With the iPhone 17, Apple has significantly narrowed the chasm separating its baseline model from its Pro counterparts. The $829 iPhone 17 (or $799 if you activate with a carrier) shares many of the same camera features with the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, like Dual Capture and Center Stage. It also finally gets a display with a 1-120Hz variable refresh rate, so you can enjoy smoother scrolling and enable the always-on display and see your notifications at a glance. And support for iOS 26 across the full iPhone 17 lineup means you can access Apple’s most talked-about new software features like live translation, call screening and the Liquid Glass redesign. All that without spending upward of $1,100 for a Pro model, albeit with slightly scaled-back battery life and cameras.

Why we like it

The iPhone 17 is a baseline phone that shares many hardware and software features with the iPhone 17 Pro models, making it feel like a worthy, money-saving contender to those pricier devices. Generous battery life, faster charging and camera upgrades help it stand apart from last year’s iPhone 16, even if it looks almost identical.

Who it’s best for

The iPhone 17 is a great choice for the average phone user who wants good cameras, solid battery life and a quality display. It’s also a good size for anyone who doesn’t like larger phones.

Who shouldn’t get it

If you’re a photography enthusiast and a particularly heavy phone user, the 17 Pros might be the way to go, because you’ll get a telephoto lens on the back, as well as longer battery life. On the other hand, if you’re a lighter phone user, you can save more money by choosing the slightly more budget-friendly $599 iPhone 16E.

From the first moment I picked up the new $1,199 iPhone 17 Pro Max and $1,099 17 Pro, I was beguiled by their bold, bright redesign. It’s a complete turnaround from the years of Apple’s subdued titanium motif. The square camera bump of previous Pro models is now a body-wide bar that Apple calls the “camera plateau.” The 17 Pro and Pro Max now come in actual colors — you won’t find one in black or space gray. This phone, especially in cosmic orange, wants you to look at it.

As I tested the new Pro phones, I was consistently impressed: Even after a full day of heavy use, the Pro Max’s battery still had 22% or more left. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has the best battery life of any phone that CNET has ever tested.

The 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max have the exact same rear cameras, all with 48-megapixel sensors. You can choose between the trio of lenses (wide-angle, ultrawide and telephoto) to capture photos at 12-, 24- or 48-megapixel resolutions. The telephoto camera has gone from the 16 Pro’s 12-megapixel sensor with a 5x lens to a 48-megapixel sensor that’s 56% larger with a new 4x telephoto lens. You read that right: The new Pro has a shorter optical zoom than its predecessor. But I find the short 4x zoom better for portraits, and the increase in detail and dynamic range in 4x photos is a big improvement over 5x snaps from the 16 Pro.

There’s a new selfie camera on both Pro phones that Apple calls Center Stage. It not only takes 18-megapixel selfies, up from 12 megapixels on the 16 Pro, but you can hold the 17 Pro vertically and take a horizontal selfie thanks to a new square image sensor.

I can’t help but contrast the iPhone 17 Pro models to Apple’s newest phone. The iPhone Air is thin, light, quiet and graceful — with a single rear camera, shorter battery life and $100 cheaper starting price. The 17 Pro and Pro Max are bold, loud, aggressive and powerful, and their daring design appeals to me. But features such as its amazing battery life, brighter screen, new selfie camera and iOS 26 are the real reasons to get either.

Why we like it

I appreciate that Apple gave the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max personality. Gone is the minimal design for the sake of simplicity. We have a phone that is more durable, has a longer battery life, and, when running iOS 26, comes with a number of significant quality-of-life improvements, like live translations for calls, texts and FaceTime.

Who it’s best for

The iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max would be an excellent upgrade for someone coming from an iPhone 14 Pro or older. You get a bigger battery, a better screen, faster charging, newer cameras and a speedier processor that can handle graphics-intensive games and Apple Intelligence.

Who shouldn’t get it

If you have an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, you don’t need these new phones unless battery capacity on your current phone is low — and even then, it’d be cheaper to simply have your battery swapped out. And unless you have a gracious disposable income, iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max owners can sit this one out.

Read our iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max review.

The iPhone Air is the ultimate refresh, if you’re looking for something that looks and feels drastically different from most other devices on the market. It’s strikingly lightweight and slim, measuring just 5.6mm thick and clocking in at 165 grams. If you’re worried about durability, design elements like the titanium frame, Ceramic Shield 2 front and Ceramic Shield backing keep it from bending out of shape in your pocket. A generous 6.5-inch display makes it comfortable to hold and enjoyable to watch videos or play games on.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t trade-offs, which feel especially weighty given the iPhone Air’s $999 price tag. A slimmer battery can mean shorter life on heavy-use days, and a single rear camera means you don’t get ultrawide shots or Cinematic mode in video. There’s also only a single speaker instead of the dual-speaker system on other iPhones, which can make audio less immersive. The iPhone Air only supports up to 20-watt charging, as opposed to the 40-watt charging you’ll find on its iPhone 17 counterparts. But if you’re willing to make some compromises, the super-sleek iPhone Air can be an enjoyable investment.

Read CNET’s iPhone Air review.

Why we like it

Annual phone upgrades typically feel incremental, but the iPhone Air shakes things up with a bold new design that rivals other thin phones like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. The Air is remarkably light, which makes it enjoyable to use and won’t weigh down your purse or pocket. Despite its shorter battery life under heavy-use conditions, the iPhone Air performed well in CNET’s battery tests and should hold up just fine on moderate-use days.

Who it’s best for

If you’re not a particularly heavy phone user and want a device that puts design at the forefront, the iPhone Air could be a solid choice. Despite a scaled-back camera, the single rear 48-megapixel camera can also take solid 2x zoom photos, and an 18-megapixel selfie camera matches what you’ll find on the iPhone 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max.

Who shouldn’t get it

On the other hand, if you do use your phone a lot and have an affinity for photography, the iPhone Air might not be the best choice for you. The lack of an ultrawide (plus no telephoto) lens might feel a bit too restrictive, and the battery may not be able to keep up with your more extensive screen time.

Apple’s $599 iPhone 17E packs just enough new features to justify an iOS upgrade for anyone holding onto an iPhone SE or an iPhone 11. While many elements of this iPhone are similar to the iPhone 14, the phone’s inclusion of the new A19 processor, MagSafe for wireless charging and accessories and Ceramic Shield 2 are all notable improvements.

Why we like it

The iPhone 17E doesn’t feel like a second-class option now that it natively includes MagSafe support, 256GB of storage and a soft pink color option for a little personality. While this iPhone does miss out on having a second ultrawide camera and an always-on display available on the iPhone 17, anyone coming from an iPhone from 2020 or earlier might not notice these omissions thanks to the upgrades it does include.

Who it’s best for

This is an ideal iPhone for someone who only upgrades their iPhone when it loses software support, and indeed, if you’re coming from an iPhone XR or earlier, you’ll receive plenty of new features. It’s also a good option for anyone coming from a smaller-screen iPhone SE.

Who shouldn’t get it

If iOS isn’t important, many of the Android phones on this list offer more features for less money. Some current iPhone owners might consider the 17E a step back with its lack of an ultrawide camera.

When we tested the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, we were definitely impressed by the photography features, the convenient Action button and the elegant build. And while we think the iPhone 17 is quite the deal, you can still snag the iPhone 16 for $100 less. We consider the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus to be top-notch choices for Apple fans. Parts of the iPhone 16’s key feature, Apple Intelligence, are now out, and the fact that these phones will support it means they’ll likely feel future-proofed for years to come. Aside from screen size (6.1 inches on the regular, 6.7 inches on the Plus), battery size and price, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are identical in every way.

The iPhone 16 isn’t perfect — it’s missing an always-on display, and it feels like it’s been ages since Apple improved its wired charging speeds. But it checks all the important boxes and then some.

Why we like it

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus rank so high in our testing because they appeal to novice users and power players. They offer about 90% of the experience of Apple’s Pro models but cost hundreds of dollars less. Not only is the iPhone 16 a wonderful phone out of the box, but Apple has a long track record of updating its software and security patches for years.

Who it’s best for

When you think about how the Camera Control key, the Action button and the Dynamic Island come together, along with the camera and battery improvements Apple has made in the last several years, the iPhone 16 is a compelling upgrade for someone coming from an older iPhone, especially if they’re on an iPhone 13 or older. For those who don’t need the Pro’s extra photography prowess and battery life, the iPhone 16 won’t disappoint.

Who shouldn’t get it

I wouldn’t recommend buying the iPhone 16 just for the Camera Control button or the better ultrawide camera.

Get the iPhone 17 free when you switch to T-Mobile with an Experience Beyond or Better Value plan. You don’t have to worry about sending in your old phone to take advantage of this deal: There’s no trade-in required. It takes just 15 minutes to switch, and you can get your phone today with free same-day delivery in select locations.