With the iPhone 17, Apple has considerably narrowed the chasm separating its baseline mannequin from its Professional counterparts. The $829 iPhone 17 (or $799 should you activate with a provider) shares most of the identical digicam options with the iPhone 17 Professional and Professional Max, like Twin Seize and Middle Stage. It additionally lastly will get a show with a 1-120Hz variable refresh charge, so you’ll be able to get pleasure from smoother scrolling and allow the always-on show and see your notifications at a look. And assist for iOS 26 throughout the complete iPhone 17 lineup means you’ll be able to entry Apple’s most talked-about new software program options like reside translation, name screening and the Liquid Glass redesign. All that with out spending upwards of $1,100 for a Professional mannequin, albeit with barely scaled-back battery life and cameras.

Why we prefer it

The iPhone 17 is a baseline telephone that shares many {hardware} and software program options with the iPhone 17 Professional fashions, making it really feel like a worthy, money-saving contender to these pricier units. Beneficiant battery life, quicker charging and digicam upgrades assist it stand aside from final yr’s iPhone 16, even when it seems nearly equivalent.  

Who it is best for

The iPhone 17 is a good alternative for the common telephone consumer who needs good cameras, strong battery life and a top quality show. It is also a superb dimension for anybody who would not like bigger telephones.  

Who should not get it

For those who’re a pictures fanatic and a very heavy telephone consumer, the 17 Execs is likely to be the best way to go, since you will get a telephoto lens on the again, in addition to longer battery life. However, should you’re a lighter telephone consumer, it can save you more cash by choosing the marginally extra budget-friendly $599 iPhone 16E.

From the primary second I picked up the brand new $1,199 iPhone 17 Professional Max and $1,099 17 Professional, I used to be beguiled by their daring, vibrant redesign. It is a full turnaround from the years of Apple’s subdued titanium motif. The sq. digicam bump of earlier Professional fashions is now a body-wide bar that Apple calls the “digicam plateau.” The 17 Professional and Professional Max now are available in precise colours — you will not discover one in black or house grey. This telephone, particularly in cosmic orange, needs you to take a look at it.

As I examined the brand new Professional telephones, I used to be persistently impressed: Even after a full day of heavy use, the Professional Max’s battery nonetheless had 22% or extra left. The iPhone 17 Professional Max has the perfect battery lifetime of any telephone that CNET has ever examined.

The 17 Professional and 17 Professional Max have the very same rear cameras, all with 48-megapixel sensors. You possibly can select between the trio of lenses (wide-angle, ultrawide and telephoto) to seize photographs at 12-, 24- or 48-megapixel resolutions. The telephoto digicam has gone from the 16 Professional’s 12-megapixel sensor with a 5x lens to a 48-megapixel sensor that is 56% bigger with a brand new 4x telephoto lens. You learn that proper: The brand new Professional has a shorter optical zoom than its predecessor. However I discover the brief 4x zoom higher for portraits, and the rise intimately and dynamic vary in 4x photographs is a giant enchancment over 5x snaps from the 16 Professional.

There is a new selfie digicam on each Professional telephones that Apple calls Middle Stage. It not solely takes 18-megapixel selfies, up from 12 megapixels on the 16 Professional, however you’ll be able to maintain the 17 Professional vertically and take a horizontal selfie because of a brand new sq. picture sensor.

I am unable to assist however distinction the iPhone 17 Professional fashions to Apple’s latest telephone. The iPhone Air is skinny, mild, quiet and sleek — with a single rear digicam, shorter battery life and $100 cheaper beginning value. The 17 Professional and Professional Max are daring, loud, aggressive and highly effective, and their daring design appeals to me. However options similar to its wonderful battery life, brighter display, new selfie digicam and iOS 26 are the actual causes to get both.

Why we prefer it

I respect that Apple gave the iPhone 17 Professional and 17 Professional Max character. Gone is the minimal design for the sake of simplicity. We’ve got a telephone that’s extra sturdy, has an extended battery life, and, when operating iOS 26, comes with various important quality-of-life enhancements, like reside translations for calls, texts and FaceTime.

Who it is best for

The iPhone 17 Professional and 17 Professional Max could be a superb improve for somebody coming from an iPhone 14 Professional or older. You get an even bigger battery, a greater display, quicker charging, newer cameras and a speedier processor that may deal with graphics-intensive video games and Apple Intelligence.

Who should not get it

When you’ve got an iPhone 15 Professional or Professional Max, you do not want these new telephones except battery capability in your present telephone is low — and even then, it might be cheaper to easily have your battery swapped out. And except you’ve a gracious disposable earnings, iPhone 16 Professional and Professional Max homeowners can sit this one out.

Read our iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max review.

The iPhone Air is the final word refresh, should you’re in search of one thing that appears and feels drastically completely different from most different units available on the market. It is strikingly light-weight and slim, measuring simply 5.6mm thick and clocking in at 165 grams. For those who’re fearful about sturdiness, design parts just like the titanium body, Ceramic Defend 2 entrance and Ceramic Defend backing maintain it from bending out of form in your pocket. A beneficiant 6.5-inch show makes it comfy to carry and fulfilling to observe movies or play video games on.

That does not imply there aren’t tradeoffs, which really feel particularly weighty given the iPhone Air’s $999 price ticket. A slimmer battery can imply shorter life on heavy-use days, and a single rear digicam means you do not get ultrawide pictures or Cinematic mode in video. There’s additionally solely a single speaker as a substitute of the dual-speaker system on different iPhones, which might make audio much less immersive. The iPhone Air solely helps as much as 20-watt charging, versus the 40-watt charging you will discover on its iPhone 17 counterparts. However should you’re keen to make some compromises, the super-sleek iPhone Air could be an fulfilling funding.

Read CNET’s iPhone Air review.

Why we prefer it

Annual telephone upgrades sometimes really feel incremental, however the iPhone Air shakes issues up with a daring new design that rivals different skinny telephones just like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. The Air is remarkably mild, which makes it fulfilling to make use of and will not overwhelm your purse or pocket. Regardless of its shorter battery life underneath heavy-use situations, the iPhone Air carried out effectively in CNET’s battery checks and may maintain up simply fantastic on moderate-use days.

Who it is best for

For those who’re not a very heavy telephone consumer and need a machine that places design on the forefront, the iPhone Air could possibly be a strong alternative. Regardless of a scaled-back digicam, the only rear 48-megapixel digicam may take strong 2x zoom photographs, and an 18-megapixel selfie digicam matches what you will discover on the iPhone 17, 17 Professional and 17 Professional Max.

Who should not get it

However, should you do use your telephone loads and have an affinity for pictures, the iPhone Air may not be the only option for you. The shortage of an ultrawide (plus no telephoto) lens would possibly really feel a bit too restrictive, and the battery might not have the ability to sustain together with your extra in depth display time.

Apple took a Taco Bell-like strategy with the $599 iPhone 16E, mixing and matching components and options from prior telephones to create a “new” iPhone. Its design and display are much like the iPhone 14. Its A18 processor is identical because the one within the iPhone 16. In my testing, I discovered that this provides the iPhone 16E a bizarre worth proposition. It is new, nevertheless it’s previous. It is reasonably priced, however not low cost.

For those who’re rocking an iPhone SE, an iPhone 11 or older, the 16E will likely be a pleasant improve in each means, from the digicam to the battery life — though you would possibly miss that ultrawide digicam. I additionally assume that it is a good telephone for individuals utilizing Android telephones who wish to change and dip the proverbial toe into Apple’s waters. I do advocate wanting into provider offers, reductions and trade-ins to drop that value a bit, except you are set on doing an installment plan over a few years. Read our iPhone 16E review.

Why we prefer it

After testing the iPhone 16E, I used to be most shocked by how splendidly uneventful it was to make use of. Together with all the usual iOS 18 features and goodies, like iMessage and FaceTime, I used Apple Intelligence, made calls on 5G, took a bunch of share-worthy photographs and movies and performed video video games like Resident Evil 4. If that is all you need in an iPhone, look no additional.

Who it is best for

For those who’re rocking an iPhone SE, an iPhone 11 or older, the 16E will likely be a pleasant improve in each means, from the digicam to the day plus battery life — although you would possibly miss that ultrawide digicam. I additionally assume that it is a good telephone for individuals utilizing Android telephones who wish to change and dip the proverbial toe into Apple’s waters.

Who should not get it

Selecting between the $829 iPhone 16 and the $599 16E is a troublesome alternative. When you’ve got the price range, I would go along with the common 16. You get a brighter display, MagSafe, and an ultrawide digicam that doubles as a macro lens — nice for taking close-up photographs similar to meals as the principle digicam robotically switches to a cropped model of the ultrawide in an effort to nail focus.

Once we examined the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, we had been undoubtedly impressed by the pictures options, the handy Motion button and the elegant construct. And whereas we expect the iPhone 17 is kind of the deal, you’ll be able to nonetheless snag the iPhone 16 for $100 much less. We contemplate the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus to be top-notch decisions for Apple followers. Components of the iPhone 16’s key function, Apple Intelligence, at the moment are out, and the truth that these telephones will assist it means they’ll probably really feel future-proofed for years to come back. Other than display dimension (6.1 inches on the common, 6.7 inches on the Plus), battery dimension and value, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are equivalent in each means.

The iPhone 16 isn’t good — it’s lacking an always-on show, and it feels prefer it’s been ages since Apple improved its wired charging speeds. Nevertheless it checks all of the vital containers after which some.

Why we prefer it

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus rank so excessive in our testing as a result of they enchantment to novice customers and energy gamers. They provide about 90% of the expertise of Apple’s Professional fashions however price a whole bunch of {dollars} much less. Not solely is the iPhone 16 a beautiful telephone out of the field, however Apple has a protracted monitor file of updating its software program and safety patches for years.

Who it is best for

When you consider how the Digicam Management key, the Motion button and the Dynamic Island come collectively, together with the digicam and battery enhancements Apple has made within the final a number of years, the iPhone 16 is a compelling improve for somebody coming from an older iPhone, particularly in the event that they’re on an iPhone 13 or older. For many who don’t want the Professional’s further pictures prowess and battery life, the iPhone 16 gained’t disappoint.

Who shouldn’t get it

I would not advocate shopping for the iPhone 16 only for the Digicam Management button or the higher ultrawide digicam.