With a little over a month to go until the anticipated launch of the iPhone 17, the rumor mill is buzzing with suggested updates and upgrades for this year's line of flagship Apple phones. However, I have to say, I'm a little underwhelmed at the time of writing. It looks ike this might be what some iPhone fans call a 'skip year.'
Admittedly, we still haven't heard anything official from Apple regarding the iPhone 17 series in terms of hardware, so much of this article is based on speculation and supposed leaks. That said, there's enough speculation to go off surrounding the next two years of Apple product launches, so we can start thinking about what our guide to the best iPhones might look like in the near future.
1. A lack of innovation
When it comes to Apple sources, they don't get much more reliable than GF Securities analyst Jeff Pu, and he's already put a bit of a dampener on this year's iPhone lineup. According to Pu, we can expect "limited innovation" from the iPhone 17 series, which isn't exactly what you want to hear when you're thinking of picking up a new phone that is likely to set you back at least $800.
Having covered the last few months of iPhone 17 leaks, it seems that Pu could be onto something, as I've not heard much to get me excited about the new phones. Yes, we are expecting a new slim-line iPhone 17 Air model to replace the iPhone Plus, but that's a little less impressive now that we've already got the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge and a few other ultra-thin devices. There might also be a bit of a performance upgrade courtesy of Apple's latest silicon advances, but that's almost always true of new iPhones, and it's getting harder and harder to tell just how much better performance is when we're still sorely lacking in triple-A games on the App Store.
2. New chip technology
We touched on Apple's famous chip technology in the last point, but 2026 could be a game-changer of a year for the brand's processor hardware. Multiple reports have suggested that Apple is changing from a 3nm to a 2nm manufacturing process for the iPhone 18's A20 chip. There are a bunch of technical reasons as to why that's a big deal, but in simple terms, it should equate to a noticeable boost to both performance and power efficiency.
While we'll always take a performance boost, increased efficiency is an even more exciting prospect, as Apple is slightly lagging behind some of the best Android phones when it comes to battery power. If a 2nm chip can provide the iPhone 18 series with improved battery life, it could well be worth waiting for.
3. Foldable form factor
Yes, it looks like the iPhone Fold is finally arriving in 2026. We've been hearing rumors about an Apple equivalent to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series for years now, but thus far, nothing has arrived. According to the latest rumors from some pretty reliable sources, that's all set to change with the iPhone 18 series.
It sounds like the iPhone Fold could be a great option for fans of the best iPhone games and Apple Arcade games, with some reports suggesting a 7.8-inch internal display and some super-powered Apple silicon providing elite performance. The only downside is that we're expecting the iPhone Fold to cost upwards of $2,000, which is more than double the price of the cheapest iPhone 16. Still, I guess that's what long-term contracts are for.
There you have it, three reasons to skip this year's iPhone 17 series and hold out for 2026's flagship lineup. If you're looking for something else to spend your money on, be sure to check out our guides to the best gaming tablets and the best handheld consoles while you're here. Or, if you've picked up a new Nintendo Switch 2 and want to find out what you've got to look forward to, see our list of all the upcoming Switch games.