You could argue that the iPhone is in its final form, since changes in recent years have been incremental instead of substantial. The features missing from the iPhone 16e versus the iPhone 16 were minor, and perhaps the biggest change to the iPhone 17 Pro is hiding the Face ID sensor -- aside from copying the camera bar of the Google Pixel. It's not necessarily bad news. Smartphones haven't changed much recently because, well, we've perfected them. Apple products have always had a reputation for "just working," so if you were on the fence about buying an iPhone, now is a great time. Any future improvements can only be minor. "Just working" or not, though, there are some settings we recommend turning off.
We've talked before about 5 things you should do immediately after buying a new iPhone, and iPhone settings you can change to extend battery life. In this list, we provide a generalized set of recommendations for settings you ought to disable. These include settings for privacy, usability, or a better phone experience overall. Whether you've just bought an iPhone or have owned one for years, consider turning off these five settings.