In 2021, Apple launched 4 new iPhone 13 fashions, all of which come with numerous important upgrades like new cameras, larger batteries, extra garage and brighter monitors. The iPhone 13 lineup is a lovely improve to ultimate 12 months’s already glorious iPhone 12 circle of relatives. Together with the 4 iPhone 13 fashions, Apple recently sells a complete of 8 variants, ranging in value from $399 for the iPhone SE to $1,599 for the iPhone 13 Professional Max with 1TB of garage.
Apple’s iPhone lineup was easy. When Steve Jobs introduced the unique iPhone over 14 years in the past, there was once only one telephone, completely to be had on AT&T. The one determination you had in 2007 was once whether or not you sought after 4 or 8GB of garage.
Nowadays, there may be an iPhone for just about everybody. Leave out the house button? Then, take a look at the iPhone SE. Just like the iPhone 13 design, however now not its value? Imagine ultimate 12 months’s iPhone 12 and 12 Mini. Need a small telephone with a excellent battery existence? Then the iPhone 13 Mini is a will have to. And what about the two-year-old iPhone 11, is it nonetheless price it? Briefly, sure.
Present iPhones, when compared
| Type | Beginning value | Display measurement | No. of rear cameras | CPU | Unlock date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone SE | $399 | 4.7 inches | 1 | A13 Bionic | April 2020 |
| iPhone 11 | $499 | 6.1 inches | 2 | A13 Bionic | September 2019 |
| iPhone 12 Mini | $599 | 5.4 inches | 2 | A14 Bionic | November 2020 |
| iPhone 12 | $699 | 6.1 inches | 2 | A14 Bionic | October 2020 |
| iPhone 13 Mini | $699 | 5.4 inches | 2 | A15 Bionic | September 2021 |
| iPhone 13 | $799 | 6.1 inches | 2 | A15 Bionic | September 2021 |
| iPhone 13 Professional | $999 | 6.1 inches | 3 | A15 Bionic | September 2021 |
| iPhone 13 Professional Max | $1,099 | 6.7 inches | 3 | A15 Bionic | September 2021 |
To complicate your determination, some iPhones have two cameras, others 3 and others 4 (together with the front-facing selfie digital camera). There is additionally the truth that just about each present iPhone type has Face ID apart from one: the iPhone SE. Having numerous choices is not unhealthy, however can really feel overwhelming when purchasing a brand new iPhone.
That will help you work out which is the most efficient iPhone for you, I totally reviewed and examined each and every one in this listing, from their batteries to digital camera efficiency. I incorporated present iPhone costs, although iPhone offers are recognized to occur, so do not suppose the best choice is paying complete value. Additionally, this listing is in keeping with present fashions that Apple sells. In case you are buying groceries round, you may realize that carriers and third-party dealers be offering discontinued fashions, just like the iPhone 12 Professional and 12 Professional Max.
Additionally, if you are on the lookout for an Android telephone or every other smartphone out of doors of Apple’s choices, learn our information to assist in finding the very best telephone on your wishes.
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Here’s which iPhone you should buy in 2022
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Patrick Holland/CNET
The $829 iPhone 13 is a solid upgrade and refinement to last year’s iPhone 12. Some will be disappointed because it’s not radically different from previous models, but that’s actually part of the charm. Familiarity has been one of the keys to Apple’s success with the iPhone. The iPhone 13 has a nearly identical squared-off design as the iPhone 12. It supports 5G and MagSafe charging.
It comes with new cameras on par with the ones from last year’s top-of-the-line iPhone 12 Pro Max. It also gets a larger battery which in our tests lasted 4.5 hours more on a single charge than the iPhone 12.
Add in the A15 Bionic chip, a new Cinematic mode which is basically a video version of Portrait mode and iOS 15 and you have an excellent phone. The iPhone 13 earned a CNET Editors’ Choice Award. Also, if you activate it on a carrier, Apple drops the price to $799.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The $1,099 iPhone 13 Pro is the best phone Apple has ever made. With the latest iPhone series, Apple further defined the difference between its Pro and non-Pro phones by packing the 13 Pro with a high-refresh rate display, macro photography mode, ProRes video recording and the best cameras on any iPhone ever made.
In terms of design, the 13 Pro has an elegant matte finish back and shiny stainless steel sides. Compare that to the glossy back and matte aluminum sides on the iPhone 13. The display on the 13 Pro supports what Apple calls ProMotion. Depending on what’s being shown on the screen, the refresh rate switches between 10 and 120Hz. In use, the screen looks stellar. Animations look smooth, graphics appear crisp and even mundane things like scrolling feeds look better.
It runs iOS 15 and supports 5G and MagSafe charging. Like the regular iPhone 13, the 13 Pro has an A15 Bionic chip but gets an extra GPU core which gives the phone a boost for gaming and video editing. The iPhone 13 Pro is stellar, which is why it earned a CNET Editors’ Choice Award. Read our Apple iPhone 13 Pro review.
Patrick Holland/CNET
With support for 5G being its crown jewel feature, the $729 iPhone 12 marked the beginning of a new generation of iPhone. It has a flat-sided design with matte aluminum sides, a 6.1-inch OLED screen, an A14 Bionic chip, support for MagSafe charging and Apple’s Ceramic Shield covering on the front to help reduce scratches and damage from drops.
The iPhone 12 Mini is simply a smaller version of the 12 with a 5.4-inch display and a price tag that’s $100 less.
The selfie, wide and ultrawide cameras on the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini are good, but definitely a step down from those on the newer iPhone 13 and 13 Mini. If you choose to get an iPhone 12 or 12 Mini and can afford to pay $50 more, I recommend upgrading from 64GB of storage to 128GB. Also, if you activate either phone on a carrier, the price drops an additional $30. Read our Apple iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini reviews.
John Kim/CNET
At $399, you might think the only appeal of the iPhone SE (2020) is its price. And admittedly it is the cheapest iPhone on this list, which is a big deal. On the outside, the iPhone SE has the same body as an iPhone 8. It’s the only iPhone on this list that has Touch ID, which in pandemic times is actually a plus, as face masks make using Face ID a frustrating experience.
On the inside, the SE has the same A13 processor as the iPhone 11, which gives the 2017 camera hardware a 2020 injection of Apple’s computational photography magic. The SE supports 4G and is the only phone on this list that has the classic iPhone look with a large black bezel above and below the screen. It can run iOS 15, which makes it as relevant as ever.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Who said small phones don’t exist in 2021? The iPhone 13 Mini ($729 unlocked, $699 on a carrier plan) is brilliant because it has everything the iPhone 13 has — it’s just smaller. And if you’re worried about battery life, don’t be. The iPhone 13 Mini packs a bigger battery than last year’s iPhone 12 Mini. In our tests, this iPhone mini lasted 3.5 hours longer than the 12 Mini on a single charge. It also lasted an hour longer than the full-sized iPhone 12 in the same test.
Remarkably the 13 Mini has nearly identical wide and ultrawide cameras as last year’s iPhone 12 Pro Max. One way you can tell is the rear cameras are positioned diagonally to each other to make room for the larger stabilized sensor.
The iPhone 13 and 13 Mini are the same phone. But one is small and the other isn’t. That said, I only recommend you get the 13 Mini for its size. It’s $100 cheaper than the iPhone 13, which might be a tempting reason if you’re trying to save money. But if you aren’t OK with a small phone you might be frustrated by its size. Read our Apple iPhone 13 Mini review.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The first thing you should know about the $1,199 iPhone 13 Pro Max, is that in our tests, it has the longest battery life of any phone we’ve ever tested. The next thing you should know is that unlike the 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max, the 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max are identical in pretty much every way and even have the same cameras. In essence, they are the same phone, just different sizes.
The 13 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch ProMotion display, compared to the 6.1-inch one on the 13 Pro. The Max is also bigger and weighs more. Part of that extra weight comes from the 13 Pro Max’s larger battery. If you can handle the size of this phone behemoth, it’s worth every penny of its high price.
Angela Lang/CNET
If you don’t need support for 5G, the iPhone 11 at $499 is a good deal, even in 2022. You get so much for that price like an A13 processor, good cameras, a solid battery life and the choice of six colors. The 11 has curved sides in contrast to the straight-sided 12 and 13 series.
The biggest drawback is the old style screen which uses an LCD panel instead of a nicer OLED one. But don’t let that turn you away, the screen still looks good in use. If you have an extra $50 in your budget, I recommend getting the 128GB version of the 11.
