It’s a marketing gift: every year, Apple makes products that always technically exceed their predecessors—in sheer performance at least. So it can claim, “These are our best iPhones ever.” But with the iPhone 17 lineup, I think that claim may be more true than ever before.
Every new iPhone this year is a winner
When you write about Apple for a living, you get used to the company saying every product is “the best ever” in that category. iPhone 17 is better than 16, which was better than 15, and so on.
It’s always technically true. But this year Apple may have not only its “best iPhones ever,” but also the strongest iPhone lineup in every respect.
iPhone 17 includes all the great features of iPhone 16, but adds:
larger 6.3-inch display
ProMotion and always-on features
new Center Stage front camera
Ceramic Shield 2 for durability
A19 chip
higher 256GB base storage
brighter screen outdoors
and huge battery life gains
After years of withholding features like ProMotion and other smaller Pro exclusives, it’s kind of wild how good Apple made the base iPhone 17 this year. And at the same exact $799 price.
On the Pro end, iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max aren’t for everyone. But that’s kind of the point: they’re for people who actually want or need a Pro.
And this year, Apple is leaning hard into giving Pro users what they tend to care about most: cameras and battery life.
I’m personally not a fan of the new look of the Pro models, and wish there was a black option. But I know that a lot of users absolutely love the redesign and new colors—especially Cosmic Orange.
Which leaves one more model: iPhone Air.
After years of buying Pro models, I opted for the iPhone Air this year.
So far, I’ve been very impressed with Apple’s new ultra-thin iPhone.
Battery life and durability are surprisingly better than what most expected. And iPhone Air’s premium design and A19 Pro chip make it feel just as high-quality as a Pro model.
iPhone 17 lineup: wrap-up
In summary, Apple has made four fantastic new iPhone models. And it’s hard to find glaring weaknesses with any of them.
If you don’t care about having the best, but just want a great iPhone, there’s iPhone 17.
For the most possible battery life and camera features, go iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max.
And if you want an iPhone that feels like it’s from the future, and don’t mind losing some cameras, iPhone Air is the right choice.
I’ve been following Apple a long time, and ever since Apple started launching several new iPhone models each year, I can’t remember there ever being such a strong lineup.
Every new model is a winner, you just need to decide what you’re looking for.
Do you think Apple has made a better iPhone lineup before? If so, when was that? Let us know in the comments.
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