The iPhone 17 was only introduced a few months ago, but rumors are already circulating about next year's iPhones. From a possible folding model to a brand new iPhone 18 lineup, 2026 (and beyond) looks to be very interesting for the tech giant's mobile division.
The iPhone 18 is rumored to have several changes from its predecessor. It's said to have variable aperture cameras, an under-display front-facing camera for Face ID, a smaller Dynamic Island, an updated A20 chip and new, interesting colors, including a "coffee" brown. Latest rumors suggest that the front-facing camera will be relocated to the top left corner of the screen, and the Camera Control button will be simplified to a pressure-sensing function.
There are a few reasons why you might want to wait for the iPhone 18, but the biggest reason you shouldn't is that, well, it doesn't exist. Apple hasn't officially announced the iPhone 18. And rumors says the iPhone 18 won't come out in September 2026 (to make room for the rumored iPhone Fold) and instead might be released in early 2027.
Personally, I don't think you should wait over a year for a new phone, especially if you're considering an upgrade from an iPhone 14 or earlier model. Here are a few reasons why.
The iPhone 17 is great (and so is the 17 Pro)
The iPhone 17 is one of our favorite phones of 2025 and even earned a CNET Editor's Choice award. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET
If you're looking to upgrade your phone, there's a shiny new iPhone available in stores right now, and it's a pretty good one. The iPhone 17 is a fantastic handset for iPhone devotees, especially for a base model.
Not only does the iPhone 17 offer a slightly larger 6.3-inch display (compared to the iPhone 16's 6.1-inch screen), but it also features a variable refresh rate of 1 to 120Hz, a first among non-Pro iPhones. This lets you enable an always-on display so you can glance at the time or the current sports scores without having to wake your phone. And, of course, the 120Hz ProMotion display also means increased smoothness and responsiveness overall, whether scrolling through social feeds or playing video games.
Sure, the iPhone 18 might get improved cameras, but the ones on the iPhone 17 aren't too shabby. It has two 48-megapixel cameras on the back (a wide-angle and an ultrawide), with the ultrawide being a massive upgrade over the one on the iPhone 16 that only had a 12-megapixel sensor. The 18-megapixel selfie camera (which is on the rest of the iPhone 17 line and the Air) is also a great upgrade, especially with its Center Stage function that can zoom out if more people enter the shot or switch from portrait to landscape without you rotating the phone.
On top of that, the iPhone 17 has a sturdy aluminum frame, comes in an array of lovely colors (lavender is my favorite) and has an impressive battery life. In my experience, it lasts more than a day with moderate use, and this seems to align with CNET's Abrar Al-Heeti's experience as well.
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