The best iPhone 2024

If money is no object, the iPhone 15 Pro is the best iPhone for most people. It offers pretty much all the premium features of the 15 Pro Max, but has a much more manageable 6.1-inch display.

Not only is the screen a crystal-clear OLED with a 120Hz refresh rate, it gets incredibly bright. You’ll be able to see the display on even the brightest of days.

The 12Mp 5x periscope lens being exclusive to the Pro Max is a shame, but the 3x one on the iPhone 15 Pro is still very good. It’s joined by a 48Mp main, 12Mp ultrawide and 12Mp 2x telephoto, all of which take excellent photos.

Apple’s updated A17 Pro chipset takes already-great performance to the next level, while the titanium build and action button are nice touches.

Then there’s the much more versatile USB-C port, with Apple finally shifting away from Lightning. Battery life is fine and charging is slow, but this is still a superb phone, and will be for many years to come.

There are only a handful of differences between the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, but they’re significant.

The most obvious is a larger 6.7-inch display on the Pro Max, though a slightly higher resolution means it’s still one of the best screens on any smartphone.

The telephoto camera also supports optical zoom up to 5x (as opposed to 3x), delivering even better photos from far away. All four camera lenses (also main, ultrawide and selfie) are very strong.

Battery life is even better, though it is a bigger, heavier and more expensive phone. Key features such as the titanium build, great performance from the Apple A17 Pro chip, customisable Action Button and USB-C are present on both.

Ultimately, the Pro Max is worth it if you want a larger display, slightly improved cameras and better battery life. Either way, it’s a superb smartphone.

The iPhone 15 Pro is the best Apple phone to get, but only if you can afford it. With a starting price that’s £200/$200 less at launch, the regular iPhone 15 is a more realistic option.

And it offers good value for money, even if the specs aren’t quite top-tier. Apple’s A16 Bionic chip from 2022 still delivers great performance, and it’s nice to see the useful Dynamic Island come to non-Pro models.

The 6.1-inch display below it is impressive, though you’ll still have to make do without a high refresh rate. You can still get some great shots with the 48Mp main, 12Mp ultrawide and 12Mp selfie cameras, but there’s no telephoto of any description here.

Ultimately, you’re getting an iPhone 15 Pro design in a much more affordable. Despite some compromises, it’s still a great phone.

With the iPhone 15 Plus, Apple is offering an impressive big-screen iPhone experience without the hefty price tag of the Pro Max. With a starting price of £899/$999, it’s not exactly affordable, but does offer good value for money.

As expected, there are a few compromises compared to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. You’ll have to make do with the A16 Bionic chip that debuted in 2022, though performance is still excellent. While the display is still very decent, the refresh rate tops out at 60Hz, so you don’t get the silky-smooth scrolling and extra responsiveness of 120Hz.

There’s also no telephoto lens whatsoever, meaning zoom shots suffer. But photos from the main, ultrawide and selfie cameras are all very impressive. The latter is housed within Apple’s Dynamic Island, which arrives on the non-Pro phones for the first time, and USB-C also makes its debut.

And battery life is the best you’ll find on an iPhone. It can last even the most intensive days with ease, and with lighter usage can last two or even three days on a single charge.

If that’s a top priority for you, or you simply want a big iPhone without all the bells and whistles of the Pro Max, the 15 Plus is a great choice.

Prior to the iPhone 15 range, the iPhone 14 Pro was the best iPhone for most people. It offers key improvements over the iPhone 13 Pro not only in terms of raw performance but new features, with the 14 Pro sporting key new tech including Apple’s Dynamic Island camera cut-out.

Replacing the standard Face ID notch, the oblong-shaped cut-out is an impressive blend of software and hardware that brings the notch into the iOS experience, displaying timers, music controls and more without having to access your lock screen. It’s utterly charming and a true highlight of Apple’s keen eye for software and hardware design.

That’s not all, though: it’s also the first iPhone to offer an always-on display, and in true Apple form, it’s much better than the Android competition. While it dims the display, you’ve still got full access to your wallpaper, time, widgets, notifications and music controls without any real impact on overall battery life.

The 48Mp rear snapper is another highlight of this year’s Pro model; using 4-in-1 pixel binning tech, the new main camera offers an impressive boost not only to overall detail but low-light photography. That’s a trend of all cameras on the 14 Pro, with Apple claiming a general 2x improvement.

The only real disappointment is battery life; while it’ll keep on going if left on standby, you’ll likely only be able to squeeze about a day’s use out of the phone before it’ll need a top-up.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max was the best showcase of Apple’s smartphone technology in 2022, and it remains a superb choice in 2024 – particularly if you can find a discount.

It still offers a top-tier iPhone experience, complete with impressive Dynamic Island camera cut-out, useful always-on display and still one of the very fastest processor on the market, the A16 Bionic. There’s also the same upgraded rear-facing camera setup as the iPhone 14 Pro, including a strong 48Mp main snapper.

Where the iPhone 14 Pro Max still stands out is with the screen; the 6.7in Super Retina XDR display is simply stunning. It’s bright, vivid and there’s enough screen space to really enjoy watching video content such as TikTok and Netflix.

It also benefits from a larger battery than regular Pro models for true all-day battery life without having to worry. It’s not the best iPhone in any one area these days, but remains an excellent smartphone.

The iPhone 14 replaced the iPhone 13 in Apple’s line-up, and even though the iPhone 15 has now arrived, it’s still a great choice for most people.

It has very good cameras (despite missing out on the 48Mp snapper of the Pro models), outstanding battery life that comfortably lasts all day, and a great, if only 60Hz, display.

The phone big enough to enjoy the display without being unwieldy like the iPhone Plus and Max models, and it’s also much lighter.

Throw in other features including full waterproofing, wireless charging, satellite connectivity and car crash detection and you have a solid iPhone that will last you for several years.

The lack of a high refresh rate display, USB-C and a Dynamic Island will frustrate some people. But if you can live without them and don’t mind a smaller iPhone, the regular 14 is still easy to recommend.

If battery life is a priority for you, the iPhone 14 Plus is still a great option. The newer 15 Plus is even better, but it’ll still end a full day with charge to spare in most cases.

And there’s plenty still to like here, from strong performance from the A15 Bionic chipset to an impressive large display – even if it is still limited to 60Hz.

The 14 Plus still feels very premium, while the main, ultrawide and selfie cameras will still take excellent photos in 2024.

However, unless you can find it with a big discount, there’s no clear reason to buy the 14 Plus over other iPhone models. The 15 Plus is an upgrade in several areas, while other iPhone 15 handsets offer a better all-round experience for most people.

If even the 6.1in display of the regular and Pro iPhones are too big for your liking, the iPhone 13 mini is the device for you.

It offers the same experience as the standard iPhone 13, complete with an A15 Bionic chip, Apple’s Super Retina XDR display (albeit at a smaller 5.4in) and excellent main and ultrawide lenses, sporting sensor-shift OIS like the more premium models, but in a much smaller form factor.

The iPhone 13 mini is the perfect iPhone to use one-handed, but the smaller display also means it’s not the best for watching YouTube videos and movies on Netflix.

The small dimensions also mean that battery life isn’t the greatest, while charging via MagSafe is limited to just 12W.

But with Apple having discontinued the mini from the iPhone 14 and 15 range, it’ll remain the small iPhone to beat for a while.

Apple’s iPhone SE range is devoted to function over form, prioritising raw performance over design or aesthetics, and that’s just as true with the latest variant – but possibly to its detriment.

Sporting the same A15 Bionic chipset and 5G connectivity as the iPhone 13 series, the iPhone SE outperforms every Android competitor in its price range and 5G connectivity is a welcome addition, but that performance comes at a cost.

The dated design of the iPhone SE feels older than ever, and the 720p LCD display seems not only small but increasingly unable to render apps and webpages designed for bigger mobile displays. 

There’s also the single 12Mp snapper on the rear. It’ll take decent photos in good and even marginally low light, but it lacks advanced shooting modes like Night Mode and Cinematic Video mode despite featuring a chipset more than capable of doing so. 

The iPhone SE is really only for those who must have an iPhone, but can’t afford other models or don’t want to goodbye to Touch ID. For practically everyone else, there’s a better iPhone available.