Best iPhone 2021-2022: ranking of the latest Apple phones (including iPhone 13)

Along with new phones, this ranking also includes older phones like the iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 series, as well as better mid-range models like the much more affordable iPhone SE 2. While not all of them are still sold by Apple, they can often can be found elsewhere at very attractive prices.

For some people, an Apple phone is the obvious choice. We've also published our definitive ranking of the best mobile phones available right now, so be sure to check it out if you're open to both operating systems.

Best iPhone overall - iPhone 13

The iPhone 13 has the best balance of performance, features, and design for the price, and is the model that most people should consider.

• Screen: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 60Hz
• Camera: 12MP wide and ultrawide
• Processor: A15 Bionic
• Battery life: 14 hours 28 minutes in our battery test

REASONS TO BUY:

Great battery life, great cameras, great performance, ceramic glass screen protector is very scratch resistant.

iPhone 13 represents the best balance of features, functionality and design of any iPhone 13 model, including the Pro models.

The iPhone 13 is powered by the same A15 Bionic processor as the Pro models, meaning it has the same performance. A powerful processor is one of the most important aspects of a phone for fast performance and longevity. Battery life is equally important, and the iPhone 13 beats it. It's not as good as the Pro models, but it's still one of the best we've seen for a phone of this size and price. Cameras are important too, and the iPhone 13 doesn't disappoint.

Like the iPhone 12, the iPhone 13 uses angular edges compared to the rounder edges of the iPhone 11 and earlier—a design choice that's apparently proven popular. This certainly creates a striking look.

Anyone who's used an iPhone before will be very familiar with how the native camera app launches and works, as Apple has stuck with a very similar layout and design since the first iPhone, tweaking it along the way with new features, which we'll discuss in more detail at progress.

As a result, the iPhone 13 is cheaper than the iPhone 13 Pro. It is available in five different colors: pink, blue, midnight (black), starlight (white) and red.

As with last year's iPhone 12 series, the package does not include a charging adapter - just a cable. If you don't already have an adapter (Apple assumes most people already have one and doesn't include it for "environmental" reasons), you'll need to factor this into your budget.

To sum it up, the iPhone 13 is a decent mid-range offering, and for an iPhone, it's available at a reasonable price. Those of you who are strapped for cash may want to opt for the iPhone 12 instead, especially since it's still available to buy, while for those who can save a little longer or free up a little extra budget, the iPhone 13 is the way to go. .

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Which color is better to choose for iPhone?

Traditionally, iPhones are available in several colors, including standard black and white options, as well as quite unusual shades. If the user does not want to take risks, it is better to choose a classic color, which is reliable and versatile. A bright, unusual shade can quickly get boring.

Purple and green solutions are the most calm shades that do not strain the eyes. They appeared in the line relatively recently with the release of the iPhone 11. This option will help you stand out from the crowd and at the same time not be too annoying with its unusualness.

Every year, Apple launches at least one smartphone model available in red. This is a spectacular, bright option that is suitable for those who like to stand out and attract the attention of others.

The yellow looks no less impressive , adding additional freshness to the design of the device. This is a youth option, hardly suitable for official meetings.

The latest iPhone 12 model is available to customers in five colors: black, white, red, green and blue.

It was decided to abandon the yellow color immediately, since previously the solution had not become very popular among users.

The black smartphone is suitable for lovers of the classics, as well as those who always plan to carry a case. This is an elegant, strict option.

In the new version, the white color may seem somewhat controversial, since the black frame around the screen forms a certain contrast with the light body. If this doesn’t scare you, then you can safely opt for white .

The red in the new version stands out not only for its brightness, but also because proceeds from sales of red devices are donated to the AIDS Foundation.

Green is a different color from the standard set of shades, so it's a great option to stand out.

iPhone 12 in blue is suitable if you need to indicate that it belongs to a new model. Previously, iPhone lines did not have this shade. A good replacement for a boring black phone.

Best small iPhone - iPhone 13 Mini

The iPhone 13 Mini is a smaller version of the standard iPhone 13, aimed at iPhone users who like a more compact design and smaller screens.

• Screen: 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 60Hz
• Camera: 12MP wide and ultrawide
• Processor: A15 Bionic
• Battery life: 13 hours 25 minutes in our battery test

REASONS TO BUY : Small, lightweight, good battery life for its size, great cameras, great performance, ceramic glass protector is very scratch resistant.

iPhone 13 Mini takes up less space in your hands and pockets than iPhone SE, and it's even lighter. It even has a larger 5.4-inch screen compared to the iPhone SE's 4.7-inch screen. All this means that the iPhone 13 Mini is a pleasure to hold and can do almost everything the massive iPhone 13 Pro Max can do, with the exception of the optical zoom and large camera sensors that are exclusive to the Pro series.

A smaller screen may not be ideal if you frequently play games, stream videos, read articles, or use visual-heavy apps like Instagram or TikTok—larger screens tend to be better for those things. But for general use like messaging, calling, running regular apps, the iPhone 13 Mini is a fantastic little phone. This is the best choice if you like to use your phone exclusively with one hand.

The iPhone 13 Mini is essentially a smaller version of the standard iPhone 13, with one major difference. Apart from its size, the battery life is not that good. Still, for such a small phone, the iPhone 13 Mini's battery life is pretty decent, clocking in at 13 hours and 25 minutes in our battery test. This is a significant improvement over previous smaller iPhones.

Additionally, the iPhone 13 Mini has the same power as the giant iPhone 13 Pro Max as it is also powered by the A15 Bionic processor. This means it will run apps and games just like the most expensive iPhone you can buy.

One of the best things about the iPhone 13 Mini, even if you're not a fan of smaller phones, is how portable and easy it is to store and use.

And at the end of the day, we don't know of another phone this small. If you want a small phone, the iPhone 13 Mini is the obvious choice.

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Design

And if briefly? You will have a hard time distinguishing between these smartphones. Only in the new gold color of the iPhone XS.

To say that the iPhone XS is similar to the iPhone X is an understatement. The appearance of the smartphones is completely identical. This is the same classic-shaped iPhone with rounded corners and glass panels, which are connected by a frame made of surgical stainless steel. The front panel still has the same “unibrow” and minimal frames on the bottom and sides. On the back there is the same protruding vertical double camera.

But there are still changes. First of all, this is the new gold color of the iPhone XS. Last year's iPhone X was only available in gray and silver. The iPhone Xs is also available in both of these colors, but also gold, which is quite unusual.

And it should also be noted that the glass panels on the front and back surfaces of the iPhone XS have become stronger. Apple says it's the "strongest glass ever used in a smartphone."

There are no other differences. Even the dimensions of the smartphones are completely the same - 143.6 × 70.9 × 7.7 mm.

Although no, one more detail. iPhone XS is three grams heavier than iPhone X - 177 g versus 174 g.

Best premium iPhone - iPhone 13 Pro

iPhone 13 Pro features Apple's best camera, screen and battery for the most discerning iPhone users.

• Screen: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, variable refresh rate 10-120Hz
• Camera: 12MP ultra-wide and telephoto with LiDAR
• Processor: A15 Bionic
• Battery life: 16 hours 28 minutes in our battery test

REASONS TO BUY: Great battery life, great cameras, same camera technology as Pro Max, great performance, 120Hz variable refresh rate screen, highly scratch-resistant ceramic glass.

If you want the best, you get the iPhone Pro series. But you have to pay extra for this.

The iPhone 13 Pro is the same size as the standard iPhone 13, but it has even better battery life—exactly two hours longer, according to our battery test.

It also has an additional camera lens for better, enlarged photos, as well as the ability to take RAW images, which professionals use for better editing, and a LiDar scanner for better photos in portrait mode, especially in the dark.

The iPhone 13 Pro also has a very nice screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, which means animations and apps look very smooth. It's a wonderful effect that makes the Pro series a step above the standard iPhone 13.

For the iPhone 13 Pro series, Apple has given both the Pro phones the same features. This was not the case with the iPhone 12 Pro series, where the iPhone 12 Pro Max had several additional premium features even over the iPhone 12 Pro.

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Comparison of all iPhone sizes in centimeters and inches

Best large premium iPhone - iPhone 13 Pro Max

You no longer need to buy the iPhone 13 Pro Max to enjoy the best of Apple technology, but it's still the best iPhone for the best battery life and entertainment.

• Screen: 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with variable refresh rate 10-120Hz
• Camera: 12MP ultra-wide and telephoto with LiDAR
• Processor: A15 Bionic
• Battery life: 20 hours 18 minutes in our battery test

REASONS TO BUY: Best battery life, great cameras, great performance, 120Hz variable refresh rate screen, highly scratch-resistant ceramic glass screen protector.

Apple always uses premium materials to create iPhones. This time around, the iPhone 13 Pro Max also features surgical-grade stainless steel edge guides and comes with a ceramic screen on both the front and back. Developed jointly by Apple and Corning, the phone protector is billed as the toughest glass mobile screen in the industry.

The iPhone 13 Pro Max's main selling points come solely from its large 6.7-inch screen and incredible 20-hour battery life. The iPhone 13 Pro Max has an IP68 rating, which means the device can stay underwater up to six meters for almost 30 minutes. However, given the high cost of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, we still recommend that potential buyers purchase a screen protector or at least get a phone case to protect the device from accidental drops.

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Coming to the display, it features a massive 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR (2778x1284p) OLED display with ProMotion technology.

Depending on the type of tasks such as web browsing, gaming, watching videos, the device's display panel can intelligently adjust the refresh rate from 10Hz to 120Hz.

Web browsing and phone navigation have definitely improved significantly with the new technology, but most third-party apps don't yet support ProMotion. However, it will only improve over time.

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max has a pixel density of 458 ppi (pixels per inch), True Tone technology, HDR and peak brightness of up to 1200 nits.

The iOS interface, apps, games, and videos look amazing on the iPhone 13 Pro Max's screen simply because of its large size. A large screen and incredible battery life are the perfect combination because streaming videos and playing games on phones consume more battery power.

Plus, you get the same superb performance, camera quality, and ultra-premium 120Hz screen as iPhone 13 Pro. Let's immediately note that the iPhone 13 Pro Max is quite heavy for a phone - 240 grams.

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Moisture protection

iPhone X was protected from water. It could be wetted, washed in the sink, and so on. The protection standard corresponded to the IP67 index.

However, in the case of the XS and XS Max, the company openly claims that the new items can not just be soaked in liquids. With them you can easily swim in the pool and even in salt water, as well as dive to a depth of 2 meters for up to 30 minutes. All this is the new IP68 protection standard.

All this is great, but the main thing is not to leave the ground and remember the first thing. If the iPhone gets wet, warranty service will be denied. It will be extremely difficult to prove that the manufacturer or seller is wrong. Second. Over time and under physical influence, moisture protection deteriorates and within a year the initial tightness of the device may be broken.

Best Budget iPhone - iPhone 11

The iPhone 11 is our favorite budget iPhone, even compared to the iPhone SE (2020), because it's significantly more modern, and Apple didn't cut the price of the iPhone SE when it released the iPhone 13.

• Screen: 6.1-inch Retina HD LCD
• Camera: 12MP wide and ultra-wide cameras
• Processor: A13 Bionic
• Battery life: Up to 10 hours of video streaming (estimated)

REASONS TO BUY: Great performance, great cameras, modern design at an affordable price, cheaper access to the Apple ecosystem.

We recently called the iPhone 11 the new king of budget iPhones, although it's not the cheapest iPhone you can get. That honor goes to the iPhone SE (2020).

We still recommend the iPhone SE for its very low price of RUB 39,000. Honestly, it's surprising that you get the powerful A13 Bionic processor - the same one found in the iPhone 11 - in a phone for RUB 39,000. It's also ideal for those who love small screens.

The biggest design change with the iPhone 11 is what you don't see. Apple says the phone has the strongest glass—front and back—of any smartphone, thanks to a dual ion exchange process. Some iPhone 11 owners have complained that the displays scratch easily, although we didn't notice any scratches on our review unit. However, you can buy an iPhone 11 screen protector or an iPhone 11 case.

This device is also IP68 waterproof, which means it can withstand 2 meters of water for 30 minutes and is one of the best waterproof phones.

The iPhone 11's Liquid Retina HD display is still 6.1 inches diagonal, like the iPhone XR, with the same 1,792 x 828 resolution. And our opinion of this panel remains unchanged. This is fantastic for an LCD with vibrant colors and excellent brightness, but not for an OLED.

In terms of audio, iPhone 11's new spatial audio delivers a wider soundstage with Dolby Atmos support. And for a moment we felt like we were in a movie theater watching the trailer for John Wick 3. We could clearly hear glass breaking on the screen to the left and right.

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CPU

Was A11 Bionic, became A12 Bionic. The new “stone,” like its predecessor, consists of 6 main cores:

• a pair of powerful cores runs 15% faster and consumes 40% less power
• four main cores did not improve performance, but they consume 50% less energy - also nice

In addition, the A12 Bionic includes two more separate computing units:

• Quad-core graphics accelerator shows performance 1.5 times faster than A11 Bionic graphics
• The 8-core neural cluster is capable of performing 5 trillion operations per second (previously the unit consisted of two cores and could only perform 600 billion operations)

The new chipset is also responsible for:

• advanced separation of the foreground object from the background
• even more expanded dynamic range in Smart HDR mode and when recording video (4K and 30 FPS, not 60)
• clearer photos in motion
• reduced noise when shooting at night
• Core ML platform computing speed is up to 9 times faster

And last but not least is the change. Let me remind you that the A11 Bionic boasts only a 10 nm process technology. The iPhone XS, in turn, became the world's first mass-produced smartphone to be equipped with a processor based on the 7-nanometer process technology. The Kirin 980 chipset from Huawei was announced earlier (August 31), but the device itself - Huawei Mate 20 - has not even been presented yet. We expect the event only on October 16th.

Best overall iPhone for less money - iPhone 12

The iPhone 12 has an excellent balance of performance, features and design for the price, and it's a model that's worth considering for most people.

• Screen: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR
• Camera: 12MP wide and ultrawide
• Processor: A14 Bionic
• Battery life: up to 17 hours (estimated)

REASONS TO BUY : Great battery life, great cameras, great performance, ceramic glass screen protector is very scratch resistant.

The iPhone 12 is the best iPhone for most people. It offers the best balance of features, functions and design compared to the Pro models.

Powered by Apple's A14 Bionic chip, the iPhone 12 still has the hardware most people need for everyday and extended use at a lower price than the iPhone 13.

The iPhone 12 shares many similarities with the iPhone 13, including a dual camera system with an ultra-wide lens, MagSafe, 5G, and IP68 water resistance.

There are a few trade-offs when upgrading from iPhone 12 to iPhone 13. You don't get the iPhone 13's newer A15 Bionic processor or Apple's new cameras with larger sensors. Other than that, you don't miss out on much else.

On the front, the iPhone 12 gets an upgrade over the iPhone 11. No, it's not 90Hz or 120Hz refresh rate support, it's an OLED panel. The iPhone 11 had the best LCD display on a smartphone, but the Super Retina XDR display on the iPhone 12 takes the viewing experience up a notch. By the way, the notch for Face ID sensors remains, but it is unlikely to bother you if you used older iPhone models.

For tech-lovers, the iPhone 12's display has a maximum brightness of 625 nits and peaks at 1,200 nits when playing HDR content. For the practical ones who want to know if the display is bright enough, yes, it is. During our 10-day usage period, we didn't encounter any issues when viewing content on the iPhone 12.

When it comes to sound quality, the speakers on the iPhone 12 are some of the best. The bottom speaker works as the main speaker, and the earpiece serves as a loudspeaker of equal volume. The speakers are not only loud, but also produce clear sound. The microphones on the iPhone 12 do a great job. The hardware was able to capture clear audio in the videos we recorded on the iPhone 12.

Overall, we think the iPhone 12 is the iPhone most users should buy to get absolute value for their money.

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iPhone XR

iPhone XR was an absolute bestseller of 2022, and is still one of the most popular phones in the world!

This popularity has a simple explanation - good technical characteristics and an affordable price relative to other iPhones. Yes, in some aspects the XR is weaker than the iPhone 11, at least in terms of performance or battery life. But on the other hand, the cameras here are excellent, and for many users this is the deciding factor.

Best premium iPhone for less money - iPhone 12 Pro

Apple no longer sells the iPhone 12 Pro, but carriers and retailers still have stock. Just make sure you pay less than the starting price.

• Screen: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR
• Camera: 12MP ultra-wide and telephoto with LiDAR
• Processor: A14 Bionic
• Battery life: up to 17 hours (estimated)

REASONS TO BUY: Great camera, good low-light performance, LiDAR allows you to take portrait photos even in the dark; Ceramic protective glass is very scratch resistant

With iPhone 12 Pro, you get everything from the standard iPhone 12, including the A14 Bionic chip, Super Retina XDR OLED display, ceramic glass screen protector, 5G support, wireless charging and MagSafe support, metal frame and IP68.

The iPhone 12 Pro also comes with a triple camera system that includes a standard lens, an ultra-wide-angle lens, and a Pro-exclusive telephoto lens with 4x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom. Additional camera features also include LiDAR for better portrait mode photos even in the dark, as well as the Apple RAW photo file format.

Keep the iPhone 12 Pro price in mind. Apple no longer sells it, so you'll have to find it through third-party sellers, who don't always offer older iPhones at lower prices.

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Networks - 5G is here

iPhone 12

10

iPhone 11

9

Another difference is support for 5G networks in the new model. None of the iPhone 11 models support 5G. In real conditions, download speeds can reach 1 Gbps . On the one hand, the iPhone 12 is better future-oriented, but on the other, 5G is still not widespread. By the time 5G is everywhere in Russia, the iPhone 15, iPhone 20 or 100 may go on sale.

The best large premium iPhone for less money

The iPhone 12 Pro Max is still the choice for those who want a long-lasting battery, a giant screen and a sophisticated camera.

• Screen: 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR
• Camera: 12MP ultra-wide and telephoto with LiDAR
• Processor: A14 Bionic
• Battery life: up to 20 hours (estimated)

REASONS TO BUY: Long battery life; Excellent camera, ceramic protective glass is very scratch resistant, LiDAR allows you to shoot in portrait mode even in the dark.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max shares many similarities with the iPhone 12 Pro and the standard iPhone 12. These include Apple's A14 Bionic chip, Super Retina XDR OLED display, ceramic screen display, 5G support, MagSafe accessory support, triple-lens camera system with wide , ultra-wide and telephoto lenses like the iPhone 12 Pro, and IP68 water resistance.

Aside from the significantly larger size, the main difference between the 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max is the camera. The Pro Max has 2.5x optical zoom, 5x optical zoom range, and 12x digital zoom, compared to the iPhone 12 Pro's 2x optical zoom, 4x optical zoom, and 10x digital zoom.

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You may notice a difference, but it's not a drastic enough change to affect your purchasing decision. iPhone 12 Pro Max also features sensor-shift technology that further stabilizes the camera to reduce blur.

Apple has stopped selling the iPhone 12 Pro Max, so you'll have to find it through third-party sellers, who don't always offer older iPhones at lower prices.

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Price - there is a difference

iPhone 12

4

iPhone 11

7

Most likely, it’s not you who will choose one among two iPhones, but your wallet.