www.cnet.com Open in urlscan Pro
2a04:4e42:4c::666  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

Early Prime Day Deals Amazon Prime Perk: Free Grubhub Plus Shop a Laptop on
Prime Day? Suddenlink Internet Review Smart Home Discounts Echo Dot, Smart Bulb
Bundle Best Mesh Routers Echo Show 5 at Lowest Price

Your guide to a better future


We handpick the products and services we write about. If you buy through our
links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement
Tech Mobile


BEST IPHONE IN 2022: WHICH OF APPLE'S PHONES IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Apple's iPhone lineup ranges from $429 to $1,599. Here are the best iPhones to
match your needs and budget.

Patrick Holland

July 2, 2022 3:37 a.m. PT

Patrick Holland

Senior Editor

Patrick Holland has an eye for photography and a passion for everything mobile.
He is a colorful raconteur who will guide you through the ever-changing and
fast-paced world of phones. He also is one of the hosts of CNET's I'm So
Obsessed podcast.

See full bio
7 min read
 * * 
   * 
   * 
   * 

 * iPhone 13
   Best iPhone for most people
   $829 at Amazon
 * iPhone 13 Pro
   Best iPhone overall
   $1,099 at Amazon
 * iPhone 12 and 12 Mini
   Best iPhone value
   $819 at Amazon
 * iPhone 13 Mini
   Best small iPhone
   $729 at Amazon
 * iPhone 13 Pro Max
   Best battery life
   $1,099 at Amazon
 * NEW! CNET Shopping Extension
   Get the lowest price on everything
   Add CNET Shopping

 * iPhone SE (2022)
   Best cheap iPhone
   $479 at Amazon
 * iPhone 11
   Best iPhone under $500
   $500 at Best Buy

Show More (2 items)

There are currently eight different iPhone models in the market. Choosing the
best iPhone for your needs could be a complicated task. But it's much easier to
choose a best iPhone for your needs once you consider the design, features and
technology that you use and whether its price is in your comfort zone. Apple
currently sells iPhone variants with prices ranging from $429 for the iPhone SE
(2022) to $1,599 for the iPhone 13 Pro Max with the 1TB of storage. 

Apple's iPhone lineup used to be rather simple. When Steve Jobs announced the
original iPhone over 15 years ago, there was just one model and it was only
available on AT&T. So, if you wanted an iPhone, the only decision you had in
2007 was whether you wanted 4 or 8GB of storage. 

Much has changed in the past decade and a half. You can find an iPhone to fit
into any budget and get access to features like iMessage, FaceTime, Apple Music,
iCloud and more. When Apple released the iPhone 13 series in 2021, I was
impressed by the upgrades. The phones had new cameras, more storage, bigger
batteries and brighter screens. 

Read more: Best Wireless Earbuds for 2022: Top Options in Every Price Range

That doesn't mean they are the best iPhone options for everyone, though. I broke
down all the models on the market so you can decide which iPhone model best
suits your needs. Miss the home button? Then check out the iPhone SE. Like the
iPhone 13 design, but not its price? Consider last year's iPhone 12 and 12 Mini.
Want a small phone with a good battery life? Then the iPhone 13 Mini is a must.
And what about the two-year-old iPhone 11, is it still worth it? In short, yes.


CURRENT IPHONES, COMPARED

Model Starting price Screen size No. of rear cameras CPU Release date iPhone SE
$429 4.7 inches 1 A15 Bionic March 2022 iPhone 11 $499 6.1 inches 2 A13 Bionic
September 2019 iPhone 12 Mini $599 5.4 inches 2 A14 Bionic November 2020 iPhone
12 $699 6.1 inches 2 A14 Bionic October 2020 iPhone 13 Mini $699 5.4 inches 2
A15 Bionic September 2021 iPhone 13 $799 6.1 inches 2 A15 Bionic September 2021
iPhone 13 Pro $999 6.1 inches 3 A15 Bionic September 2021 iPhone 13 Pro Max
$1,099 6.7 inches 3 A15 Bionic September 2021

To complicate your decision, some iPhones have two cameras, others have three
and still others have four (including the front-facing selfie camera). You
should also take into account that nearly every current iPhone model has Face ID
except one: the iPhone SE (2022). Having a lot of options isn't bad, but it can
feel overwhelming when buying a new iPhone.

To help you figure out which is the best iPhone for you, I thoroughly reviewed
and tested each one on this list, from their batteries to camera performance. I
included current iPhone prices, though iPhone deals are known to happen, so
don't assume your only option is paying full price. Also, this list is based on
current models that Apple sells. If you're shopping around, you might notice
that carriers and third-party sellers offer discontinued models, like the iPhone
12 Pro and 12 Pro Max. 

Also, if you're looking for an Android phone or another smartphone outside of
Apple's offerings, read our guide to help find the best phone for your needs.

Now playing: Watch this: Here's which iPhone you should buy in 2022
8:19

Patrick Holland/CNET


IPHONE 13


BEST IPHONE FOR MOST PEOPLE

$829 at Amazon
$800 at Best Buy
$829 at Apple

The $829 iPhone 13 is a solid upgrade and refinement to last year's iPhone 12.
Some will be disappointed because it's not radically different from previous
models, but that's actually part of the charm. Familiarity has been one of the
keys to Apple's success with the iPhone. The iPhone 13 has a nearly identical
squared-off design as the iPhone 12. It supports 5G and MagSafe charging.

It comes with new cameras on par with the ones from last year's top-of-the-line
iPhone 12 Pro Max. It also gets a larger battery which in our tests lasted 4.5
hours more on a single charge than the iPhone 12.

Add in the A15 Bionic chip, a new Cinematic mode which is basically a video
version of Portrait mode and iOS 15 and you have an excellent phone. The iPhone
13 earned a CNET Editors' Choice Award. Also, if you activate it on a carrier,
Apple drops the price to $799.


Patrick Holland/CNET


IPHONE 13 PRO


BEST IPHONE OVERALL

$1,099 at Amazon
$1,100 at Best Buy
$1,099 at Apple

The $1,099 iPhone 13 Pro is the best iPhone Apple has ever made. With the latest
iPhone series, Apple further defined the difference between its Pro and non-Pro
phones by packing the 13 Pro with a high-refresh rate display, macro photography
mode, ProRes video recording and the best cameras on any iPhone ever made.

In terms of design, the 13 Pro has an elegant matte finish back and shiny
stainless steel sides. Compare that to the glossy back and matte aluminum sides
on the iPhone 13. The display on the 13 Pro supports what Apple calls ProMotion.
Depending on what's being shown on the screen, the refresh rate switches between
10 and 120Hz. In use, the screen looks stellar. Animations look smooth, graphics
appear crisp and even mundane things like scrolling feeds look better.

It runs iOS 15 and supports 5G and MagSafe charging. Like the regular iPhone 13,
the 13 Pro has an A15 Bionic chip but gets an extra GPU core which gives the
phone a boost for gaming and video editing. The iPhone 13 Pro is stellar, which
is why it earned a CNET Editors' Choice Award. Read our Apple iPhone 13 Pro
review.


Patrick Holland/CNET


IPHONE 12 AND 12 MINI


BEST IPHONE VALUE

$819 at Amazon
$730 at Best Buy
$729 at Apple

With support for 5G being its crown jewel feature, the $729 iPhone 12 marked the
beginning of a new generation of iPhone. It has a flat-sided design with matte
aluminum sides, a 6.1-inch OLED screen, an A14 Bionic chip, support for MagSafe
charging and Apple's Ceramic Shield covering on the front to help reduce
scratches and damage from drops.

The iPhone 12 Mini is simply a smaller version of the 12 with a 5.4-inch display
and a price tag that's $100 less. The selfie, wide and ultrawide cameras on the
iPhone 12 and 12 Mini are good, but definitely a step down from those on the
newer iPhone 13 and 13 Mini. So, if your priority is a phone with the best
camera possible, this isn't the best iPhone for you. 

If you choose to get an iPhone 12 or 12 Mini and can afford to pay $50 more, I
recommend upgrading from 64GB of storage to 128GB. Also, if you activate either
phone on a carrier, the price drops an additional $30.

Read our Apple iPhone 12 review.


Sarah Tew/CNET


IPHONE 13 MINI


BEST SMALL IPHONE

$729 at Amazon
$700 at Best Buy
$729 at Apple

Who said small phones don't exist any more? The iPhone 13 Mini ($729 unlocked,
$699 on a carrier plan) is brilliant because it has everything the iPhone 13 has
-- it's just smaller. And if you're worried about battery life, don't be. The
iPhone 13 Mini packs a bigger battery than last year's iPhone 12 Mini. In our
tests, this iPhone mini lasted 3.5 hours longer than the 12 Mini on a single
charge. It also lasted an hour longer than the full-sized iPhone 12 in the same
test.

Remarkably the 13 Mini has nearly identical wide and ultrawide cameras as last
year's iPhone 12 Pro Max. One way you can tell is the rear cameras are
positioned diagonally to each other to make room for the larger stabilized
sensor.

The iPhone 13 and 13 Mini are the same phone. But one is small and the other
isn't. That said, I only recommend you get the 13 Mini for its size. It's $100
cheaper than the iPhone 13, which might be a tempting reason if you're trying to
save money. But if you aren't OK with a small phone you might be frustrated by
its size. Read our Apple iPhone 13 Mini review.


Sarah Tew/CNET


IPHONE 13 PRO MAX


BEST BATTERY LIFE

$1,099 at Amazon
$1,100 at Best Buy
$1,099 at Apple

The first thing you should know about the $1,199 iPhone 13 Pro Max, is that in
our tests, it has the longest battery life of any phone we've ever tested. The
next thing you should know is that unlike the 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max, the 13 Pro
and 13 Pro Max are identical in pretty much every way and even have the same
cameras. In essence, they are the same phone, just different sizes. 

The 13 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch ProMotion display, compared to the 6.1-inch one on
the 13 Pro. The Max is also bigger and weighs more. Part of that extra weight
comes from the 13 Pro Max's larger battery. If you can handle the size of this
phone behemoth, it's the best iPhone for most situations, and it's worth every
penny of its high price.

Read our Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max review.


Patrick Holland/CNET


IPHONE SE (2022)


BEST CHEAP IPHONE

$479 at Amazon
$480 at Best Buy
$479 at Apple

At $429 you might think the only appeal of the iPhone SE (2022) is its price.
Admittedly that is a big factor. On the outside, the iPhone SE has a nearly
identical body to the iPhone 8, but upgraded with the same glass found on the
back of the iPhone 13. It's the only iPhone on this list that has Touch ID,
which some people still prefer over Face ID. On the inside, the SE has the same
A15 processor as the iPhone 13, which takes the 2017 camera hardware and gives
it an injection of Apple's 2022 computational photography magic. The SE
represents the classic iPhone design but with the added ability to run the
latest version of iOS and apps.

Read our Apple iPhone SE (2022) review.


Angela Lang/CNET


IPHONE 11


BEST IPHONE UNDER $500

Nov 2019
$500 at Best Buy
$499 at Apple
$300 at eBay

If you don't need support for 5G, the iPhone 11 at $499 is a good deal, even in
2022. You get so much for that price like an A13 processor, good cameras, a
solid battery life and the choice of six colors. The 11 has curved sides in
contrast to the straight-sided 12 and 13 series.

The biggest drawback is the old style screen which uses an LCD panel instead of
a nicer OLED one. But don't let that turn you away, the screen still looks good
in use. If you have an extra $50 in your budget, I recommend getting the 128GB
version of the 11.

Read our Apple iPhone 11 review.

Now playing: Watch this: Everything We Hope Apple Will Add to iOS 16
7:14






Get the best price on everything
Shop your favorite products and we’ll find the best deal with a single click.
Designed to make shopping easier.
Add CNET Shopping


 * More From CNET
 * Deals
 * Amazon Prime Day
 * Reviews
 * Best Products
 * Gift Guide
 * Shopping Extension

 * About
 * About CNET
 * Newsletter
 * Sitemap
 * Careers

 * Policies
 * Help Center
 * Terms of Use
 * Privacy Policy
 * Licensing
 * Cookie Settings
 * Do Not Sell My Information

© 2022 CNET, a Red Ventures company. All rights reserved.
US France Germany Japan Korea
Cookie Settings

We use cookies and similar technologies to understand how you use our services,
improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. By
clicking "Accept All", you accept all cookies. By clicking "Reject All", you
reject all cookies except Strictly Necessary cookies. To manage your cookies and
learn more about our use of cookies click “Cookie Settings”.Learn more.

Cookie Settings Reject All Accept All