Apple’s 2025 iPhone lineup is its boldest — and most confusing — yet. It offers three distinct models designed to cater to very different kinds of users. From the slim and stylish iPhone Air to the all-out powerhouse iPhone 17 Pro, with the well-balanced iPhone 17 in between, there’s something here for everyone.
But with overlapping features, similar pricing and Apple blurring the lines between Pro and non-Pro models, choosing the right iPhone isn’t as straightforward as it used to be.
A week after the release of iOS 26, Apple has stopped signing iOS 18.6.2. So, you can no longer downgrade your iPhone from iOS 26 to iOS 18.
This move is standard practice for Apple. It usually stops signing older iOS builds shortly after a major update goes public.
Apple expanded its Apple Immersive Video catalog Monday with a slate of new films from major global publishers, broadcasters and brands, marking a major milestone for the Vision Pro platform.
The new content comes from partners including Audi, the BBC, CANAL+, CNN, HYBE, MotoGP and Red Bull. Releases are planned over the coming months.
★★★★☆
The iPhone Air is what the people say they’ve been asking for: something new. This is the first iPhone in a long time that will truly shock you when you take it out of the box and hold it in your hand.
That means cutting a few things you’ve come to expect from the iPhone: the second speaker, the second (and third) rear cameras … but also, the thickness and weight. And the more time I spent with the iPhone Air, the more I appreciated what was still there: the super-bright and big display, the improved front camera and, most surprisingly, the battery life.
Here’s my experience switching from the iPhone 16 Pro to the iPhone Air. It’s a path I think you might enjoy taking, too. Keep reading or watch our video review.
September 22, 2014: Apple notches a new sales record with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus launch, selling an astonishing 10 million units in the first weekend the handsets go on sale.
The eagerly anticipated smartphones bring a redesigned form factor that will persist for years. The most obvious change? Larger 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays built to lure phablet fans. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus also boast an A8 chip, improved iSight and FaceTime cameras, and — significantly — Apple Pay for secure mobile payments.
“Sales for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus exceeded our expectations for the launch weekend, and we couldn’t be happier,” Apple CEO Tim Cook says in a press release. “We would like to thank all of our customers for making this our best launch ever, shattering all previous sell-through records by a large margin.”
Do not worry that you’ll accidentally bend your iPhone Air. Despite its super-slim shape, tests show that it takes a huge amount of pressure to get the sleek new model to break.
That should reassure those who might accidentally sit on the handset.
Apple’s new iPhone Air surprised repair experts by proving ultra-thin doesn’t have to mean harder to fix. Despite measuring just 5.6mm thick — making it Apple’s thinnest iPhone ever — the device earned a solid 7 out of 10 repairability score from iFixit in its iPhone Air teardown, matching the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro.
And the teardown reveals how they made it so thin in the first place.
SAN FRANCISCO — The iPhone 17 Scratchgate drama is real. Demo units of the new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models in Apple retail stores are showing scratches on opening weekend. The scratches appeared on their aluminum frames and on the glass panels on their backs.
I examined demo iPhones at Apple Stonestown in San Francisco on Friday (the busy iPhone 17 launch day) and again on Sunday. Many of the new iPhone 17 Pros and iPhone Airs are already scratched, especially the iPhone 17 Pro in deep blue and the iPhone Air in space black. But other colors showed scratches, too, even the iPhone 17 Pro in cosmic orange — the hot color this year.
September 21, 1999: A little startup called Google comes out of beta, with the launch of a website that will let the general public easily search the internet for information.
To Apple, which is embracing the internet with its colorful new iMac desktop computer and iBook laptop, Google seems like the perfect ally. Sadly, the relationship between the two companies won’t remain rosy for long.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Now that we’re all running the latest software versions on our iPhones and Apple Watches, it’s time to go over the coolest new features.
Yes, Apple’s new Liquid Glass user interface takes some getting used to, but it’s pretty sweet in the end. And there are a bunch of other great additions we love. Join us for the conversation!
Also on The CultCast:
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.
Enough customers are snapping up the base-model iPhone 17 that Apple reportedly asked the companies that assemble the handset to increase production.
There are also signs that the top-of-the-line iPhone 17 Pro Max is selling well.
Spike Lee’s crime drama starring Denzel Washington keeps pulling in a large audience, defying a possible second week drop off. Highest 2 Lowest earned a spot among the most popular films on streaming, according to two companies that track ratings. It’s a win for Apple TV+.
Plus, Apple TV+’s comedy The Studio had a comeback after winning lots of awards this week, and Apple’s adaptation of the sci-fi classic Foundation stayed popular even as its third season wrapped up.
★★★★★
Apple put an always-on screen in the iPhone 17 and improved the display’s refresh rate to 120 Hz. Plus, the selfie cam got a brilliant new feature. There are plenty of other enhancements too — including double the storage capacity! — which all combine to make Apple’s new base-model iPhone a welcome upgrade for those ready to move up from an aging device.
This is the first time I’ve regularly used a basic iOS model in almost a decade. I’m impressed with what Apple offers for $799. It’s really made me question the need for a Pro model. Here’s why.
September 20, 1989: Apple releases the Macintosh Portable, the first battery-powered Mac you could take on the road.
At a time when Tim Burton’s Batman is flying high in theaters, and Madonna is shocking audiences at the MTV Video Music Awards, this ahead-of-its-time product lays the groundwork for Apple’s looming laptop revolution.
An iPhone 17 Pro Max teardown confirms Apple sticking with Qualcomm’s modem for its flagship iPhones this year. The company did not specifically confirm using Qualcomm’s baseband on the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models while unveiling them.
This is unlike the iPhone Air, which uses Apple’s second-gen C1X modem.
The new cosmic orange iPhone 17 Pro is undeniably orange. It’s not bronze, it’s not burnt umber, it’s not sepia or some other subdued shade that fades into the background.
No, Apple finally — after years of begging and pleading — produced a pro-level iPhone in an unapologetically bold color.
As a man in a loincloth once screamed while staring at something unfathomable: “Oh my god … [you] finally, really did it. You maniacs!”
To be fair, in that instance, the bare-chested man was ranting about something horrific. With the cosmic orange iPhone 17 Pro, Apple did something previously unthinkable — and totally welcome.
The Apple Pencil is popular, but it’s not the only precision stylus pen for iPad. The Tinymoose Pencil Pro Plus is a high-quality, aluminum stylus that works with all iPad models from 2018 and later that support magnetic wireless charging.
If you own one of those recent models of the iPad Pro, iPad Air or iPad mini, and you want a compatible stylus for less, grab one of these while it’s on sale for only $29.99 (regularly $39.95).
In a flashback to past launch day problems, Apple’s highly anticipated iPhone 17 lineup faces an unexpected setback as users across China report iPhone 17 Pro scratches on the device’s redesigned glass-and-aluminum back, according to a new report.
Social media platforms have been flooded with images showing scuffs and scratches appearing on display models after just hours of store exposure.
Professional photographer Austin Mann dropped another edition of his annual iPhone Pro camera reviews Wednesday. He took his new iPhone 17 Pro up into northern Italy’s Dolomite Mountains during a biking, cycling and paragliding trip. Stunning photography resulted.
“At Apple’s keynote last week, I was most interested in the new 48-megapixel 4x telephoto lens, the 8x telephoto lens, Center Stage selfie mode, 4K ProRes Log at 120FPS and the new Photographic Style, Bright,” he wrote. “As always, Apple’s presentation is full of flashy new tech, but I always have one question: How will this new tech make our pictures and videos better?”
Find his in-depth video and a link to his full review with many more photos below.
★★★★★
With my history of back trouble, I relied on standing desks and kneeling chairs way back when you hardly ever saw such things in offices. But since then standing desks have become essential in the modern workspace, offering flexibility and health benefits for anyone who spends long hours at a computer. This Uplift Standing Desk V3 review looks at the latest in Uplift’s well-regarded line of adjustable workstations, released Wednesday.
In a nutshell, if you can afford it, this thing rocks. And the base version is actually pretty affordable. It’ll lift up any Mac setup in more ways than one.
September 19, 2014: The iPhone undergoes its biggest upgrade — both figuratively and literally — since the original, with the release date of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus handsets. The iPhone 6 design brings a new 4.7-inch form factor, while the iPhone 6 Plus expands to a massive 5.5 inches.
The previous-generation iPhone 5 measured only slightly taller than its 3.5-inch predecessors. But with the iPhone 6, Apple abandons the small smartphone form factor to take on big-screen Android “phablets.”
Compare the Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs. the Ultra 2, and you will see that the new model looks quite similar to its predecessor. You’ll need to squint to notice the Ultra 3’s slightly larger display. And most other changes are internal, like faster charging, longer battery life and satellite connectivity.
Otherwise, this is basically the same rugged smartwatch that Apple launched two years ago. So, if you already own an Apple Watch Ultra 2, should you consider upgrading to the Ultra 3? Or should you save your money instead?
Crowds thronged to Apple stores around the globe Friday to pick up the newest iPhones — the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air — on launch day. Apple CEO Tim Cook himself threw open the doors of Apple Fifth Avenue in New York City on Friday morning.
Alongside the exciting new iPhone lineup, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3 and AirPods Pro 3 also arrived at Apple retail stores and authorized outlets on Friday
Alongside the iPhone Air, Apple launched a battery pack specifically for the phone. And interestingly, the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery uses the same capacity battery as the device it supports.
The folks over at iFixit tore down the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery and discovered its unusual shape. Based on preliminary evidence, they concluded Apple might be using the exact same battery inside the iPhone Air.
A major new health feature for recent Apple Watch models can alert users to possible hypertension (aka high blood pressure) by analyzing patterns in their heart data over time. Apple offered a document earlier this week explaining how the Hypertension Notifications feature works using existing sensors.
Available with watchOS 26, the feature works on Apple Watch Series 9 and later models, as well as the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later.