roster, which now runs on iOS 27.

Apple’s smartphones have never been more powerful, feature-rich, or diverse in their form factors. Alas, they’ve also never been pricier. Every current iPhone has gotten more expensive due to the ongoing global memory crisis, which has jacked up the cost of electronic components over the past year. (At least the Duo turned out to be slightly less of a splurge than the gossip mill predicted.) Unfortunately, all the best smartphones saw price increases this year, so there’s no escaping higher prices unless you hold off on buying a new phone altogether.

So, is it worth splashing out on one of the new Pro models? Or would you be perfectly happy with something less snazzy and more wallet-friendly, relatively speaking? After extensively testing every single iPhone, Mashable’s experts have recommendations for all budgets and usage needs.

One more thing: Before you buy your new iPhone, be sure to check out our coverage of the latest carrier deals. If you trade in an older device and sign up for a new line or data plan, you could pay a fraction of the price — or nothing at all. The best iPhone deals are not to be missed.

Best iPhone for most people: iPhone 17

In addition to plain white (pictured), the iPhone 17 also comes in mist blue, sage, lavender, and black finishes.
Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

• Read our full review of the iPhone 17

• Who it’s for: Most people! The iPhone 17 is the phone most iOS users should buy. It’s also the most colorful iPhone on the market if you want a handset with a little personality.

If you put the iPhone 17 and the new iPhone 18 Pro Max head-to-head, the latter smartphone would win, handily. But last year’s iPhone 17 is still the most well-rounded, “just right” phone in Apple’s lineup. (We don’t expect the new base model iPhone 18 to land until spring 2027.)

The iPhone 17 is a fast-enough, long-lasting-enough, nice-looking-enough smartphone that feels “Pro” where it counts for most people. Namely, it has a 120Hz, always-on display and an ultrawide camera with a dedicated macro mode, but none of the extra photography or thermal fixings intended for superusers. Compared to the budget iPhone 17e, which costs $200 less, it has a brighter, smoother screen, nicer cameras, and 15 percent more battery life.

Was the iPhone 17 an earth-shattering upgrade over the iPhone 16? Not really, but it got better in some crucial yet practical ways without straying over the $1,000 mark. Mashable senior editor Stan Schroeder christened it “the most compelling standard iPhone in years.”

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iPhone 17 specs

• Screen size and display: 6.3-inch OLED display with 2,622 x 1,206 resolution and 120Hz variable refresh rate

• Cameras: 48MP (wide), 48MP (ultrawide), and 18MP (front)

• Battery life (rated): Up to 30 hours of video playback

• Processor: Apple A19

• Storage: 256GB or 512GB

• Colors: Black, white, mist blue, sage, or lavender

• Dimensions: 5.89 x 2.81 x 0.31 inches

• Weight: 6.24 ounces

• Software: iOS 27

Best cheap iPhone: iPhone 17e

The iPhone 17e is Apple’s first budget smartphone with MagSafe support.
Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

• Read our full review of the iPhone 17e

• Who it’s for: We recommend the iPhone 17e for frugal shoppers who just want the core iPhone experience, as well as those who like small, pocket-friendly phones. It would also make a great starter phone for a teenager.

The iPhone 17e delivers your go-to iOS features like FaceTime and Siri AI, plus the classically clean Apple look — now with MagSafe! — for the least amount of money. It’s a compact little device with a sharp, if not super-smooth display, and a battery that should last you a day between charges. It runs on the same A19 chip as the regular iPhone 17 and starts with the same amount of storage (256GB), which makes it more future-proof than last year’s iPhone 16e (which started with half that).

The cameras on the iPhone 17e aren’t as “versatile” as the ones on the iPhone 17, Schroeder said; it lacks an ultrawide lens and has a noticeably inferior front camera. But at least it takes marginally better low-light pictures than its predecessor.

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iPhone 17e specs

• Screen size and display: 6.1-inch OLED display with 2,532 x 1,170 resolution and 60Hz refresh rate

• Cameras: 48MP (wide) and 12MP (front)

• Battery life (rated): Up to 26 hours of video playback

• Processor: Apple A19

• Storage: 256GB or 512GB

• Colors: Black, white, or soft pink

• Dimensions: 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches

• Weight: 5.96 ounces

• Software: iOS 27

Best iPhone for photography: iPhone 18 Pro

Good riddance, cosmic orange.
Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

• Read our full review of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max

• Who it’s for: Get the smaller Pro if you’re a mobile photographer or creator looking for the iPhone with the best cameras. We also recommend upgrading if you have an iPhone 16 or 15 Pro, but it’s probably not worth the upgrade for those with an iPhone 17 Pro.

Both the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max feature the latest Apple camera technology, but the Pro model is more compact and less expensive. We also think it’s way more attractive in the new burgundy, glacier blue, and black colors, especially compared to the iPhone 17 Pro’s controversial cosmic orange finish.

What’s new with the cameras? A new physical variable aperture on its main camera lens, for starters. This gives you more control over the exposure and depth of field of photos. It works automatically, but you can also adjust it manually via the Camera app. There, you’ll find other new Pro controls for tweaking settings like white balance and shutter speed; new Photographic Styles; new Cinematic effects that can be applied to videos after they’re recorded; and a new Focus Tracking tool that locks on moving subjects.

The average user might appreciate its camera upgrades, “but I do bet that the majority of people will try out the manual aperture setting once and then leave it on auto,” wrote Mashable’s Schroeder in his review. Power users will make the best use of them.

Besides the new camera features, the new A20 Pro chip also provides extra support for AI tasks, including the newer, smarter Siri AI. There’s plenty of storage space, too: Unlike older iPhones, the 18 Pro supports up to 2TB of storage.

$0 with trade-in on Experience Beyond plan
at T-Mobile

 

iPhone 18 Pro specs

• Screen size and display: 6.3-inch OLED display with 2,622 x 1,206 resolution and 120Hz variable refresh rate

• Cameras: 48MP (wide), 48MP (ultrawide), 48MP (4x telephoto), and 18MP (front)

• Battery life (rated): Up to 36 hours of video playback

• Processor: Apple A20 Pro

• Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB

• Colors: Black, silver, glacier, and burgundy

• Dimensions: 5.91 x 2.83 x 0.34 inches

• Weight: 7.44 ounces

• Software: iOS 27

Best iPhone for design snobs: iPhone Air

Left:
It’s so thin.
Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

Right:
Like, REALLY thin.
Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

• Read our full review of the iPhone Air

• Who it’s for: This is the iPhone for minimalists and aesthetes who care more about their phone’s looks than its performance. Its camera system, in particular, is pretty mediocre for the money.

People who bought the iPhone Air often say the same thing: Its thin and lightweight form factor ruins you for other phones.

The iPhone Air is the thinnest handset Apple has ever made — and arguably the “sexiest,” said Schroeder. If you set it next to one of the iPhone Pros, “it feels like a Ford F-150 parked next to a Porsche,” he wrote. “The Porsche may not have the utility that a pick-up has, but it turns heads.” The bezels on its smooth, detailed display are virtually invisible, and its rear camera bump blends into the back of its chassis when you look at it straight-on. It’s made from titanium, so it’s not easy to scratch up, and it’s super comfy to hold. It’s peak Apple sleekness.

An A19 Pro chip makes the iPhone Air mildly faster than the A19-powered iPhone 17, though it doesn’t last as long. (Apple makes a MagSafe battery that you can slap on the back of it, but costs $100 extra and works against the device’s “ultra-thin” thing.) Camera-wise, it has better zoom than the iPhone 17, but it misses out on an ultrawide shooter à la the iPhone 17e. While you probably won’t win any photography prizes with the Air, it’s perfectly fine for selfies and everyday snapshots.

$0 with trade-in on Experience Beyond plan
at T-Mobile

 

iPhone Air specs

• Screen size and display: 6.5-inch OLED display with 2,736 x 1,260 resolution and 120Hz variable refresh rate

• Cameras: 48MP (wide) and 18MP (front)

• Battery life (rated): Up to 27 hours of video playback

• Processor: A19 Pro

• Storage: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB

• Colors: Space black, cloud white, light gold, and sky blue

• Dimensions: 6.15 x 2.94 x 0.22 inches

• Weight: 5.82 ounces

• Software: iOS 27

Best iPhone for gaming and battery life: iPhone 18 Pro Max

The iPhone 18 Pro Max (left) is a slightly larger and even longer-lasting version of the iPhone 18 Pro (right).
Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

• Read our full review of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max

• Who it’s for: The latest iPhone Pro Max is geared toward battery life maximizers who hate being chained to an outlet, avid mobile gamers, and well-off Apple fans with large hands. That’s not a euphemism for anything: This is a big ol’ phone.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max is rated for up to 45 hours of video playback per charge, making it the longest-lasting iPhone ever. (Its battery is so big that Apple had to come up with a way to get around shipping restrictions that limit battery sizes, according to MacRumors.) Inside, you’ll find the powerful A20 Pro chip and an improved vapor chamber cooling system that helps prevent overheating during extended heavy use. Schroeder tried to push this new hardware to the limit “by playing a few games of PUBG: Battlegrounds on the highest settings for a full hour,” he wrote, and “The phone barely got warm.” What’s more, its battery only fell by nine percent.

The regular iPhone 18 Pro has the same chipset and cooling system as the Max version, but it’s shorter-lived and smaller. The iPhone 18 Pro Max’s size is an advantage for mobile gamers and movie-watchers who value immersion. Its display is the biggest you can get on any iPhone — that is, until the iPhone Duo arrives.

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iPhone 18 Pro Max specs

• Screen size and display: 6.9-inch OLED display with 2,868 x 1,320 resolution and 120Hz variable refresh rate

• Cameras: 48MP (wide), 48MP (ultrawide), 48MP (4x telephoto), and 18MP (front)

• Battery life (rated): Up to 45 hours of video playback

• Processor: Apple A20 Pro

• Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB

• Colors: Black, silver, glacier, and burgundy

• Dimensions: 6.43 x 3.07 x 0.34 inches

• Weight: 8.78 ounces

• Software: iOS 27

Where’s the iPhone Duo?

It’s almost here.
Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

The long-awaited iPhone Duo doesn’t launch until Friday, Oct. 23. Preorders will open a week prior on Oct. 16.

The Duo will likely be a pick we relegate to loaded early adopters, given its steep price and first-gen status. (Again, this is Apple’s very first attempt at a foldable.) That said, it does seem pretty polished right out of the gate. Check out our first hands-on impressions of it while you wait for preorders to go live.

iPhone Duo specs

• Inner screen size and display: 7.6-inch OLED display with 1,878 x 2,670 resolution, 120Hz variable refresh rate, and nano-texture finish

• Outer screen size and display: 5.4-inch OLED display with 1,398 x 2,034 resolution and 120Hz variable refresh rate

• Cameras: 48MP (wide), 48MP (ultrawide), 12MP (front, outer), and an additional inner, under-display FaceTime camera (resolution TBA)

• Battery life (rated): Up to 44 hours of video playback when using the outer display; up to 31 hours of video playback when using the inner display

• Processor: Apple A20 Pro

• Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB

• Colors: Night sky and star white

• Unfolded dimensions: 4.64 x 6.48 x 0.21 inches

• Folded dimensions: 4.64 x 3.31 x 0.44 inches

• Weight: 8.96 ounces

• Software: iOS 27