Which iPhone Should I Buy?
Last time we looked at Apple Watches and compared the various models. This time we are going to break down exactly what the features are for all the latest iPhones and why you may want to purchase them. So, which iPhone should I buy?
The iPhone 11
The iPhone 11 is technically the oldest iPhone that is available new directly from Apple, so it makes a good place to start.
Remarkably, the iPhone 11 release date was September 20, 2019 so it’s now two years old. There were three variants: the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max. However, currently only the iPhone 11 is available directly from Apple.
The iPhone 11 has a 6.1” HD display and features an ultra-wide and a wide dual camera with 2x optical zoom. Both lenses are 12mp with the ultra-wide having a ƒ/2.4 aperture and the wide a ƒ/1.8 aperture.
Inside the handset it has an A13 Bionic chip and 17 hours of battery from full charge. The internal make up of the iPhone 11 allows for night mode, optical image stabilisation and a brighter true tone flash with slow sync. All of these features are secured by TrueDepth facial recognition
iPhone SE (2020)
The 24th April 2020 is a strange time for Apple to be releasing a new iPhone as they always tend to be once a year in September.
The iPhone SE 2020 is an unusual iPhone. It’s essentially an iPhone 8, but with iPhone 11 internal components like the A13 Bionics chip.
The iPhone SE (2020) has a 4.7” HD display and a single 12mp wide camera on the rear. Inside, it has a 17-hour battery and the powerful A13 Bionic chip. The handset itself is protected by Apple’s biometric touch ID. This version sees the return of the iPhone home button for the first time since iPhone 8.
The iPhone SE 2020 is a powerful remastered version of the iPhone 8 model. Furthermore, it is the only currently available iPhone that could be identified as an entry level model.
Which iPhone should I buy from the 12 Series?
Released late last year, the iPhone 12 is the latest iPhone on the market. Much like the iPhone 11, it comes in several different variations.
These variations include the iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
iPhone 12 Mini
Almost the smallest iPhone so far, the iPhone 12 Mini is most certainly the littlest iPhone of this generation. It has a 5.4” display that goes all the way to the very edge of the screen, leaving only a slight black line round the border.
This new display is protected by ceramic glass that is 4x more resilient to being dropped than before. What’s more, the back glass is made of the same gorilla glass as featured on the iPhone 11.
The back cameras feature a dual 12MP system (ultra wide and wide). The ultra wide has a ƒ/2.4 aperture with the wide-angle lens sporting an ƒ/1.6 aperture.
Using the new A14 Bionic chip alongside this camera array, the iPhone 12 Mini allows it to take excellent night photos. Furthermore, the lens set features image stabilization and can film in Dolby HDR.
The battery allows for 15 hours of video playback and all of this is protected by Apple’s Face ID technology.
The final addition to this line of iPhone is the jump from 4G to 5G wireless. Whilst there is not much support for this in areas of the UK at the moment, it does future proof the phone. Therefore, the iPhone 12 Mini is a worthwhile investment into future technology.
iPhone 12
The mid-level of the iPhone 12 line, this handset is exactly the same size as the iPhone 12 Pro. Weighing it at 6.1” it has an XDR display that runs almost edge-to-edge.
It features much of the same set-up as the iPhone 12 Mini. The iPhone 12 has exactly the same cameras, chips and technology inside. The only real difference between these models is the size of the screen and the battery, which lasts for 17 hours of playback.
iPhone 12 Pro
Coming with exactly the same screen size and resolution as the iPhone 12, the main difference is the camera on the back. The iPhone 12 Pro features a triple camera array and a LiDAR scanner.
The camera set-up is an ultra-wide ƒ/2.4 aperture, a wide-angle ƒ/1.6 aperture lens and finally a telephoto ƒ/2.0 aperture.
Each of these can be used with a 2x optical zoom and the wide-angle lens with a 4x optical zoom. All of these cameras are paired with the LiDAR sensor. Furthermore, the power of the internal software allows for sharp clear looking night photos and filming in Apple ProRAW for professional editing.
iPhone 12 Pro Max
The iPhone 12 Pro Max is currently the most expensive and most complete available to buy. The handset is considerably larger and features a bigger and better version of everything mentioned before.
A 6.7” XDR display is backed up by a massive battery for 20 hours of video play back. The cameras are nearly identical with the exception of the telephoto lens, which has a 2.2 aperture, sensor shift optical image stabilization and a 5x optical zoom.
This is the biggest and best iPhone. However, there are very few reasons why you would want this version over the iPhone 12 Pro. This is, unless of course, you use a telephoto lens for work or need the biggest screen possible.
Which iPhone should I buy?
That is the big question. So, which iPhone should I buy?
If you have read through this article so far, you’ve been given an overview of the features and may already have one in mind. For those that we have broken down, you may like each phone based on a few of their qualities, reliability and the cost to repair when they go wrong.
The entry level iPhone
The iPhone SE 2020 represents the cheapest iPhone you can get new straight from Apple. Essentially it’s a buffed-up iPhone 8. However, that does mean that it’s had years of software patches and support already built around it. What’s more, the cost to repair is very cheap compared to modern day phones.
If you broke your brand-new iPhone 11 Pro Max or your new Samsung S20 it would cost a few hundred pounds to repair the screen. Whereas with the iPhone SE 2020, only costs £70 for a screen replacement.
This is the phone to buy if you want something that is pretty good based off of one of the most popular iPhones of all time. It’s not going to break the bank, even if you suffer further mishaps.
While we say entry level, this is a mid-level phone in comparison to the rest of the market and well worth picking up.
The Mid-level iPhone
In at the mid-level we have the iPhone 11, 12 and 12 Mini. All of these devices are a fair choice if you want a mid-level iPhone or want to invest in what would be classed as a flagship elsewhere.
These phones are all very good and are actually very similar in terms of price and features. The deciding factor is going to be if you want a phone that is easily repairable or one that has access to 5G.
However, the iPhone 11 can be repaired a lot more easily than the iPhone 12. This is reflected in the cost of a screen repair for these devices.
While the iPhone 12 can be costly to repair, if you take care of it, the phone does represent the newest tech from Apple and comes in large and small versions. The choice of which iPhone should I buy comes down to how large you want your phone to be.
The High-end Phone
The iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max are the most expensive from the which iPhone should I buy range that we have discussed. The iPhone 12 Pro in our opinion is the only worthwhile purchase from the two of these. This is due to the large difference in camera quality.
Both of the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max have very little difference between them. If you are looking to invest in the Pro line as a professional content creator for a digital marketing advertising or as a backup camera then the Pro is the way to go.
Which iPhone should I buy overall?
Overall if you want to pick up a new phone make sure you your research, and check out more articles on our website for the latest news on all devices.