iPhone buying guide: Best iPhone to buy in 2024

Macworld

Deciding which iPhone to buy has always been tricky. Which screen size is best for you, and how much storage do you need? Should you save money by selecting an older model, or should you splash out on the latest iPhone? Which iPhone is the best compromise between specs and value for money?

In this article we talk you through each of the phones currently available from Apple, to help you decide which is best for you. We discuss iPhone prices, specs and features, paying particular attention to the cameras, screens and durability, so you should leave feeling much more confident about which iPhone you should get.

For more help with your choice see our reviews of the latest iPhones (linked below) and our Best iPhone comparison chart where we compare all the new iPhone with the ones still on sale.

iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max review

iPhone 16 and 16 Plus review

iPhone 15 Plus review

iPhone 14 review

iPhone 14 Plus review

What iPhones does Apple sell?

When you include both the larger and smaller sizes, there are nine iPhones in Apple’s current lineup.

We’ll start of by looking at how the design of each handset differs, so you can tell which iPhone is which at a glance, before going on to discuss how the iPhones compare in other ways including screens, cameras, safety features, specs and battery life. You can also find out all about the new features in the latest iPhones in our iPhone 16 guide.

You might also want to check out our best iPhone deals, and comparison of every iPhone that is available to buy today.

Before we start, a quick-at-a-glance comparison of the iPhones:






1. Apple iPhone 16


















Price When Reviewed:

$799




Best Prices Today:


$799 at Apple$829.99 at Best Buy





The iPhone 16 is similar to last year’s iPhone 15, but the new processor supports Apple Intelligence, a suite of generative-AI features that Apple is rolling out through several iOS updates. It also delivers much longer battery life and includes a new Camera Control button to make it faster and easier to launch your favorite photo app and take pictures.

Read our full

Apple iPhone 16 review






2. Apple iPhone 16 Plus


















Price When Reviewed:

$899




Best Prices Today:


$899 at Apple$929.99 at Best Buy





A larger version of the iPhone 16, with the same specs and features, outside of the obviously larger display. The only place the iPhone 16 Plus differs in performance form the iPhone 16 is in its significantly longer battery life. After all, if the phone is bigger, it can fit a larger battery inside.







3. Apple iPhone 16 Pro


















Price When Reviewed:

$999




Best Prices Today:


$999 at Apple $999.99 at Best Buy





The Pro version of the iPhone 16 once again comes in a titanium shell, and offers slightly better performance and battery life than the standard iPhone 16.

The photo and video capabilities are where the Pro models stand out. They include a 5x telephoto camera, a sharper 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera, and support for high-end formats like ProRAW, HLG video, and video recording at up to 4K and 120fps. And yes, it includes the new Camera Control button.

Read our full

Apple iPhone 16 Pro review






4. Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max


















Price When Reviewed:

$1,199




Best Prices Today:


$1199 at Apple$1199.99 at Best Buy





Just as the iPhone 16 Plus is simply a larger version of the iPhone 16, so too is the iPhone 16 Pro Max just a larger iPhone 16 Pro. In past years, the Pro Max version would have some distinguishing feature (like better telephoto camera) but that isn’t the case this year.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max does get a big boost in battery life from its larger battery, however.







5. Apple iPhone 15


















Price When Reviewed:

From $699 (Was $799)




Best Prices Today:


$729 at Apple$729.99 at Best Buy






The standard iPhone 15 model doesn’t get all the bells and whistles of the Pro models, but it does offer some great new features in comparison to 2022’s iPhone 14. For example, the non-pro iPhones now have the Dynamic Island instead of the notch. The iPhone 15 camera is significantly better than the iPhone 14 camera, now up to 48MP and with Smart HDR 5. You’ll get USB-C instead of Lightning. The processor is the A16 Bionic, as seen in the iPhone 14 Pro.







6. Apple iPhone 15 Plus


















Price When Reviewed:

$799 (was $899)




Best Prices Today:


$829 at Apple$829.99 at Best Buy





The same phone as the iPhone 15, only larger! You get a bigger, longer-lasting battery with the larger size, but the features and performance are otherwise identical.

Read our full

Apple iPhone 15 Plus review






7. Apple iPhone 14


















Price When Reviewed:

£599 (was £699)




Best Prices Today:


$629 at Apple$829 at Visible






Introduced in 2022, the iPhone 14 brought new camera features like the Photonic Engine, better low-light photos and the Action mode, which weren’t available on the iPhone 13. The biggest problem with the iPhone 14 is that it’s not that much different to the iPhone 13 in many other ways, with the same generation chip and practically identical appearance.

Read our full

Apple iPhone 14 review






8. Apple iPhone 14 Plus


















Price When Reviewed:

£699 (was £799)






Introduced in 2022, this iPhone is identical to the iPhone 14 except for one big difference: it’s bigger. If you prefer a larger iPhone, but don’t want to spend a lot of money, this is the iPhone for you.

Read our full

Apple iPhone 14 Plus review






9. Apple iPhone SE (2022)


















Price When Reviewed:

$429 (64GB) | $479 (128GB) | $579 (256GB)




Best Prices Today:


$250.51 at Amazon$429 at Apple$429 at Apple United States






Apple introduced the iPhone SE 3rd generation in spring 2022. It’s the cheapest iPhone you can buy, and, now that the iPhone 13 mini is no longer sold by Apple, this is Apple’s smallest iPhone. Plus if you want or need a Home button – perhaps because the lack of a button could cause accessibility problems, although there is a way to add a software Home button if you need to – this is the only iPhone that has one.

If you are looking for an iPhone for an elderly relative, this might be the one, see: Best iPhone for seniors.

Read our full

Apple iPhone SE (2022) review






How much do iPhones cost?

Brilliant news for 2023: Apple has reduced pricing across most of the range (and across the whole range if you are based in the U.K.) Below you will find pricing for U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia (scroll across to see pricing in your region).

ModelRelease dateStorage optionsU.S. Price U.K. PriceCanada PriceAustralia PriceiPhone 16 Pro MaxSeptember 2024256GB512GB1TB$1,199$1,399$1,599£1,199£1,399£1,599$1,749$2,049$2,349$2,199$2,549$2,899iPhone 16 ProSeptember 2024128GB256GB512GB1TB$999$1,099 $1,299$1,499 £999£1,099£1,299£1,499$1,449$1,599$1,899$2,199$1,849$2,049$2,399$2,749iPhone 16 PlusSeptember 2024128GB256GB512GB$899 $999$1,199£899£999£1,199$1,279$1,429$1,729$1,649$1,849$2,199iPhone 16September 2024128GB256GB512GB$799$899$1,099£799£899£1,099$1,129$1,279$1,579$1,499$1,699$2,049iPhone 15 PlusSeptember 2023128GB256GB512GB$799 $899$1,099£799£899£1,099$1,149$1,299$1,599$1,399$1,599$1,949iPhone 15September 2023128GB256GB512GB$699$799$999£699£799£999$999$1,149$1,449$1,249$1,449$1,799iPhone 14 PlusSeptember 2022128GB256GB512GB$699$799$999£699£799£999$999$1,149$1,449$1,249$1,449$1,799iPhone 14September 2022128GB256GB512GB$599$699$899£599£699£899$849$999$1,299$1,049$1,249$1,599iPhone SE (3rd gen)March 202264GB 128GB256GB$429$479$579£429£479£579$579$649$789$719$799$969iPhone prices September 2023.

You don’t have to pay full price for a new iPhone though. Read our iPhone deals roundup for more advice on getting the lowest possible price from various different resellers. We have also collected the best deals for the iPhone 16-series in the U.K. and the best deals for the iPhone 16-series in the U.S. in separate articles.

Design: How do the iPhones compare?




Apple

There are two big new features in the iPhone 16 line: the Camera Control button and support for Apple Intelligence.

Camera Control is a new button, flush with the iPhone body, that resides about 2/3 of the way down the right side, so it is under your finger when held in landscape orientation to take photos or video. Press it to launch your desired camera app, press it in that app to act like a shutter button. You can lightly tap or swipe on it, too, to control various camera options within apps.

Apple Intelligence is a suite of AI features that is being released in waves, starting with iOS 18.1 and continuing in updates through 2025. There are writing tools, image generation, image recognition, “Genmoji” emoji generation, and new capabilities for Siri. Apple Intelligence is also available on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, which Apple no longer sells. It is not available on the iPhone 15 or any prior model iPhone.

In our testing, the iPhone 16 line offered a big boost in battery life over prior models, too.

The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are very similar to the iPhone 16, but with slightly slower performance, less battery life, no Camera Control button, and no support for Apple Intelligence.

If you go back to the iPhone 14, you’re also going to lose out on the Dynamic Island–instead of the little pill-shaped cutout for the front camera and sensors, you’ll have a notch at the top of the screen. Apple and app developers use the Dynamic Island to display all sorts of live information.

Here’s how the dimensions and colors compare:

iPhoneDimensionsWeightColoursiPhone 16 Pro Max6.42 inches (163 mm) x 3.06 inches (77.6 mm) x 0.32 inch (8.25 mm)7.99 ounces (227 grams)Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium, White Titanium, Black TitaniumiPhone 16 Pro5.89 inches (149.6 mm) x 2.81 inches (71.5 mm) x 0.32 inches (8.25 mm)7.03 ounces (199 grams)Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium, White Titanium, Black TitaniumiPhone 16 Plus6.33 inches (160.9 mm) x 3.06 inches (77.8 mm) x 0.31 inch (7.80 mm)7.03 ounces (199 grams)Ultramarine, Teal, Pink, White, BlackiPhone 165.81 inches (147.6 mm) x 2.82 inches (71.6 mm) x 0.31 inch (7.80 mm)6.00 ounces (170 grams)Ultramarine, Teal, Pink, White, BlackiPhone 15 Plus6.33 inches (160.9 mm) x 3.06 inches (77.8 mm) x 0.31 inch (7.80 mm)7.09 ounces (201 grams)Pink, Yellow, Green, Blue, BlackiPhone 155.81 inches (147.6mm) x 2.82 inches (71.6 mm) x 0.31 inches (7.80 mm)6.02 ounces (171 grams)Pink, Yellow, Green, Blue, BlackiPhone 14 Plus6.33 inches (160.8 mm) x 3.07 inches (78.1 mm) x 0.31 inch (7.80 mm)7.16 ounces (203 grams)Blue, Purple, Midnight, Starlight, RediPhone 14 5.78 inches (146.7 mm) x 2.82 inches (71.5 mm) x 0.31 inch (7.80 mm)6.07 ounces (172 grams)Blue, Purple, Midnight, Starlight, RediPhone SE 35.45 inches (138.4 mm) x 2.65 inches (67.3 mm) x 0.29 inch (7.3 mm)5.09 ounces (144 grams)Midnight, Starlight and RedHow Apple’s 2024 iPhone lineup compares.

Screen: How are the iPhone displays different?

The Pro and Pro Max iPhones have the best screens available on an iPhone. The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max offer ProMotion, which allows for an adaptive refresh rate. The refresh rate goes as high as 120Hz for really smooth scrolling and as low as 1Hz. ProMotion has been a staple of the “Pro” iPhones for years, but new this year to all iPhone 16 models is the ability for the screen to get very very dim (down to 1 nit) while still remaining usable. It’s great for dark rooms.

Thanks to the Always-On screen you will always be able to see elements such as the time and date, notifications and Lock Screen widgets without waking the iPhone. The screen dims to minimize onscreen power usage to preserve battery life and it will turn off should you place it face down or walk away while wearing an Apple Watch. Like ProMotion, always-on displays are a feature of Pro iPhones.

Both the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus also offer a few more pixels than their predecessors, matching the pixels of the Pro and Pro Max handsets this time round.

The screen size may be the most important factor in your decision. If you prefer a larger screen, you’ll want the “Plus” or “Pro Max” version. The iPhone 16 Pro Max has a screen size of 6.9 inches diagonally, up from 6.7 inches in prior years and with the other Plus-size iPhones. It’s a small difference, but one you can notice. The iPhone 16 Pro is larger than the iPhone 16, too: 6.3 inches compared to 6.1 inches.

Camera: How do the iPhone cameras compare?




Jason Snell / Foundry

For many it’s the capabilities of the cameras that sell the iPhones, so it’s no wonder that every year Apple improves the camera on its iPhones, sometimes improving the tech, sometimes the software. The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus still feature a dual-camera array with wide and ultra-wide lenses, while only the Pro and Pro Max offer the additional 5x telephoto lens.

The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have a 48 megapixel Ultra Wide camera, while the 15 and 15 Plus have a 12 megapixel Ultra Wide. However, the 15 and 15 Plus can now shoot macro photos, a feature that used to be reserved for the Pro models.

There are also new video recording features for the pro models, including ProRes video recording up to 4K at 120 fps, LOG video recording and Academy Color Encoding.

In 2022 the TrueDepth (FaceTime and Face ID) camera was upgraded on the front of the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus, gaining autofocus and improved low-light performance thanks to the wider aperture. It hasn’t changed since then.

All models on sale currently offer Portrait Mode and the Portrait Lighting effects on the rear cameras for images with depth of field. The only camera that doesn’t offer Night Mode is the iPhone SE 3. The iPhone SE 3 also only has one camera on the rear.

iPhoneCamerasVideoPhoto & video featuresiPhone 16 Pro and Pro MaxThree rear cameras: 48MP Main (ƒ/1.78 aperture), 48MP Ultra Wide (ƒ/2.2 aperture) and 12MP Telephoto (ƒ/2.8 aperture), second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 5x, 2x, 0.5x optical zoom, Adaptive True Tone flashFront camera: TrueDepth front camera, 12 MP (ƒ/1.9 aperture)Video: ProRes video recording up to 4K at up to 120 fps (with external recording), 4K video recording at up to 120 fps, 1080p HD video recording at up to 120 fps, HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 120 fps, Sensor-shift optical image stabilization for video, Spatial video up to 1080p at 30 fpsLOG video recording, Academy Color Encoding System, Photonic Engine, Night mode portraits, Night mode, new Photographic Styles, Macro photos, ProRaw, Smart HDR 5Cinematic mode, Macro video recording, Action Mode, Audio zoomiPhone 16 and 16 PlusTwo rear cameras: 12MP Main (ƒ/1.6 aperture), 12MP Ultra Wide (ƒ/2.2 aperture), sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 2x, 0.5x zoom, True Tone flashFront camera: TrueDepth front camera, 12MP (ƒ/1.9 aperture)Video: 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps, Sensor-shift optical image stabilization for video, Spatial video up to 1080p at 30 fpsPhotonic Engine, Action Mode, Night mode, new Photographic Styles, Smart HDR 5Cinematic mode, Audio zoomiPhone 15 and 15 PlusTwo rear cameras: 12MP Main (ƒ/1.6 aperture), 12MP Ultra Wide (ƒ/2.4 aperture), sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 2x optical zoom out, digital zoom up to 5x, True Tone flashFront camera: TrueDepth front camera, 12MP (ƒ/1.9 aperture)Video: 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps, Sensor-shift optical image stabilization for videoPhotonic Engine, Action Mode, Night mode, Photographic Styles, Smart HDR 5Cinematic mode, Audio zoomiPhone 14 and 14 PlusTwo rear cameras: 12MP Main (ƒ/1.5 aperture), 12MP Ultra Wide (ƒ/2.4 aperture), sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 2x optical zoom out, digital zoom up to 5x, True Tone flashFront camera: TrueDepth front camera, 12 MP (ƒ/1.9 aperture)Video: 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps, Sensor-shift optical image stabilization for videoPhotonic Engine, Action Mode, Night mode, Photographic Styles, Smart HDR 4Cinematic mode, Audio zoomiPhone SE 3One rear camera: 12MP (ƒ/1.8 aperture), optical image stabilization, digital zoom up to 5x, True Tone flash Front camera: FaceTime HD camera, 7MP (ƒ/2.2 aperture)Video: 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, Optical image stabilization for videoPhotographic Styles, Smart HDR 4The camera features of the 2022-2023 iPhone lineup.

Safety features: Emergency protection

Apple added some safety features to all the iPhone 14 series has carried them forward to iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models. These features include a Crash Detection feature and Satellite Connectivity for emergency phone calls.

Crash detection uses the gyroscope and accelerometer in the iPhones to recognize if the vehicle you are in has crashed. If the iPhone thinks you’ve been involved in a crash, it will call emergency services and notify your preferred contacts (unless you tell it not to).

All phones offer the ability to send an Emergency SOS, but the iPhone 14, 15, and 16 can do so via satellite, which would be useful if you were in an area with no signal. You just need to be able to establish a clear view of the sky, and be in a country that supports the feature (many do now). Thanks to the feature your iPhone can alert the emergency services to your location in an emergency, the iPhone will also contact your emergency contact.

Durability: Which iPhone is the toughest?

Another factor in the choice of which iPhone to choose is how durable the model is. How likely are you to damage the iPhone?

As you can see from the section on design (above) the majority of iPhones on sale right now (except for the iPhone SE 3) offer a Ceramic Shield front, which should mean that the glass on the front is less likely to smash if you drop it. Only the Pro and Pro Max are constructed from titanium (previous generations were stainless steel), which is more durable than aluminum, which all other iPhones are encased in.

All iPhones have a glass back (which is necessary for MagSafe charging). This does mean that if you drop your iPhone with no case on then you are pretty much guaranteed to break the glass on the back. So be sure to pop your new iPhone in a case. For our recommendations see our round-up of the Best iPhone cases.

The other way people damage their iPhones is by dropping them in water. Most iPhones are rated as water resistant to a depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes (IP68), the iPhone SE 3 only offers water resistance to a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes (IP67). We still wouldn’t recommend getting your iPhone wet though because Apple will know if it’s gotten wet and it could void your warranty should anything go wrong.




Which iPhone would be worse off if you dropped it? Apple

Specs: Storage and processor options

The A18 in the iPhone 16 models is considerably faster than the A16 found in the iPhone 15, especially when it comes to graphics or AI tasks. The A18 Pro is distinguished primarily by the extra GPU core, though it has super video hardware to support the Pro video features, too.

Each iPhone is available in between three and four capacity options. It’s important to consider how much you need before buying because iPhones don’t have a microSD card slot that will allow you to add additional storage at a later date. For the typical iPhone user, 128GB is probably sufficient. Only the iPhone SE offers less than that, with a 64GB option and we strongly recommend you pay a few dollars/pounds extra to buy the 128GB model.

One reason you may not need more storage is if you choose to sync your data to the cloud. If you pay a monthly fee for iCloud storage all your data will be available on any of your devices, and crucially your photos will be stored in the cloud rather than on your device, freeing up many gigabytes of space. iCloud starts at $0.99/£0.99 for 50GB. See How much does iCloud cost for more information, including Australian and Canadian prices.

Before you decide how much storage you need have a look at your current phone’s usage (go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage) and think about how much space you really need. Read How much storage do you need on an iPhone? for more advice.

iPhoneProcessorStorageBattery lifeiPhone 16 Pro MaxA18 Pro chip, 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU128GB256GB512GB1TBUp to 33 hours video playback, up to 50% charge in 35 minutes with 20W adapter or higheriPhone 16 ProA18 Pro chip, 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU128GB256GB512GB1TBUp to 27 hours video playback, up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with 20W adapter or higheriPhone