Which iPhone Should You Buy?

If you want Apple’s most budget-friendly option, the iPhone 16e is for you. It’s a refresh of the iPhone SE (2022), which is no longer sold by Apple, with some hardware upgrades.

Like the iPhone 16 base model, it has a 6.1-inch display that our testers say is excellent quality, with smooth scrolling and crystal-clear images. Ditching the Home button on the SE, the new model now uses handy face recognition technology (Face ID) to unlock the device and allow you to sign in to apps and approve purchases.

It comes with the latest Apple A18 chip, the same as the flagship iPhone 16 models. This allows for the extra processing power needed for Apple’s AI features. (All the iPhone 16 models, as well as the iPhone 15 Pro models, support Apple Intelligence.) Overall, the performance is excellent, according to our testers, meaning you can expect to tackle nearly any kind of task, including FaceTiming with a friend and navigating using GPS, without much of a lag.

Though the 16e has just one 48-megapixel rear camera (compared with the multilens setups on the other iPhone 16 models), our testers rate the camera system overall as very good. But if a premium camera is important to you, you may want to look at those other options.

The 16e offers standard USB-C charging, which means you don’t have to rely on the Apple-manufactured Lightning cords designed for many older models. The 16e is also compatible with wireless charging. The battery life is 37.5 hours per charge. That’s a bit longer than what you get with the iPhone SE (30 hours) and on a par with the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro (37 and 36.5, respectively), but not as impressive as the larger-sized iPhone 16 models.

If you’re worried about Apple’s budget model being less durable, have no fear: The 16e also aced our scratch-resistance and water-intrusion tests and withstood 100 drops in our tumbler with no significant dents.

Check out our hands-on review of the 16e, too.

If you want a reasonably sized iPhone with a great camera, the standard iPhone line is where to look. These models cost $200 less than their Pro counterparts, which offer the most premium features and impressive camera setup. But they still tend to perform very well in our tests where it matters, on metrics like camera performance, battery life, and durability.

All the base models have a 6.1-inch OLED display and a dual rear camera system.

The iPhone 16 has some modest upgrades compared with the older models. It’s equipped with a handy side button that controls the camera’s functions. It also has the versatile Action button (available on the 15 Pro models) that replaces the Ring/Silent switch and can quickly do a variety of tasks, like turning on the flashlight or Do Not Disturb mode. You also get a 48-megapixel camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. That’s not as versatile as the triple-rear camera system on the Pro models, but it beats the single 48-megapixel camera on the iPhone 16e.

The iPhone 16 has Apple’s A18 chip, which the company says helps to facilitate the large generative modeling that runs the new Apple Intelligence features, from a smarter Siri to enhanced photo editing. The iPhone 15 actually outperforms the newer iPhone 16 when it comes to battery life, lasting 40.5 hours per charge vs. the iPhone 16’s 37 hours.

Check out our hands-on review of the iPhone 16 line.

If you’d like a bigger screen but don’t necessarily want to pay for all the premium features, the iPhone Plus might be a good fit. The Plus models have the same hardware and camera specs as Apple’s base models but with larger displays and batteries. The iPhone 16 Plus, 15 Plus, and 14 Plus have a 6.7-inch, 60Hz (standard and not high-refresh-rate) display, which gives you more space for reading email, playing video games, and, of course, watching streaming video.

The 16 Plus has slightly worse battery life than the previous 15 Plus (47 vs. 53 hours, respectively), but the 16 Plus gets a few hardware upgrades, like the A18 chip and Camera Control button.

Unless you’re a photography enthusiast, a gamer who wants a faster display refresh rate, or someone who wants the longest-lasting battery possible, the iPhone base models (above) and iPhone Plus models here probably have everything you need.

Willing to spend a little more for Apple’s latest hardware without the jumbo-sized display? The 6.3-inch iPhone 16 Pro is a little bigger than last year’s 15 Pro and has a more powerful A18 Pro chip, Apple says. It features a 48-megapixel main rear camera, a new 48-megapixel ultrawide camera, and a 12-megapixel 5x telephoto lens. (The 15 Pro only has a 3x telephoto lens, something to consider if you like to take faraway shots.)

The 16 Pro also features a new side camera button not available on the previous Pro models. It has the same 120Hz high refresh rate (good for gameplay and smoother scrolling) found on the 15 Pro and 14 Pro models.

While the iPhone 16 Pro’s battery life is less impressive than the 15 Pro (36.5 vs. 40 hours, respectively), the 16 Pro looks to be the choice if you want the latest tech on a device you can more comfortably use with one hand.

This is the biggest and best that Apple has to offer. Like the Pro, the Pro Max’s frame is made of titanium instead of aluminum, giving it a more premium feel. With the 16 Pro Max, you get Apple’s 6.9-inch display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate and Always On capability.

The 16 Pro Max gets a new 48-megapixel ultrawide camera, offering the ability to capture more detail than the 12-megapixel ultrawide on the 15 Pro Max. It also has the 48-megapixel main rear camera and 12-megapixel telephoto with 5x zoom found on that earlier model. And it comes equipped with the A18 Pro chip.

If you know you want the bigger screen but you’re still deciding between the iPhone 16 Plus and the iPhone 16 Pro Max, the higher-end model will get you the premium titanium frame, a more advanced triple rear camera system, and longer battery life. The 15 Pro Max continues to outperform the 16 Pro Max in our testing because of slightly superior battery life (52 vs. 49 hours, respectively).

The table below spotlights the major differences among the phones. (If you’re reading this article on a smartphone, we recommend that you rotate it to landscape mode for a better view.)