We’re shortly approaching Apple’s fall iPhone occasion. The “wonderlust” presentation is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 12, on the firm’s HQ in Cupertino, California — and we anticipate Apple to unveil the iPhone 15. But till CEO Tim Cook steps onstage at Apple Park’s Steve Jobs Theater, now we have to attend to know for positive what the brand new iPhones can be like. So if you happen to’re trying to purchase a brand new iPhone, my basic recommendation could be to not. Wait and see what Apple broadcasts and the reductions that older iPhone fashions will seemingly get.
Currently, Apple sells eight iPhone fashions launched between 2020 and 2023. There’s no such factor as a real “finest” iPhone, however relying in your wants, price range and preferences, some fashions can be higher for you than others. Prices begin at $429 for the 2022 iPhone SE and prime out at $1,599 for the iPhone 14 Pro Max with a whopping 1TB of storage. If you are on the lookout for the finest iPhone offers, now we have you lined there, too.
Navigating Apple’s iPhone spectrum could make your head spin, whether or not you are contemplating colours (the iPhone 14 comes in six), or options just like the iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island, which animates system alerts and background actions reminiscent of taking part in music. Luckily, I’ve examined all eight variations of the iPhone and may help you navigate by way of all of the noise.
What is the most effective iPhone proper now?
The best possible iPhone is the $999 iPhone 14 Pro. It has all of Apple’s latest options, together with an A16 Bionic chip, upgraded predominant digicam, the Dynamic Island, in addition to instruments like Car Crash Detection and SOS through Satellite. Not everybody trying to purchase a telephone from Apple wants the 14 Pro, however in order for you the most effective get the iPhone 14 Pro. Want one thing greater? Get the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which is the common 14 Pro in a much bigger physique.
Best iPhones of 2023
When I reviewed the iPhone 14, I stated it was basically the iPhone 13 Pro’s processor and predominant digicam contained in the physique of an iPhone 13. No doubt, some can be upset that the iPhone 14 is not radically completely different from earlier fashions. But that is a part of its appeal. Familiarity has been one of many keys to Apple’s success with the iPhone. And because the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, do not repair it.”
From the again, the $999 iPhone 14 Pro seems an identical to final yr’s 13 Pro. But do not let that sameness idiot you. It’s the 14 Pro’s display screen the place there’s one thing completely different and fantastic happening. The show notch, that outlined earlier Face ID iPhone fashions, has morphed right into a pill-shaped display screen cutout that may present system alerts and background actions like whenever you obtain a name or play music. Apple calls this performance the Dynamic Island. I do know, it isn’t the most effective identify, nevertheless it’s actually among the finest options.
The $729 iPhone 13 remains to be a superb telephone. In reality, if you happen to’re tempted by the iPhone 14 and need to avoid wasting cash, seize a 13. They have basically the identical physique, similar display screen and similar A15 Bionic processor. Although technically, the iPhone 14’s processor does have an additional GPU core.
The $929 iPhone 14 Plus is both an enormous iPhone 14 or a scaled-back iPhone 14 Pro Max, relying in your perspective. Ever because the iPhone XS Max launched in 2018, there was just one choice for individuals who love huge screens: Pay prime greenback and get a Max mannequin with additional options you may not essentially want (like a telephoto digicam or a excessive refresh fee show). I do know many CNET readers, associates and colleagues who’ve shelled out $1,100 or extra for an iPhone 12 Pro Max or 13 Pro Max as a result of it was the one option to get a telephone in the dimensions they needed. But that adjustments now.
Who stated small telephones do not exist in 2022? The $629 iPhone 13 Mini is good as a result of it has all the things the iPhone 13 has — it is simply smaller. It has the identical square-edged seems, help for 5G and the identical cameras. The 13 Mini’s defining function is its 5.4-inch OLED display screen that helps Dolby HDR. If that sounds too small, take into account that Plus fashions, just like the iPhone 8 Plus, had a 5.5-inch display screen inside a a lot bigger physique. The 13 Mini’s secret is that it lacks these big brow and chin bezels that outlined the iPhone for its first decade.
The $1,099 iPhone 14 Pro Max is only a huge model of the iPhone 14 Pro. It has the identical A16 Bionic processor, the identical cameras and the identical options. But it does differ in two huge methods from the 14 Pro: It has a much bigger 6.7-inch high-refresh fee display screen and a much bigger battery. In reality, in our checks, the iPhone 14 Pro Max had the longest battery lifetime of any telephone on this checklist.
The $629 iPhone 12 and its flat-sided design marked the start of the present technology of Apple telephones. Of all the things on this checklist, it is the oldest but additionally one of many most cost-effective, particularly if you wish to snag an iPhone with a recent look and Face ID.
At $429, you may suppose the one attraction of the iPhone SE (2022) is its value. And admittedly that could be a huge issue. On the surface, the iPhone SE has the identical physique because the iPhone 8, which makes it the one iPhone on this checklist that also has Touch ID. On the within, the SE has the identical A15 processor because the iPhone 13, 13 Mini, 14 and 14 Plus which takes the 2017 digicam {hardware} and offers it an injection of Apple’s computational pictures magic.
Below are the varied fashions, their launch date, the variety of rear cameras they’ve, their processor and their present checklist value, which for some telephones features a $30 activation price that is waived if you happen to activate your iPhone on a service on the time of buy.
Current iPhones, in contrast
| Model | US beginning value | Screen dimension | No. of rear cameras | CPU | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone SE | $429 | 4.7 inches | 1 | A15 Bionic | March 2022 |
| iPhone 12 | $599 | 6.1 inches | 2 | A14 Bionic | October 2020 |
| iPhone 13 Mini | $599 | 5.4 inches | 2 | A15 Bionic | September 2021 |
| iPhone 13 | $699 | 6.1 inches | 2 | A15 Bionic | September 2021 |
| iPhone 14 | $799 | 6.1 inches | 2 | A15 Bionic | September 2022 |
| iPhone 14 Plus | $899 | 6.7 inches | 2 | A15 Bionic | October 2022 |
| iPhone 14 Pro | $999 | 6.1 inches | 3 | A16 Bionic | September 2022 |
| iPhone 14 Pro Max | $1,099 | 6.7 inches | 3 | A16 Bionic | September 2022 |
How we check iPhone fashions
Emergency SOS may be one of the vital necessary options to come back out on any telephone this yr.
I check each iPhone in real-world situations specializing in its options, design, efficiency, cameras, battery life and general worth. I doc our findings in an preliminary evaluate that’s periodically up to date when there are new iOS updates or to match towards new telephones from rivals like Samsung, Google and OnePlus.
Photography
Photography is a significant focus for the iPhone, so we take footage and movies of assorted topics in quite a lot of settings and lighting situations. We check out any new digicam modes, reminiscent of Action mode that debuted with the iPhone 14 line.
Battery life
Battery testing is carried out in quite a lot of methods. We assess how lengthy the iPhone lasts throughout a typical day of use, and word the way it performs throughout extra centered classes of video calls, media streaming and gaming. I additionally conduct a video playback check, which is not all the time included in the preliminary evaluate and added later in an replace.
Performance measuring
We use benchmarking apps to measure the efficiency, alongside our personal anecdotal experiences utilizing the telephone for our evaluate. Of specific word are how graphics and animations look. Are they easy? Or do they lag or stutter? We additionally have a look at how shortly the telephone switches between horizontal and vertical orientations and how briskly the digicam app opens and is able to take a photograph.
We carry out processor-heavy duties like modifying photographs and movies, exporting movies and taking part in video games. We consider whether or not a more moderen model of the iPhone contains sufficient options to make it value upgrading from older fashions.
Read More: How CNET checks telephones
Key phrases
eSIM
An eSIM takes all the necessary details about your telephone account — together with its quantity, wi-fi service and subscription — and shops it in software program as an alternative of on a bodily SIM card.
With the iPhone 14, Apple eliminated the bodily SIM card tray and embraced embedded SIM playing cards. This means you cannot simply pluck your SIM card out of your present telephone and put it into a brand new one. But this should not have an effect on your expertise since all the most important US carriers and a lot of smaller operators work with eSIM.
Apple has lengthy supported eSIM, relationship again to 2018’s iPhone XS, XS Max and XR. When establishing a brand new iPhone 14, the gadget will information you thru transferring your present supplier over to the brand new telephone. A listing of supported wi-fi networks could be discovered on Apple’s web site.
iOS 16
Apple’s iOS 16 is the newest model of Apple’s iPhone software program. It’s on the iPhone 14 by default and can also be out there as an replace for the iPhone 8 and later. iOS 16 contains new options reminiscent of customizable lock screens, an replace to the Messages app that permits for unsending and modifying iMessage texts and new photograph modifying instruments.
iPhone FAQs
How dependable is an iPhone?
Apple has been making iPhones for 16 years. The present lineup was launched in September 2022 and all have a mud and water resistance ranking of IP68, which implies they’ll survive being submerged beneath 6 meters of water (about 20 toes) for half-hour. The screens are lined in Apple’s Ceramic Shield which is a glass-ceramic materials created by Corning, in collaboration with Apple, and consists of nano ceramic crystals embedded in the glass matrix. It’s extremely clear, and in response to Corning, the robust construction shaped by the crystals means it is much less more likely to break.
How lengthy does an iPhone final?
One option to measure how lengthy an iPhone will final is to have a look at the software program and safety help Apple affords for older fashions. iOS 16 can run on Apple telephones as outdated as 2017’s iPhone X, iPhone 8 and eight Pro. That’s almost 6 years of software program help. Compare that to Samsung, who affords 5 years of Android software program help for upgrades. But software program is just half the equation. The different half is {hardware} and sturdiness. Fortunately, each iPhone Apple sells has an IP ranking for mud and water resistance. Newer fashions just like the iPhone 12, 13 and 14 sequence even have Ceramic Shield, a glass/ceramic hybrid, that covers the show and may be very sturdy.