Apple is juggling seven iPhone models at the same time right now, a range that starts at $699 for the iPhone 17e and tops out at $1,999 for the iPhone Duo, according to Wired's newly updated buying guide published Friday.
The guide, refreshed for October, folds in Wired's first look at the iPhone Duo now that the device is actually on sale, along with links to its reviews and related coverage. It's a reminder that Apple's iPhone shelf has gotten more crowded and more expensive at the top than it used to be, even as the entry point has barely moved.
If you're hoping for something cheaper with newer internals, you're waiting a while. Wired says it doesn't expect the more affordable iPhone 18 models until spring 2027, meaning this fall's flagship-heavy lineup is what shoppers are stuck choosing from for months.
Buying direct versus buying from a carrier
Most iPhone buyers in the US still go through a carrier, and Wired's guide spends real estate warning about what that locks you into. A phone bought through Verizon, for instance, stays tied to that network, and breaking away means extra fees or a finished contract. That's been a bigger headache since Apple dropped the physical SIM tray from US iPhones starting with the iPhone 14 in 2022, a decision that makes switching carriers an eSIM transfer rather than a SIM swap.
Buying straight from Apple.com gets you an unlocked phone in most cases, with one exception: AT&T installment plans still produce a locked device. Apple's own financing options, through the Apple Card or a Citizens One loan under Apple iPhone Payments, also come with carrier catches. Choose a carrier when financing through Apple.com and only the T-Mobile and Verizon units arrive unlocked. AT&T and Boost Mobile financing, by contrast, locks the phone just like buying it directly from those carriers would.
Wired is also lukewarm on Apple's lease-to-own Apple Upgrade program, arguing most people don't actually need a new iPhone every year or two, and that the leased phone has to come back in good shape or trigger extra charges. AppleCare isn't bundled in either, unlike the now-discontinued iPhone Upgrade Program that preceded it.
Siri gets a bigger job in iOS 27
The software side of the pitch has changed too. IOS 27 brought a reworked, conversational Siri that can pull context from a user's messages, emails and photos, and act on it, drafting a reply in a particular tone or finding a restaurant for an occasion, per Wired's reporting. That builds on Apple Intelligence, the AI feature set that debuted with iOS 18.1 and now covers everything from call transcription in Notes to Genmoji.
For now, the decision facing a shopper hasn't gotten simpler. It's an entry-level phone at $699, a flagship stretch to $1,999 for the Duo, and a long wait until spring for anything new in between.
DDFiled by The Deals Desk
Price drops and sales on tech worth buying, with the price, the retailer and the time it was reported. Prices move; every deal says when it was seen.
More from this desk →
Be the first to comment
Join the argument. No password, just your email or a passkey.