The best iPhones for 2024: Which model should you buy?

Original release 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 port (USB 3), Titanium frame, Camera Control button, Action button, 25W MagSafe charging | Cameras: 48MP wide, 48MP ultrawide, 12MP 5x telephoto, 12MP front | Color options: Natural Titanium, Desert, White, Black | Dimensions: 5.89 x 2.81 x 0.32 inches | Weight: 7.03 ounces

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

The iPhone 16 Pro is the iPhone we’d recommend to most people. Yes, its starting price of $999 might be steep, but a smartphone is a long-term investment. If the question is “which iPhone is most likely to keep you happy for the next three to five years,” we think the iPhone 16 Pro’s advantages over the standard iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are still meaningful enough to be worth the extra $100-200 — even if the gap isn’t as wide as it’s been in years past.

For one, the iPhone 16 Pro’s blasted titanium frame feels higher-quality than the aluminum one on the base iPhone 16. It’s a bit heavier than the standard 16 and last year’s iPhone 15 Pro, but it’s far from an anchor, and its slightly curved edges are pleasing to hold. It runs on the slightly faster A18 Pro chip, which doesn’t make a huge difference with everyday tasks but is more future-proof all the same, particularly if you have any interest in gaming or content creation. And while every iPhone 16 has a USB-C charging port, the Pro models support faster data transfer speeds (provided you have the right cable).

The most prominent upgrade is the display. While the OLED panels on the iPhone 16 Pro and standard iPhone 16 are equally sharp and bright, the former’s is more spacious at 6.3 inches (instead of 6.1 inches), despite the phone itself only being 0.08 inches taller and 0.02 inches thicker. This is mainly due to the Pro’s thinner bezels, which grant you more room for streaming videos and reading web pages in a device that isn’t significantly more cumbersome to hold.  

On top of that, the Pro’s screen has an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz, which can make scrolling web pages, gaming and streaming video noticeably smoother. Some will tell you that the average person doesn’t need this, and it’s true that not everything plays at 120Hz. But using a smartphone is nothing if not interacting with a small screen, and once you’ve seen a faster refresh rate in action, it is difficult to give up.

It’s a frustrating situation: You can get a budget Android phone with a 120Hz display for around $300, yet Apple continues to use “ProMotion” as a way to upsell people from devices that already cost hundreds more. Nevertheless, our job is to tell you what’s best — and the Pro’s display is simply more current. It’s also always-on, unlike the screens on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, so you can view your notifications at a glance without having to physically touch the device.

Another step up is the 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 last one is the biggie, as the regular iPhone 16 lacks a dedicated telephoto lens entirely. Beyond that, the Pro's main camera has a larger sensor, so it’s a bit better in low-light environments, plus it supports portrait mode at night. You can take sharper macro shots for close-ups, and there are other enthusiast features like the ability to shoot ProRAW or record 4K Dolby Vision and ProRes video up to 120 frames per second. If none of this jargon means anything to you, know the regular iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are still great point-and-shoot cameras. Those devices can now take macro photos as well; they have the same upgraded Photographic Styles feature that can help touch up shots you may find overprocessed; and they share the new Camera Control button for quickly (if sometimes awkwardly) accessing the camera app, adjusting settings and snapping pics. All that said, the 16 Pro is better, especially if you take your photos with a little more intent.

The Pro should get better battery life as well, though it’s certainly not the longest-lasting smartphone we’ve tested. Apple rates it at up to 27 hours of video playback, up from 22 hours with the standard iPhone 16, but both devices will likely need a top-up before you go to bed. The base model’s battery is easier to replace, too, which is aggravating for Pro owners given the higher price. We’ll also have to see how these batteries hold up over time, especially after extended use of Apple’s taxing new “Apple Intelligence” tools.

On that: Apple is very bluntly selling each iPhone 16 on how well they’ll work with those new AI features, but the suite as a whole isn’t available to the public yet. The company will start rolling out Apple Intelligence in beta in October. We’ll figure out how useful the new stuff actually is and make any necessary changes to this guide around then, though we don’t expect to see much of a performance difference between the standard and Pro models.

While we think the iPhone 16 Pro is a great flagship, our next pick should better suit those who don’t mind a bigger device and want a phone that can truly last all day.

Original release 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 port (USB 3), Titanium frame, Camera Control, Action button, 25W MagSafe charging | Cameras: 48MP wide, 48MP ultrawide, 12MP 5x telephoto, 12MP front | 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 device than the iPhone 16 Pro? Are you willing to trade pocketability for longer battery life? Are you cool with spending at least $1,199 on a smartphone? If your answer to those questions is “yes,” skip the 16 Pro and get the iPhone 16 Pro Max instead.

It has all the same benefits of our top pick, but with a roomier 6.9-inch display and the longest-lasting battery of any iPhone. It can last closer to two days per charge, whereas the smaller Pro is more likely to tap out around one day. It also starts with 256GB of storage, which doubles that of the Pro and helps justify the increased cost at least somewhat.

The downside is that it’s a tank. The iPhone 15 Pro Max wasn’t exactly tiny, and this year’s model is slightly taller and wider, so you’ll probably need two hands to operate it comfortably if your mitts aren’t on the larger side. Ultimately, we’re assuming that most people would prefer the more hand- and pocket-friendly size of the regular 6.3-inch Pro, even if it means sacrificing a half a day, if not more, of battery life. That’s an easier call to make now that there’s no difference between the two phones’ camera setups. But if you just want the biggest beast of an iPhone, the 16 Pro Max is it.

Original release date: September 22, 2023 | Storage capacity: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | Screen size: 6.1 inches | Features: A16 Bionic chip, 60Hz display, USB-C port (USB 2), Aluminum frame, 15W MagSafe charging | Cameras: 48MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP 2x telephoto, 12MP front | Color options: Blue, Green, Yellow, Pink, Black | Dimensions: 5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches | Weight: 6.02 ounces

Read our full iPhone 15 review

Here’s the reality: There isn’t a good budget option in the iPhone family right now. The $429 iPhone SE is too outmoded to widely recommend, and the $599 iPhone 14 — the next most affordable device in Apple’s lineup — charges and connects over Lightning instead of USB-C, which is hard to justify today and will only age worse in the years ahead.

So when we recommend the $699 iPhone 15 (or the $799 iPhone 15 Plus), think of it less like a budget pick and more like “the cheapest good iPhone that Apple currently sells.” The iPhone 16 and larger iPhone 16 Plus do bring meaningful upgrades for $100 more:, including an upgraded camera system with macro support and a slightly improved ultrawide lens, an extra hour or two of battery life; faster wireless charging (up to 25W instead of 15W), a stronger processor, more RAM, the Camera Control button and the customizable Action button from last year’s Pro phones. If you’re in a position where you can afford an iPhone 16 or 16 Plus but can’t spare the extra $200 or $300 for a 16 Pro or 16 Pro Max, just get one of this year’s base models instead.

With all of that said, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are still excellent if you really want to save that extra $100 upfront. They have the same aluminum and soft-touch glass designs as the new phones, with the exact same dimensions, and their displays are just as bright and sharp. (But they still run at 60Hz, sadly.) The rear cameras remain great for casual photography, while the front-facing shooters are identical to those on the latest models. Battery life is still more than adequate, particularly with the iPhone 15 Plus, and you get a USB-C port. While there are no new buttons, the display still includes the handy Dynamic Island, which makes it faster to check timers, currently playing songs, Uber ETAs and the like. The main trade-off involves Apple Intelligence, as the 15 and 15 Plus’ lesser chip and memory aren’t enough to support Apple’s upcoming AI features, though exactly how much of a loss that is remains to be seen. Otherwise, the A16 Bionic chip in both devices is plenty fast for most of the things you’d do with a smartphone, apart from running a handful of console-quality games.

In the end, those hunting for a deal may want to scour through the refurbished market for an older model at a more reasonable price. You’ll have to live without USB-C, and you’ll inevitably lose update support sooner, but that might not matter so much if you just want an iPhone for basic iOS things and can find a good cost-to-storage ratio. Utilizing trade-in deals or monthly installment plans that reduce upfront costs also seems more prudent than usual this year. As it stands now, the iPhone lineup could really use a competitive budget model.