If you’re contemplating an upgrade, hopefully this guide will help you find the model that’s right for you.If you’re contemplating an upgrade, hopefully this guide will help you find the model that’s right for you.by Brandon RussellSep 10, 2025, 3:00 PM UTCAt its latest hardware event on Tuesday, Apple officially announced the new 2025 iPhone lineup. That includes the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the slimmed-down iPhone Air, which looks to be the standout model this year. The devices come equipped with Apple’s latest A19 processors and a few other notable upgrades. For instance, the standard iPhone 17 now features a larger 6.3-inch ProMotion display, a more advanced selfie cam, and double the base storage.Of course, the iPhone Air is arguably the main attraction this year, featuring a design that’s just 5.6mm thick. That makes it the thinnest iPhone ever made. It boasts a 6.5-inch ProMotion display and an A19 Pro chip, though it offers one less GPU core than the A19 Pro found in the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max models. Apple claims the Air offers “all-day battery life,” with the company’s official specs showing it lags behind the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max. The device also features a single 48-megapixel camera on the back, giving users less flexibility for things like macro photography.The iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are, predictably, the most advanced models — and feature the most eye-catching color. Both models feature a triple 48-megapixel camera system that includes a main camera, ultrawide camera, and a telephoto camera. The back of the Pro has also undergone a redesign, with a new “plateau” camera bar that stretches all the way across the body, rather than only containing the lenses. The Pro models also offer the best battery life among the new models, with the Pro Max delivering up to 39 hours of video playback on a single charge. If you want the most storage possible for your ProRes RAW videos, the larger Pro Max offers up to 2TB of storage.While preorders don’t go live until Friday, September 12th — with a launch to follow on Friday, September 19th — you may be considering an upgrade. We’re here to help. To make sense of all four models, we’ve put together a side-by-side comparison outlining the key differences. You can also check out our early hands-on impressions of the different models, which provide some insights into what they’re like to use in the real world ahead of our full reviews.iPhone 17 spec comparisonCategoryiPhone AiriPhone 17iPhone 17 ProiPhone 17 Pro MaxOperating systemiOS 26iOS 26iOS 26iOS 26Apple Intelligence supportYesYesYesYesDisplay6.5-inch (2736 x 1260) OLED6.3-inch (2622 x 1206) OLED6.3-inch (2622 x 1206) OLED6.9-inch (2868 x 1320) OLEDDisplay refresh rate120Hz120Hz120Hz120HzPeak brightness3,000 nits3,000 nits3,000 nits3,000 nitsMinimum brightness1 nit1 nit1 nit1 nitAlways-On displayYesYesYesYesGlass displayCeramic Shield 2Ceramic Shield 2Ceramic Shield 2Ceramic Shield 2BuildCeramic Shield back, titanium frameAluminum frameCeramic Shield back, aluminum unibodyCeramic Shield back, aluminum unibodyDimensions156.2mm x 74.7mm x 5.64mm149.6mm x 71.5mm x 7.95mm150.0mm x 71.9mm x 8.75mm163.4mm x 78.0mm x 8.75mmWeight165 grams177 grams206 grams233 gramsBattery capacityUp to 27 hours of video playbackUp to 30 hours of video playbackUp to 33 hours of video playbackUp to 39 hours of video playbackWireless chargingYes, MagSafe / Qi2 (up to 20W)Yes, MagSafe / Qi2 (up to 25W)Yes, MagSafe / Qi2 (up to 25W)Yes, MagSafe / Qi2 (up to 25W)Fast charge-capableYes; up to 50 percent in 30 minutesYes; up to 50 percent in 20 minutesYes; up to 50 percent in 20 minutesYes; up to 50 percent in 20 minutesProcessorA19 ProA19A19 ProA19 ProProcessor cores6-core CPU / 5-core GPU / 16-core neural engine6-core CPU / 5-core GPU / 16-core neural engine6-core CPU / 6-core GPU / 16-core neural engine6-core CPU / 6-core GPU / 16-core neural engineRAMNot sharedNot sharedNot sharedNot sharedStorage256GB, 512GB, 1TB256GB, 512GB256GB, 512GB, 1TB256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TBPortsUSB-C charging and data portUSB-C charging and data portUSB-C charging and data portUSB-C charging and data portUSB speedsUSB 2 (480Mbps)USB 2 (480Mbps)USB 3 (up to 10Gbps)USB 3 (up to 10Gbps)Rear cameras48-megapixel (f/1.6) main48-megapixel (f/1.6) main, 48-megapixel (f/2.2) ultrawide48-megapixel main, 48-megapixel ultrawide, 48-megapixel telephoto48-megapixel main, 48-megapixel ultrawide, 48-megapixel telephotoHighest optical magnification2x2x8x8xMacro modeNoYesYesYesFront camera18MP18MP18MP18MPVideo recordingUp to 4K at 60fpsUp to 4K at 60fpsUp to 4K at 120fps (ProRes with external recording)Up to 4K at 120fps (ProRes with external recording)BiometricsFace IDFace IDFace IDFace IDSIM supportDual eSIM (no physical SIM)Dual eSIM (no physical SIM)Dual eSIM (no physical SIM)Dual eSIM (no physical SIM)Action ButtonYesYesYesYesCamera Control buttonYesYesYesYesDynamic IslandYesYesYesYesWi-FiWi-Fi 7Wi-Fi 7Wi-Fi 7Wi-Fi 7Bluetooth version6.06.06.06.0Satellite SOS featureYesYesYesYesMessages via satelliteYesYesYesYesCrash DetectionYesYesYesYesApple PayYesYesYesYesIP ratingIP68IP68IP68IP68Starting price$999$799$1,099$1,199AvailabilitySeptember 19th, 2025September 19th, 2025September 19th, 2025September 19th, 2025ColorsSky blue, light gold, cloud white, space blackLavender, sage, mist blue, white, blackCosmic orange, deep blue, silverCosmic orange, deep blue, silverVerge ShoppingSign up to get the best deals on products we’ve found and tested sent to your inbox.Email (required)Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Brandon RussellThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)