Top 10: the best iPhones you can buy today (Sept 2026)

The best iPhone as of September 2026 is the iPhone 18 Pro Max ($1,299), but the one most people should buy is still the iPhone 17 ($899). The September 9 event shook up this ranking more than usual: Apple launched the 18 Pro, stopped selling the 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max and 16 Plus, and raised the price of every iPhone it kept by $100 (17, Air, 17e and 16). This ranking orders the 10 iPhones you can get today, new or renewed, with data from Apple, GSMArena, DXOMARK and MacRumors.

The ranking at a glance

The 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, 16 Pro and 15 Pro Max are no longer sold new by Apple: you’ll find them renewed or as leftover retail stock, with prices that change every week.

What the chart shows: after the price hike, the iPhone Air ($1,099) sits just $100 below the 18 Pro. And a renewed 17 Pro costs about $85 less than a new iPhone 17.

Is it worth upgrading from the iPhone you already have?

Before the ranking, the question that actually matters on iOS. The verdict has two options: upgrade, or wait another year.

The row almost nobody writes is the last one: if you have a 17 Pro, the 18 Pro doesn’t give you enough to justify $1,199.

1. iPhone 18 Pro Max — the best iPhone, and the longest-lasting

The first iPhone with a 2 nm chip (A20 Pro). Apple says its CPU is up to 20% faster and its GPU up to 40% faster than the A19 Pro. The 48 MP main camera debuts a variable aperture, and the telephoto moves to 48 MP at 4x.

• Battery: the best of any iPhone. GSMArena gives it 19:20 h in its active use test, versus 17:58 h for the 17 Pro Max.
• Camera: DXOMARK scores it 172, second in the world, with the top video and low-light scores in its ranking. Zoom is its weak spot.
• Display: 6.9” ProMotion at 120 Hz.
• What you give up: $1,299 at launch, $100 more than the 17 Pro Max.

2. iPhone 18 Pro — the same, in 6.3”

Same chip, same cameras and Apple’s new C2 modem, in a size that fits your hand. GSMArena measures 16:43 h of active use, about two and a half hours less than the Max. It costs $1,199, $100 more than the 17 Pro did at launch.

3. iPhone 17 — the one most people should buy

Still the best balance in the lineup: a 120 Hz display, the A19 chip, dual 48 MP cameras and all-day battery. The price hike puts it at $899, and it’s still $300 less than an 18 Pro that, for normal use, doesn’t feel $300 better.

4. iPhone 17 Pro — Pro without launch pricing

Apple stopped selling it on September 9, and renewed units on Amazon run around $814. That makes it the best Pro buy right now: A19 Pro with a vapor chamber, 5x telephoto and ProMotion, for less than a new iPhone 17. The catch: renewed means checking battery health and the warranty before you pay.

5. iPhone 17e — the way into the ecosystem

The cheapest new iPhone, with a current chip and years of iOS ahead. A single 48 MP camera and a simpler design. After the hike it costs $699, so it no longer has the price edge it had in July.

6. iPhone Air — the object of desire

About 5.6 mm thick with an A19 Pro chip. You buy it for the design and accept what that costs: a tighter battery and no telephoto. At $1,099 (up $100) it’s $100 short of the 18 Pro, which beats it at everything except thinness. Only if design is what you care about.

7. iPhone 17 Pro Max — the clearance pick

Discontinued along with the 17 Pro. Retailers are clearing stock with discounts that change weekly. Simple rule: if it isn’t at least $200 below the 18 Pro Max’s $1,299, buy the 18 Pro Max, which lasts almost an hour and a half longer in GSMArena’s test.

8. iPhone 16 — still at Apple, but pricier

Apple still sells it, but the hike put it at $799, $100 more than the 17e. Against the 17e it adds a second camera (ultrawide), but its chip is a generation older. Its old weakness is still there: a 60 Hz display. It only makes sense if you find it discounted below the 17e.

9. iPhone 16 Pro — 5x telephoto under $800

Apple Certified Refurbished runs about $759, with a full warranty. A18 Pro, ProMotion, titanium and 5x telephoto. It’s the fallback if renewed 17 Pros sell out, but without the vapor chamber it heats up sooner in long gaming sessions.

10. iPhone 15 Pro Max — the cheapest Pro Max

Renewed on Amazon it runs about $630 (256 GB): less than half its launch price, with a 6.7” display, 5x telephoto, USB-C and Apple Intelligence. It’s three years old now, so battery health is the first thing to check. We cover it in depth in the iPhone 15 Pro Max in 2026 guide.

What dropped off the list (and why)

• iPhone 16 Pro Max, 16e and 15: at today’s prices they don’t beat the renewed models above.
• iPhone Duo, Apple’s first foldable: $1,999, pre-orders October 16 and on sale October 23. It’ll be considered once you can buy it.
• Base iPhone 18: it wasn’t announced in September. MacRumors expects it in spring 2027.

Mistakes to avoid when buying an iPhone now

• Paying list price for the 17 Pro Max. It’s discontinued: without a real discount, the 18 Pro Max is the better buy.
• Buying renewed without checking the battery. Apple recommends replacing it once health drops below 80%; ask for the percentage first.
• Picking the Air for comfort. It’s light, but it has the tightest battery on this list.

Quick verdict

• The best, price no object: iPhone 18 Pro Max.
• For most people: iPhone 17.
• Pro at a discount: a renewed iPhone 17 Pro.
• Tight budget: iPhone 17e, or a renewed 15 Pro Max if you want a big screen.
• Have a 17 Pro? Don’t upgrade this year.

Torn between ecosystems? Compare with the Top 10 Android phones, read the 18 Pro vs 17 Pro comparison or the which iPhone to buy guide.

Sources: Apple Newsroom (iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo, Sep 9, 2026), MacRumors (discontinued models, price hike and iPhone 18 schedule), 9to5Mac, Tom’s Guide, GSMArena (18 Pro and 18 Pro Max battery tests), DXOMARK (18 Pro camera) and 9to5Toys (renewed deals on Amazon).

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