Best iPhone in 2026 ranked from best to worst

1. iPhone 18 Pro Max

Want the best iPhone around? That’s the 18 Pro Max. It offers blistering performance, a gorgeous display and oodles of battery life, although does whiff of ‘more of the same, but a bit better’ when compared to last year’s model.

Still, iteration isn’t bad when a phone is this good. It feels solid and the lovely Glacier (blue) option somewhat makes up for Apple binning Cosmic Orange. The phone’s dimensions, note, are basically unchanged, which will come as a relief to any annual upgrader with stacks of form-fitting accessories.

Apple says the A20 Pro chip has about 20% more grunt than the A19 Pro, which was already plenty fast. So the 18 Pro Max copes with any task you throw at it, while fancy new thermals do a good job of stopping the phone becoming a slab of lava, even if it can get a bit toasty under sustained loads (AAA games; video editing). Battery life is great too: a couple of typical days per charge, and 50% recharge in 15 minutes with a 60W charger.

The 6.9in display remains impressive. A smaller Dynamic Island can now show three reminders rather than two, although Apple placing Face ID hardware under the display has resulted in a hint of fuzz in that (admittedly small) area. Another niggle: iOS 27 fails to let you best use this iPhone’s screen acres, with few Duo-inspired layouts in landscape. Nor is there optimal external display support to further take advantage of the device’s raw power.

There’s positive news with the main camera, though, which adds a variable aperture. This lets in more or less light as circumstances demand – automatically by default, but you can manually choose from four stops in the Camera app. This is especially handy in low light. Other software upgrade niceties include focus tracking and new film-like Photographic Styles, the latter of which are inexplicably limited to A20 Pro devices.

If you’re after the ultimate iPhone, this is the best you can buy. Although before throwing a huge wodge of cash at Apple, confirm whether you’ll be OK with this device’s size and bulk. If not, go for the 18 Pro instead.

• Read more: iPhone 18 Pro Max review

2. iPhone 18 Pro

You should read the iPhone 18 Pro Max entry before this one, because the Pro is the Max’s mini-me. Although that’s not to say it’s especially mini – you still get a 6.3in display and all the power packed into Apple’s biggest phone. But with the Pro’s smaller dimensions, there are trade-offs – some good and some less so.

This phone isn’t small and nor is it especially light, weighing in at 211g (7.44oz). But it’s not meaningfully chunkier than any other device in Apple’s lineup, and hasn’t gained quite so many grams over its predecessor as the Pro Max. That means the 18 Pro is noticeably kinder on the pocket and hand alike than the 18 Pro Max. It’s kinder on the wallet too, coming in at $100/£100 less than its larger sibling.

Obviously, the display is also smaller, although you might not consider that a major compromise. The Pro Max is better for gaming and watching video, although not quite so obviously so when displaying other content. Yes, you’ll get a few extra lines of text when reading and apps will be a touch less fiddly if you’re blessed with sausage fingers. But Apple’s reluctance to afford the Pro Max more flexibility in terms of app layouts ensures the Pro doesn’t lag behind in terms of what the display can actually do – and how the phone operates when connected to an external display. (That is, equally badly.)

The other thing that’s smaller is the battery – and that is something you will notice. It’ll easily get through a day but may struggle with two unless your demands are light. Apple’s own stats reckon 34 hours of constant video playback (vs 43 for the Pro Max), meaning you could only watch Zack Snyder’s Justice League eight rather than ten times in a row before messaging someone for a much-needed intervention.

As ever then, your choice comes down to which compromises you’re willing to make. Get the 18 Pro if you don’t fancy the extra heft and price of the Pro Max. Although if you’re not too fussed about fancy cameras, it’s also worth considering the next entry on this list.

3. Apple iPhone 17

The iPhone 17 is Apple’s best all-rounder yet – and probably the iPhone most people should buy right now. This is the closest that the standard iPhone ever got to the Pro, yet it still lacks the eye-watering price tag of Apple’s flagship – and quite a bit of its bulk.

The design is unexciting but robust and premium. Ceramic Shield 2 improves scratch resistance. The bigger win, though, is the display, which finally gave the standard iPhone a 120Hz OLED panel. It’s essentially the same one that’s in the Pro, meaning silky smooth scrolling and an always-on 1Hz mode with StandBy support.

The dual 48MP camera system impresses in most conditions. Macro shots are sharper than on the iPhone 16, while standard 1x snaps are rich and detailed. The lack of a telephoto lens remains the biggest gap versus the Pro models, though. Digital zoom quickly loses quality beyond 2x.

Performance can’t match the 18 Pro either, but it’s close enough. The odd high-end game will stutter and the phone can get a bit toasty under sustained load. But this is still a highly capable device, from more casual gaming through to surprisingly high-end creative tasks like music production. The battery impresses too, typically lasting a full day of mixed use.

Unless you need a telephoto lens or ultra-thin bragging rights, we’d say the iPhone 17 nails the essentials. It’s powerful, practical and a sensible choice.

• Read more: iPhone 17 review

4. iPhone 17e

The iPhone 17e might not be Apple’s cheapest phone ever, but it strikes a smart balance between price and performance. At $200/£200 less than the standard iPhone 17, there are obviously some compromises – which we’ll get to in a bit. But let’s first look at the good stuff.

The design’s not cutting edge, but it’s still a clear step on from 2022’s 3rd-gen iPhone SE, ditching the Home button and chunky bezels for good. There’s a notch rather than Dynamic Island – from the front, this is basically still an iPhone 14. But the flat edges, compact 169g build and tougher Ceramic Shield 2 coating (Apple reckons it’s 3x more scratch-resistant than before) make it a joy to handle. There’s a new soft pink finish too, although black and white remain your only other choices.

From a performance standpoint, it’s no slouch either, with the A19 chip and C1X modem keeping it competitive with the entire iPhone range. Storage has been doubled as standard, so 256GB is now the entry point. Best of all, the 17e finally gets MagSafe, complete with Qi2 support and 15W wireless charging – double what the 16e managed. Where it still falls short is the 60Hz display, which feels increasingly stingy as the rest of Apple’s range moves on.

The other main difference compared to the 17 is the camera setup. The 17 has a fancy new selfie camera and a 48MP ultrawide. The 17e lacks both, leaning on a software crop of its single 48MP main sensor for a so-so 2x zoom, and there’s still no Camera Control button. That main snapper isn’t quite as capable as the 17’s, but it’s still fairly impressive, including against similarly priced Android rivals.

Where the 16e felt like a notable compromise next to the 17, the 17e closes much of that gap – MagSafe and the storage bump see to that. The display and single-lens camera are now the clearest giveaways that you’re not holding a standard 17. That said, there’s still no new iPhone cheaper than this, and if you can’t stretch to the extra $200/£200, the 17e is a solid buy.

• Read more: iPhone 17e review

5. iPhone Air

The iPhone Air was Apple’s first new iPhone design since the Plus. Until the Duo loomed into view, it was arguably the most radical departure in the line since the introduction of the iPhone X. We still love its looks – but we don’t think this iPhone is for everyone.

Side-on, it’s 5.6mm thin and yet the build feels reassuringly solid. It looks great. And at just 165g, it won’t drag down your pockets. Around front, you also get a 120Hz 6.5in OLED display that’s only bettered by the screen on the Pro Max. Performance is great too, thanks to the A19 Pro chip with specs still close enough to what’s in the Pros. However, the thin design means this phone can run hot – and not necessarily when it’s being pushed.

There are other downsides too. The battery just about lasted a full day during testing. It’s OK rather than great. The same could be said for the single 48MP camera, which delivers crisp daytime shots, but lacks the ultra wide from the other iPhone 17s and the telephoto from the Pro. Even audio takes a hit, with a single-speaker setup that we haven’t seen in an iPhone since 2016’s budget iPhone SE.

If you value portability and style above all else, the iPhone Air is a visually arresting, pocket-friendly slice of Apple hardware. But if photography, battery life or versatility matter more, the iPhone 17 remains the smarter buy.

• Read more: iPhone Air review

6. iPhone 14

You might pause at the thought of handing a brand-new iPhone 17 to a child – or even the cheaper 17e – given that there’s a good chance it’ll get dropped, cracked or left on a bus. That leaves you looking for second-hand fare or refurb units. Right now, we reckon the iPhone 14 is the best option.

It still looks quite modern. Around front, it’s identical to the 17e but comes in a more interesting range of colours. It also has other advantages over the newer phone, such as an ultra wide camera and MagSafe charging. Where it lags is in having an inferior (but still reasonable) 12MP front camera, the old Lightning connector rather than USB-C and a slower A15 chip. The last of those things means no Apple Intelligence (although you might see that as a benefit) and two to three years less software support. But then if you’re buying a cheap iPhone for a kid, you’re probably not thinking very long term anyway.

On refurb, you can expect the iPhone 14 to start at at least $200/£200 less than the 17. Alternatively, if your kid’s big into photography, consider an iPhone 14 Pro, with its 48MP front camera and 12MP 3x telephoto lens. It also has a newer, faster chip and Dynamic Island, although it’s still lumbered with Lightning.

Both 14s, note, have emergency satellite communication, which lets someone contact help when out of mobile range. That’s not something most people will need every day, but it’s reassuring to have if your kid likes hiking, camping or just tends to wander off with no signal.

• Read more: Apple iPhone 14 review