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Orchard Lab
Buying guide

Which iPhone should you buy?

Our current recommendations, from the best value to the best camera, and the models we would skip.

Which iPhone should you buy?

Apple sells more iPhones than ever, and the differences between them are smaller than the price gaps suggest. Here is how we would choose today.

Best for most people: iPhone 17

A 120Hz display, 256GB of storage and a great selfie camera make the iPhone 17 the easiest recommendation in years.

Best camera: iPhone 17 Pro

If you take a lot of photos of people, pets or sports, the 4x telephoto on the 17 Pro is worth the extra money. Choose the Pro Max only if you want the biggest screen and battery.

Most enjoyable to hold: iPhone Air

The Air is a joy in the hand. Accept one camera and average battery life, and you will love it.

Best value: iPhone 16e

Excellent battery life and a fast chip for much less. Skip it only if you rely on MagSafe accessories.

What to avoid

Older Pro models at nearly full price, and anything with less than 128GB of storage. Photos and apps fill phones faster than people expect.

Devices in this article

PS
Priya Shah · iPhone & Watch editor

Priya covers iPhone and Apple Watch. She runs four times a week and tests every watch on the same 10 km loop.

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