Thinking about getting a new iPhone? We’ve got some advice.
- feb
- 19
The phone you carry with you every day is your most important and most personal device. It's got to be fast, reliable, and have the most advanced features you need every day. Since Apple changed the landscape of iPhones in 2019, the iPhone 11 is now the best iPhone for most people.
Best Overall: iPhone 11
The iPhone 11 is practically perfect in every way. It has a 12MP dual-camera system with wide and ultra-wide lenses, Apple's fastest A13 Bionic chip, a Liquid Retina HD LCD display, and a 6.1" screen size.
It uses Apple's advanced Face ID biometric scanning (which also means the True Depth FaceTime camera), supports Animoji, slo-mo selfies (or, "slofies" as Apple has marketed), 4K video recording support, Portrait mode for the front and back-facing cameras (including non-human subjects), Night mode, and a whole lot more.
The iPhone 11 has nearly every single amazing feature the iPhone 11 Pro has except the three-camera system (which includes a telephoto lens) and the Super Retina OLED display. At a fraction of the price of the Pro model, this is why the iPhone 11 is the best iPhone for most people.
Pros:
- Dual-camera system
- Nearly all the same features as the iPhone 11 Pro
- Six different colors
- Really great price
Cons:
- No telephoto lens
- LCD screen instead of OLED
Best Overall
iPhone 11
Practically a Pro but at a lower price.
The iPhone 11 is the right phone at the right price for most people and comes in an array of great colors.
Best on a Budget: iPhone 8
If your pocketbook has you restricted, the lowest-priced iPhone is the 4.7" iPhone 8. It sports Apple's A11 Bionic chip, a 12MP dual-camera system with wide and telephoto lenses, 4K video recording, and plenty of advanced technology. It's not Apple's latest and greatest, but it will continue to receive software support for years to come, and you can get it for a song (comparatively for an iPhone). This is the only phone with a Home button in Apple's current lineup. So if you prefer fingerprint scanning to facial scanning, this is the iPhone for you.
Note: Strong rumors are pointing to Apple launching a brand new low-cost iPhone sometime in March. It may even be less expensive than the iPhone 8. For this reason, we recommend holding off buying a new iPhone if you're on a budget at least until after this spring.
Pros:
- Least expensive iPhone
- Home button
- Telephoto lens
Cons:
- 2-year old processor chip
- Missing a lot of the new camera features of the iPhone 11
Best on a Budget
iPhone 8
The perfect entry-level iPhone.
If you're just entering the smartphone game or you're upgrading from the iPhone 6, this is a fantastic iPhone at an incredibly low price.
Best for Photographers: iPhone 11 Pro
The one thing that makes the iPhone 11 Pro noticeably different than the iPhone 11 is in the camera system. It's a 12MP triple-camera system with wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto lenses. With three lenses, you can zoom in or out 2x and digitally zoom up to 10x. It's any photographer's dream and might even replace some people's daily camera carry. If you want the absolute most advanced camera system, this is the pick for you. The iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max also have the longest battery life of any iPhone ever by a lot.
As a secondary note, if you prefer a slim iPhone design and don't mind spending the extra cash, the iPhone 11 Pro is also the thinnest of the entire lineup.
Pros:
- Triple-lens camera
- Super long battery life
- Super Retina OLED screen
Cons:
- Most expensive iPhone
- No bright color options
Best for Photographers
iPhone 11 Pro
Most advanced everything at a premium price.
If money is no issue and you really want that triple-camera system, the iPhone 11 Pro has it all and then some.
Best for kids: iPhone XR
Let's face it; your kids are going to be secretly disappointed (or maybe openly disappointed) if you buy them an iPhone 8. It's a great phone at a great price, but they want the new hotness. The iPhone XR was Apple's best-selling iPhone in 2019 and was the most popular model until the iPhone 11 came along. It comes in six bright colors, supports Face ID and Animoji and Memoji, features Portrait mode (though only for humans), and is a great first iPhone for your kids.
Pros:
- Great price
- Bright colors
- Face ID
Cons:
- Not an iPhone 11
Best for kids
iPhone XR
Thanks, mom and dad. You're the best!
The iPhone XR hugely popular and comes with some of the best features you can get right now. Your kids will love it.
Bottom line
Because the iPhone 11 has all of the same features as the iPhone 11 Pro except the telephoto lens and the Super Retina display, but at a fraction of the price of the Pro model, it's hands-down the best iPhone for most people and our pick this year.
If you want the most advanced camera system in an iPhone, and arguably in any phone, you're going to want the iPhone 11 Pro. It's got the longest battery life of any iPhone every by a lot and will make any of your pics look practically professional.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Lory Gil is the Managing Editor of iMore and knows here way around an iPhone. She's known as the four-inch iPhone fan (RIP).