iPhone
iPhone
| Budget | Value | Chic | Flagship | Foldable | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone | iPhone 17e | iPhone 17 | iPhone Air | iPhone 18 Pro / iPhone 18 Pro Max | iPhone Duo |
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Features | A18 chip, FaceID, 6.1" Super Retina Display, MagSafe, Ceramic Shield 2 | A19 chip, FaceID, 6.3" Super Retina XDR Display, Dynamic Island, 2 lens camera system, Camera Control, Ceramic Shield 2 front, Center Stage Front Camera, | A19 Pro chip, FaceID, 6.5" Super Retina XDR Display, Dynamic Island, 1 len camera system, Camera Control, Ceramic Shield 2 front, Ceramic Shield back, Center Stage Front Camera 5.6mm thickness eSim only. | A20 Pro chip, FAceID, 6.3"/6.9" Super Retina XDR Display, smaller Dynamic Island, Updated main lense with variable aperture, Up to 23/29 hours of typical use | A20 Pro chip, TouchID, 5.4" Super Retina XDR display; 7.6" Super Retina XDR inner display. Apple Pencil support, IP68 dust/water resistance, 48MP Dual Fusion System; 12MP Center Stage camera for outer, under-display FaceTime camera in the inner screen. Up to 24 hour typical battery use; |
| Launched | March 2026 | September 2025 | September 2026 | ||
| Launch Price | From $599 | iPhone 17 - $799 | iPhone Air - $999 | iPhone 18 Pro - $1099 / iPhone 18 Pro Max - $1199 | iPhone Duo - $1999 |
| Best Feature | The cheapest way to get a brand new iPhone | All around value. You get a lot for a smartphone and you don't really care about the pro features. | A very chic iPhone. Though for the thinness, some sacrifices has to be made, like a single lens camera system. But overall, design-wise, very nice to see and hold. | Pro features are really pro. ProRAW for photos, Log for videos, Spatial video recording, 5x zoom, 4K120. Those features are worth the price of admission. | First Apple foldable. 1:1.4 aspect ratio all around. |
| Verdict | The iPhone SE is a no-brainer for value. This one is a bit tougher since at this level, an extra $200 is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. It could be Apple's strategy of putting the iPhone 16 on a higher pedestal and eventually set the floor for "cheap" iPhone. | With trade-ins from Apple and cellular carrier, you probably could own these for next to nothing. The iPhone is now a mature product that upgrading is more like a every 2-3 years affair. | This is Apple's third attempt to make a third category of iPhones. Will the Air catch on? Time will tell. | Apple is going all in on tech on the pro-models. | Apple's most stylish phone. A reason to tell people that you can afford a $2,000 phone |
| Next Expected Update | March 2027 | October 2027 | September 2027 | ||
The iPhone is Apple’s best selling product. It is a smartphone which literally help changed the world together with the Android platform. First introduced in 2007, the iPhone has grown from just a internet communicator, a phone and an iPod. Current iPhone line features a triple camera system in the rear, the front camera, retina display with HDR capabilities, Dolby Atmos sound, wireless charging and 5G.
Every September, Apple would update the iPhone line up. Since 2026, the line up has expended significantly that not all iPhone updates on September.
iPhone Duo
iPhone Duo is Apple’s first foldable iPhone. Although foldable phones has been out for quite a while now, in typical Apple fashion, Apple always has something new to say no matter how late Apple comes to the party and the iPhone Duo is no different. Here’s some of the highlights
- Brand new form factor: passport size foldable that has a 1:1.4 aspect ratio, which follow closely as IMAX’s aspect ratio
- 5.4" outer display that is around 90% the size of the iPhone 18 Pro display. The inner display is 7.9": the biggest display for an iPhone and closer to an iPad Mini. The inner display has textured glass to reduce the crease and improve tactile feel.
- iOS that is updated for the iPhone Duo. The dock is permanently put on the right side for easy access. You can now open two iOS apps at the same time, side-by-side.
- The frame is titanium and sandwich by shatter and scratch resistant glass. There are over 100 components for the hinge alone. And the phone is IP68 dust and water tight. You can put the phone in a swimming pool and it will come out fine.
iPhone 17
The iPhone is Apple’s amazing handheld computer that can do almost everything, but the Apple’s focus on iPhone are 3 things: taking great pictures, play games and be a part of Apple’s growing ecosystem. Here are some of the features of the iPhone 17
- New Center Stage front-facing camera. The image sensor on the front of the phone is larger and now a square. So instead of rotating around to have a landscape view, you can press the presets to change your aspect ratio from portrait, to square, and to landscape. And it has the Center Stage feature in Macs where it will focus and zoom in to your face, even when you move around
- New A19 chip. The GPU now has “Neural accelerators” so you can play games better on your iPhone.
- 48MP sensor on both image sensors nwo.
- A19 chip optimized for Apple Intelligence and gaming
- bigger battery than previous generation. A19 is more efficient also helps in this regard.
iPhone Air
The iPhone Air is a brand new model introduced by Apple. The body is made from titanium and it is a Ceramic Shield sandwich. The camera bump has been enlarged to be the camera plateau where all of the logic board, sensor and camera are situated so the rest of the body can house the battery in a 5.6mm thin profile.
- Chic design. This iPhone is more for the one who wants to make a fashion statement, not looking for a basic item or a tool.
- A19 Pro chip, just like in the iPhone 17 Pro although one of the GPU core is turned off because of heat.
- Single lens camera system, still good enough for most shots to be honest.
- Functionally, it has all the features from the iPhone 17 while running the chip from the iPhone 17 Pro.
- New Apple designed N1 chip for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, updated C1X chip for the 5g modem.
iPhone 18 Pro
The iPhone 18 Pro (Max) is the ultimate handheld tool. Good enough for serious film makers to create a blockbuster movie like “28 years later”. Durable enough that it can survive hurricanes and a dip into the pool. But most people will use it to take pictures for Instagram or TickTok. Here are some of the important features:
- The design is pretty much identical to the design that was introduced in iPhone 17 Pro. Most of the changes are on the inside
- A20 Pro is the latest, fastest, and more efficient mobile chip Apple has ever designed. With emphasis on on-device intelligence, there is now dual Neural engines running on the phone. There’s now desktop-class CPU and the most GPU cores to date for a mobile device.
- Updated Vapor Chamber cooling. Apple claims that the surface area is 3 times compared to the one in 18 Pro. There’s also nanotwinne cooper to improve cooling, which in the end, improve sustained performance.
- The main camera now has an actual aperture blades. The camera app is also updated so you can tweak the shutter speed, iso and aperture, just like a real camera.
- New launch color is Burgundy, which is like a dark red color that mimics the wine.
iPhone Accessories
While not a requirement when using the iPhone, having these accessories will greatly enhance your experience when using the iPhone.
AirPods
While Apple removed the 3.5mm headphone jack since the iPhone 7, Apple does provide a Lighting-to-3.5mm connector if you wish to listen to a wired headphone. If you planning to listen to Lossless Audio on the Music App, you will need to use the connector for a full listening experience.
AirPods is a line of bluetooth earphones or headphones. Each of them have a specialized W-series chip to ensure fast connection to your Apple devices while act as a DAC to convert the digital signals to analog that you can view. The basic AirPods just provide wireless music. AirPods Pro has noise canceling feature and the AirPods Max is a full-blown headphones with a digital crown for volume control.
Apple Watch
The Apple Watch is a great companion to your iPhone. Furthermore, you need to use an iPhone to use Apple Watch’s functionality. The Apple Watch act as an extra screen for your iPhone and allows you to do tasks like answering messages, call people, track your workout session without opening up your phone. It can also work in conjunction with AirPods so you can control music (for example) by using your Apple Watch. Another scenario is you are wearing your AirPods and you can answer the phone with using your Apple Watch with out lifting your phone.
MagSafe
MagSafe is a new technology that is first introduced in the iPhone 12. Basically it is a series of magnets built around a charging coil. However, Apple added some communication component in the coils. There are a series of accessories both sold by Apple and third party that uses this new appendage. As expected, you can securely charge your phone using the MagSafe charger, attach a wallet or even a battery pack.
Cases
Of course, cases will not only protect your iPhone from falls and scratches, it also a way to personalize your phone to show to the world that while there are many iPhones in this world, this one is mine. 3rd party cases runs from the gamut from cheap $10 clear-coat to the $1000 Louis Vuitton Eye-Trunk.
Apple also produce their own cases that is made from various material like silicone to leather depending on your preferences.
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