The Best iPhones to Buy in 2023

Find the best one for you

Updated on March 28, 2023

Apple's iPhone 14 lineup introduced crash detection, emergency SOS via satellite, eSIM instead of physical SIM cards, and iOS 16. The series also has advanced photography features and Apple's ultra-powerful A15 and A16 Bionic chips.

The budget-friendly iPhone SE (3rd generation) and compact iPhone 13 mini complete Apple's current offerings.

Check out our comparison of the iPhone 14 models, iPhone SE (3rd generation), and iPhone 13 mini.

The Rundown

Best Overall:

Apple iPhone 14 at Apple

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Best Mini iPhone:

Apple iPhone 13 mini at Apple

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Best Splurge:

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max at Best Buy

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Best Budget:

Apple iPhone SE at Amazon

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in this article

Our Picks
What to Look for in an iPhone

Amazon

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What We Like

Excellent cameras
Great battery life

What We Don't Like

Minor upgrade from iPhone 13

Apple's 6.1-inch iPhone 14 continues the tradition of striking the perfect balance between price and performance, packing in almost all of the critical features of Apple's flagship "Pro" models at a more affordable price.

Ultimately, all you're missing from the more expensive iPhone 14 Pro is a telephoto lens and a pill-shaped notification and status bar (Apple calls it a Dynamic Island) that never leaves the screen.

Still, we don't think these are worth the extra cost for most folks, especially since the iPhone 14 packs in the powerful A15 bionic chip for advanced computational photography. The dual-camera system can take some pretty amazing shots with support for the same Portrait Mode, Night Mode, Deep Fusion features, and 4K video recording at 60fps.

The iPhone 14 also offers excellent battery life—up to 20 hours of video playback and 80 hours of audio playback—along with Apple's MagSafe technology that allows for faster 15W wireless charging.

4.5

iPhone 13 mini.

Apple

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What We Like

Compact size
Excellent display
Great cameras

What We Don't Like

Doesn't come with power brick

If you like a more pocketable iPhone or have smaller hands, the iPhone 13 mini is for you. It's the smallest iPhone in the current lineup, despite having a larger screen than the iPhone SE (3rd generation).

The 13 mini has a 5.4-inch screen and measures about 5 by 2.5 by .3 inches, while the iPhone SE (3rd generation) is approximately 5.5 by 2.7 by .3 inches with a 4.7-inch screen.

The iPhone 13 mini is equal to the larger 6.1-inch iPhone 13 in nearly every way except its size. It packs Apple's A15 Bionic chip (like the iPhone 14), a dual-camera system, and a Super Retina XDR OLED display.

Apple

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What We Like

Night mode is excellent
Telephoto lens has more zoom

What We Don't Like

Pricy

Apple's iPhone 14 Pro Max leads the pack if you're looking for the ultimate iPhone since there's more to it than the larger size. The incredible Super Retina XDR display looks even more impressive at 6.7 inches, incorporating ProMotion technology (120Hz refresh rate) and an Always-On display.

It also packs Apple's latest A16 Bionic chip.

The 14 Pro Max has a triple-lens camera system with a 48MP main camera and a telephoto lens that increases the optical zoom to 3X.

4.2

Amazon

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What We Like

Affordable
Compact design
Great camera

What We Don't Like

So-so battery life

Apple's iPhone SE (3rd generation) is one of the most affordable iPhones that Apple has ever made despite sharing many features with the iPhone 14, like the A15 Bionic chip.

While the most advanced iPhones have three rear cameras, the SE 3rd gen has only one 12 MP lens, but the A15 Bionic chip allows it to take advantage of features like Portrait Mode and Portrait Lighting. You can even shoot 4K video at a full 60fps, although the lack of the fancier TrueDepth camera on the front means you don't get Face ID, and you'll be limited to 7MP selfies.

That said, the more traditional design of the iPhone SE not only offers a lower price tag but will appeal to users who prefer the Touch ID fingerprint sensor. It offers up to 15 hours of video playback or 50 hours of audio listening.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max Dynamic Island feature. — Apple

What to Look for in an iPhone

Cameras: These days, smartphones are about taking great pictures as much as anything else, so if you’re an avid mobile photographer, you’ll want to focus on one of the newer models—a triple-lens one with OLED if you can afford it. These offer better lenses and advanced computational photography features to make your photos look great, but higher-resolution screens ensure that the results look how they’re supposed to.

Size: Apple offers its iPhones in three basic sizes, offering choices from smaller iPhones that fit easily in your pocket to big “phablet” sized iPhones with nice big screens for watching videos or just having a larger canvas to work on. Also, remember that you’ll probably want to add a case for whatever size you pick, as Apple’s all-glass iPhones are fragile and slippery.

Storage: There are several storage tiers available for each iPhone. Apple limits the largest capacities to the top-tier models, but 128GB is more than enough for most users, especially if you’re willing to use iCloud or Google Photos to keep your photos and videos in the cloud.

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