The best iPhone in 2024: Which Apple smartphone is right for you?

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With the release of the iPhone 16 series, Apple now has nine iPhones to pick from, which is the most we've ever seen. For some, having so many iPhones available complicates choosing the best iPhone. On the other hand, it also means you can find the one that's right for you.

Whether your decision-making is based on performance, features, display size, or price, our buying guide can help you choose the best option. Collectively, our tech reviewers have tested and reviewed iPhones since the first device, so you can rest assured of our recommendations. Many of our tech reviewers also use iPhones daily as personal devices, and we can confidently comment on their long-term use and identify shortcomings.

Following our extensive testing of Apple's latest phones, the iPhone 16 is our top pick as the best iPhone for most people with its combination of performance, new features, and overall value. For those on a budget, we recommend the iPhone 14, which is relatively similar to the iPhone 16 but considerably lower priced.

Our top picks for the best iPhone

Best overall: iPhone 16 - See at Best Buy

Best budget: iPhone 14 - See at Best Buy

Best premium: iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max - See at Best Buy

Best battery life: iPhone 16 Pro Max - See at Best Buy

Best small size: iPhone SE (2022) - See at Best Buy

Best overall

Based on our testing of Apple's current lineup, the iPhone 16 is the best option for most people after assessing the new base models' relative performance, features, and overall value.

The iPhone 16 comes with many new upgrades, including the latest A18 processor, the Action button, and an improved ultrawide camera. It even includes new features we'd expect as Pro model exclusives, like the new Camera Control button, macro photography, ray tracing for games, faster MagSafe charging, and support for Apple's new AI suite, Apple Intelligence.

In our preliminary testing of its initial public version in iOS 18.1, the Apple Intelligence suite on the iPhone 16 series shows promise and room for improvement. Among our favorite features are the convenient Writing Tools for generating and improving prose and summaries for emails and notifications. We found that its improvements to Siri were underwhelming, and we expect that the ChatGPT integration in the coming iOS 18.2 update will do a better job of bringing the iPhone 16 series up to par with the AI assistants of competing Android phones.

The iPhone 16 is incredibly powerful thanks to the A18 processor, even beating out the iPhone 15 Pro models in testing benchmarks. You won't feel a dramatic difference in day-to-day use if you have a recent iPhone model, but it'll be noticeable if you own an iPhone 12 or older, which is a testament to the iPhone's longevity when it comes to running apps and games. Plus, the iPhone 16's sheer power suggests it'll last even longer than a typical iPhone release before showing signs of slowing down. 

In our testing, the new Camera Control button has proven to be a useful shortcut for opening the camera app and snapping a quick photo or video recording. It's especially useful for finely adjusting zoom when holding the iPhone 16 horizontally compared to making imprecise pinch gestures on the display. Otherwise, it's mostly a different method for selecting and controlling other camera functions, like adjusting exposure and depth and switching Photographic Styles and Tones.

As we note in our guide to the iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15, the iPhone 16's main camera takes similarly high-quality photos as the iPhone 15, but the newer model supports Apple's new Photographic Styles that can be applied after taking a picture. Thanks to the camera system's new vertical alignment, it can also take spatial photos and videos, which only matters if you or anyone you know has an Apple Vision Pro or a supported AR and VR headset. 

The new ultrawide camera is still 12MP, but it captures more light for better quality, especially in low light. It also features autofocus now, which helps enable macro photography for beautiful and detailed up-close shots. 

The 60Hz display refresh rate is our biggest complaint with the iPhone 16. We expect an $800 phone in 2024 to come with a 120Hz display, like the iPhone 16 Pro models, and some of the best budget Android phones that cost as low as $300. Compared to a 120Hz display, animations can appear choppy at 60Hz and deliver a less-than-premium experience.

Nonetheless, the iPhone 16 is Apple's best entry-level model to date thanks to its collection of other high-end features, and you can't go wrong with it. 

Read our full iPhone 16 review, and see our guide to the best iPhone 16 cases to protect the phone. 

Best budget

Starting at $599, the iPhone 14 stretches the definition of a "budget" option, especially when the iPhone SE (2022) starts at $429. However, the iPhone 14 comes recommended over the iPhone SE because the former offers better value in the long run. 

In many ways, the iPhone 14 can be considered a cheaper version of the iPhone 16. Both have 6.1-inch displays and include most of Apple's modern iPhone design and features, like MagSafe, Face ID, an ultrawide camera, and satellite-based safety features. 

The iPhone 14 uses the three-year-old A15 Bionic processor, but it still easily runs any app and almost any game perfectly well. Just don't expect it to run the AAA game titles available in the App Store as smoothly as newer processors. 

Besides an older processor, it doesn't include the latest features, like the Action button, the Camera Control button, USB-C charging, the Dynamic Island, or support for Apple Intelligence. 

The iPhone 14 is the last to use Apple's 12MP main camera after the company equipped the base iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 series with 48MP main cameras. Still, the iPhone 14 takes very good photos that few will complain about. 

For $100 more, it's worth considering the iPhone 15, which does have Dynamic Island, USB-C charging, a better camera, and a newer processor. But, if $599 is your limit, you'll be perfectly happy with the iPhone 14, Apple's best cheap phone.

Read our full iPhone 14 review.

Best premium

The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are the only Pro options, so the choice depends on your personal size preference and if you need a longer battery life. 

Speaking of size, the iPhone 16 Pro introduces a new, larger 6.3-inch display, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max has a new 6.9-inch display. Both iPhone 16 Pro models are slightly larger as a result, but they don't seem bigger due to slimmer bezels around the screens. Those thinner borders also give the iPhone 16 Pro a more premium look and feel than the base iPhone 16.

The iPhone 16 Pro models run on the latest A18 Pro processor, which is even more powerful than the A18 in the base iPhone 16 models. You might not sense a difference in performance today or even a couple of years after launch. However, the A18 Pro will likely run apps and games more quickly and smoothly in four or more years compared to the standard A18, and it'll surely outperform the iPhone 15 Pro models' A17 Pro chip for Apple Intelligence over time, especially as the AI suite expands with new and more demanding features relative to the initial slate we've tested in iOS 18.1. If you tend to hold on to your iPhones for four or more years, even as a casual user, buying an iPhone 16 Pro makes sense.

Unlike the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, which had differing zoom cameras (3x and 5x, respectively), the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max have exactly the same camera specs and features.

For users like hobbyist content creators and professional videographers, the iPhone 16 Pro models' A18 Pro chip powers numerous advanced camera features. If you value 4K videos recording at 120 frames per second (fps) in Dolby Vision; the ProRes, Log, and ACES video recording formats; ProRAW photos, a studio-quality four-microphone system, and fast USB 3 transfer speeds to transfer footage to a computer or external storage device, the iPhone 16 Pro can be an indispensable tool.

Otherwise, while the iPhone 16 Pro models are truly excellent, Apple made it harder for most people to justify buying one over a base iPhone 16 model. All four models in the iPhone 16 lineup now include the Action button, Camera Control button, 48MP main cameras, the Dynamic Island, Apple Intelligence support, and super bright displays, so you don't need to go Pro if those features are all you need.

Still, casual users can enjoy a dedicated 5x zoom camera, a higher-resolution 48MP ultrawide camera, larger screen sizes, and Apple's ProMotion 120Hz display.

Read our full iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max review, and see our guides to the best iPhone 16 Pro cases and best iPhone 16 Pro Max cases to protect either phone. 

Best battery life

We can validate Apple's claim that the iPhone 16 Pro Max has the longest battery life of any iPhone. It ended our battery test with 74% remaining, which is not only the highest score for any iPhone we've tested but also for any phone, period.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max dethrones the iPhone Plus line as the best battery life performer. The previous record holders for the best battery life were the iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 14 Plus, which both had a 73% result. The iPhone 16 Plus scored 70%, which was somewhat surprising, but it's still a great result. For context, the Android phone with the best battery life is the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, which also had a 70% result.

If the iPhone 16 Pro Max is out of your budget, you'll find comparable battery life in the iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone 15 Plus, which Apple still offers (though they're incompatible with Apple Intelligence).

Our battery test is designed to simulate mixed light and heavy usage with three hours of screen-on time. It involves:

• Streaming a YouTube video for two hours.
• Streaming music to a Bluetooth speaker for an hour (with the screen off or always-on display enabled if applicable, without background).
• Two cycles of the intensive 20-minute 3D Mark Wild Life Stress Test.
• Five runs of the Geekbench 6 CPU benchmarking test.

Read our full iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max review.

Best small size

Since the iPhone 14 generation, when Apple discontinued its Mini series of iPhones, the iPhone SE (2022) has been the only option for a small iPhone. By default, it's the best small-size iPhone.

With its 4.7-inch display and $429 starting price, the iPhone SE is also the cheapest iPhone you can buy. While it lacks the modern features of other iPhones, it appeals to buyers who want a smaller device and don't mind older but familiar tech, like Touch ID.

Powering the iPhone SE is Apple's A15 Bionic processor — the same one that's used in the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 — which is still powerful and fast enough to run any app or game in the App Store. It also supports some of the most popular features on the iPhone, like iMessage and FaceTime, and is compatible with Apple's ecosystem of devices, like the Apple Watch and AirPods. 

Our main gripes with the iPhone SE are its short battery life compared to larger iPhones and that it's a little spartan in terms of features and design. It has a single camera lens, no MagSafe technology (although it supports Qi wireless charging), no Apple Intelligence support, and a dated design with huge borders below and above the display to accommodate the front camera, earpiece speaker, and Touch ID button. And, the entry model only offers 64GB of storage, which goes fast if you shoot many photos and videos.

While not an ideal long-term solution, if you're absolutely dead-set on a small iPhone but want a more up-to-date experience with two cameras and modern features like Face ID and MagSafe, check with your carrier to see if the iPhone 13 Mini is still available or buy one refurbished through Apple.

Apple did not release a new iPhone SE generation with the launch of the iPhone 16 series, but analysts are predicting a new version will launch in early 2025. It's unclear what screen size any upcoming iPhone SE might have, so don't base your buying decision on unconfirmed reports.

Read our full iPhone SE (2022) review.

Older iPhones that are poor value, even if they're cheap

We don't recommend buying the iPhone 12 or any older model. You might find them refurbished for less than the iPhone 14, but you won't be getting your money's worth, whatever the price, as they won't last very long in terms of performance or iOS updates for new features and security patches. 

If you're looking to spend under the iPhone 14's starting price for a modern-looking iPhone, a refurbished iPhone 13 for around $300 or less can still be worthwhile, but expect a shorter lifespan in iOS upgrades and support from Apple.

Which is the best iPhone?

In our assessment, the best iPhone for most people is the iPhone 16. While the iPhone 16 Pro models are the very best phones Apple has to offer, many people may not find a justification for their high-end features and build quality, given their higher price tags.

How we test iPhones

To test iPhones, we use them as if they were our main daily drivers for at least a week, if not longer. That way, we can get an overall sense of their performance, camera quality, battery life, and new features and compare them to our experience with other models within the same generation and previous iPhone generations. 

We expect the latest iPhones to run quickly, smoothly, and flawlessly. To test performance, we run popular and widely used apps and look for any sign of stuttering or slower-than-expected loading times. We also run the Geekbench 6 benchmark to give us an idea of performance improvements over the previous generation.

To test camera quality, we take photos of the same scenes and subjects with each lens and compare the results for different phones. For greater consistency, we've started taking photos of our typical scenes at the same time and place with all the latest, generationally current phones available in the US. 

We also take several, often hundreds, personal photos with iPhones, like those of friends and family, which we aren't comfortable posting in our review for the sake of privacy. However, these photos weigh heavily in our assessments, as they reveal positives and negatives that testing scenes don't, like the ability to capture a clear image of moving subjects and the everyday experience of using the cameras. 

For battery life, we put each iPhone through a stress test that simulates a blend of typical casual and intensive daily usage that includes two hours of video streaming at a set brightness, one hour of music streaming while connected to Bluetooth speakers, five runs of the Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark test, and two runs of the 3D Mark Wild Life Stress Test. We then note the remaining battery percentage.

FAQs

Which iPhone has the best camera?

The iPhone 16 Pro models have the best cameras in the iPhone 16 lineup. Although the base iPhone 16's 48MP camera takes comparable photos, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max's 48MP ultrawide and 5x zoom camera deliver higher quality ultrawide and zoomed photos.

The iPhone 16 Pro's three cameras are more versatile than the base iPhone 16's two, but the iPhone 16 is still multifaceted with its new macro photography and a 2x optical-quality zoom option. While the Pro models have advanced features for shooting photos and videos, the standard iPhone 16 camera system can capture great image quality that should satisfy most users, especially for social media.

Even older iPhone models like the iPhone 14 have great cameras. The "worst" camera may be the iPhone SE, which has a single-lens system, but even that model captures great-looking photos under good lighting conditions.

When is the best time to buy a new iPhone?

There is no objective "best time" to buy an iPhone. However, it can be argued that it's better to buy a new iPhone sooner rather than later after a new iPhone launch. Luckily for you, Apple recently released the iPhone 16 series.

With the launch of the new phones, Apple has also retained older models in its lineup and given several phones a $100 price cut, so you could still buy a new-condition iPhone without having to shell out the price of a brand-new phone.

If you need a new iPhone because your current one is broken or not working, the best time to buy a new iPhone is now.

Where is the best place to buy an iPhone?

Carriers tend to have the highest trade-in values for your old phone. We've seen trade-in deals where you can get the latest iPhone for free by trading in an older iPhone. We've also seen carriers trade significantly older iPhones for the same value as a year-old iPhone around the time a new iPhone is released. Some carriers also offer programs that let you pay in monthly installments, but you'll be locked into the carrier until it's paid off.

Do iPhones need cases?

A naked iPhone undoubtedly looks and feels the best, but one drop from a decent height onto a hard floor can crack any iPhone's back or front glass, so we generally recommend that iPhone owners use both cases and screen protectors.

Some people accept the risk of damage, and some buy AppleCare Plus for this very reason, which offers unlimited repairs for accidental damage with a $29 fee per incident for back or front glass damage on top of the cost of AppleCare Plus.

However, a case and screen protector combination is the best and most cost-effective way to ensure your iPhone's hardware stays in working order. If you're leaning toward our top pick, the iPhone 16, see our guides to the best iPhone 16 cases and best iPhone 16 screen protectors to protect the phone and extend its longevity.