Apple has announced 55 iPhone models since Steve Jobs unveiled the first one in January 2007. iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max went on sale September 18, 2026. iPhone Duo, the first foldable iPhone, is scheduled for October 23 at $1,999 — four times the price of the original 4GB iPhone, for a phone with 64 times the starting storage.
This timeline goes model by model, from the 2007 original to the 2026 lineup, with the US release date, launch price, key specs and what actually changed each year. Every date and price below comes from Apple’s own press releases, so it doubles as a reference when you are pricing a used iPhone or checking how old yours is.
Updated, September 19, 2026: Chronology now runs through iPhone 18 Pro / Pro Max (on sale September 18) and iPhone Duo (pre-orders October 16, availability October 23). Announce and release dates are from Apple Newsroom. Specs are launch-era highlights from those releases — not lab benchmarks. The older summary table that dated iPhone 14 Pro Max to November 13, 2020 has been removed; the 14 series launched in 2022.
iPhone release dates and launch prices (2007 to 2026)
| Model | US release | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone | June 29, 2007 | $499 |
| iPhone 3G | July 11, 2008 | $199 |
| iPhone 3GS | June 19, 2009 | $199 |
| iPhone 4 | June 24, 2010 | $199 |
| iPhone 4S | October 14, 2011 | $199 |
| iPhone 5 | September 21, 2012 | $199 |
| iPhone 5s / 5c | September 20, 2013 | $199 / $99 |
| iPhone 6 / 6 Plus | September 19, 2014 | $199 / $299 |
| iPhone 6s / 6s Plus | September 25, 2015 | $27 / $31 a month |
| iPhone SE (1st gen) | March 31, 2016 | $399 |
| iPhone 7 / 7 Plus | September 16, 2016 | From $649 |
| iPhone 8 / 8 Plus | September 22, 2017 | From $699 |
| iPhone X | November 3, 2017 | $999 |
| iPhone XS / XS Max | September 21, 2018 | $999 / $1,099 |
| iPhone XR | October 26, 2018 | $749 |
| iPhone 11 | September 20, 2019 | $699 |
| iPhone 11 Pro / Pro Max | September 20, 2019 | $999 / $1,099 |
| iPhone SE (2nd gen) | April 24, 2020 | $399 |
| iPhone 12 / 12 Pro | October 23, 2020 | $799 / $999 |
| iPhone 12 mini / 12 Pro Max | November 13, 2020 | $699 / $1,099 |
| iPhone 13 / 13 mini | September 24, 2021 | $799 / $699 |
| iPhone 13 Pro / Pro Max | September 24, 2021 | $999 / $1,099 |
| iPhone SE (3rd gen) | March 18, 2022 | $429 |
| iPhone 14 / 14 Pro / Pro Max | September 16, 2022 | $799 / $999 / $1,099 |
| iPhone 14 Plus | October 7, 2022 | $899 |
| iPhone 15 / 15 Plus | September 22, 2023 | $799 / $899 |
| iPhone 15 Pro / Pro Max | September 22, 2023 | $999 / $1,199 |
| iPhone 16 / 16 Plus | September 20, 2024 | $799 / $899 |
| iPhone 16 Pro / Pro Max | September 20, 2024 | $999 / $1,199 |
| iPhone 16e | February 28, 2025 | $599 |
| iPhone 17 | September 19, 2025 | $799 |
| iPhone Air | September 19, 2025 | $999 |
| iPhone 17 Pro / Pro Max | September 19, 2025 | $1,099 / $1,199 |
| iPhone 17e | March 11, 2026 | $599 |
| iPhone 18 Pro / Pro Max | September 18, 2026 | $1,199 / $1,299 |
| iPhone Duo | October 23, 2026 | $1,999 |
Original iPhone (2007): the phone that started it
Jobs introduced the iPhone at Macworld San Francisco on January 9, 2007, pitching it as a mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls and an internet device with desktop-class email and web browsing, all in one. Apple’s launch announcement priced it at $499 for 4GB and $599 for 8GB. It went on sale in the US on Friday, June 29, 2007, with Cingular, renamed AT&T by launch day, as the exclusive US carrier.
The multi-touch screen was the breakthrough. The gaps were just as obvious: no 3G, no third-party apps and a 2-megapixel camera. The lack of apps pushed early owners to hack their phones, the start of the long history of iOS jailbreaking.
- Display: 3.5-inch widescreen touchscreen
- Camera: 2MP rear, no front camera
- Storage: 4GB or 8GB
- Launch price: $499 (4GB), $599 (8GB)
iPhone 3G (2008): the App Store arrives
There was never an iPhone 2. Apple named the second model after its headline feature when it introduced iPhone 3G at WWDC on June 9, 2008, under the tagline “Twice as Fast at Half the Price.” It launched in 22 countries on July 11 at $199 for 8GB and $299 for 16GB with a two-year contract.
Faster 3G data and built-in GPS mattered, but the lasting change was software. iPhone 2.0 added Microsoft Exchange support and the App Store, which opened in 62 countries on day one and turned the iPhone from a closed device into a platform for other developers.
iPhone 3GS (2009): faster, with video recording
The “S” stood for speed. Apple announced iPhone 3GS on June 8, 2009 as up to twice as fast as the 3G, with a 3-megapixel autofocus camera, video recording, hands-free voice control and a digital compass. It shipped with iPhone OS 3.0, which brought cut, copy and paste.
US pricing was $199 for 16GB and $299 for a new 32GB model when it arrived on June 19. Older versions of this article listed a $99 iPhone 3GS at launch; that price belonged to the 8GB iPhone 3G, which Apple cut the same day.
iPhone 4 (2010): Retina display and FaceTime
The iPhone 4 was the first big redesign: glass front and back around a stainless steel band, and at 9.3mm the thinnest smartphone of its day. Apple presented it on June 7, 2010 with a 326 ppi Retina display, a front camera for FaceTime video calls, a 5MP rear camera with LED flash and HD video, and Apple’s A4 chip. It went on sale June 24 at $199 (16GB) and $299 (32GB) on contract, in black or white.
It also gave Apple its first public hardware crisis. Some owners saw signal bars collapse when their hand covered the lower-left gap in the metal antenna band. In a July 2, 2010 letter to customers, Apple said its formula for displaying bars was wrong and switched to AT&T’s recommended formula. “Antennagate” still tops lists of the biggest Apple product controversies.
iPhone 4S (2011): Siri and the end of the Jobs era
From the outside, the 4S looked like the iPhone 4. Inside, Apple’s October 4, 2011 announcement listed the dual-core A5 chip, an 8MP camera with 1080p video, a world-phone radio that worked on both CDMA and GSM networks, and Siri in beta. Prices were $199, $299 and $399 for 16GB, 32GB and 64GB, with sales starting October 14.
It was the first iPhone launched under Tim Cook, who took over after Jobs resigned as CEO in August 2011. Jobs died on October 5, 2011, the day after the 4S was unveiled.
iPhone 5 (2012): a taller 4-inch screen and Lightning
Five years in, Apple finally changed the screen size. The iPhone 5, announced September 12, 2012, stretched the Retina display to 4 inches, added LTE and the A6 chip, and swapped the old 30-pin dock port for the smaller Lightning connector. Its 7.6mm aluminum body was 18 percent thinner and 20 percent lighter than the 4S.
- Released: September 21, 2012
- Colors: Black and slate, or white and silver
- Storage and price: $199 (16GB), $299 (32GB), $399 (64GB) on contract
iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c (2013): Touch ID and a cheaper plastic iPhone
For the first time Apple launched two new iPhones in one year, both announced on September 10, 2013 and released on September 20. The iPhone 5s carried the A7, the first 64-bit chip in a smartphone, plus the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, a True Tone flash and the M7 motion coprocessor. It came in gold, silver and space gray for $199, $299 and $399.
The iPhone 5c reused the iPhone 5’s A6 chip and 4-inch screen inside a polycarbonate shell in blue, green, pink, yellow and white, at $99 for 16GB and $199 for 32GB. The earlier version of this article gave the announcement date as September 16 and the 5s price as $199 for 32GB; both were wrong.
iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus (2014): big screens and Apple Pay
Apple gave in to the large-screen trend with two sizes at once. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus had 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch Retina HD displays, the 64-bit A8 chip, an M8 motion coprocessor with a barometer, and support for the new Apple Pay. Both launched September 19, 2014.
Pricing started at $199 for the iPhone 6 and $299 for the 6 Plus on contract, and a 128GB tier appeared for the first time at $399 and $499. They are also among the models whose performance iOS later managed on worn batteries (see the iPhone 8 section).
iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus (2015): 3D Touch and Live Photos
Same shape, new tricks. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus added 3D Touch, a pressure-sensitive layer in the display, along with Live Photos, a 12MP camera with 4K video, the A9 chip, a 7000 series aluminum body and a new rose gold finish. They went on sale September 25, 2015.
Apple’s pricing message changed too. Instead of leading with a contract price, it quoted 24 monthly payments from $27 for the 6s and $31 for the 6s Plus, and launched the iPhone Upgrade Program in its US stores. Carrier subsidies were on their way out.
iPhone SE, 1st generation (2016): the small, cheap iPhone
Six months later, Apple put iPhone 6s internals into the iPhone 5s body. The iPhone SE, announced March 21, 2016, had the A9 chip, a 12MP camera with Live Photos and 4K video, and Touch ID with Apple Pay in a 4-inch design. It cost $399 for 16GB when it launched on March 31. The SE name would return twice.
iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus (2016): no headphone jack, dual cameras
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were the first water- and dust-resistant iPhones, with the A10 Fusion chip, stereo speakers and a solid-state Home button. Apple dropped the 3.5mm headphone jack and put a Lightning adapter in the box instead, a decision that drew more attention than any spec.
The 7 Plus added a second 12MP telephoto camera for 2x optical zoom and, later, Portrait mode. Both came in 32GB, 128GB and 256GB from $649, and the glossy jet black finish was limited to the higher capacities. They launched September 16, 2016, a few weeks after Apple said it had sold its billionth iPhone.
iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus (2017): glass backs and wireless charging
Apple announced three iPhones on September 12, 2017. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus kept the familiar Home button design but moved to a glass back that enabled Qi wireless charging. They used the A11 Bionic chip, carried an IP67 water resistance rating (not “waterproof”, as this page once said) and started at 64GB for $699. The 8 Plus added Portrait Lighting. Both went on sale September 22.
Around this time owners noticed older iPhones slowing down. Apple’s battery and performance support page now confirms that iOS manages peak performance on the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, SE (1st generation), 7 and 7 Plus to prevent unexpected shutdowns when a battery has aged, and that a Battery Health screen shows when a replacement is due.
iPhone X (2017): Face ID and the all-screen design
The iPhone X set the template every iPhone since has followed. It removed the Home button, stretched a 5.8-inch OLED Super Retina display nearly edge to edge, and replaced Touch ID with Face ID, built on a TrueDepth camera housed in the now-familiar notch. The same A11 Bionic as the iPhone 8 ran it; Apple said its two performance cores were 25 percent faster and its four efficiency cores 70 percent faster than the A10 Fusion.
Its $999 starting price for 64GB was $300 more than the iPhone 8 announced the same day. Orders opened October 27 and it arrived on November 3, 2017, in silver and space gray.
iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max (2018): the first 6.5-inch iPhone
The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max refined the X with 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch OLED displays, the A12 Bionic (the first 7-nanometer chip in a smartphone), Smart HDR photos and IP68 water resistance. Storage went up to 512GB. Prices started at $999 and $1,099 when they launched September 21, 2018, in space gray, silver and gold.
The XS Max was the first iPhone with a 6.5-inch screen, a size the 11 Pro Max kept before the 12 Pro Max moved to 6.7 inches. It also cost $100 more than the XS for the bigger display, a gap Apple kept for Max models through the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
iPhone XR (2018): the colorful, cheaper all-screen iPhone
Announced alongside the XS, the iPhone XR brought Face ID and the A12 Bionic to a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina LCD in an aluminum and glass body. It came in white, black, blue, yellow, coral and (PRODUCT)RED, rated IP67, from $749 for 64GB. (The old version of this page listed $289, which was never a launch price.) It shipped on October 26, 2018.
iPhone 11 (2019): Ultra Wide camera and Night mode
The XR’s successor dropped the letter and the price. The iPhone 11 added a 12MP Ultra Wide camera next to the main lens, Night mode for low-light shots, the A13 Bionic and the U1 Ultra Wideband chip. It launched September 20, 2019 at $699 for 64GB, $50 less than the XR, in purple, green, yellow, black, white and (PRODUCT)RED.
iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max (2019): the first triple camera
Apple used the “Pro” name on an iPhone for the first time with the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max. Both got wide, Ultra Wide and telephoto cameras in a square module, plus Super Retina XDR displays at 5.8 and 6.5 inches (not 6.2 inches, as this article previously stated). Apple promised up to four more hours of battery life than the XS on the 11 Pro and five more on the Pro Max.
- Released: September 20, 2019
- Storage: 64GB, 256GB, 512GB
- Colors: Midnight green, space gray, silver, gold
- Launch price: $999 (11 Pro), $1,099 (11 Pro Max)
iPhone SE, 2nd generation (2020): A13 power in the iPhone 8 body
Launched in the middle of the pandemic, the second-generation iPhone SE put the iPhone 11’s A13 Bionic into the 4.7-inch iPhone 8 design with Touch ID. It started at $399 for 64GB, in black, white and (PRODUCT)RED, and reached customers on April 24, 2020. For anyone who wanted a Home button, this was the value pick for years.
iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini (2020): 5G, MagSafe and flat edges
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini returned to flat edges and brought 5G, the A14 Bionic, a Ceramic Shield front cover, MagSafe magnetic accessories and Super Retina XDR displays to the non-Pro models. The 12 used a 6.1-inch screen; the mini squeezed a 5.4-inch display into a smaller body.
Apple also removed the power adapter and EarPods from the box of every iPhone it sold, citing lower emissions and smaller packaging. The iPhone 12 arrived October 23, 2020 at $799; the 12 mini followed on November 13 at $699. Both came in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB.
iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max (2020): LiDAR and ProRAW
The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max added a LiDAR Scanner for faster low-light autofocus and AR, Apple ProRAW photos and Dolby Vision HDR video recording, in stainless steel finishes of graphite, silver, gold and pacific blue. The Pro Max had a 6.7-inch display, the largest on an iPhone at the time.
- Released: October 23, 2020 (12 Pro), November 13, 2020 (12 Pro Max)
- Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
- Launch price: $999 (12 Pro), $1,099 (12 Pro Max)
iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini (2021): Cinematic mode, double the storage
The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini were announced September 14, 2021 and released September 24. They moved to the A15 Bionic, added sensor-shift optical image stabilization to the main camera and introduced Cinematic mode, which shifts focus between subjects in video. Base storage doubled to 128GB while prices held at $799 and $699.
The 13 mini turned out to be the last small iPhone. The following year Apple replaced it with the much larger 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus. If you still want a compact iPhone, a used 13 mini is the newest option.
iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max (2021): 120Hz ProMotion
Apple’s iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max brought ProMotion, a display that refreshes at up to 120Hz, to the iPhone for the first time. The camera system gained a 77mm telephoto lens (3x optical zoom), macro photography through the Ultra Wide camera and ProRes video recording. A 1TB storage option also appeared.
- Released: September 24, 2021
- Colors: Graphite, gold, silver, sierra blue
- Launch price: $999 (13 Pro), $1,099 (13 Pro Max)
iPhone SE, 3rd generation (2022): 5G for $429
The third iPhone SE, announced March 8, 2022, kept the 4.7-inch Touch ID design but added 5G and the A15 Bionic from the iPhone 13. It launched March 18 at $429 for 64GB, in midnight, starlight and (PRODUCT)RED. It was the last iPhone with a Home button; Apple’s next budget model, the iPhone 16e, uses Face ID.
iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus (2022): Crash Detection and satellite SOS
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus were announced September 7, 2022. The 6.1-inch iPhone 14 went on sale September 16 at $799, and the new 6.7-inch 14 Plus followed on October 7 at $899. Both reused the A15 Bionic chip from the iPhone 13 generation, so the performance gain over a 13 was small.
The safety features were the real story: Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via satellite, free for two years, plus a new Photonic Engine image pipeline. The TechEngage iPhone 14 review covers how it holds up. US models also removed the SIM tray in favor of eSIM.
iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max (2022): Dynamic Island and 48MP
On the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, Apple turned the notch into the Dynamic Island, a pill-shaped cutout that expands to show alerts and live activities. The Pro models also got an Always-On display (enabled by a 1Hz refresh rate), the first 48MP main camera on an iPhone and the A16 Bionic. They launched September 16, 2022 at $999 and $1,099, with storage up to 1TB, in deep purple, silver, gold and space black.
iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus (2023): USB-C replaces Lightning
After 11 years, Lightning was gone. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus switched to USB-C and inherited the Dynamic Island, a 48MP main camera with a 2x telephoto option and the A16 Bionic from the previous Pro models. The color-infused back glass came in pink, yellow, green, blue and black. Both arrived September 22, 2023 at $799 and $899.
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max (2023): titanium and the Action button
The iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max swapped stainless steel for titanium, making them Apple’s lightest Pro models to date. They introduced the customizable Action button, the 3-nanometer A17 Pro chip with hardware ray tracing, and a USB-C port with USB 3 speeds. The Pro Max got a 5x telephoto camera.
Pricing shifted quietly. The 15 Pro held at $999, but the Pro Max started at $1,199 with 256GB, since Apple dropped its 128GB tier. Both launched September 22, 2023.
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus (2024): Camera Control and Apple Intelligence
Apple built the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus around Apple Intelligence, its on-device AI features, using the new A18 chip. Both models gained the Action button and Camera Control, a pressure-sensitive button for launching and adjusting the camera, plus macro photos and spatial video capture for Apple Vision Pro. They launched September 20, 2024 at $799 and $899, in ultramarine, teal, pink, white and black.
iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max (2024): 6.9-inch display and 4K120 video
The iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max grew to 6.3 and 6.9 inches with the thinnest borders on any Apple product. The A18 Pro drove a new 48MP Fusion camera that records 4K at 120 frames per second in Dolby Vision, a 48MP Ultra Wide camera and a 5x telephoto on both sizes. Prices stayed at $999 and $1,199, and a desert titanium finish joined the lineup on September 20, 2024.
iPhone 16e (2025): Apple’s first in-house modem
In February 2025 Apple replaced the SE formula with the iPhone 16e. It has a 6.1-inch OLED display with Face ID, the A18 chip, a single 48MP Fusion camera with a 2x optical-quality zoom and the Action button. The bigger news for Apple was inside: C1, the first cellular modem Apple designed itself. It launched February 28, 2025 at $599 for 128GB.
iPhone 17 (2025): ProMotion finally reaches the base model
For buyers who skip the Pro models, the iPhone 17 was the biggest upgrade in years. Its 6.3-inch display added ProMotion and Always-On, with 3000 nits of peak outdoor brightness. It also got the A19 chip, a 48MP Dual Fusion camera system, an 18MP Center Stage front camera and Ceramic Shield 2.
Apple held the price at $799 but doubled the starting storage to 256GB. It arrived September 19, 2025 in lavender, mist blue, sage, white and black. For most people upgrading from an iPhone 13 or older, this is still the sensible choice in the 2026 lineup.
iPhone Air (2025): the thinnest iPhone ever
The iPhone Air took the place the Plus model used to hold. At 5.6mm it is the thinnest iPhone Apple has made, with a titanium frame around a 6.5-inch ProMotion display. It uses the A19 Pro, Apple’s C1X modem and the new N1 wireless chip, and it is eSIM-only.
The main trade-off is a single 48MP Fusion rear camera. It launched September 19, 2025 at $999 for 256GB. Buy it for the design; if zoom or a second rear camera matters more, the 17 Pro costs $100 more.
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max (2025): aluminum unibody and 8x zoom
Titanium lasted two generations. The iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max moved to an aluminum unibody with an Apple-designed vapor chamber, which Apple says gives up to 40 percent better sustained performance with the A19 Pro. Three 48MP Fusion cameras, including a new telephoto, reach 8x optical-quality zoom, and the front camera moved to 18MP Center Stage.
- Released: September 19, 2025
- Storage: 256GB to 1TB (17 Pro); up to 2TB on the Pro Max, a first
- Colors: Cosmic orange, deep blue, silver
- Launch price: $1,099 (17 Pro), $1,199 (17 Pro Max)
iPhone 17e (2026): MagSafe and 256GB for $599
Apple’s iPhone 17e, announced March 2, 2026, keeps the 16e’s $599 price but doubles the starting storage to 256GB. It moves to the A19 chip and the C1X modem (up to twice as fast as C1), adds MagSafe and Ceramic Shield 2, and keeps a 48MP Fusion camera with 2x optical-quality zoom. It went on sale March 11, 2026 in black, white and soft pink.
It is the cheapest way into the current iPhone family and the one to buy for a teenager, a parent or anyone who mostly messages, browses and takes photos.
iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max (2026): variable aperture and A20 Pro
Apple announced iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max on September 9, 2026. Pre-orders opened September 12 and the phones reached customers on Friday, September 18. The main change is photographic: the 48MP Fusion Main camera now has a variable aperture from f/1.48 to f/4, the first on an iPhone, with six blades and manual Pro controls in the Camera app.
- Chip: A20 Pro, built on a 2-nanometer process, with a redesigned vapor chamber
- Displays: 6.3 and 6.9 inches, per Apple’s tech specs, with a smaller Dynamic Island that shows three Live Activities
- Connectivity: C2 modem with mmWave support in the US, plus N1 for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6
- Battery: Up to 36 hours of video playback on the 18 Pro and 45 hours on the 18 Pro Max (eSIM-only models)
- Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
- Colors: Black, silver, glacier, burgundy
- Launch price: $1,199 (18 Pro), $1,299 (18 Pro Max)
That is a $100 increase over the 17 Pro models. The phones ship with iOS 27, which Apple released on September 14 with Siri AI rolling out in beta; a beginner’s guide to iOS 27 walks through setup. Apple did not announce a standard iPhone 18 at the September event, so any lower-priced 18 model remains unconfirmed.
iPhone Duo (2026): the first foldable iPhone
The iPhone Duo, also announced September 9, 2026, is the first iPhone that folds. Closed, it has a 5.4-inch outer display; open, a 7.6-inch inner display with a nano-texture finish meant to reduce glare and hide the crease. Apple calls it the thinnest iPhone ever when opened.
It runs the same A20 Pro as the 18 Pro, splits its battery into two cells, one in each half, and uses Touch ID in the side button rather than Face ID. The body is grade 5 titanium with a mirror-polished finish, rated IP68, in star white or night sky. Rear cameras are a 48MP Fusion Main with 2x optical-quality zoom and a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide.
- Displays: 7.6-inch inner, 5.4-inch outer, both Super Retina XDR with ProMotion
- Chip: A20 Pro with a custom vapor chamber
- Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
- Battery: Two cells, up to 31 hours of video on the inner display and 44 hours on the outer
- Launch price: $1,999
Pre-orders open October 16 and the phone arrives October 23, 2026. Because it does not ship until late October, how the hinge and crease hold up after months of use is still unknown. If you want a foldable today, compare it with the best foldable phones already on the market, or wait for independent testing.
How the iPhone changed in 19 years
Line the launch specs up and a few long trends stand out.
- Price: The entry point barely moved. The 2007 iPhone cost $499 for 4GB; the 2026 iPhone 17e costs $599 for 256GB. The ceiling is what rose, from $599 to $1,999 for iPhone Duo.
- Storage: Every iPhone announced since September 2025 starts at 256GB, up from 4GB in 2007, and Pro Max and Duo buyers can now pick 2TB.
- Screens: 3.5 inches held until 2012. Apart from the Duo’s 5.4-inch cover screen, the smallest display in the 2026 family is the 6.1-inch iPhone 17e, and the Duo opens to 7.6 inches.
- Cameras: From one 2MP sensor with no video to three 48MP Fusion cameras, variable aperture and 4K120 Dolby Vision recording.
- Silicon: Apple has designed iPhone chips since the A4 in 2010, and since 2025 it designs the modem (C1, C1X, C2) and wireless chip (N1) too.
- Ports and buttons: The 30-pin dock gave way to Lightning in 2012 and USB-C in 2023. The headphone jack left in 2016, and the Home button left the flagship in 2017.
Which one to buy in September 2026 depends on what you use it for. The iPhone 17e covers the basics for $599. The iPhone 17 is the best balance for most people. The 18 Pro models are for camera and video users who will notice variable aperture, and the Duo is for early adopters willing to pay $1,999 before durability is proven. If you are deciding whether to replace an older model, check these factors before you upgrade an old iPhone.
iPhone evolution FAQs
What is the latest iPhone in 2026?
The newest iPhones are the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, which Apple announced on September 9, 2026 and which went on sale on September 18, 2026. Apple also announced iPhone Duo, its first foldable, which arrives on October 23, 2026 at 1,999 US dollars.
How many iPhone models has Apple released?
Counting each size and variant separately, Apple has announced 55 iPhone models from the original 2007 iPhone to iPhone Duo, and 54 of them had gone on sale by September 18, 2026 (iPhone Duo is still awaiting its October 23 availability date). The count includes three generations of iPhone SE and two e models, iPhone 16e and iPhone 17e.
When did the first iPhone come out and how much did it cost?
The original iPhone went on sale in the US on June 29, 2007. It cost 499 dollars for the 4GB model and 599 dollars for the 8GB model.
Which iPhone has the biggest screen?
iPhone Duo has the largest iPhone display, a 7.6-inch inner screen when unfolded. Among non-folding models, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro Max share the largest 6.9-inch display.
When did the iPhone switch to USB-C?
Apple replaced the Lightning port with USB-C on the iPhone 15 lineup, released on September 22, 2023. Lightning itself had replaced the 30-pin dock connector on the iPhone 5 in 2012.
What was the last iPhone with a Home button?
The third-generation iPhone SE, released on March 18, 2022, was the last iPhone with a Home button and Touch ID on the front. Its replacement in the budget slot, the iPhone 16e, uses Face ID.
Which iPhone is the cheapest in 2026?
The iPhone 17e is the lowest-priced model Apple has launched in 2026, at 599 dollars with 256GB of storage. It went on sale on March 11, 2026 with the A19 chip, MagSafe and a 48MP camera.
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