Do you want to buy an iPhone in 2022? Apple offers many references on its site, which can easily make you hesitate. We reassure you, some iPhones easily stand out from the others. Numerama helps you find the product that best suits you, at the best price.
The iPhone buying guide in a nutshell
Why trust us?
We test all Apple products for Numerama and use them on a daily basis, in addition to diligently and technically covering all aspects of the brand.
In 2021, Apple simplified its catalog. There were once four truly different iPhones, now there are two, each in two sizes. The iPhone 13 (6.1 inches) and the iPhone 13 mini (5.4 inches) are the two consumer terminals. The iPhone 13 Pro (6.1 inches) and the iPhone 13 Pro Max (6.7 inches) are the ones that benefit from the greatest number of new features. The brand also keeps the iPhone 12, iPhone 11 and iPhone SE in its catalog, which are more affordable. Some resellers also continue to empty their iPhone stocks, even though Apple no longer officially sells these products.
You have decided to change your iPhone but do not know which model to choose? Numerama can help you. We’ve tested all iPhones and think some models are worth more than others. Here is our selection.
Yes, the iPhone 13 Pro is expensive. We will not be told otherwise. But if last year, the iPhone 12 Pro did not have many advantages over the iPhone 12, the same cannot be said for its successor. Apple’s latest smartphone is equipped with a ProMotion OLED screen (adaptive refresh rate between 10 and 120 Hz), which allows it to benefit from exceptional fluidity. The iPhone 13 Pro also has a monstrous autonomy, high-end finishes and, of course, runs iOS with all Apple-exclusive services, such as AirDrop, iMessage or Apple Pay.
In terms of photos, the iPhone 13 Pro also stands out from other Apple mobiles. It sports a triple camera module with a 77mm equivalent telephoto lens (x3 optical zoom) as well as an ultra wide-angle capable of taking macro photos. Its night photos are superb while video enthusiasts will have fun with its Cinematic mode capable of blurring a person, like in a movie.
That’s why we make it our default choice: the one that will make you happy, whatever smartphone you had before buying it. The larger iPhone 13 Pro Max (6.7 inches instead of 6.1 inches) performs just as well.
2020 marked the return of small smartphones. Apart from Apple (and Asus), hardly any other manufacturer offers small devices today, much to the chagrin of small hands and pockets.
With its small 5.4-inch screen, the iPhone 13 mini is undoubtedly the most complete compact smartphone on the market. It’s a superior smartphone to the iPhone 12 mini on so many levels, which makes us not want to recommend its predecessor to you. Here are its differences:
- Apple’s A15 Bionic chip on the processor side
- Better autonomy
- The camera of the iPhone 12 Pro Max (excellent)
- A better ultra-wide-angle sensor
- A smaller notch
- A better 5G chip
- Probably one more year of iOS (Apple updates its smartphones more or less 6 years)
- Cinematic mode in video
Clearly, it is quite the smartphone that we can advise today for who would like a small diagonal and an object that fits equally well in the pocket, in a bag or in the hand. It doesn’t have the iPhone 13 Pro’s trio of sensors or the ProMotion display, but it’s still a great choice in 2022. Alternatively, the normal iPhone 13 may be an option (those are exactly the same characteristics) but it remains more common.
5G compatible, the iPhone SE is a smartphone of choice to enter the Apple galaxy without breaking the bank. With a price starting at 529 € excluding promotions, it is a colossal competitor to mid-range offers on Android. It embeds one of the fastest processors in the world (the A15 of the iPhone 13) and has a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, which can be practical in the midst of a pandemic ?. It’s clearly not the iPhone to buy if you like having the latest tech in your pocket (its 4.7-inch LCD screen isn’t as good as the competition’s), but it’s not either plus one iPhone sub. Be careful though, its autonomy is low compared to other iPhones and smartphones.
Admittedly, the iPhone 11 is two years old. But with its dual camera module, its Face ID facial recognition, its excellent processor and its well-defined screen (even if it is unfortunately LCD technology), it has clearly not said its last word. The price displayed by Apple of 589 € tells us that we will find periods of destocking of this model quite frequently and that we can see it go below 500 € from time to time. It is therefore an iPhone whose price is to be watched. Released in 2019, it will be updated at least until 2025.
Only problem for durability: it is not 5G.
iPhones not to buy in 2022
Apple has finally got rid of the iPhone XR in its new range!
In 2022, the new iPhones offered by the manufacturer are rather well chosen and really adapt to all budgets. We recommended the iPhone 11 in this guide, but the iPhone 12s are very good bills for anyone who wants a 5G smartphone at a less elite price than the 13. That said, it is perhaps this 12 range that we find a bit offbeat this year: it remains expensive compared to the 11 and the SE.
On the other hand, do not buy a second-hand or refurbished iPhone 12 Pro or 12 Pro Max: most of the evolutions of these smartphones are found in the iPhone 13 and 13 mini. Unless you have a very low price (but then, beware of scams), it’s not worth it compared to the “normal” new iPhones of the year.
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