The best iPhone 2023

The iPhone 14 Pro is the best iPhone for most people right now. It offers key improvements over the iPhone 13 Pro not only in terms of raw performance but new features too, with the iPhone 14 Pro sporting key new tech including Apple’s new Dynamic Island camera cutout.

Replacing the standard Face ID notch, the oblong-shaped cut-out is an impressive blend of software and hardware that brings the notch into the iOS experience, displaying timers, music controls and more without having to access your lock screen. It’s utterly charming and a true highlight of Apple’s keen eye for software and hardware design.

That’s not all though; it’s also the first iPhone to offer an always-on display, and in true Apple form, it’s much better than the Android competition. While it dims the display, you’ve still got full access to your wallpaper, time, widgets, notifications and music controls without any real impact on overall battery life.

The 48Mp rear snapper is another highlight of this year’s Pro model; using 4-in-1 pixel binning tech, the new main camera offers an impressive boost not only to overall detail but low-light photography. That’s a trend of all cameras on the 14 Pro, with Apple claiming a general 2x improvement.

The only real disappointment is battery life; while it’ll keep on going if left on standby, you’ll likely only be able to squeeze about a day’s use out of the phone before it’ll need a top-up – a stark difference to the big-screen iPhone 13 Pro Max and (likely) the iPhone 14 Plus & Pro Max.

The iPhone 14 replaces the iPhone 13 in Apple’s line-up, and just like its predecessor, is the default iPhone choice for most people. It has very good cameras despite missing out on the 48Mp snapper of the Pro models, outstanding battery life that comfortably lasts all day, and a great, if 60Hz, display.

It’s big enough to enjoy the display without being unwieldy like the iPhone Plus and Max models, and it isn’t a lead weight in a pocket or bag. That’s down to the use of an aluminium frame in place of the stainless steel of the Pro models, but the aluminium sides of the iPhone 14 feel great, and they don’t pick up greasy fingerprints like the Pro models either.

Throw in other features including full waterproofing, wireless charging, satellite connectivity and car crash detection and you have a solid iPhone that will last you for four or five years.

It’s not quite enough for iPhone 13 owners to upgrade, however, and for this price should have a high refresh rate display and the ability to shoot in RAW format so people can use the camera as a professional tool – it was possible on the iPhone 13 Pro, and the iPhone 14 shares the same camera and chipset.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max is undoubtedly the best showcase of Apple’s smartphone technology in 2023 – but it’s also very expensive, especially in the UK where it has seen a £150 increase compared to last year’s model.

Still, all that cash will get you a top-tier iPhone experience with Apple’s new Dynamic Island tech, a game-changing always-on display and the fastest processor on the market, the A16 Bionic. There’s also the same upgraded rear-facing camera setup as the iPhone 14 Pro, including a heavily upgraded 48Mp main snapper.

Where the iPhone 14 Pro Max truly stands out is with the screen; the 6.7in Super Retina XDR display is simply stunning. It’s bright, vivid and there’s enough screen space to really enjoy watching video content like TikToks and Netflix shows. It also benefits from a larger battery than the iPhone 14 Pro for true all-day battery life without battery anxiety – though it’s no longer the best iPhone for battery life. That award now goes to the iPhone 14 Plus, featured below.

The stainless steel frame does add a premium look and feel to the phone, but it also adds extra heft as a result. It’s also a bit of a fingerprint magnet.

If you’re simply looking for a big-screen iPhone, the iPhone 14 Plus may suffice at a slightly cheaper price, but if you want the ultimate iPhone experience, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is the one to go for.

If you want the big-screen iPhone experience but can’t afford the top-end iPhone 14 Pro Max, last year’s iPhone 13 Pro Max is still a solid option and, even better, it’s much cheaper now than it was at launch.

Despite the reduced price tag, it has a huge 6.7in Super Retina XDR OLED display with the ability to jump between 10- and 120Hz depending on what you’re doing. There’s also Apple’s (not quite top-end) A15 Bionic at its heart, although with a suspected bump in RAM compared to the other models. 

Sporting a 12Mp main snapper with the same sensor-shift OIS and wider f/1.5 aperture, the 13 Pro Max is capable of taking great photos both during the day and at night. It also benefits from improvements to the ultrawide and telephoto lens, and there’s Apple ProRaw video recording available for pro-level videographers too. 

Where the iPhone 13 Pro Max truly shines is in the battery department; it offers an extra 2 hours compared to the already-impressive 12 Pro Max, keeping up with some of the best Android competition – though the title of best battery life now goes to the iPhone 14 Plus, featured below. 

The downside is that the larger display and battery means the iPhone 13 Pro Max is a bit of a beast to hold one-handed, and it’s noticeably heavier too.

If you’re looking for the best battery life of any iPhone, the iPhone 14 Plus is the one to go for, boasting a better battery life than even the top-end iPhone 14 Pro Max most of the time. However, unlike other iPhones in the iPhone 14 range, it’s not an easy recommendation.

It has a 6.7in Super Retina XDR display, something you’ve traditionally had to get the top-end iPhone Pro Max to experience, it has great battery life and it boasts the still-very-capable Apple A15 Bionic at its heart. Throw in decent camera performance with the same main lens as the iPhone 13 Pro, the solid iOS experience and great build quality and, on paper, it seems like the ideal iPhone.

The problem is its price, coming in at a cool $899/£949. That’s not much cheaper than the iPhone 14 Pro that has plenty of upgrades over the Plus, including the 120Hz dynamic refresh rate, Apple’s Dynamic Island tech, an upgraded 48Mp rear camera and more premium materials. It’s also very expensive for what it is compared to the Android competition, with the 60Hz refresh rate in particular really holding the iPhone 14 Plus back.

So, while it’s a solid performer that delivers a great experience with the best battery life ever on an iPhone, it’s hard to argue that the value for money is there compared not only to the Android competiton but the iPhone 14 Pro, which only costs $100/£150 more.

If the iPhone 14 Pro is a little too expensive for your needs, why not consider last year’s iPhone 13 Pro? It may not be available from Apple directly, but plenty of retailers and carriers still offer it. It offers key improvements over the iPhone 12 Pro in terms of performance, battery and camera, and there aren’t any differences between it and the 13 Pro Max aside from screen size, meaning you don’t need to spend money on the largest iPhone to get the best features.

One of the key features of the iPhone 13 Pro is the 120Hz ProMotion display. The adaptive refresh rate can ramp up to a buttery-smooth 120Hz when scrolling and playing games, and drop down to as little as 10Hz when it can to save on battery life. The display is also brighter than ever, ideal for outdoor use. 

Though it lacks the camera upgrades of the iPhone 14 Pro, the 13 Pro is still a capable snapper. It sports a main 12Mp snapper with sensor-shift OIS tech previously exclusive to the 12 Pro Max, along with improved f/1.5 aperture for better low-light photography. There are similar low-light improvements to the wide-angle camera, which doubles up as a macro camera, and a boosted telephoto lens now offering a 3x optical zoom. 

Like the rest of the iPhone 13 range, you’ll find the A15 Bionic, paired with a minimum 128GB of base storage, going all the way up to 1TB. Performance is top-notch too, with very little between it and the upgraded A16 Bionic in this year’s Pro model. Really, there’s not a lot to like when it comes to the iPhone 13 Pro, and since the release of the iPhone 14 Pro, it’s cheaper than ever.

Despite being replaced by the iPhone 14, the iPhone 13 remains a solid choice for those that want to save a bit of cash on a recent iPhone. It sports the same general form factor as the updated iPhone 14, and boasts a similar level of performance with the same A15 Bionic chipset at its heart.

There’s also great camera performance, sporting the Sensor-Shift OIS previously exclusive to the top-end iPhone 12 Pro Max, though it doesn’t get the autofocus tech on the front-facing camera like the newer model. There’s also a 2-hour jump in battery life compared to its predecessor too.

But while the overall experience is still strong, there are certain areas where the iPhone 13 is lacking. It’s capped at 60Hz, down from 120Hz on the Pro models, and while you’ll get an ultrawide camera with macro photography capabilities, you won’t find a telephoto lens for close-up portrait shots. There’s also a slower maximum charge speed to consider.

However, none of those are complete deal-breakers, and if you’re not too fussed about having the very best of everything, the iPhone 13 is still a great smartphone at an even more attractive price. 

If the 6.1in display of the iPhone 13 is a little too big for your liking, the iPhone 13 mini is the iPhone for you.

It offers the same iPhone experience as the standard model, complete with an A15 Bionic at its heart, Apple’s Super Retina XDR display (albeit at a smaller 5.4in) and improved main and ultrawide lenses, sporting sensor-shift OIS like the more premium models, but in a much smaller form factor.

The iPhone 13 mini is the perfect iPhone to use one-handed, but the smaller display also means it’s not the best suited to watching YouTube videos and movies on Netflix.

The small dimensions mean that while battery life has improved compared to the 12 Mini, it can’t quite compete with the larger models overall. It also still suffers from the same capped 12W MagSafe charging, compared to 15W from the rest of the range. 

Apple’s iPhone SE range is devoted to function over form, prioritising raw performance over design or aesthetics, and that’s just as true with the latest variant – but possibly to its detriment.

Sporting the same A15 Bionic chipset and 5G connectivity as the iPhone 13 series, the iPhone SE outperforms every Android competitor in its price range and 5G connectivity is a welcome addition, but that performance comes at a cost.

The dated design of the iPhone SE feels older than ever, and the 720p LCD display seems not only small but increasingly unable to render apps and webpages designed for bigger mobile displays. 

There’s also the single 12Mp snapper on the rear. It’ll take decent photos in good and even marginally low light, but it lacks advanced shooting modes like Night Mode and Cinematic Video mode despite featuring a chipset more than capable of doing so. 

The iPhone SE is really only for those who must have an iPhone, but can’t afford the iPhone 13 Mini or can’t say goodbye to Touch ID. For practically everyone else, there’s a better iPhone available.