1. The list in brief
2. Best for most people
3. Best value
4. Best overall
5. Best budget
6. Best battery life
7. Best small iPhone
8. FAQs
9. How we test
Nailing down the best iPhone to buy in 2023 is no easy task. There are now so many different options out there, at so many different price points, that it can be hard to know where to begin. A model from the Apple's newly released iPhone 15 line might seem like the no-brainer choice, but there are plenty of great older models to consider, too.
We know every single iPhone inside and out, so you can be confident that our recommendations are based on expert knowledge, in-depth analysis, and intelligent comparisons between other iPhones and rival phone-makers. Below, we've looked at key factors such as screen quality, performance, cameras, and battery life in our testing, so you can find the best iPhone for your needs.
Once you've trawled through our findings, head over to our iPhone 15 deals roundup if your heart is set on picking up one of Apple's latest iPhones. Alternatively, our best iPhone deals page has a list of discounts currently available on older iPhone models. Finally, don't forget to see what Apple promo codes can be used with your purchase. Happy iPhone-hunting!
Quick List
We’re currently testing the iPhone 15 Pro, but right now, the iPhone 14 Pro is the best all-round iPhone on the market thanks to its A16 Bionic chipset, Dynamic Island-equipped display and excellent cameras.
Read more below
A superfast A16 Bionic chipset, USB-C port, 48MP main camera and the Dynamic Island ensure that, for the first time in a long while, Apple’s latest standard iPhone offers cracking value for money.
Read more below
If you want a big iPhone and can meet the hefty asking price, then the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s A17 Pro chipset, titanium design and 5x periscope zoom lens make it the best overall choice.
Read more below
The iPhone 13 is only getting cheaper, and despite its shortcomings, it remains an excellent choice if you’re simply looking for a capable iPhone to tide you over for the next few years.
Read more below
We’re currently testing the iPhone 15 Plus, but right now, the iPhone 14 Plus is the iPhone that provides the best battery life. You're getting plenty of other great specs here, too, if you can handle this phone's larger size.
Read more below
With the iPhone 13 mini now dead and buried, the iPhone SE (2022) is the best small phone that's still available from Apple. It's design may be outdated, but the internal specs remain strong.
Read more below
The best iPhone in 2023
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Below, you'll find full write-ups for each of the best iPhones in our list. We've tested each model extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.
The best iPhone for most people
Before you read on: a disclaimer. We're still testing the iPhone 15 Pro, which prohibits us from including that phone in this list. Once we've published our full review of the iPhone 15 Pro, it will likely replace the iPhone 14 Pro in our ranking as the best iPhone for most people. That said, the iPhone 14 Pro continues to drop in price at third-party retailers, so it remains an excellent choice.
Apple's A16 Bionic chip underpins everything that's good about the iPhone 14 Pro, which is still one of the best iPhones ever and arguably the best iPhone for most people.
While the iPhone 14 Pro's (admittedly great) 6.1-inch screen is carried over from its predecessor, this generation of Pro shrugs the notch in favor of Apple's swanky Dynamic Island – a smart digital cutout that houses Face ID components but also adapts to offer a range of functionality, from music playback controls to connecting AirPods and more.
ProMotion tech in the iPhone 14 Pro means visuals can range from 10Hz to a super-smooth 120Hz in general use, and a 1Hz mode enables always-on display functionality, too. The phone's rear triple camera setup is fronted by a 48MP main sensor that takes better stills and video than any iPhone released prior to Apple's iPhone 15 line, and the overall photography capabilities of the iPhone 14 Pro rival those of models from Samsung and beyond.
Provided you can swing the (still) high asking price, the iPhone 14 Pro continues to operate as one of the most capable phones on the market, while also being more pocket-friendly than the Pro Max.
Read our iPhone 14 Pro review
The best value iPhone
Apple's newly released iPhone 15 marks the most significant step up for a base iPhone in several years, and earns its place as the best value iPhone money can buy in 2023.
If you're someone who's not concerned with titanium sides, 120Hz scrolling or high-spec zoom photography, the standard iPhone 15 offers pretty much everything you could want from a flagship phone, but for significantly less money.
Here, you're getting a 6.1-inch Super XDR OLED display, a superfast A16 Bionic chipset, a USB-C port, a supremely capable 48MP main camera and Apple’s fancy digital screen cut-out, the Dynamic Island, all delivered in a sleek and eye-catching design package.
In recent years, Apple's standard models have felt like minor upgrades that pale in comparison to their respective Pro-level counterparts, but the iPhone 15 bucks that trend by being a genuinely great value product.
Read our iPhone 15 review
The best iPhone overall
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is indisputably the best iPhone money can buy in 2023, so for Apple fans, this is the top choice. The smaller iPhone 15 Pro is also an exceptional handset that's worth considering if you prefer its more practical 6.1-inch size, but since the larger iPhone 15 Pro Max offers a 5x periscope zoom lens, the latter phone is the objectively superior device.
In addition to that periscope zoom lens – which marks the first of its kind on an iPhone – the iPhone 15 Pro Max boasts a 48MP quad-pixel main lens and a 12MP ultra-wide lens, making it the most capable and versatile iPhone yet for mobile photographers.
Beyond its photography capabilities, the iPhone 15 Pro Max packs an excellent 6.7-inch Super XDR OLED screen (with ProMotion), a gorgeous titanium design, a USB-C port and Apple's all-new A17 Pro chipset, which delivers mobile gaming performance comparable to some high-end PCs (yes, really).
In other words, when it comes to iPhones, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the best of the best, but you'll have to pay handsomely for the privilege of owning one, and Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra actually has slightly better cameras.
Read our full iPhone 15 Pro Max review
The best budget iPhone
The iPhone 13 wasn't the biggest yearly iPhone upgrade we'd ever seen when it arrived in 2021, but almost every aspect of it is a little better than the iPhone 12, which means it's still a brilliant iPhone overall. More importantly, though, it's the cheapest iPhone (bar the iPhone SE) that Apple still sells.
In our review, we found that the phone's battery life was particularly impressive, with the iPhone 13 making it through every day that we used it without needing a top-up before bed.
We were also impressed by its design, which includes a smaller notch (versus the iPhone 13), and by the sheer amount of power that this phone still has to offer, which comes as a result of its A15 Bionic chipset. At launch, Apple claimed that the iPhone 13 had a 50% faster CPU than the competition, and while that’s hard to confirm, this is certainly a speedy phone.
The lack of a 120Hz screen, which saw its iPhone debut on the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, is a shame, and it's doubly upsetting that even its successor didn't move past 60Hz. Even so, this is still a superb device with plenty of life left in it. If you're looking for a cheap iPhone to see you through the next couple of years, this is it.
Read our iPhone 13 review
The best iPhone for battery life
Before you read on: a disclaimer. We're still testing the iPhone 15 Plus, which prohibits us from including that phone in this list. Once we've published our full review of the iPhone 15 Plus, it will likely replace the iPhone 14 Plus in our ranking as the best iPhone for battery life.
While fans were made to wait a little longer for the fourth member of Apple's 2022 iPhone 14 series, the iPhone 14 Plus replaced the mini entry from the previous two generations, instead dragging the slider the other way and offering a super-sized iPhone experience that, in recent years, was exclusive to the line's Pro Max entries.
As such, you get a 6.7-inch display, as you do with the 14 Pro Max, however the rest of the phone's sensibilities are more closely tied to the standard iPhone 14, with the same dual 12MP rear cameras and enhanced A15 Bionic chip lifted from the previous year's iPhone 13 Pro, as well as a repeat of the notch instead of the 14 Pro line's flashy new Dynamic Island.
The display is still 60Hz, too, but better cooling and more modest display tech twinned with the Plus' large battery means it delivers some of the best iPhone battery life ever (in our testing, the iPhone 14 Plus served us approximately 25 hours of playback).
Read our iPhone 14 Plus review
The best small iPhone
With the iPhone 13 mini now officially discontinued, the 4.7-inch iPhone SE (2022) is the new best choice for anyone who prefers a smaller iPhone.
This dinky, classic-looking iPhone was actually the first mid-range iPhone to support 5G, which was a major selling point at the time. The presence of the same A15 Bionic chipset as you’ll find in the iPhone 13 range continues to be a big plus, too, meaning this phone has more power than most Android flagships, despite costing far less.
With a slim, lightweight build and a compact display, the iPhone SE (2022) is supremely comfortable to use, but ...
, at this point, very dated, mind, thanks to big bezels above and below the display, and it’s more expensive than its predecessor, despite still being affordable. If not for those issues, this iPhone might rank even higher.
- Read more: iPhone SE (2022) review
FAQs
What is the best iPhone?
The best iPhone is usually one of the latest numbered models, but which one specifically will depend on your needs. If you want a big screen, go for a Pro Max (the latest and greatest is the iPhone 15 Pro Max). For top specs in a smaller size, pick a Pro, and if you want to save some money, then get a standard model or the latest SE.
Which iPhone is the best value for money?
Right now, the iPhone that offers the best value for money is the iPhone 15, although the iPhone 13 Pro remains a strong choice if you're keen on the benefits of a Pro-level iPhone but don't want to spend big on a model with the Dynamic Island.
How to choose the best iPhone?
A lot of iPhones are quite similar to one another, so choosing which model to buy mostly just means seeing what's different between them and finding the right fit for you.
All iPhones are powerful, and Apple supports them for a long time, so age and chipset needn't be a big deal, but if you don't want to upgrade for a long time then a newer model with a faster chipset is ideal.
Bigger factors, though, include the screen size – and bigger isn't always better. If you want something compact that you can easily slip into a small pocket, then consider one of the mini or SE models. But if you plan on doing a lot of gaming or video-watching, then something larger would be better.
Resolution and refresh rate are also worth paying attention to for the optimal visual experience – the higher the better in both cases, so ideal options will have things like a 120Hz refresh rate and a resolution above 1080p.
Camera quality and battery life are important considerations, too, and you can't get a full picture of these just from a specs list, so read our full entries above (or click through to our detailed reviews) for insights into how each phone fares in those departments.
How we test
We've reviewed every phone on this list, so for each, we've passed our expert judgement on them after extensive testing. This testing saw us use each phone as our main handset for at least a week, and often longer.
In the process, we would explore various use cases, including calls, texts, social media, video streaming, gaming, taking photos and more, with some heavy use days and other lighter ones.
In short, we use our iPhones just like you would – but we make sure to test every key feature, as well as running benchmark tests, checking how long they take to charge, and more.
From that, we've then ranked each handset, factoring in price, value, and how they compare to one another, with a particular focus on their screens, designs, battery life, performance, and cameras.
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