I’ve tested the entire iPhone 17 lineup for over a month — and this is the one you should buy

Just like in years past, Apple released four new iPhones just in time for everyone to plan their holiday shopping plans. With early Black Friday deals going on right now, you might be wondering about which one to get. That’s why I’ve spent over a month testing the iPhone 17 vs iPhone Air vs iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone 17 Pro Max to tell you which one I’d recommend to get.

Of course, I always prioritize price the most, but there are so many iPhone 17 deals out there that if you spend enough time researching, you can practically get one without spending a single dollar. But there are other things I’ve learned about each model after testing them, like their battery life and camera performances. I’d imagine those are also top priorities for just about anyone.

I’m going to dissect each and every model I’ve tested over the past month and tell you who they’re for, what their strengths are, and also why someone shouldn’t buy them.

iPhone 17 vs iPhone Air vs iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: specifications

iPhone 17

• Starting cost: $799
• Who’s it for: Honestly, anyone that wants a flagship without spending a lot.
• Why you should buy it: Apple gives it the most upgrades, making it a much better phone.
• Why you shouldn’t get it: You can find better telephoto camera performance elsewhere.

Starting off with the cheapest of the bunch, the iPhone 17 is the one I’d recommend most to buy because it offers the best value in the entire lineup. In my iPhone 17 review, the biggest upgrade I was happy to find was the boost to its display, which benefits most from its 120Hz refresh rate — something I continued to call out after a week of testing the iPhone 17.

Meanwhile, my colleague Richard Priday criticized the Camera Control because it was driving him nuts with accidental activations. I also agree that it doesn’t add much value for enthusiasts who crave other camera functions. Speaking of enthusiasts, it also lacks a proper dedicated telephoto camera, which I expose with my iPhone 17 vs. Pixel 10 zoom camera shoot out. That’s because no matter how much it performs a sensor crop and digital zoom, it doesn’t match the superior telephoto zoom of the Pixel 10.

Nevertheless, the iPhone 17 is still an expert photo shooter — especially under low light conditions, which I explain in my month’s worth of testing it out. Its 48MP main camera, in fact, rivals the performance of the iPhone 17 Pros. So yeah, it’s that good.

Beyond the cameras, another reason why the iPhone 17 is the one I’d recommend to buy is because it has the same Apple Intelligence features as all the rest of the phones. The A19 chip that powers it runs superb for all the games I frequently play, while its power efficiency allows it to achieve pretty good battery life.

Finally, there’s the price: $799. Even though the iPhone 16e is cheaper by $200, the iPhone 17 is still worth buying over that. It certainly has better value than the iPhone Air, too.

Read our full review: iPhone 17

Apple iPhone Air

• Starting cost: $999
• Who’s it for: Early adopters that want a sleek looking phone.
• Why you should buy it: Quite simply, you’re buying it for its lightweight feel, impressive ultra-thin construction, and its ease of use holding it in your hand.
• Why you shouldn’t get it: Just about everything else.

Really, I wouldn’t be shocked if Apple does end up reducing production of the iPhone Air. I was so excited about this new model in the lineup prior to its reveal, but after putting it through the test, it’s been underwhelming to say the least. Don’t get me wrong, Apple deserves credit for designing a phone that’s ridiculously sleek — while still proving to be virtually unbreakable.

Our testing reveals so many compromises though that I think it has the least amount of value in the entire lineup. Sure, its $999 starting cost was better than what I had anticipated, but the biggest downside of a thin phone such as this is that its battery life is heavily impacted. Its recorded time of 12 hours and 2 minutes is the shortest in the new iPhone lineup.

Another big compromise pertains to its camera, a single 48MP camera on the back, which despite performing quite well, lacks the utility of giving people more options to shoot. There's no ultrawide and no telephoto zoom. It shares the same problems I have with the iPhone 16e; a single camera isn’t enough in this day and age.

I also want to explain why it fails to come out on top in our iPhone 17 vs iPhone Air comparison. My colleague Richard Priday comes to the same conclusion I have about this matchup by saying that “the iPhone 17 is the better-rounded phone of the two we’re looking at here.” He goes on to say “it has more cameras, a longer battery life, and costs less” — all of which I agree with.

While its $999 starting cost is better than the $1,099 Galaxy S25 Edge, it has an even tougher time against the next model in the lineup: the iPhone 17 Pro.

Read our full review: iPhone Air

iPhone 17 Pro

• Starting cost: $1,099
• Who’s it for: Power users that want the best performance in a relatively compact size.
• Why you should buy it: You’re getting the same cameras as the more expensive 17 Pro Max, along with the same A19 Pro chip and Apple Intelligence performance.
• Why you shouldn’t get it: You can pay a little more for a bigger phone, with longer battery life.

Another phone I’ve gotten good hands-on time testing for over a month is the iPhone 17 Pro. Just like last year’s model, it gets the same exact cameras found with the pricier iPhone 17 Pro Max — so that consists of a 48MP main shooter, 48MP ultrawide, 48MP telephoto with 4x optical zoom, and 18MP Center Stage front camera.

I’m a power user and find plenty of value in its cameras, giving me outstanding results no matter what I’m shooting. I mention how it’s a master under low light situations after two weeks of testing it out, as the main camera absorbs the faintest of light. And after a month’s worth of testing out the iPhone 17 Pro, I mention the outstanding gaming performance courtesy of its A19 Pro chip and new vapor cooling chamber design.

Although early ‘scratchgate’ reports make it seem like the new unibody aluminum frame can get easily scuffed, Apple has said that it has updated its retail stores to include risers for the phones that don't cause material transfer, I still find the new redesign so refreshing. The makeover is long overdue and really emphasizes how it’s uniquely Apple.

But while I’ve been satisfied by the results, the one thing that prevents me from recommending it more is the fact that it sees a price hike to $1,099. Yes, you get more storage at 256GB to start, but that $100 more than last year’s model and shortens the gap between its bigger brother. So the iPhone 17 Pro doesn’t have as much bang-for-the-back value that I’ve felt with prior models.

Read our full review: iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max

• Starting cost: $1,199
• Who’s it for: People who love the biggest screens and the longest battery life.
• Why you should buy it: It’s the one with the biggest screen and largest battery, while getting all the top-of-the-line features without costing any more than before.
• Why you shouldn’t get it: If you get annoyed by big phones in your pocket.

This year, I’m recommending the iPhone 17 Pro Max over the iPhone 17 Pro. I feel differently about this because of the $100 separation between the two models, whereas last year, I recommended the smaller Pro because it was $200 cheaper.

For the $100 you’d pay more to get the iPhone 17 Pro Max, you’re getting a larger 6.9-inch OLED display that I’ve said offers the best gaming experience in my display test against other best phone contenders. Apple also improved the display by giving the Ceramic Shield 2 glass that covers it a better anti-reflective property, which I visibly see when putting it side-by-side to the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Even though I prefer the smaller size of the 17 Pro, you get a much larger battery in the iPhone 17 Pro Max that gets it the longest battery life we’ve ever tested in an iPhone — reaching nearly 18 hours in our battery drain test.

I’ve also pitted it against some of the best Android phones out there, like how its camera performance came out on top in my 200 photo shootout with the iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Galaxy S25 Ultra. However, the lack of new Apple Intelligence features (which it shares with the rest of the lineup) didn’t convince me in my iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Pixel 10 Pro XL face-off that it’s the better AI phone.

I recommend the Pro Max over the iPhone Air because the $200 difference between them really benefits the former. Against the iPhone 17, though, it’s a tougher battle because it’s a $400 spread between them. You’ll obviously get the best performance out of the Max, but I’d vouch that the iPhone 17 still has the best value out of all of them.

Read our full review: iPhone 17 Pro Max

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