The sale of smartphones in the developed Western market clearly shows that Apple will continue to dominate the preferences of customers when choosing mobile phones during 2026. During 2025, the company from Cupertino decided to aggressively improve the iPhone line. The iPhone 17 series has brought the biggest improvement to the base model in recent years, while the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max have further strengthened their position as the best devices for photography. At the same time, the iPhone Air became the first serious ultra-thin rival to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge model.
The biggest change is related to the screen: for the first time, all models have a 1-120 Hz ProMotion panel, with which the basic version has caught up with the Android competition. Bigger batteries, a new 18 MP Center Stage selfie sensor and camera improvements have been added. Pro models get a new 48 MP 4x telephoto, while the base model takes over the 48 MP ultra-wide camera from the iPhone 16 Pro.
The iPhone 17 was a success, but Apple must continue to strengthen the base model in 2026
This is why the iPhone 17 has finally reached the standard of the Galaxy S25 and Pixel 10 models in terms of hardware. Performance, as always with the A19 chipset, remained outstanding. However, there is clear room for improvement.
AppleThe main drawback of the base model is still the absence of a telephoto camera, while competitors offer 3x or 5x optical zoom in standard models. Apple could install the older 12 MP 3x module from the iPhone 14 Pro in the iPhone 18 and thus remove the last important technical minus.
Another area for improvement is the battery. The capacity of around 3700 mAh provides over 11 hours of operation, but it still lags behind the Galaxy S25 and Pixel 10 models with larger batteries and longer autonomy. A higher capacity would allow the basic model to become equal in everyday use.
The conclusion is clear: Apple should continue to focus development on the basic model in 2026 or 2027, depending on the arrival of the iPhone 18 series. Another generational jump like that of the iPhone 17 series would make the iPhone 18 a full-fledged rival to Samsung and Google models not only in sales, but also in terms of the list of technical capabilities, Tech Radar concludes.