I’ve tested the iPhone 17 lineup — here’s why I’m holding out for the iPhone 18

Apple could be changing things up this year with its latest iPhones, as rumors suggest it’s breaking from the norm by splitting the launches for its iPhone 18 lineup. It appears as though the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max would launch first at the usual September event, where we could also be introduced to the iPhone Fold.

However, reports indicate that Apple will save the iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and second-gen iPhone Air for a springtime release in 2027. That’s certainly a much longer wait for those other models, but I would still hold out for the iPhone 18 specifically.

While the iPhone 17 Pro Max is currently the best phone you can buy, my personal favorite continues to be the iPhone 17 for a number of reasons. Now, you might be wondering, why bother waiting for the iPhone 18 when the Pros would be available much sooner?

After testing the entire iPhone 17 lineup, I think the iPhone 18 is still worth the wait. Here’s why.

Google could have a lot to do with it

Apple Intelligence has clearly been put on the back burner, evident in how few new features were ready for the iOS 26 rollout. In fact, the only meaningful new addition is how Visual Intelligence is baked into the screenshot function.

It’s already been confirmed that Apple is going to be tapping Google Gemini’s models to power many new Apple Intelligence features, which are reportedly coming this year. If you look at the current iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro, there’s nothing differentiating the two regarding their Apple Intelligence features. This suggests to me that the iPhone 18 will get the same set of features as the pricier iPhone 18 Pro models.

I’ve tested the iPhone 17’s new Call Screening tool against the Pixel 10’s version — and there’s no denying how much better Google’s version operates. I suspect that the iPhone 18 will get every single new Apple Intelligence feature resulting from this partnership.

And considering how AI features have a more profound impact on a phone’s overall value, it will only strengthen the iPhone 18’s case, especially when it’ll still be cheaper than the iPhone 18 Pro.

Meaningful camera upgrades, but primarily help from AI

So far, there haven’t been many leaks surrounding the iPhone 18’s cameras. The only meaningful one relates to a rumored upgrade to a 24MP Center Stage camera, which should deliver sharper selfies — even in low-light conditions.

I’m a camera buff, so it’s one of the features I scrutinize most with each new phone I test. In my iPhone 17 review, I specifically mentioned how its dual 48MP cameras perform well across the board. What’s even more impressive is that after a month of testing, the low-light performance continues to astound me.

The only area where the iPhone 17 comes up short compared to its Pro sibling is telephoto performance, largely because it lacks a dedicated optical zoom lens. However, I have to call out Google again because Apple could introduce a new feature to enhance zoom shots with a little help from AI — and Pro Res Zoom is a perfect example.

I’ve shown countless times how this feature dramatically improves results taken with either the Pixel 10 Pro or Pixel 10 Pro XL, so if the iPhone 18 were to gain a similar tool, it would effectively make up for the lack of a dedicated telephoto shooter.

Powerful phone in a compact body

Yes, the iPhone 18 Pro models are likely to be powered by the superior A20 Pro chips, but I bet you won’t end up noticing any difference in how the base iPhone 18 performs. It’s going to be powered by the A20 chip instead, which will likely have fewer GPU cores.

I say this because, in my experience using the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, I haven't seen any difference in how they handle everyday tasks like surfing the web, responding to emails, or watching videos. And considering that the standard iPhone 17 finally received a 120Hz refresh rate, there’s even less distinction between the base flagship and the Pro models.

Finally, I’m just tired of oversized phones that make one-handed use a struggle. This is the exact reason why I’ve recently started using the Galaxy S26 as my daily driver — its compact size is far more manageable. If that’s not enough to convince you, then perhaps the fact that the iPhone 18 will likely offer better, more vibrant color options will be the final incentive.

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