The Best Iphones For 2025: Which Model Should You Buy?

Original merchandise date: September 20, 2024 | Storage capacity: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | Screen size: 6.3 inches | Features: A18 Pro chip, Always-on 120Hz ProMotion display, USB-C larboard (USB 3), Titanium frame, Camera Control button, Action button, 25W MagSafe charging, Apple Intelligence | Cameras: 48MP wide, 48MP ultrawide, 12MP 5x telephoto, 12MP beforehand | Color options: Natural Titanium, Desert, White, Black | Dimensions: 5.89 x 2.81 x 0.32 inches | Weight: 7.03 ounces

Read our afloat iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max review

The iPhone 16 Pro is nan iPhone we’d urge to astir people. Yes, its starting value of $999 mightiness beryllium steep, but a smartphone is simply a semipermanent investment. If nan mobility is “which iPhone is astir apt to support you happy for nan adjacent 3 to 5 years,” we deliberation nan iPhone 16 Pro’s advantages complete nan modular iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are still meaningful capable to beryllium worthy nan other $100-200 — moreover if nan spread isn’t arsenic wide arsenic it’s been successful years past.

For one, nan iPhone 16 Pro’s blasted titanium framework feels higher-quality than nan aluminum 1 connected nan guidelines iPhone 16. It’s a spot heavier than nan modular 16 and nan older iPhone 15 Pro, but it’s acold from an anchor, and its somewhat curved edges are pleasing to hold. It runs connected nan somewhat faster A18 Pro chip, which doesn’t make a immense quality pinch mundane tasks but is much future-proof each nan same, peculiarly if you person immoderate liking successful gaming aliases contented creation. And while each iPhone 16 has a USB-C charging port, nan Pro models support faster information transportation speeds (provided you person nan correct cable).

The astir salient upgrade is nan display. While nan OLED screens connected nan iPhone 16 Pro and modular iPhone 16 are arsenic crisp and bright, nan former’s is much freely astatine 6.3 inches (instead of 6.1 inches), contempt nan telephone itself only being 0.08 inches taller and 0.02 inches thicker. This is chiefly owed to nan Pro’s thinner bezels, which assistance you much room for streaming videos and reference web pages successful a instrumentality that isn’t importantly much cumbersome to hold.  

On apical of that, nan Pro’s surface has an adaptive refresh complaint up to 120Hz, which tin make scrolling web pages, gaming and streaming video noticeably smoother. Some will show you that nan mean personification doesn’t request this, and it’s existent that not everything plays astatine 120Hz. But utilizing a smartphone is thing if not interacting pinch a mini screen, and erstwhile you’ve seen a faster refresh complaint successful action, it is difficult to springiness up.

It’s a frustrating situation: You tin get a budget Android phone pinch a 120Hz show for astir $300, yet Apple continues to usage “ProMotion” arsenic a measurement to upsell group from devices that already costs hundreds more. Nevertheless, our occupation is to show you what’s champion — and nan Pro’s surface is simply much modern. It’s besides an always-on display, dissimilar nan panels connected nan iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, truthful you tin position your notifications astatine a glimpse without having to physically touch nan device.

Another measurement up is nan camera system. The iPhone 16 Pro has a trio of rear cameras: a 48-megapixel main camera, a 48MP ultrawide shooter and a 12MP telephoto camera. That past 1 is nan biggie, arsenic nan regular iPhone 16 lacks a dedicated telephoto lens entirely. Beyond that, nan Pro's main camera has a larger sensor, truthful it’s a spot amended successful low-light environments, positive it supports portrait mode astatine night. You tin return sharper macro shots for close-ups, and location are different enthusiast features for illustration nan expertise to sprout ProRAW aliases grounds 4K Dolby Vision and ProRes video up to 120 frames per second. 

If nary of this motto intends thing to you, cognize nan regular iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are still awesome point-and-shoot cameras. Those devices tin now return macro photos arsenic well, positive they person nan aforesaid upgraded Photographic Styles characteristic that tin thief touch up shots you whitethorn find overprocessed. They besides stock nan Camera Control fastener for quickly (if sometimes awkwardly) accessing nan camera app, adjusting settings and snapping pics. All that said, nan 16 Pro is better, particularly if you return your photos pinch a small much intent.

The Pro gets somewhat amended artillery life arsenic well, though it’s not nan longest-lasting smartphone we’ve tested. Apple rates it astatine up to 27 hours of video playback, up from 22 hours pinch nan modular iPhone 16, but some devices will apt request a top-up earlier you spell to bed. The guidelines model’s artillery is easier to replace, too, which is aggravating for Pro owners fixed nan higher price. 

Apple is very bluntly trading each iPhone 16 connected really good they’ll activity pinch its caller “Apple Intelligence” AI features, but you shouldn’t guidelines immoderate purchasing decisions connected that functionality correct now. As of this writing, nan tricks see a marginally much robust Siri, ChatGPT integration, email and notification summaries, writing assistance and image generation tools, a Clean Up characteristic that tin region unwanted objects from photos (much for illustration Google’s Magic Eraser) and a “Genmoji” civilization emoji maker, among others. More updates will get complete time. 

Some of these AI features tin beryllium useful astatine points; different times… not truthful much. Little astir them will genuinely alteration nan measurement you usage a smartphone today, and whether anyone really needs them to constitute a paragraph-long email aliases publication a little article is up for statement (to put it charitably). For now, it mightiness beryllium champion to position Apple Intelligence arsenic an intriguing first measurement toward a early that whitethorn aliases whitethorn not beryllium realized down nan road.

Original merchandise date: September 20, 2024 | Storage capacity: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | Screen size: 6.9 inches | Features: A18 Pro chip, Always-on 120Hz ProMotion display, USB-C larboard (USB 3), Titanium frame, Camera Control, Action button, 25W MagSafe charging, Apple Intelligence | Cameras: 48MP wide, 48MP ultrawide, 12MP 5x telephoto, 12MP beforehand | Color options: Natural Titanium, Desert, White, Black | Dimensions: 6.42 x 3.06 x 0.32 inches | Weight: 7.99 ounces

Do you want a larger instrumentality than nan iPhone 16 Pro? Are you consenting to waste and acquisition pocketability for longer artillery life? Are you cool pinch spending astatine slightest $1,199 connected a smartphone? If your reply to those questions is “yes,” skip nan 16 Pro and get nan iPhone 16 Pro Max instead.

It has each nan aforesaid benefits of our apical pick, but pinch a roomier 6.9-inch show and nan longest-lasting artillery of immoderate iPhone. It tin past person to 2 days per charge, whereas nan smaller Pro is much apt to pat retired astir 1 day. It besides starts pinch 256GB of storage, which doubles that of nan Pro and helps warrant nan accrued costs astatine slightest somewhat.

The downside is that it’s a tank. The iPhone 15 Pro Max wasn’t precisely tiny, and this latest exemplary is somewhat taller and wider, truthful you’ll astir apt request 2 hands to run it comfortably if your mitts aren’t connected nan larger side. Ultimately, we’re assuming that astir group would for illustration nan much hand- and pocket-friendly size of nan regular 6.3-inch Pro, moreover if it intends sacrificing a half-day aliases much of artillery life. That’s an easier telephone to make now that there’s nary quality betwixt nan 2 phones’ camera setups. But if you conscionable want nan biggest beast of an iPhone, nan 16 Pro Max is it.

Original merchandise date: February 28, 2025 | Storage capacity: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | Screen size: 6.1 inches | Features: A18 spot (4-core GPU), 60Hz display, USB-C larboard (USB 2), Aluminum frame, Action button, 7.5W Qi wireless charging, Apple Intelligence | Cameras: 48MP rear, 12MP beforehand | Color options: White, Black | Dimensions: 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches | Weight: 5.88 ounces

Read our afloat iPhone 16e review

Here’s nan reality: There’s nary specified point arsenic a existent fund iPhone successful 2025. The $429 iPhone SE was nan closest point Apple had to a value-oriented exemplary coming into nan year, but it was officially discontinued successful February, and its severely outdated creation made it difficult to urge agelong earlier that. The new iPhone 16e is nan SE’s ostensible replacement, but it costs $599, good supra what anyone could telephone “affordable” erstwhile location are truthful galore genuinely decent Android phones that waste for hundreds of dollars less.

So erstwhile we urge nan iPhone 16e successful this spot, deliberation of it little for illustration a fund prime and much for illustration “the cheapest competent iPhone you tin reliably buy.” It’s easy to spot really it could beryllium better, but it still gets you astir of what makes nan iPhone acquisition worthwhile. It looks and feels overmuch much important than nan aged iPhone SE, pinch a larger and much vivid 6.1-inch OLED display, cleaner lines and level aluminum edges. Its A18 spot is astir nan aforesaid arsenic nan 1 successful nan modular iPhone 16, conscionable pinch 1 less GPU core; either way, it’s powerful capable to tally Apple Intelligence and astir games fine. Its artillery life is fantastic, pinch an moreover higher video playback standing (26 hours) than nan guidelines iPhone 16. It has a USB-C port, Face ID and nan programmable Action button. Most importantly, it’s nan slightest costly way into iMessage, Apple Pay, FaceTime, AirPlay and each nan different iOS perks locked successful Apple’s walled garden, for amended aliases worse.

However, nan modular iPhone 16 does bring meaningful upgrades for $200 more. The main 1 is simply a amended camera setup, arsenic it has a second, 12MP ultrawide lens and a larger main sensor pinch amended image stabilization. The 16e’s single-camera strategy is still perfectly good for astir situations, but nighttime shots look softer, portraits are a spot blurrier and there’s nary macro mode. Annoyingly, nan iPhone 16e besides lacks MagSafe, locking it retired of a big of useful accessories, and it’s constricted to slow 7.5W wireless charging. There’s nary ultra-wideband chip to much precisely locate AirTags, and nan modular iPhone 16’s show tin get brighter. (Both are stuck astatine 60Hz, though.) That surface besides has nan Dynamic Island, which makes it easier to cheque timers, Uber ETAs, sports scores and nan for illustration astatine a glance. The 16e, by comparison, has nan fixed “notch” from older iPhones. The modular 16 is besides disposable successful much colors, whereas nan 16e only comes successful a much basal achromatic aliases white.

In galore ways, nan iPhone 16e feels for illustration it was designed backwards to make nan regular iPhone 16 look for illustration a amended value. Nevertheless, if you tin spend an iPhone 16 aliases 16 Plus but can’t walk different $200 aliases $300 for a 16 Pro aliases 16 Pro Max, you should still get 1 of nan guidelines models complete nan 16e.

Really, bargain hunters should look to nan refurbished market for discounts connected older iPhones first. If you tin find an iPhone 15 from a reputable seller for $100+ little than nan 16e, that’d beryllium ideal, arsenic it offers galore of nan 16's halfway upgrades and thing older won’t person a USB-C port. If you spot an iPhone 15 Pro astir nan aforesaid price, it’s nary title — that 1 is amended than nan 16e beautiful overmuch crossed nan board. But moreover a refurbished 15 is improbable to beryllium each that cheap, and each older iPhone will inevitably suffer update support sooner. Still, that mightiness not matter truthful overmuch if you conscionable want an Apple telephone for basal iOS things and tin find an acceptable price-to-storage ratio. Taking advantage of trade-in deals or, to a lesser extent, monthly installment plans that little upfront costs seems particularly prudent these days arsenic well. 

As it stands now, nan deficiency of a competitory fund exemplary successful nan iPhone lineup is disappointing, and it appears that won’t change anytime soon. Apple will beryllium Apple. But if you conscionable want to locomotion into an Apple shop and bargain an iPhone that works, nan 16e is good enough, moreover if it's not a slam-dunk value.