Deciding which iPhone to buy has always been tricky and no doubt you have many questions. Which screen size is best for you, and how much storage do you need? Should you save money by selecting an older model, or should you splash out on the latest iPhone? Which iPhone is the best compromise between specs and value for money?

In this article, we talk you through each of the phones currently available from Apple, to help you decide which is best for you. We discuss iPhone prices, specs and features, paying particular attention to the cameras, screens and durability, and how the design of each handset differs, so you should leave feeling much more confident about which iPhone you should get.

For more help with your choice see our full reviews of the latest iPhones (linked below) and our Best iPhone comparison chart where we compare all the new iPhones with the iPhones still being sold by Apple.

Best iPhone 2026

• For most people, Apple’s standard iPhone offers the best mix of performance, battery life, and price… but Pro models make sense if you care about photography or video.

In terms of power and features, the ‘best’ iPhone is either the iPhone 17 Pro or 17 Pro Max, but these iPhoned aren’t necessarily the best for you due to their high price tag. Luckily there is a perfect iPhone for everyone, with each model offering the perfect compromise of features to price. For 2026 we think that the iPhone 17 is a good all-rounder thanks to the new features that bring it closer than ever to the pro models.

Here is a quick-at-a-glance comparison of all the iPhones Apple currently sells, from the ultimate iPhone to the cheapest iPhone you can buy right now. Below this section you can read more about how each iPhone compares in terms of camera, battery life, screen, cost, and other important factors.

How much do iPhones cost?

Each year when Apple introduces a new set of iPhones it reduces the price of the older models it continues to sell. Below you will find pricing for U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia (scroll across to see pricing in your region).

In the U.S., prices are subsidised by which ever carrier you sign up with and you pay more for an unlocked iPhone. In the U.K. and other countries an iPhone can be bought from Apple off contract and unlocked, so you can use it with an existing contract or switch networks to get a better deal.

Model	Release date	Storage options	U.S. Price	U.K. Price	Canada Price	Australia Price
iPhone 17 Pro Max	September 2025	256GB 512GB 1TB 2TB	$1,199 $1,399 $1,599 $1,999	£1,199 £1,399 £1,599 £1,999	$1,749 $2,049 $2,349 $2,949	$2,199 $2,549 $2,899 $3,799
iPhone 17 Pro	September 2025	256GB 512GB 1TB	$1,099 $1,299 $1,499	£1,099 £1,299 £1,499	$1,599 $1,899 $2,199	$2,049 $2,399 $2,749
iPhone Air	September 2025	256GB 512GB 1TB	$999 $1,199 $1,399	£999 £1,199 £1,399	$999 $1,199 $1,399	$1,799 $2,199 $2,599
iPhone 17	September 2025	256GB 512GB	$799 $999	£799 £999	$1,129 $1,429	$1,399 $1,799
iPhone 16 Plus	September 2024	128GB 256GB	$799 $899	£799 £899	$1,149 $1,299	$1,399 $1,699
iPhone 16	September 2024	128GB	$699	£699	$999	$1,249
iPhone 16e	February 2025	128GB 256GB 512GB	$599 $699 $899	£599 £699 £899	$899 $1,049 $1,349	$999 $1,199 $1,549

You don’t have to pay full price for a new iPhone though. Read our iPhone deals roundup for more advice on getting the lowest possible price from various different resellers and the best contract deals.

Design: How do the iPhones compare?

Camera Control button: The whole iPhone 17 line up, the iPhone Air, and the iPhones 16 and 16 Plus all feature the Camera Control button on the side of the iPhone. The iPhone 16e lacks this button. The Camera Control button opens the Camera app and you can press it again to take a photo or record a video. The button is actually touch sensitive so you can use various gestures, such as sliding your finger over it to adjust exposure, for example. On the iPhone 16e you can set the Action button to open the camera and take a photograph, but you can’t fine tune settings in the same way.

Action Button: The Action Button features on the whole of the iPhone 16 and 17 line up, and the iPhone Air. It is a customisable button that can perform certain actions, such as turning on the flashlight or silent mode. The Action Button is above the volume controls in the same position as the mute button on older iPhones.

Dynamic Island: From the front all the iPhones are visually similar. Each iPhone has an area at the top of the screen that conceals the front camera and Face ID technology. On the iPhone 16e this is referred to as the notch. On the iPhone 17 series, iPhone Air and the iPhone 16 and 16 Push this is a smaller pill shaped adaptive area called the Dynamic Island that can display Live Activities and other software elements in a way that makes the notch a little more useful.

Camera layout: Turn the iPhones over and the differences become much clearer. As you can see from the image above, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max have three lenses laid out in a triangle formation. For these models the flash and LiDAR scanner have been moved to the other side of what Apple is calling the Camera Plateau, where in older models they were closer to the lenses. The iPhone 16 has two lenses, one above the other, and the iPhone Air has a single lens on it’s own Camera Plateau that stretches the width of the iPhone, unlike the single lens of the iPhone 16e.

Dimensions The most obvious difference is the dimensions and weight of each phone. We’ve detailed these in the chart below.

Colors: While it’s very likely that you will put your iPhone in a case and never look at the color on the back again, the color choices available for each iPhone model is another area where there is a lot of difference. You can see the different colors on offer in the chart below.

Here’s how the dimensions and colors compare:

iPhone	Dimensions	Weight	Colors
iPhone 17 Pro Max	6.43 inches (163.4 mm) x 3.07 inches (78 mm) x 0.34 inch (8.75 mm)	8.15 ounces (231 grams)	Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue, Silver
iPhone 17 Pro	5.91 inches (150 mm) x 2.83 inches (71.9 mm) x 0.34 inches (8.75 mm)	7.20 ounces (204 grams)	Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue, Silver
iPhone 17	5.89 inches (149 mm) x 2.81 inches (71.5 mm) x 0.31 inches (7.95 mm)	6.24 ounces (177 grams)	Lavender, Sage, Mist Blue, White, Black
iPhone Air	6.15 inches (156.2 mm) x 2.94 inches (74.7 mm) x 0.22 inches (5.82 mm)	6.24 ounces (177 grams)	Sky Blue, Light Gold, Cloud White, Space Black
iPhone 16 Plus	6.33 inches (160.9 mm) x 3.06 inches (77.8 mm) x 0.31 inch (7.80 mm)	7.03 ounces (199 grams)	Ultramarine, Teal, Pink, White, Black
iPhone 16	5.81 inches (147.6 mm) x 2.82 inches (71.6 mm) x 0.31 inch (7.80 mm)	6.00 ounces (170 grams)	Ultramarine, Teal, Pink, White, Black
iPhone 16e	5.78 inches (146.7 mm) x 2.82 inches (71.5 mm) x 0.31 inch (7.80 mm)	5.88 ounces (167 grams)	Black, White

Screen: How are the iPhone displays different?

The Pro and Pro Max iPhones used to be the only iPhones to offer ProMotion, which allows for an adaptive refresh rates, with the refresh rate going as high as 120Hz for really smooth scrolling and as low as 1Hz. This is no longer the case: the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air also feature ProMotion screens. And is doesn’t stop there: the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air also feature Always-On displays, which was another feature previously reserved for the Pro models. As a result the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air all have identical screens.

The iPhone 16, 16 Plus and 16e lack the ProMotion and Always-On displays, the peak outdoor brightness is higher on the newer iPhones as well, with the 17-series offering 3,000 nits peak, compared to 2,000 on the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus. The peak brightness on the iPhone 16e is 1,200 nits. The ability for the screen to get very very dim (down to 1 nit) while still remaining usable is also key as it’s great for use in dark rooms. The iPhone 16e is the only iPhone in the current line up that lacks this dimming feature.

The Always-On screen, on all the iPhones except the 16e, means the iPhone can always display elements such as the time and date, notifications and Lock Screen widgets without it being necessary to wake the iPhone. The screen dims to minimize onscreen power usage to preserve battery life and it will turn off should you place it face down or walk away while wearing an Apple Watch.

The screen size may be the most important factor in your decision. If you prefer a larger screen, you’ll want the “Pro Max” version. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a screen size of 6.9 inches diagonally. The next largest screen is on the iPhone 16 Plus at 6.7-inches, and then the iPhone Air at 6.5-inches. But even the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro have a 6.3-inch display which is by no means diminutive. The iPhone 16 and 16e have the smallest screensL: both are 6.1-inches.

Camera: How do the iPhone cameras compare?

Rear cameras

For many it’s the capabilities of the cameras that sell the iPhones, so it’s no wonder that every year Apple improves the camera on its iPhones, sometimes improving the tech, sometimes the software. The iPhone 17 still features a dual-camera array with wide and ultra-wide lenses, while only the Pro and Pro Max offer the additional telephoto lens.

In 2024 the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max gained a 48 megapixel Ultra Wide camera and the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus gained a 48MP Fusion Main camera, which is also a feature of the 16e.

This time all the rear cameras are upgraded to 48MP. In the case of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max that’s three 48MP cameras, two for the iPhone 17. The iPhone Air has the same 48MP Fusion Main camera as the 16e. The 48MP upgrade across the board should mean more detail when you crop into images. On the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air the extra pixels mean you can shoot 12MP shots as if you had a 2x Telephoto lens. The 48MP images will take up a lot more space though, so it is possible to switch to shooting in a 24MP resolution.

The most impressive camera upgrade is reserved for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, of course, the telephoto zoom now achieves a 8x optical zoom, up from 5x. This extra lens is likely to be the reason why most people will opt for the 17 Pro over the standard iPhone 17. It offers a little more flexibility in terms of the kind of shots that can be taken, such as portraits and looming into the distance, and macro shots.

The pro models also offer pro video recording features, including ProRes video recording up to 4K at 120 fps, LOG video recording and Academy Color Encoding.

The iPhone 16e and iPhone Air feature a single-lens camera system, omitting certain advanced features found in higher-end models. However, it still delivers notable improvements over previous budget iPhones, with camera capabilities that are suitable for everyday photography needs.

Front ‘selfie’ camera

The front camera on all the 2025 iPhones, aside from the February 2025 iPhone 16e, is now 18MP, up from 12MP in the 16 and 16 Plus. The greater number of megapixels combined with a larger sensor results in more detailed images. The sensor isn’t only larger, it’s now square, which means that it is no longer necessary to turn the iPhone orientation to take portrait or landscape selfies, the image can be cropped for either orientation and can adjust on the fly to give a better framing, for example to include more people in a group shot.

This is also beneficial for FaceTime, because the Centre Stage feature can make sure that subjects are kept centred during a call.

Another feature for the late 2025 iPhones is the ability to record from the rear and front cameras at the same time, so you can capture your reaction.

Also read: Which iPhone has the best camera?

iPhone	Cameras	Video	Photo & video features
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max	Three rear cameras: 48MP Main (ƒ/1.78 aperture), 48MP Ultra Wide (ƒ/2.2 aperture) and 48MP Telephoto (ƒ/2.8 aperture), second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 8x, 4x, 1x, 2x, 0.5x optical zoom, Adaptive True Tone flash Front camera: TrueDepth front camera, 18 MP (ƒ/1.9 aperture)	Video: ProRes video recording up to 4K at up to 120 fps (with external recording), 4K video recording at up to 120 fps, 1080p HD video recording at up to 120 fps, HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 120 fps, Sensor-shift optical image stabilization for video, Spatial video up to 1080p at 30 fps	LOG video recording, Academy Color Encoding System, Photonic Engine, Night mode portraits, Night mode, new Photographic Styles, Macro photos, ProRaw, Smart HDR 5 Cinematic mode, Macro video recording, Action Mode, Audio zoom, wind noise reduction
iPhone 17	Two rear cameras: 48MP Main (ƒ/1.6 aperture), 48MP Ultra Wide (ƒ/2.2 aperture), sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 2x, 1x, 0.5x zoom, True Tone flash Front camera: TrueDepth front camera, 18MP (ƒ/1.9 aperture)	Video: 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 30 fps, Sensor-shift optical image stabilization for video, Spatial video up to 1080p at 30 fps	Photonic Engine, Action Mode, Night mode, new Photographic Styles, Smart HDR 5 Cinematic mode, Audio zoom, wind noise reduction
iPhone Air	One rear cameras: 48MP Main (ƒ/1.6 aperture), optical image stabilization, 1x, 2x, zoom, True Tone flash Front camera: TrueDepth front camera, 18MP (ƒ/1.9 aperture)	Video: 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 30 fps, Sensor-shift optical image stabilization for video, Spatial video up to 1080p at 30 fps	Photonic Engine, Action Mode, Night mode, new Photographic Styles, Smart HDR 5 Cinematic mode, Audio zoom, wind noise reduction
iPhone 16 and 16 Plus	Two rear cameras: 48MP Main (ƒ/1.6 aperture), 12MP Ultra Wide (ƒ/2.2 aperture), sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 2x, 1x, 0.5x zoom, True Tone flash Front camera: TrueDepth front camera, 12MP (ƒ/1.9 aperture)	Video: 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps, Sensor-shift optical image stabilization for video, Spatial video up to 1080p at 30 fps	Photonic Engine, Action Mode, Night mode, new Photographic Styles, Smart HDR 5 Cinematic mode, Audio zoom, wind noise reduction
iPhone 16e	One rear cameras: 48MP Main (ƒ/1.6 aperture), optical image stabilization, 1x, 2x, zoom, True Tone flash Front camera: TrueDepth front camera, 12MP (ƒ/1.9 aperture)	Video: 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, optical image stabilization for video	Photonic Engine, Night mode, Photographic Styles, Smart HDR 5, wind noise reduction

Safety features: Emergency protection

Apple introduced some safety features with the iPhone 14 series in 2022 and these are available on all iPhones since. These features include a Crash Detection feature and Satellite Connectivity for emergency phone calls.

Crash detection uses the gyroscope and accelerometer in the iPhones to recognize if the vehicle you are in has crashed. If the iPhone thinks you’ve been involved in a crash, it will call emergency services and notify your preferred contacts (unless you tell it not to).

All phones offer the ability to send an Emergency SOS, and the iPhone 14 and later can do so via satellite, which would be useful if you were in an area with no signal. You just need to be able to establish a clear view of the sky, and be in a country that supports the feature (many do now). Thanks to the feature your iPhone can alert the emergency services to your location in an emergency, the iPhone will also contact your emergency contact.

New for the 2025 iPhones are expanded emergency features, including the ability to text your location to emergency services via satellite.

Durability: Which iPhone is the toughest?

Another factor in the choice of which iPhone to choose is how durable the model is. How likely are you to damage the iPhone?

All iPhones on sale right now offer a Ceramic Shield front, which should mean that the glass on the front is less likely to smash if you drop it. The iPhones 17 Pro Max, Pro, iPhone 17 and iPhone Air feature Ceramic Shield 2, which Apple says offers 3x better scratch resistance. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, and iPhone Air also have a Ceramic Shield back for extra protection.

Only the iPhone Air is constructed from Titanium. In 2024 the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max were Titanium, but for 2025 the Pro and Pro Max are aluminium, as is the iPhone 17, and the 16 and 16 Plus. Titanium is more durable than aluminum, however the construction of the iPhone 17 Pro from aerospace-grade 7000-series aluminium should mean that it is tough enough. The aluminum design is also beneficial for thermal management, for which the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max uses a vapour chamber for the first time.

Despite these design features for better durability, dropping an iPhone is likely to damage it, and scratches can still appear on surfaces, so we recommend using a case. For our recommendations see our round-up of the Best iPhone 17 cases and Best iPhone 16 cases.

The other way people damage their iPhones is by dropping them in water. All current iPhones are rated as water resistant to a depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes (IP68). That’s water resistant, not water proof, so we still wouldn’t recommend getting your iPhone wet though because Apple will know if it’s gotten wet and it could void your warranty should anything go wrong.

Specs: Storage and processor options

The A19 Pro in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max is distinguished primarily by an extra GPU core (6-core GPU), though it also has super video hardware to support the Pro video features. The iPhone Air also shares the A19 Pro, but with one fewer GPU core (5-core GPU).

Our tests show that the A19 in the iPhone 17 is faster than the A18 found in the iPhone 16, 16 Plus. There is one fewer GPU core in the iPhone 16e (4-core GPU, compared to 5-core GPU in the 17, 16 and 16 Plus).

Missing from the late 2025 iPhones is a 128GB storage configuration, with all models now starting with 256GB. The best news is that the iPhone 17 now starts with 256GB at the same price as the 128GB iPhone 16 used to be sold for. For this reason the 128GB iPhone 16 really looks like a poor deal in comparison, since it is only $100/£100 less and has half the storage.

Each iPhone is available in between three and four capacity options. It’s important to consider how much you need before buying because iPhones don’t have a microSD card slot that will allow you to add additional storage at a later date. For the typical iPhone user, 128GB might have proven too small, especially with 48MP images, but the 256GB starting point should be sufficient .

One reason you may not need more storage is if you choose to sync your data to the cloud. If you pay a monthly fee for iCloud storage all your data will be available on any of your devices, and crucially your photos will be stored in the cloud rather than on your device, freeing up many gigabytes of space. iCloud starts at $0.99/£0.99 for 50GB. See How much does iCloud cost for more information, including Australian and Canadian prices.

Before you decide how much storage you need have a look at your current phone’s usage (go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage) and think about how much space you really need. Read How much storage do you need on an iPhone? for more advice.

iPhone	Processor	Storage	Battery life
iPhone 17 Pro Max	A19 Pro chip, 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU	256GB 512GB 1TB 2TB	Up to 37 hours video playback, up to 50% charge in 20 minutes with 40W adapter
iPhone 17 Pro	A19 Pro chip, 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU	256GB 512GB 1TB	Up to 31 hours video playback, up to 50% charge in 20 minutes with 30W adapter or higher
iPhone Air	A19 Pro chip, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU	256GB 512GB 1TB	Up to 27 hours video playback, up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with 20W or 30W adapter
iPhone 17	A19 chip, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU	256GB 512GB	Up to 30 hours video playback, up to 50% charge in 20 minutes with 40W adapter or higher
iPhone 16 Plus	A18 chip, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU	128GB 256GB	Up to 27 hours video playback, up to 50% charge in 35 minutes with 20W adapter or higher
iPhone 16	A18 chip, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU	128GB	Up to 24 hours video playback, up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher
iPhone 16e	A18 chip, 6-core CPU, 4-core GPU	128GB 256GB 512GB	Up to 26 hours video playback, up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher

Battery: Battery life and charging

The iPhone 17 models offer a boost in battery life over the iPhone 16 series. Apple’s official battery life and charging times can be seen in the table above, but in our testing, the difference in battery life was even more pronounced—we saw battery life improvements across the range.

In the demanding Geekbench 4 battery test, the iPhone 17 lasted for 1,053 minutes, which is a 21 percent improvement on the iPhone 16’s 867 minutes. That’s ahead of the iPhone Air (880 minutes) and iPhone 16e (818 minutes). Unbeaten is the iPhone 17 Pro Max at 1,560 minutes. As a point of comparison, the iPhone 16 Pro in 2024 scored 988.

The new iPhones benefit from the efficiency of the A19-series chips and the new C1X cellular modem that uses 30% less energy.

Charging speeds are also improved with even new faster charging with a 40W charger.

We compare battery life, capacity, mah and watt hours for every iPhone separately.

Software: Which iPhones get Apple Intelligence

Apple Intelligence, the suite of AI features that include writing tools, image generation, image recognition, “Genmoji” emoji generation, and new capabilities for Siri is available on all the iPhones currently sold by Apple. The discontinued iPhone 15 and 15 Plus did not support Apple Intelligence features, even though the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max were Apple Intelligence ready.

While there is nothing drastically important that you might miss out on if you don’t have Apple Intelligence right now, it’s likely that in time not having Apple Intelligence will be more of a hinderance than it is currently. As more impressive AI features arrive, we anticipate that Apple Intelligence capable phones will become even more attractive, so if you don’t want to be suffering from FOMO then get on the AI bandwagon now with an Apple Intelligence-capable phone.

Find out about what Apple Intelligence is by reading our guide: Apple Intelligence: what is it and how to use it.

Should I buy an old iPhone?

As mentioned above, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus do not support Apple Intelligence, so if you saw one on sale, most likely as a refurbished model, we wouldn’t recommend buying it. However there are some other discontinued iPhones that could be worth buying, at the right price.

We recommend the iPhone 16 Pro Max if you find one at a good price. It is a larger version of 2024’s iPhone 16 Pro. It boosts excellent battery life, thanks to its larger battery, and an even bigger screen than the previous generation, up from 6.7-inches to 6.9-inches.

The Pro version of the iPhone 16 is also a good buy. It comes in a super tough titanium shell (unlike it’s replacement) and offers better performance and battery life than the standard iPhone 16. The photo and video capabilities are where the Pro models stand out. They include a 5x telephoto camera, a sharper 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera, and support for high-end formats like ProRAW, HLG video, and video recording at up to 4K and 120fps. And yes, it includes the new Camera Control button.

The best iPhone you can buy right now is the iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max, depending on whether you want a larger display or not.

The iPhone 17 is much better value, though. It includes many of the features that used to set the iPhone and iPhone Pro apart, such as the ProMotion display. If you choose that iPhone you are giving up is the 8x telephoto camera and some high-end video features.

You could save money and opt instead for an iPhone 16e, which might appeal if you are on a tight budget. We think that the iPhone 16e is a good option if you don’t mind forgoing the additional cameras, and a much better option than the iPhone 16, which we feel is overpriced now in comparison to the iPhone 17.

Once you have chosen your new iPhone be sure to read our iPhone setup guide.

How to buy an iPhone

On contract

The two most common ways to buy an iPhone are SIM-free from Apple itself or a third-party reseller (which is where the pricing information throughout this information fits in, because you’ll be paying upfront for the phone, you will own it, and you will then need to pay for a SIM-only contract for minutes, texts and data), or buying an iPhone on contract.

A contract usually starts with an upfront payment that will vary depending on the iPhone model you go for and also how much you’ll be paying each month. That upfront payment is followed by monthly payments, normally for a total of 24 months, after which you own the phone (in most cases). Those monthly payments also cover data, minutes and texts.

The following networks are worth checking for their contract offers:

• AT&T
• Sprint
• T-Mobile
• Verizon
• Optimum Mobile
• Boost Infinite

U.K. readers can find iPhone contracts from the following networks:

• O2
• EE
• Vodafone
• Three
• Tesco Mobile
• Sky Mobile
• Virgin Mobile

And from the following third-party resellers:

• Carphone Warehouse
• Mobiles.co.uk
• E2save
• Mobile Phones Direct

Using the iPhone Upgrade Program

Apple offers a scheme called the iPhone Upgrade Program, which works with your carrier and starts at $39.50/£42.95 per month. You can then upgrade to the new iPhone each time one is announced, staying on the same or a very similar plan.

You should be cautious about the value this offers, but in some circumstances, it may be the right approach for you.

The scheme works slightly differently in the U.K., where this is for a SIM-free iPhone. You will also need to get a SIM-only contract for your data, minutes and texts.

You do get AppleCare+ included in the Upgrade Program, though, which is a two-year insurance for your iPhone that will cover you for two incidents of accidental damage. You’ll still have to pay an excess fee should you need to use it, but it’ll be much cheaper than having to cough up the full price of a repair.

Buying a second-hand and refurbished iPhone

You’ll have noticed that buying an iPhone doesn’t come cheap. However, if you’re strapped for cash you don’t have to dismiss the idea of buying an iPhone completely. You may be able to get a good deal on one of the older handsets if someone is looking to sell their current handset. Here are or recommendations of the best place to buy a used iPhone.

Considering alternatives to iPhone?

By now we hope we’ve helped you to find the perfect iPhone for you. Of course, there are alternatives outside Apple’s ecosystem. Our sister site Tech Advisor can help you find the best phone if you’re considering switching to Android (or maybe just want to laugh at the competition).

Author: Karen Haslam, Managing Editor, Macworld