Hardly anyone upgrades their smartphone every year any more. Thanks to a combination of rising prices and mostly negligible improvements, an annual upgrade is now a luxury that few can afford. It's far more likely that anyone looking to upgrade is rocking a smartphone that is perhaps three, four or five years old.
If that's you, you're in the right place. Here, we run you through your current options, and help you decide which iPhone is right for you. Spoiler alert: it might not be the latest or most expensive model...
Screen
The screens on today's iPhones are stunning, but they haven't actually evolved all that much in recent years. The last really big change was the introduction of OLED technology on all models – but that came with the iPhone 12 range all the way back in 2020.
In terms of pure hardware then, the only differences between the screens on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 16 are a slight bump in brightness, and a higher resolution (but the same pixel density) thanks to the introduction of the Dynamic Island (though the iPhone 16e sticks with the old cutout design).
Of course in use it's a different story, as our reviews have shown. Apple rarely talks up improvements in picture quality, but they are there, albeit slight. To really notice the difference, you will want to jump at least a couple of generations of iPhone.
But if you look closely, you can see the improvements from one generation to the next. In our review, we note that iPhone 16 produces "a rich and three-dimensional image that is deeply engaging.
"The opening scene of 1917 shows us crisp details in clothing, skin and environmental textures, with a tangible grain to the rough fabric of the soldier’s uniforms and the gritty dirt lining the walls of the trenches through which they weave. Much like the iPhone 16 Pro that sits above it in the lineup, the iPhone 16 also manages to skilfully draw our eye to the focal point of the image while retaining an excellent amount of detail and solidity to objects in the background."
The Pro models have the Pro Motion display which ups the refresh rate to 120Hz and allows for the always-on capabilities, so you can use your phone as a bedside clock, for example. This is rumoured to become a feature on all models of iPhone 17, not just the Pros.
HDR used to be reserved for just the Pro models, but it has been standard on all variants since the iPhone 12.
The recent Pros also have slightly larger screens than the non-Pros – the iPhone 16 Pro's screen is 6.3 inches to the standard iPhone 16's 6.1 inches, while the Pro Max is 6.9 inches to the 16 Plus' 6.7 inches. Which will help make the picture more immersive.
Sound
As with picture quality, Apple doesn't talk up any sonic improvements from one generation of iPhone to the next. But they are there, if you know what to listen out for.
The iPhone 16 is "easily one of the best-sounding smartphones we've heard," we note in our review. Its sound is "rich, detailed and engaging" regardless of what it's playing.
It is particularly impressive with low-level dynamics. Even the speakers aren't half bad – though we would always listen through headphones if possible.
There have been small improvements in each model. For example, we found the iPhone 15 Pro Max's treble is a little smoother and cleaner than the 14 Pro Max's, while the overall audio is "a little weightier and more full-bodied, too".
Features
The biggest feature to come to the iPhone in recent years is Apple Intelligence, Apple's suite of artificial intelligence skills. This can help you compose text messages and emails, let you interact with Siri in a more natural and conversational way, edit photos, prioritise notifications and more.
It hasn't been a complete success story. Apple had to pause its news summaries after they started presenting false information as if it was from trusted sources such as the BBC and The New York Times. But the technology is still in its infancy, and will only get more sophisticated.
It arrived with the iPhone 16 range (though it wasn't available at launch). It is also available on the iPhone 16e, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Another neat feature is Camera Control, a button that lets you open the camera without having to wake the phone first. It's on the iPhone 16 range, but not iPhone 16e or earlier models.
USB-C has replaced the older Lightning port for charging, as mandated by a change in EU law. Every iPhone since the iPhone 15 range has USB-C, while the 14 and earlier feature Lightning ports.
Prefer to charge wirelessly? That feature is available on every model since the iPhone 8, though the speeds will vary. The earlier models support only 7.5W Qi wireless charging, but every handset since the iPhone 12 supports MagSafe magnetic charging at either 15W or 25W with a compatible charger (all except the iPhone 16e, which is stuck with no MagSafe and the same wireless charging speed as the iPhone 8, disappointingly).
Every iPhone since the iPhone 13 starts at 128GB storage (previously the base level was 64GB), but only the Pro models from the 13 Pro onwards go up to 1TB.
Lastly, power. Generally speaking, the newer the iPhone, the beefier the processor. Even though the iPhone 16e has some compromises, power isn't one of them – it has the same A18 chip as the iPhone 16.
Cameras
The camera has always been one of the main differentiators between the standard iPhone models and the Pros. The Pro Max used to have a better camera than the Pro, but for the iPhone 16 range, Apple brought camera parity to the Pro models.
The Pros offer an extra telephoto lens over the non-Pros. This lets you zoom in at up to 5x without losing any detail in the image, as you do with a digital lens.
The telephoto has been a staple of the pricier models since the iPhone 7 Plus. In recent years the optical zoom has increased, and more shooting modes have been added, including Night mode, Night mode portraits, Spatial photos and Apple ProRAW.
Price and availability
Apple no longer sells any iPhones earlier than 2023's iPhone 15 range, and of those, it sells only the 15 and 15 Plus. But you can find the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, and iPhone 14 range and earlier at other retailers.
The cheapest iPhone Apple sells is the iPhone 16e, which starts at £599. That's £100 cheaper than the iPhone 15, and £200 cheaper than the iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 16.
The iPhone 16 Plus starts at £899, the 16 Pro £999 and the 16 Pro Max £1199.
Of course you can also spread the cost over years with a contract. Check the best prices below for recent iPhones both SIM free and on contract.
Verdict
While it's true that you get what you pay for, there's no point paying for features you're not going to use. If you just want an iPhone for the basics, and maybe the odd bit of movie watching and music listening on the go, you could save a small fortune by hunting out an earlier model from the iPhone 15 or even iPhone 14 families.
We wouldn't advise going any earlier than that, as Apple isn't likely to support those handsets with software and security updates for much longer.
Of the latest iPhones, the 16e is worth investigating if you want AI and don't mind the more basic camera and lack of MagSafe charging. But if you want the ultimate in movies and music from an iPhone, the 16 Pro and Pro Max are where it's at.
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iPhone 16 vs iPhone 15: should you upgrade?
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16: what's the difference?
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