iPhone
by Apple ·Cupertino, United States
- Page last updated
- 15 August 2026
About iPhone
iPhone is the phone line the rest of Apple is built around, and it now splits five ways rather than the old good, better, best. Apple's own comparison page lists iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max on the A19 Pro chip with titanium frames, iPhone Air on the same A19 Pro chip in a titanium frame, and iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e on the A19 with aluminium frames. All five carry Super Retina XDR OLED screens and all run the same software. What separates them is cameras, battery and how thin you want the thing in your pocket to be.
What each model brings, in Apple's own numbers
The camera counts tell most of the story. Apple lists a 48MP Pro Fusion system with main, ultra wide and telephoto on both Pro models; a 48MP Fusion system with main and ultra wide on iPhone Air; a 48MP Dual Fusion system on iPhone 17; and a 48MP Fusion system with a main sensor on iPhone 17e. Battery claims follow the size of the body rather than the price: up to 39 hours of video on the Pro Max, 33 on the Pro, 30 on iPhone 17, 27 on iPhone Air and 26 on iPhone 17e. Screens run 6.9 inches on the Pro Max, 6.5 on the Air, 6.3 on the Pro and iPhone 17, and 6.1 on the 17e.
The iPhone Air trade, stated plainly
This is the model people get wrong. TechRadar measured it at 5.64mm and 165g against 206g for the Pro, and calls the decision between them a choice between head and heart. The costs of that thinness are real. One rear camera instead of three, video capped at 4K 60fps rather than 120, a smaller battery that TechRadar clocked at over 12 hours against roughly 15 for the Pro, 20W charging rather than 40W, and no vapour chamber, which it says shows up as heat during long FaceTime calls. Trusted Reviews reaches the same conclusion from the other direction: the Air needs an evening top-up on heavy days where the Pro finishes with charge to spare. Worth noting that TechRadar still found the single camera fine in most situations.
Choosing between Pro and Pro Max
The two Pro models share a chip, a camera system and a frame material. What differs is size and endurance: the Max is a 6.9 inch phone with up to 39 hours of video playback against 6.3 inches and 33 hours. So the question is not which is better, it is whether you want a large phone. If you already find current phones awkward one-handed, the Max will not stop being awkward because the battery is good. If you watch a lot of video, travel often or want the longest gap between charges in the range, it is the obvious pick.
Where the cheaper models make sense
iPhone 17 is the sensible default for most buyers: the same screen size as the Pro, a strong battery claim at up to 30 hours, and two cameras rather than three. What you lose is the telephoto lens and the Pro video tools, which matters if you shoot distant subjects or work with footage and does not matter at all otherwise. iPhone 17e is the entry point, at 6.1 inches with a single rear camera and the smallest battery claim in the range. For somebody who wants an iPhone that runs current software and takes good photographs in ordinary light, it does that job without an argument.
Who should buy something else
Anyone who wants deep control over the operating system, sideloaded apps or a headphone jack is better served by Android, and the same is true for buyers who want the most hardware for the least money at the low end. Photographers who want a long optical reach should compare against Android flagships with longer telephoto lenses before assuming the Pro wins. And anyone considering iPhone Air primarily for the camera should not: on Apple's own figures, every other model in the range except the 17e has more of one.
Products (5)
iPhone (standard model)
No reviews yetiPhone Air
No reviews yetiPhone Pro
No reviews yetiPhone Pro Max
No reviews yetiPhone e
No reviews yetReviews
No reviews for this brand yet.
