Best iPhone 2021: Which iPhone Is Right For You?

Since Apple no longer sells Pro models from the iPhone 12-generation, there is no need to ask whether you should rather choose a previous model or the latest generation. If you want a Pro model and the corresponding Pro features, you must resort to a 13 Pro or the larger iPhone 13 Pro Max – unless you buy the iPhone 12 Pro from a provider other than Apple.

Like the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13, the 13 Pro also has a 20 percent smaller notch than its predecessor. But the iPhone 13 Pro brings a lot more new features in 2021 than the iPhone 13 does in comparison to the previous generation, and that is why it’s our number one choice.

The iPhone 13 Pro brings an improved camera system with brighter lenses and an improved optical zoom (6x, on the iPhone 12 Pro there was only a 4x optical zoom range), the new Cinematic Mode, Photographic Styles and the A15 chip. 

There is also a significantly improved battery: Apple promises up to 22 hours of video playback, with the iPhone 12 Pro it was only up to 17 hours.

In addition, the iPhone 13 Pro (and Max) now have the option of 1TB of storage – the most ever on an iPhone. However, this should only appeal to a small target market, for most the 128GB default should be adequate.

The iPhone 13 matches the features of the iPhone 13 mini, but has a slightly higher price tag. 

If choosing between the 13 and the 13 mini the choice will come down to screen size and battery life. But perhaps a more interesting comparison is between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12, which Apple still sells for a lower price.

The iPhone 13 has a lot to show for itself that does, we feel, justify the extra expense. It offers a smaller Notch, improved 5G, the new more powerful A15 chip and a two-hour improved battery with a total of 19 hours of video playback in the latest generation.

Plus, while the camera specs may not look that different on paper, in reality there are some significant improvements in the iPhone 13, including  sensor shift optical image stabilization, bigger image sensors, Photographic Styles and Cinematic Mode. 

Apple has also increased the entry-level memory sizes on the iPhone 13: In the smallest possible variant, you have 128GB of memory available.

In 2020 the iPhone 12 was our recommendation as the best iPhone for most people. Obviously the picture has changed now that the iPhone 13 is on the scene, but the picture hasn’t changed as much as you might think.

When you compare the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 the differences aren’t all that striking. But there are differences that may matter to you, such as better battery life and, while at face value the cameras are the same, the newer phone offers more in the way of camera features.

However, the iPhone 12 is still a fantastically well specced phone, and now that Apple has reduced the price tag it’s even more affordable.

The high-resolution OLED screen is a pleasure to use, and the camera setup is superb, capturing colourful, detailed shots in some of the most difficult conditions we were able to find. The 12’s support for 5G and its frankly excessive processing power will both become more valuable in the future.

The only fly in the ointment is that battery life is solid rather than dazzling, but it should get you through a day of typical use without any worries.

If do not value the new features in the iPhone 13, and you can also cope with 64GB of storage, you can save around £100/$100 by buying an iPhone 12.

Read our iPhone 12 review for detailed analysis and testing.

The iPhone 13 mini is Apple’s attempt  to fix the errors that were made with the 2020 iPhone 12 mini. That means: A larger battery that lasts two hours longer than its predecessor with a total of 17 hours of video playback.

The future will show whether Apple the 13 mini will appeal to more people (the 2020 iPhone mini was apparently not as popular as Apple expected).But there will always be people who prefer a smaller phone, and the iPhone 13 mini is perfect for them.

In addition, there are of course other features that make the new mini much more attractive than the 2020 equivalent: A 20 percent smaller Notch, the new A15 chip, improved 5G and above all the new cinema mode in 1080p at 30 fps, with which you can get even more beautiful video recordings.

Also great: Apple has increased the entry-level storage sizes: The iPhone 12 mini may be cheaper in comparison, but the 13 mini – in addition to the new features already listed – also has twice as much memory from the beginning: 128GB.

If you do not value the new features and a small battery is not a problem, the iPhone 12 mini will give you many of the same features for less money though.

The iPhone 12 mini, like the iPhone 12, is a great choice that we would happily recommend.

We’ve ranked the 12 higher because its larger screen (6.1in, rather than 5.4in) is more in line with what today’s buyers expect from their smartphones. But our experiences suggest that the more petite 12 mini offers a perfectly usable amount of screen space – remember that a display of this approximate size was regarded as large when the iPhone 6 Plus came out – as well as being cheaper and more portable.

Aside from size, the 12 mini is a brilliantly featured and specced phone, with superb cameras, a secure and user-friendly operating system, and processing power to burn. Since Apple has dropped the price of the two iPhone 12 models, this is a great way to get the last generation’s iPhone at a fraction of the cost.

Read our iPhone 12 mini review for more information.

Before the 12-series handsets came out in 2020 the iPhone 11 was the clear leader of this chart, offering a superb blend of features and value.

Two years after launch it remains a very decent phone with a large screen and a price tag that’s more appealing than ever (especially since Apple reduced the price even further in September 2021). If you can live without the updates in the successive two generation this is still a good buy.

However, it’s not all good. This phone’s 6.1in LCD screen, for example, seems more of a hindrance now because OLED displays are available across the iPhone 13 and 12-series (rather than being confined to the Pro models, as they were in 2019). It’s also not 5G-ready, which is something to consider if you want to keep the phone for a few years, and its A13 processor has about a year less of future-proofing than the new A14.

But most of the good stuff still applies. The A13 remains a very powerful chip (and comfortably fast enough to run anything on the App Store right now), while the cameras, including Night Mode, ‘next-gen’ smart HDR, 4K video and a 12MP lens for selfies, are superb.

If you want a large screen and great cameras at a lower price, this is still an excellent choice.

Read our iPhone 11 review for in-depth analysis and testing.

The SE (2020) is a simple sell, but a compelling one: a fast phone offering good camera performance at a bargain-basement price of £399/$399. And on that basis we’ve been recommending this to a lot of friends and family members.

The A13 Bionic chip (as seen in the iPhone 11) plus 3GB of RAM means this isn’t the quickest iPhone you can get these days (the A14 and A15 are obviously quicker, and the 11-, 12-, and 13-series phones have 4GB or even 6GB of RAM to access), but the SE is very much Fast Enough. It will be able to run demanding apps and install iOS updates for years to come.

The biggest compromise you’ll be making, really, is the design, which is seven years old and looks it: a small screen, chunky bezels, and Touch ID rather than Face ID. Although, depending on how you look at it, this last ‘disadvantage’ might be seen as an advantage. If the inclusion of the Home button is important to you this is the only iPhone with a Home button.

Battery life is also weaker than that of other iPhones – although we found it respectable – and while photography in general is good, low-light shots won’t match the iPhone 11 and above; you don’t get Night Mode. Nor do you get 5G, and as the world moves up to 5G you might not want to get left behind.

But overall this is a strong offering for the money. Read our iPhone SE (2020) review for more.