Should you go Pro, Max, Plus or SE? And 16, 15 or 14? Choices, choices!
In the beginning, there was just iPhone – Apple’s revolutionary mobile phone, widescreen iPod with touch controls, and breakthrough internet communications device. Now, there are so many iPhones available to buy, it makes your head spin.
This guide aims to help you decide which is the right iPhone for you, with a no-nonsense rundown of each model’s standout features – for good or ill.
iPhone 16 Pro/16 Pro Max
From $999/£999 • 6.3in/6.9in display • A18 Pro • 128 (Pro only)/256/512GB or 1TB • Face ID • USB-C (USB 3 speeds) • three-camera system
Best for: a cutting-edge smartphone and/or the best iPhone camera
We’re not sure what makes a smartphone ‘Pro’. But the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max both deserve that part of the name more than any other. They retain what was great about their predecessors – amazing displays; raw power; high-speed USB-C; the Action button – and ramp up yet more things that matter.
Smaller bezels mean this year’s displays are even bigger, despite neither device’s footprint increasing. The screens can also drop down to 1 nit minimum brightness – ideal for use in dark rooms. As you’d expect, the chip is faster and the camera is better. Both Pro and Pro Max get improved Ultra Wide and spatial photo capabilities. And the Pro gets 5x zoom, a boost from last year’s 3x. Battery life is up, charging time is down, and the new Camera Control provides a dedicated camera shutter with gestural smarts.
All this comes at a high price, and a Pro (or Pro Max) will be overkill for many. But if you want the best iPhone – or hanker after the best iPhone camera – one of Apple’s flagships is still the right choice.
Pros: 5x telephoto zoom; powerful; fast; superb always-on display
Cons: Drab colors; expensive; Pro Max can feel unwieldy
iPhone 16/16 Plus
From $799/£799 • 6.1in/6.7in display • A18 • 128/256/512GB • Face ID • USB-C (USB 2 speeds) • dual-camera system
Best for: providing many ‘iPhone Pro’ good bits (and better colors) at a more affordable price
Elements that differentiate the iPhone Pro are absent from its cheaper sibling: the always-on 120Hz ProMotion display; a 5x zoom; the fastest A18 Pro chip. Yet the iPhone 16 still feels quite ‘pro’.
The camera system improves further on last year’s iPhone 15, with a bump to the UltraWide camera and the addition of macro mode and spatial photos. It also gets the Camera Control button, rather than that being a Pro-only feature. The Action button comes along for the ride too.
In terms of raw power, there’s less of a gulf between this iPhone and the Pro model than last year, because Apple needs its entire 2024 range to support Apple Intelligence. That likely makes this year’s standard iPhone a bargain. Don’t be surprised if next year the iPhone 17 Pro has an A19 Pro chip, while the iPhone 17 sticks with the A18.
Roll in fast charging and the gorgeous ultramarine color option, and you’ve a device that’s recommended if you don’t need – or can’t afford – Apple’s flagship. Although if you’re tempted by the Plus’s bigger screen, try it in the hand first to see if you’re OK with its size and heft.
Pros: Camera Control and Action button; quality cameras; nice colors
Cons: USB-C is USB 2 speeds; no ProMotion; getting pricey
iPhone 15/15 Plus
From $699/£699 • 6.1in/6.7in display • A16 Bionic • 128/256/512GB • Face ID • USB-C (USB 2 speeds) • dual-camera system
Best for: someone who wants a modern iPhone and solid camera but not Apple Intelligence
Now it’s been knocked one spot down the line-up, the question with the iPhone 15 is why you’d buy one over the iPhone 14 – or not spend a bit extra on an iPhone 16.
The former point is easier to answer. The camera system is a big improvement. The 48MP main camera is technically marginally inferior to the iPhone 15 Pro’s, but not to the degree you’d notice. The ability to snap 2x shots is welcome. And the addition of USB-C positioned this iPhone for the future rather than the past, as did Dynamic Island replacing the notch.
But pay an extra hundred bucks and you this year effectively leap two generations of chips and RAM, thereby securing a device that will run Apple Intelligence, and gain the two extra buttons (Camera Control and Action). If those things don’t matter to you, the iPhone 15 is still a great phone. Otherwise, save up some extra pennies.
Pros: Dynamic Island; 48MP main camera, 2x camera zoom; USB-C
Cons: Slower USB-C; no Action button; won’t support Apple Intelligence
iPhone 14/14 Plus
From $599/£599 • 6.1in/6.7in display • A15 Bionic • 128/256/512GB • Face ID • Lightning • dual camera system
Best for: when you’re on a budget but really don’t want an iPhone SE
Prior to the iPhone 16’s release, we weren’t keen on the iPhone 14, which sat in an awkward spot between the meaningfully improved iPhone 15 and the wallet-friendly iPhone 13. In the scheme of things, the iPhone 14’s marginal gains over its predecessor makes it one of the more forgettable iPhones. But at $599/£599 its shortcomings are a little more palatable when you want a more affordable iPhone that isn’t an iPhone SE.
The A15 chip remains a leading processor at this price, and you do get the likes of Face ID, crash detection and Emergency SOS via satellite, MagSafe, Spatial Audio, and an almost all-screen display. Battery life is solid, and the color range remains our favorite of any iPhone still on sale. However, like the SE, you’re still buying into the past: Lightning; no Dynamic Island; a merely OK camera system. If you’re on a budget, go for it. But if you can stretch to a meaningfully superior iPhone 15, get that instead.
Pros: Still powerful enough; great colors; reasonably priced
Cons: No Dynamic Island; no telephoto lens; Lightning
iPhone SE
From $429/£429 • 4.7in display • A15 Bionic • 64/128/256GB • Touch ID • Lightning • single camera system
Best for: when you want the most affordable, pocketable iPhone
At a glance, this iPhone looks liked it’s beamed in from a different era. Because it kind of has. The SE is the spitting image of a 2017-vintage iPhone 8. That means huge bezels and a smallish display. In terms of tech, it lacks MagSafe, ultra-wideband support and Face ID. There’s only a single 12MP rear camera.
So is there a saving grace? Actually, there are a few. This iPhone is meaningfully cheaper than others in the line – and a lot smaller, which makes it ideal to stash in a pocket. If you prefer Touch ID over Face ID, it has that. But also, there’s an A15 chip inside. So you’re getting relatively modern innards – the processor essentially equals what’s in the 2022 iPhone 14 – in a phone that’s the cheapest Apple offers.
That said, it’s looking very long in the tooth. So make sure before buying one that you’re OK with the compromises. If not, go for the iPhone 14.
Pros: Affordable; small form factor; still fairly powerful
Cons: Single camera system; dated; no MagSafe
TL;DR
Still undecided? Here’s a lightning-fast comparison for when to upgrade to the next model up:
- Get the iPhone SE if you want the cheapest, smallest iPhone.
- Grab the iPhone 14 when you want something a bit more modern.
- (Or the Plus if you want a bigger screen.)
- Go for the iPhone 15 for a better camera, Dynamic Island and USB-C.
- Buy an iPhone 16 when you want a current-gen iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence and that doesn’t break the bank (or if you just like ultramarine).
- And pick the iPhone 16 Pro if you have to have the best and most powerful iPhone Apple’s ever made.
- (Or the Max if you want the best and most powerful iPhone with the biggest display that Apple’s ever made!)