Best iPhone to buy in 2021

iPhone 12 Pro

The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max are Apple's latest smartphones, offering the most powerful, largest, heaviest, and technically the best iPhone out there with plenty of features that make it a pretty piece of craftsmanship with sheer performance, excellent camera setup, a top-of-the-line smartphone to pick if you are ready to spend around $999 to $1,399.

You get two size options for this phone a 6.1-inch model (iPhone 12 Pro) and a 6.7-inch model (iPhone 12 Pro Max).

Both the smartphones have almost the same features which some features only reserved for the Pro Max version.

Specs:

• Display: 6.7-inch (17 cm diagonal) Super Retina XDR Ceramic Shield display
• Processor: Apple A14 Bionic chipset
• Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB
• Software: iOS 14
• Rear cameras: Pro camera system with 12MP Ultra Wide, Wide and Telephoto cameras, LiDAR Scanner
• Selfie Camera: 12MP TrueDepth front camera
• Weight: 228g
• Dimensions: 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm

Who Should Buy This Phone?

If you consume a lot of media on your smartphone or create videos for social media, it is one of the best smartphones. And if you are buying this smartphone for this purpose I will highly recommend you to go for the 6.7 inches Pro max model.

And if you are not a Pro user, you can look at the iPhone 12 which has the same performance as the pro models with fewer camera features at a much cheaper price. Starting at $699 for the iPhone 12 mini and $799 for iPhone 12.

iPhone 12

iPhone 12 is the best iPhone for most people and one of the best phones you can buy period. This year, all iPhone models feature Super Retina XDR OLED displays for the first time, with an edge-to-edge design except the Face ID notch and small bezels around the edge. There's no difference in display quality between the standard iPhone 12 models and the Pro models.

The 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini has a resolution of 2430 x 1080 with 476 pixels per inch and the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 has a resolution of 2532 x 1170 with 460 pixels per inch. The displays offer HDR support with 1200 nits peak brightness, Wide Color for vivid, true-to-life colors, Haptic Touch for feedback, and True Tone to match the display's color temperature to the ambient lighting for a more natural viewing experience.

Both the smartphones are almost identical except for the screen size.

Specs:

iPhone 12

• Price: Starting at $799
• RAM: 4 GB
• OS: iOS 14
• Display: 6.1-inch OLED (2532x1170)
• CPU: A14 Bionic
• Storage: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
• Rear camera: 12MP wide (ƒ/1.6), 12MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.4)
• Front camera: 12MP (ƒ/2.2)
• Battery: 2,815 mAh
• Size: 5.78 x 2.81 x 0.29 inches
• Weight: 5.78 ounces

iPhone 12 Mini

• Price:starting at$699
• RAM: 4 GB
• OS: iOS 14
• Display: 5.4-inch OLED (2430x1080)
• CPU: A14 Bionic
• Storage: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
• Rear camera: 12MP wide (ƒ/1.6), 12MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.4)
• Front camera: 12MP (ƒ/2.2)
• Battery: 2,227 mAh
• Size: 5.78 x 2.81 x 0.29 inches
• Weight: 4.76 ounces

Who Should Buy This Phone?

iPhone 12 is the best iPhone for most people and one of the best phones you can buy period. The Apple iPhone 12 is the most sensible choice, It offers most of the series of new features, including an adequately sized screen - all in a nicely shaped and lightweight body with a palatable price. What you lose in comparison to the iPhone 12 Pro is a telephoto lens, the LiDAR sensor, and the fact that you get 2GB RAM less. Despite all of that, the iPhone 12 manages to be a great performer, being the most value for money iPhone for this year.

If you are after a more compact or cheaper iPhone, then the cheapest this generation of iPhones gets is the iPhone 12 mini. It has all the features of the iPhone 12 but is packed in a smaller body with a 5.4" OLED screen. It's also $100 cheaper than the iPhone 12.

iPhone SE

This is the phone to get if you just want a new iPhone that will last you a few years, but don’t want to pay a lot for it. This the main spotlight of the device. A13 Bionic is the same chip that also powers the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max. If we compare it in terms of raw CPU performance, the iPhone SE 2020 is about 2.4 times faster than the original iPhone SE and 1.4 times faster than the iPhone 8.  This makes the device perform like a beast.

The iPhone SE has only a single rear 12MP and front 7MP camera but those are incredible in terms of photography and videography. The iPhone SE supports Portrait mode with depth control and 6 Portrait Lighting effects, and Smart HDR that helps to intelligently re-light recognized subjects.

The iPhone SE has a premium look and feels premium as it is made of glass back and a 7000 series aluminum frame. The iPhone SE is also IP67 water-resistant so it can be kept submerged in water for up to 30 minutes. The device features a Touch ID and it comes with the support of wireless charging up to 7.5W.

But the downside of this phone is the design and battery life. The iPhone SE 2020 design dates back to the days of the iPhone 7 and 8 which has a 16:9 aspect ratio with thick bezels. Though it’s a compact device still doesn’t catch up to the design and display advancements of 2021. Another thing that had been skipped by apple is the Night Mode which is reserved for the flagship iPhone 12 models and decided to not make it arrive in the iPhone SE 2020 even if the hardware is capable of it. Another problem is battery life as it includes only a 1821mAh battery with 18W fast charging.

Specs:

• Price: starting at $399 
• RAM: 3 GB
• OS: iOS 14
• Display: 4.7-inch LCD (750 x 1334)
• CPU: A13 Bionic
• Storage: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
• Rear camera: 12MP 
• Front camera: 7 MP
• Battery: 1,821 mAh
• Size: 5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 inches
• Weight: 5.2 ounces

Who Should Buy This Phone?

The iPhone SE 2020 isn’t for everyone and involves making some compromises. That said, it deserves a long, hard look if you’re looking for a compact, no-frills daily driver that can serve you well, as long as you know what you’re signing up for by opting for one. But if you can spend an extra $100 you should absolutely go for the iPhone XR which has a modern design, bigger display size, good battery life, and almost the same performance as the iPhone SE.

iPhone 11

The iPhone 11 succeeds the iPhone XR, and it features a 6.1-inch LCD display that Apple calls a "Liquid Retina HD Display." It features a 1792 x 828 resolution at 326ppi, a 1400:1 contrast ratio, 625 nits max brightness, True Tone support for adjusting the white balance to the ambient lighting, and wide color support for true-to-life colors.

The iPhone 11 doesn't look much different than the iPhone XR, but Apple says it's made from the toughest glass ever in a smartphone and offers improved water resistance (IP68), boosting overall durability. Spatial audio offers a more immersive sound experience, and Dolby Atmos is supported.

Specs:

• Price: Starting at $599
• RAM: 4 GB
• OS: iOS 14
• Display: 6.1-inch LCD (828 x 1792)
• CPU: A13 Bionic
• Storage: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
• Rear camera: 12 MP + 12 MP Dual Rear (wide and ultra-wide) 
• Front camera: 12 MP Front Camera
• Battery: 3110 mAh
• Size: 5.94x2.98x0.33 inches
• Weight: 6.8 ounces

Who Should Buy This Phone?

The overall speed and performance of the iPhone 11 are robust - and especially so for the price. It’s still one of the most powerful phones out there.
In reality that just translates to a solid experience when flipping in and out of apps - although we did note that the speed in firing up the camera was a little slow, and processing pictures took longer than expected for a modern phone. In every other way, this is a massively impressive phone it packs good spec and manages to do so for a lower cost than many would expect - this is the one to go for if you want a good value new iPhone.

iPhone XR

Apple iPhone XR mobile was launched in September 2018. The phone comes with a 6.10-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 828x1792 pixels at a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch (PPI) and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. Apple iPhone XR is powered by a Hexa-core Apple A12 Bionic processor. It comes with 3GB of RAM. The Apple iPhone XR runs iOS 12 and is powered by a 2942mAh non-removable battery. The Apple iPhone XR supports wireless charging, as well as proprietary fast charging.

The used XR is obviously super snappy when it comes to performance: thanks to the A12 Bionic chip you can multitask like a beast and play any game you want. But if you’re planning to install a ton of apps, remember to get a version with more memory (at least 128GB).

You can crank out 25 hours of talk time out of this phone according to Apple, which means that you can easily squeeze in a whole day of heavy use if not two If you don't have many opportunities in your day to charge your phone—and use it a fair bit—this is what you want.

Specs:

• Price: Starting at $499
• OS: iOS 14
• RAM: 3 GB
• Display: 6.1-inch LCD (828 x 1792)
• CPU: A13 Bionic
• Storage: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
• Rear camera:12 MP Wide camera
• Front camera: 7 MP
• Battery: 2942 mAh
• Size: 5.9x3x0.33 inches
• Weight: 6.8 ounces

Who Should Buy This Phone?

The iPhone XR is one of the best handsets Apple has ever made, and that's mainly down to the excellent battery life.

The rest of the phone doesn't really add much to the iPhone family in terms of pure specification or novelty, but it does offer a more budget route into getting a handset.

The portrait mode on the camera becoming more software than hardware is something that needs to be thought about long and hard – if you’re just after a decent enough snapper in the iPhone world, this handset will do that for you, but you can get something much more effective on the iPhone 12 and 11 ranges.

The iPhone XR sits in a slightly awkward middle ground in Apple's line-up. The iPhone SE starts at $399, which is $100 cheaper than the iPhone XR and gives you an even more modern processor, a screen and camera of equivalent quality, and the same premium fit and finish. 

The iPhone SE has a much smaller screen than the XR and uses fingerprint ID instead of face recognition, but some people may actually prefer those changes. The SE also gives you less battery life

The iPhone 11 is $100 more than the XR and gives you a dual-lens camera with newer image processing and Night Mode, plus a little extra battery life and the latest-generation Apple chip running it.

We think most people will probably look to save themselves a big chunk of money or will step up to the latest model that gives you a more desirable camera since that's one of the most important features for lots of us.

But the iPhone XR still serves a great purpose. If you want an iPhone that has a big screen and generous battery life, don't mind so much about its camera (which is still very good!), and want to spend mid-range prices only, then it's ideal. 

If it feels like it would fit the bill for you, we do recommend it – we just think it's worth looking both up and down Apple's range to make sure the other options wouldn't make you a little happier, either in price or features.