These Are the Best iPhones to Buy in 2026

The 17e is the iPhone most people should buy. That doesn't mean it's Apple's best iPhone. You're not getting the brightest display with a 120Hz refresh rate or multiple rear cameras with professional-grade video capture capabilities. You're getting an iPhone that can do just about everything most people expect an iPhone to do, all without having to spend an arm and a leg to get it. The iPhone 17e has a good display and two solid cameras: one capable camera on its back and one solid selfie camera with Face ID. It has a USB-C port and supports MagSafe wireless charging. But most importantly, it runs Apple's A19 chip, which, until the iPhone 18 Pro series, was Apple's best processor yet. That means this iPhone will run just about anything you throw at it, including games, professional apps, and, of course, AI. And since it's only one year old at this point, Apple will likely continue supporting it for many years to come. (iOS 27 supports iPhones as old as the 11 series, which Apple dropped back in 2019.)

Most importantly, the phone starts at $599 outright. While that's decidedly out of "budget" territory, it's below Apple's other iPhones, especially the 18 Pros, which now start at $1,199. If you need your iPhone to be the best Apple has to offer, the 17e might not be for you. But for most of us, this is more than enough iPhone.

In contrast to the iPhone 17e, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is the phone to beat for power users. Apple's latest "Pro Max" has the biggest and brightest display of the lineup, with a smaller Dynamic Island than past iPhones. This model comes with Apple's latest A20 Pro chip, which is now the company's most powerful mobile processor. Perhaps most notably, the 18 Pros this year come with variable apertures. This lets you control the "F-stop" for photos, or how much light actually hits the sensor. It's a small but meaningful change, allowing you to increase the bokeh (or background blur) by widening the aperture, or create a sharper image by closing it.

While the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are almost identical minus the form factor, I'm choosing the 18 Pro Max because of the battery life. While Apple rates the 18 Pro for 24 hours of typical use, it rates the 18 Pro Max at 30 hours. Even if Apple's stats are a bit off, that's a 25% difference, meaning the 18 Pro Max is the one most likely to last you a full day in between charges. Of course, that trade-off is the price: The 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299, and if you need more storage, you're only looking at a bigger bill. But if the goal is the best iPhone possible, you can't do better.

"Mid-range" doesn't usually apply to devices with MSRPs of $899. But if we're considering the iPhone 17e to be the value option, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max to be "premium," I think the iPhone 17 is "Apple mid-range." The iPhone 17 builds on the iPhone 17e's excellent foundations, but adds more features that some users might like to see. You're getting an extra GPU core in the A19 processor, which offers an extra boost for gaming or professional work. You have a larger, brighter display with that 120Hz refresh rate. And, perhaps most notably, you're getting an upgraded camera experience, featuring two rear 48MP Fusion cameras with support for professional video codecs and a 18MP selfie camera with Center Stage.

There are a number of small perks the iPhone 17 offers over the iPhone 17e, but it omits some features you'll only find on the Pros. That keeps Apple's price tag south of $1,000, and while it's anything but "cheap," the iPhone 17 does offer a balance for users who are looking for more out of their iPhones without needing to venture into premium territory.

The iPhone Air isn't like any other iPhone Apple makes. While Apple makes thin and light iPhones, this device is strikingly skinny. As such, it's meant to be Apple's most "stylish" iPhone. If nothing else, it's certainly its most visually interesting—though the unique design means some compromises. Like the 17e, the Air only gets one 48MP Fusion camera. And since it's so thin, the battery takes a hit: Apple says you get 27 hours of video playback, or 40 hours with a MagSafe battery pack. However, you also get the A19 Pro chip, the same one the company used with the iPhone 17 Pro. With it, you get more power than the A19 chip, which makes this a bit of a "Pro" iPhone without the extra cameras. This isn't the iPhone to pick if you want the most features, or certainly the lowest price tag (it retails for $1,099). But if you're looking for the newest iPhone that will weigh you down the least, the Air is the way to go.

If you want the perks of a pro iPhone without spending the full price tag, going back a generation can be a great strategy. While the latest and greatest premium iPhone is the 18 Pro, the iPhone 17 Pro offers many of the same or similar features, but at a reduced cost of $1,099. You get a high-performing chip (A19 Pro), a triple rear camera setup, a big and bright display, and Apple's current "Pro" design. Really, the only way to tell that the iPhone 17 Pro isn't the iPhone 18 Pro is to check the colors. Other than that, these iPhones are virtually identical on the outside. You'll miss out on some of the new camera perks, particularly the variable aperture controls, but the 17 Pro is still a great iPhone today. I don't plan on upgrading mine anytime soon.