Which iPhone Should You Buy in 2026? Every Model Explained

From the $699 iPhone 17e to the $1,999 iPhone Duo. Current prices after Apple's September increases, and the right iPhone for each kind of person.

Apple's iPhone lineup has never been bigger, or more confusing. And in September, Apple quietly raised prices on its older models by $100.

Here's the whole lineup with current US prices, and a straight answer on which one to buy.

The lineup and prices

Model	Starting price	Screen	Best for
iPhone 17e	$699	6.1 in	Best value
iPhone 17	$899	6.3 in	Most people
iPhone Air	$1,099	6.5 in	Thin and light lovers
iPhone 18 Pro	$1,199	6.3 in	Best camera, compact
iPhone 18 Pro Max	$1,299	6.9 in	Best battery, biggest screen
iPhone Duo	$1,999	7.6 in folding	Foldable fans

All of these start with 256GB of storage. Apple hasn't released a standard iPhone 18 yet, so the iPhone 17 is still the regular model.

iPhone 17e: the value pick

$699 for a modern iPhone with the A19 chip, 256GB of storage and years of software updates. It has a single main camera and a simpler design, but it does everything most people need.

Buy it if: you want an iPhone and don't care about extra cameras.

iPhone 17: the one most people should buy

At $899 it's not cheap anymore, but it's the sweet spot: a 6.3-inch ProMotion display, a good dual camera system, all-day battery and the A19 chip. It supports iOS 27 and many of the new Siri features.

Buy it if: you want a great iPhone without paying Pro prices.

iPhone Air: thin and light

The Air is remarkably thin and light, with the A19 Pro chip and a 6.5-inch screen. The trade-offs are a single rear camera and shorter battery life than the bigger models. After the price increase, it's only $100 cheaper than the 18 Pro, which makes it a harder sell.

Buy it if: thinness and weight genuinely matter more to you than cameras and battery.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: the best iPhones

The new Pro models get the A20 Pro chip, a variable-aperture main camera, a 4x and 8x telephoto system, Apple's own C2 modem and the best battery life of any iPhone (up to 45 hours of video on the Pro Max). Full details in iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 17 Pro.

Buy the Pro if: you want the best camera in a pocketable size. Buy the Pro Max if: you want the biggest screen and the longest battery life.

iPhone Duo: the foldable

Apple's first foldable opens from a 5.4-inch phone into a 7.6-inch mini tablet. It's brilliant for reading and multitasking, and expensive at $1,999. Read the iPhone Duo, explained.

Buy it if: you want a phone and a small tablet in one, and the price doesn't sting.

Quick decision guide

Tight budget: iPhone 17e, or a refurbished iPhone 16 or 17.
Most people: iPhone 17.
Photographers and parents filming everything: iPhone 18 Pro.
Battery anxiety: iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Big screen without a big phone: iPhone Duo.

Ways to pay less

Apple Certified Refurbished phones come with a new battery, a new shell and a full one-year warranty.
Carrier deals can cut the price a lot, but check how long you're locked in.
Trade in your old phone. Compare Apple's offer with carriers and resale sites.
Last year's model is often the best value. The iPhone 17 Pro, if you can still find one, is excellent.

Thinking about Android instead? See the best Android phones of 2026. Switching to iPhone from Android? Here's how to switch without losing anything.