The iPhone needs no introduction. It’s the most popular phone in the world. But Apple offers a lot of iPhones in its lineup. Which one is right for you? Find out in our iPhone buying guide.
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Do you need a new iPhone?
Many of you reading this guide already own an iPhone and are trying to decide if you need a new one. Here’s how to decide:
- Is it more than two years old? Unless you have a major problem, an iPhone should last you at least two years. Apple is still selling the iPhone 12 (released in 2020) and the iPhone 13 (released in 2021).
- Is anything wrong with it?
- If so, do you subscribe to AppleCare+? Contact Apple for a repair, which will be free or cost a small fee.
- If yes, you should probably buy a new iPhone. iPhone repairs are expensive and if you’re repairing an older device you’re throwing good money after bad.
- If your iPhone is on the vintage and obsolete products list, it’s probably time to replace it.
Expect up to four years of service life from an iPhone if you’re a casual user who takes care of it.
The best iPhone for most
The iPhone to buy is the iPhone 14 Pro. It’s the most exciting iPhone in years, thanks to its Always-On display and Dynamic Island notification area. It’s also the only iPhone so far to feature the A16 Bionic chip (the regular iPhone 14 Pro has the same A15 Bionic as the iPhone 13). It should last you for several years.
It comes with 128 GB of storage space, which should be enough for most people, but upgrading to 256 GB of storage (or more) is never a bad idea
The iPhone 14 Pro comes in many exciting colors, but don’t stress about the color choice because you should keep your iPhone in a case to make it easier to grip and protect it from damage. We like the Otterbox Defender, which encases the iPhone in a plastic exoskeleton with a grippy rubber sheath. We’ve used these for years to protect our iPhones from destructive children.
Older Otterbox Defender models included a built-in screen protector, which trapped dirt between it and the screen and interfered with the iPhone’s touchscreen. Thankfully, Otterbox wised up and made it optional.
iPhones are made with incredibly resilient glass that doesn’t scratch easily, so you shouldn’t need a screen protector as long as it’s in a good case. Screen protectors are hard to apply correctly and often make the iPhone harder to use.
Note that the iPhone, iPhone mini, iPhone Pro, and iPhone Max are all different sizes, so cases for one won’t fit the other. Make sure to buy the right case for your iPhone!
Budget iPhones
If you’re looking for a less-expensive iPhone than the 14 Pro, I currently recommend two:
- iPhone 14: The basic iPhone 14 isn’t a big improvement over the iPhone 13—they even have the same processor—but it has two important features: the potentially life-saving Crash Detection, which calls for help if you’re involved in an automotive accident, and it is much easier and cheaper to repair than any other iPhone in years.
- iPhone 13: Apple is still selling the iPhone 13, and it offers almost everything as the iPhone 14 except at a slightly lower price. Since both the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 have the same processor, they should be supported for a long time. The iPhone 13 mini is also still available if you want a smaller iPhone.
We don’t currently recommend the iPhone 12 (too old) or the iPhone SE (dated design).