After months of anticipation, Apple has finally released the iPhone 17 series. With the introduction of the new iPhone Air model, promising performance boosts, powerful cameras, and more, it's one of the most exciting iPhone flagship lineups in recent years. In this guide, we've got everything you need to know to decide which of the fresh handsets might be the one for you.
The dawn of a new series of Apple devices means changes to our guide to the best iPhones, with a new top entry in the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Still, if you're struggling to decide whether it's worth upgrading from your current iPhone, the details below should give you a better idea of whether it's worth making the leap.
When is the iPhone 17 release date?
The iPhone 17 series, including the iPhone Air, launched on September 19, 2025. That means all four phones are now available from various retailers and network providers, including Best Buy, Verizon, AT&T, and others.
iPhone 17 specs
Following the big reveal of the iPhone 17 series, we've finally got all the key specs details surrounding the new handsets. You can check out the iPhone 17 specs below:
| iPhone 17 | iPhone Air | iPhone 17 Pro | iPhone 17 Pro Max | |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB | 12GB | 12GB |
| Processor | A19 | A19 Pro | A19 Pro | A19 Pro |
| Battery | 3,692 mAh | 3,149 mAh | 3,988 mAh (nano sim) / 4,252 mAh (esim) | 4,832 mAh (nano sim) / 5,088 mAh (esim) |
| Display | 6.3-inch ProMotion 120Hz OLED (1,206 x 2,622 pixels) | 6.5-inch ProMotion 120Hz OLED (1,260 x 2,736 pixels) | 6.3-inch ProMotion 120Hz OLED ( 1,206 x 2,622 pixels) | 6.9-inch ProMotion OLED (1,320 x 2,868 pixels) |
| Back cameras | 48MP wide and 48MP ultrawide | 48MP wide | 48MP wide, 48MP periscope telephoto, and 48MP ultrawide | 48MP wide, 48MP periscope telephoto, and 48MP ultrawide |
| Selfie camera | 18MP | 18MP | 18MP | 18MP |
| Size | 149.6 x 71.5 x 8mm | 156.2 x 74.7 x 5.6mm | 150 x 71.9 x 8.8mm | 163.4 x 78 x 8.8mm |
| Weight | 177g | 165g | 204g | 231g |
As you can probably guess from the name, the iPhone Air is a more lightweight model, with a strikingly thin design. The big changes from last year in terms of specs include the much-needed upgrade to a 120Hz ProMotion display for the base model, slightly improved selfie cameras across the board, and the option of a monster 2TB version of the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Both the A19 chip and the A19 Pro chip inside the new iPhone models should provide even better performance than last year's A18 and A19 chips. Apple claims the A19 processor offers 20% quicker GPU speeds compared to the iPhone 16's A18, but we're not quite sure if that's enough of a boost to make it worth the upgrade. We'll have to test it ourselves to find out.
iPhone 17 price
During the Apple event on September 9, we finally found out the iPhone 17's price point. You can check out how much each version of the new phone costs below:
- iPhone 17 - starting from $799
- iPhone Air - starting from $999
- iPhone 17 Pro - starting from $1,099
- iPhone 17 Pro Max - starting from $1,199
It's worth noting that all these starting prices apply to the 256GB model of each iPhone, so if you need more storage, you're going to have to pay a bit more.
iPhone 17 colors
In terms of colorways, there's plenty of choice when it comes to all four new iPhone 17 models. We've listed the options below:
- iPhone 17 - lavender, sage, mist blue, white, and black
- iPhone Air - space black, cloud white, light gold, and sky blue
- iPhone 17 Pro - deep blue, cosmic orange, and silver
- iPhone 17 Pro Max - deep blue, cosmic orange, and silver
It's notable that there's no plain black option for this year's premium iPhones, the 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. Still, the cosmic orange option is a nice and vibrant alternative to the slightly plain deep blue and silver options. In terms of the base model, white and black are a mainstay, but the new lavender, sage, and mist blue options all look lovely.
iPhone 17 OS
Each new series of iPhone usually arrives alongside an operating system update, but this year marks the biggest change from Apple in years. As revealed at WWDC earlier in 2025, we're going straight from iOS 18 to iOS 26 while also getting a shake-up to the Apple design language. iOS 26 and the new Apple Games app are now available to check out, and you can download the latest software onto older iPhones from the settings menu.
That's everything you need to know about the new iPhone 17. To check out Apple's competition, see our guides to the best Android phones and the best mid-range phones while you're here, with options to suit all needs and budgets. Or, if you're looking for a new console to go with your iPhone 17, check out our list of the best handheld consoles.