The most effective iPhones in 2025: which Apple smartphone is best for you, in line with our knowledgeable

[ad_1] T he greatest iPhone will be the one you already personal. There may be typically no want to purchase a contemporary cellphone simply because new fashions have been launched, as {hardware} updates are broadly iterative, including small bits to an already achieved package deal. However if you happen to do desire a alternative handset, whether or not new or refurbished, listed here are the very best units of the present crop of Apple smartphones.

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Many different smartphones can be found apart from the iPhone, however if you happen to’re an Apple person and don’t fancy switching to Android, you continue to have a number of selections. Whether or not your precedence is the longest battery life, the very best digicam, the largest display or just the optimum steadiness of options and worth, there’s extra to select from within the Apple ecosystem than it's possible you'll count on, particularly after the discharge of the iPhone 16e.

Apple introduced 4 new iPhones, that includes refreshed designs, chips and drastically improved selfie cameras, together with a completely new iPhone Air mannequin that's the thinnest Apple cellphone so far, on 9 September 2025. The Air has a 6.5in display and a titanium body and a single digicam on the again (plus the selfie digicam), however solely helps eSims.

The brand new iPhone 17 is an replace to the usual iPhone, including a barely bigger and brighter 6.3in display. This comes with a quicker ProMotion refresh charge for smoother scrolling, a function that has till now been restricted to the Professional fashions.

The iPhone 17 Professional and Professional Max have a brand new again design with a digicam lump that stretches the complete width of the machine and options three 48MP cameras. They've bigger batteries, are fabricated from aluminium as a substitute of the titanium of their predecessors, and can be found in a standout new orange color.

The brand new fashions go on sale on 19 September and are already out there for preorder. This information will probably be up to date as soon as all 4 fashions are completely examined and ranked.

At a look From £698 at John Lewis £899 at Argos £1,099 at Argos From £599 at Apple The most effective iPhones you should purchase in 2025 The Apple iPhone 16 Plus with the iPhone 16. {Photograph}: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian Greatest iPhone for most individuals: iPhone 16 The iPhone 16 consists of among the first Apple Intelligence AI options, comparable to writing, proofing and summarising instruments. {Photograph}: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian The bottom mannequin iPhone 16 has nearly all of the options that make Apple’s newest smartphones nice, however it’s considerably cheaper than the 16 Professional fashions.

It has Apple’s fashionable but acquainted aluminium and glass iPhone design and Face ID however has a rearranged digicam cluster on the again. It sticks with the identical 6.1in OLED display as its predecessors, which seems to be good however lacks an always-on mode. It’s additionally nonetheless caught at a comparatively sluggish 60Hz refresh charge, which might make scrolling and movement extra jarring than on fashions with quicker screens.

The most recent A18 chip is fast and permits Apple’s Intelligence options (AI instruments). The battery lasts about two days of normal use, or at the very least a day of heavy use, and the cellphone costs with USB-C. It additionally helps MagSafe and Qi/Qi2 wi-fi charging and equipment. It begins with a good 128GB of storage, though bigger fashions can be found if you happen to don’t wish to retailer your pictures and movies within the cloud.

The iPhone 16 is gentle and pretty compact for a contemporary smartphone, and its IP68 ranking means it’s water resistant to depths of six metres for as much as half-hour – greater than secure sufficient for any unintentional dunks. It positive factors the helpful Motion button from 2023’s iPhone 15 Professional, which replaces the mute change and can be utilized to mute the cellphone or for numerous different capabilities, comparable to turning on the torch or launching apps. The brand new Digital camera Management button is nice for shortly opening the digicam, even when zooming, altering settings and taking pictures pictures with the button is fiddly within the digicam app.

The twin digicam on the again is nice, comprising a foremost 48MP digicam and an improved 12MP ultrawide digicam, which now has a macro images mode for enjoyable closeup pictures. It additionally has Apple’s photographic types options for many who wish to customise how the digicam captures pictures (wealthy distinction, vibrant, heat) and get artistic with tone and color palette. The primary digicam can do a 2x in-sensor zoom, which works effectively in shiny gentle, however the lack of an actual telephoto digicam holds the 16 again. The 12MP selfie digicam is similar as different iPhones.

The iPhone runs the not too long ago launched iOS 18.3, which incorporates help for RCS messaging with Android and provides extra of Apple’s new AI options. They embody a collection of AI writing instruments which can be constructed into the keyboard, which let you proof, rewrite and summarise textual content, create tables and lists, transcribe audio from calls and recordings, amongst different small options.

An AI object remover in pictures will help enhance your pictures, whereas the Picture Playground instrument can generate photographs for you from descriptions or pictures, together with cartoon variations of actual folks. The Genmoji instrument within the keyboard can create customized emoji stickers too.

Siri has a brand new design and may now cross queries to ChatGPT for extra superior solutions. Apple’s notification abstract instrument has been tweaked too: it now summarises stacks of notifications with stylised italics and has paused summarising information and media notifications after a backlash.

Apple’s visible intelligence function permits customers to level their digicam at an object, textual content or info, comparable to URLs, calendar entries or cellphone numbers, to make use of them or discover out extra about them, together with sending photographs to ChatGPT or Google for info.

From £698 at John Lewis From £699 at Apple Why do you have to purchase it?The iPhone 16 gives the usual iPhone expertise at a less expensive worth and in essentially the most pocketable dimension, providing good battery life and entry to new and future AI options.

Purchase if: you need the default, good iPhone expertise todayDon’t purchase if: you need optical zoom in your digicam

Learn our full iPhone 16 assessment: extra buttons and velocity for Apple’s customary cellphone

Display: 6.1in Tremendous Retina XDR (OLED)Processor: Apple A18Storage: 128, 256 or 512GBCamera: 48MP foremost + 12MP UW; 12MP front-facingDimensions: 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm (HWD)Weight: 170g

Battery and dimension improve: iPhone 16 Plus Although considerably cumbersome to slot in a pocket, the iPhone 16 Plus has nice battery life and a 6.7in display. {Photograph}: Samuel Gibbs/The Observer For an additional £100, the iPhone 16 Plus matches the specs, digicam and options of the bottom mannequin however provides a much bigger 6.7in display and lengthy battery life, which might last as long as three days of normal use. It nonetheless has the identical pitfalls because the vanilla iPhone 16, comparable to a 60Hz show and no optical zoom digicam, whereas its dimension makes it harder to make use of one-handed and considerably cumbersome in a pocket.

From £798 at John Lewis From £799 at Apple Learn our full iPhone 16 Plus assessment: Apple’s battery beast

Display: 6.7in Tremendous Retina XDR (OLED)Processor: Apple A18Storage: 128, 256 or 512GBCamera: 48MP foremost + 12MP UW; 12MP front-facingDimensions: 160.9 x 77.8 x 7.8mm (HWD)Weight: 199g

Greatest iPhone for digicam: iPhone 16 Professional The iPhone 16 Professional has a ‘crisp, shiny and slick’ show. {Photograph}: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian The iPhone 16 Professional is Apple’s greatest cellphone. It’s the step-up choice to the fundamental iPhone 16: the identical good bits, however a barely bigger (6.3in) display, regardless of being squeezed right into a equally sized titanium and glass physique. The show is crisp, shiny and slick, with a quicker 120Hz refresh charge to maintain scrolling and animations clean. The display additionally helps the useful always-on function, exhibiting the time and notifications when not in use.

The 16 Professional additionally has a barely extra highly effective A18 Professional chip and begins with 128GB of storage, with higher area out there – as much as 1TB – for many who want it. The battery lasts 40 hours of normal use, that means it can undergo the heaviest of days, and most might want to cost it solely each different day.

It has the identical two further Motion and Digital camera Management buttons because the common mannequin, however the digicam on the again is healthier. The 48MP foremost digicam and 48MP ultrawide digicam are nice and the additional 12MP 5x telephoto digicam meaningfully closes the distances to things. Mixed, they shoot nice pictures throughout numerous lighting situations and situations.

£899 at Argos £899 at Currys Why do you have to purchase it?That is Apple’s greatest cellphone, with its strongest digicam, high efficiency and a high-quality big-enough display in a tool that’s nonetheless simple to slot in a pocket.

Purchase if: you need the Professional display, titanium physique and greatest digicam with out a huge displayDon’t purchase if: you need the longest battery life or largest show on an iPhone

Learn our full iPhone 16 Professional assessment: Apple ranges up its smaller ‘professional’ cellphone

Display: 6.3in Tremendous Retina XDR (120Hz OLED)Processor: Apple A18 ProStorage: 128, 256, 512GB or 1TBCamera: 48MP foremost + 48MP UW + 12MP 5x; 12MP front-facingDimensions: 149.6 x 71.5 x 8.25mm (HWD)Weight: 199g

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Greatest iPhone for display: iPhone 16 Professional Max The iPhone 16 Professional Max, left, has an enormous battery and an enormous display, which regularly makes it really feel like a small pill slightly than a cellphone. {Photograph}: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian The most important, costliest iPhone in Apple’s 16 collection lineup is the iPhone 16 Professional Max. It takes every part nice from the smaller iPhone 16 Professional and provides a shiny, crisp and clean 6.9in show. Watching films on it feels extra like utilizing a small pill than a cellphone.

The 16 Professional Max additionally has an enormous battery, lasting about 55 hours of normal use between costs, so it wants charging each third day. Which means it can handle even the heaviest all-day use, and is right if you wish to recreation for hours.

Nevertheless, Apple’s superphone is so large that it's onerous to deal with, needing two palms to wield. It’s additionally fairly heavy and hulking, making it a little bit of a lump to hold in a pocket or small bag.

£1,099 at Argos £1,099 at Currys Why do you have to purchase it?The 16 Professional Max is Apple’s superphone with an enormous, lovely display and glorious battery life, in addition to every part good about its smaller 16 Professional sibling.

Purchase if: you need an enormous, high-quality show and a long-lasting batteryDon’t purchase if: you desire a smaller, extra pocketable machine

Learn our full iPhone 16 Professional Max assessment: completely maxed out

Display: 6.9in Tremendous Retina XDR (120Hz OLED)Processor: Apple A18 ProStorage: 256, 512GB or 1TBCamera: 48MP foremost + 48MP UW + 12MP 5x; 12MP front-facingDimensions: 163 x 77.6 x 8.25mm (HWD)Weight: 227g

Most cost-effective new iPhone: iPhone 16e The iPhone 16e suits Apple’s newest chips into the physique of an iPhone 14 to make it the most affordable new mannequin. {Photograph}: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian The most cost effective entry within the iPhone 16 line is the iPhone 16e, the non secular successor to the iPhone SE however with a contemporary design and chips.

It has an aluminium physique, glass back and front, and 6.1in OLED display with the older-style notch from 2022’s iPhone 14. It's skinny, gentle and fairly compact for a contemporary cellphone, and it’s water resistant like the remainder of Apple’s iPhones.

Inside is the most recent A18 chip with at the very least 128GB of storage. That allows the identical Apple Intelligence options as the remainder of the iPhone 16 line, which is not going to run on the iPhone 15 and older fashions, although none of them are killer options as but.

It had a stable battery lifetime of as much as two days in my checks, which is barely longer than the common iPhone 16, and USB-C charging. However the 16e misses out on a number of issues together with the brand new Digital camera Management button, MagSafe on the again for equipment, the brand new fasterwifi 7 customary and a handful of different specs which can be widespread on the common iPhone 16 fashions. A much bigger deal-breaker could be the only digicam on the again, which is nice however lacks any ultrawide or telephoto choices.

Regardless of costing about 25% lower than the common iPhone 16, it’s not that low-cost, so higher choices will be discovered refurbished for related or much less cash.

From £599 at Apple £544 at John Lewis Why do you have to purchase it?The 16e presents the trendy iPhone expertise with the most recent chips and AI however with a number of issues lacking to hit a cheaper price, comparable to a twin digicam and MagSafe.

Purchase if: you need the most affordable new iPhone from Apple with the most recent AI featuresDon’t purchase if: you might be in any respect into images or have MagSafe equipment

Learn our full iPhone 16e assessment: Apple’s least expensive new cellphone

Display: 6.1in Tremendous Retina XDR (OLED)Processor: Apple A18Storage: 128, 256 or 512GBCamera: 48MP rear; 12MP front-facingDimensions: 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8mm (HWD)Weight: 167g

Different iPhones nonetheless on sale at Apple The iPhone 15 may have software program help for about 5 to 6 years. {Photograph}: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian The iPhone 15, launched in 2023, has the identical display and aluminium physique as the present iPhone 16 however lacks the motion and digicam management buttons. It was nice on launch and can obtain about 5 to 6 years of software program help. Nevertheless, it lacks Apple Intelligence help and is pretty costly at an RRP of £699, so search for refurbished fashions or offers.

Substitute or spruce up? Changing your iPhone’s battery will be fast and breathe new life into it. {Photograph}: Apple In case your iPhone is operating sluggish or the battery doesn’t final so long as it used to, there could also be one thing you are able to do. Test your battery well being in settings. If it’s previous its greatest, a alternative prices £65 to £109 from Apple, or cheaper via third events, and can give your iPhone a brand new lease of life. To hurry issues up, test you could have sufficient free storage and filter out any unused apps or content material, off-loading pictures and movies to the cloud and deleting music. Goal for at the very least 2GB of free area.

In case your cellphone is worn out, damaged past restore or now not receives essential safety updates, it’s time to improve. The most recent software program, model iOS 18, helps units again to 2018’s iPhone XS/XR, so something older needs to be changed quickly – although some older fashions should still obtain occasional safety updates from Apple.

What to look out for in a refurb Shopping for refurbished telephones is healthier for the planet and your pockets. The iPhone makes for a wonderful refurbished cellphone, sometimes staying responsive for years and being supported with software program updates for about seven years from launch, or longer in some circumstances. Which means you should use an older mannequin for a number of years earlier than it can want changing.

There are broadly two sorts of refurbished iPhone out there: these refurbished and bought instantly by Apple that come, basically, as new, and people refurbished by third events that are available in numerous grades or situation – however value much less.

Fast Information A purchaser’s information to refurbished telephones Present A number of third-party retailers supply refurbished telephones, together with the UK excessive avenue chains CeX and Sport and on-line shops comparable to musicMagpie and Envirofone. Marketplaces like Amazon and eBay and refurb specialist Again Market even have a variety. And a few cellphone operators, together with O2, giffgaff, EE and Vodafone, promote refurbished iPhones.

The situation of the cellphone is among the many most vital issues to think about earlier than parting with any money. That is graded as follows:

Grade A – nearly an identical to a brand new cellphone on the skin, often with the unique field and equipment. These are sometimes buyer returns slightly than trade-ins and are the costliest.

Grade B – in full working order however sometimes with gentle scratches, dents or nicks, and should include authentic equipment.

Grade C – in full working order however visibly worn and sometimes bought with out authentic equipment.

Grade D – also referred to as “for spares and repairs” or related. These are damaged units bought for folks to repair or intestine for components.

When you’re glad with the situation of the cellphone, make sure to additionally dimension up the machine’s:

Battery well being – batteries put on out, sometimes solely sustaining as much as 80% of their authentic capability after 500 full-charge cycles (about two to 3 years of nightly charging). Has it been changed?

Charging port – test for indicators of injury, as these are among the many first components to interrupt.

Buttons – do all of them work with out urgent too onerous? Damaged buttons make telephones troublesome to make use of and will be costly to repair.

Fingerprint scanner – is the fingerprint reader functioning because it ought to? Scratches or repairs could cause them to be defective.

Community locks – test the cellphone works with the supplier of your alternative, as some are initially bought locked to sure networks and have to be unlocked earlier than getting used on one other.

Unauthorised components – not all repairs are completed by the producer or utilizing licensed components, which might have an effect on efficiency.

Test it isn’t stolen – test the cellphone’s 15-digit IMEI (Worldwide Cell Gear Identification) quantity in opposition to a database of stolen units via a service comparable to CheckMEND or related.

Guarantee – what sort of guarantee does the retailer supply on its refurbished telephones?

Thanks in your suggestions.

Don't purchase Any mannequin older than an iPhone 13, since you gained’t get a few years of software program help earlier than you’ll have to exchange it.

An iPhone 13 mini until it has a brand new battery. It had a comparatively quick battery life to start out with and wanted extra frequent charging than bigger iPhones, so its battery wears out quicker.

How I examined Fast Information How I examined Present We mix real-world testing with numerous instruments, comparable to benchmarking techniques that carry out standardised duties. These assist us consider a cellphone, measure its efficiency, verify that it really works as anticipated and examine it with its competitors and predecessors.

We use the telephones at completely different occasions and in numerous environments, from firing off emails on packed commuter trains to weekends spent taking pictures pictures in nationwide parks, and every part in between. We do every part a typical smartphone person would, comparable to messaging, searching, utilizing apps, listening to music, watching movies, taking part in video games and navigating the true world. That provides us impression of how a smartphone handles the rigours of day-to-day life – plus, it exhibits us how lengthy the battery lasts and the power of its wi-fi efficiency.

The findings from our normal use of the telephones are mixed with the outcomes from particular checks for issues such because the digicam zoom, video playback and charging, to tell the evaluations and assist us rank the units.

Thanks in your suggestions.

Why do you have to belief me? I've been reviewing client electronics for 17 years, with greater than a decade spent because the Guardian’s gadget knowledgeable. In that point I’ve seen all method of tech fads come and go, smartphone giants rise and fall, the innovative morph into the mainstream, and have poked, prodded and evaluated greater than 1,000 units – typically to destruction.

Samuel Gibbs is the Guardian’s client know-how editor

This text was initially revealed on 4 October 2024. Evaluations revealed within the Filter could also be periodically up to date to replicate new merchandise and on the editor’s discretion. The date of an article’s most up-to-date replace will be discovered within the timestamp on the high of the web page. This piece was up to date on 11 September 2025; details about the not too long ago revealed 2025 iPhones was added.