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Apple’s iPhone 14 has just been released, and it has some great features. But you don’t always have to get the latest device to get good features. Apple has lots of phones with excellent capabilities and often for considerably cheaper than their latest model. As a matter of fact, the brand has iPhones for every budget.
If you’re still undecided about which iPhone to buy this year, don’t worry. We rounded up some of the best phones the tech giant can offer that won’t disappoint you.
Yes, the iPhone 14 isn’t the huge upgrade that Apple can offer from its predecessor. But, that’s because iPhone 13 Pro already did a lot of things right. The tech giant’s pro series has already hit a point where it has become so good that there’s not a lot of upward mobility needed so far. In spite of that, Apple is still able to give better cameras, improved displays, new design elements, and more powerful hardware. The dichotomous design of the iPhone 14 Pro.
On the surface, it resembles the iPhone 13 Pro quite a bit, but with a larger camera module. Unless you really concentrate, it might be difficult to tell this phone out from its predecessor from the back, despite the fact that the lenses are visibly larger as a result of the changes underneath. On the other hand, Apple’s new phone has a very distinctive front design. The pill-shaped Dynamic Island has taken the position of the missing notch. The outdated iPhone design has finally undergone an update. However, the Face ID notch still makes it larger than those on the top Android devices.
This year, Apple made sure the iPhone 14 Pro received some significant camera advancements. The newest 48MP quad-pixel primary sensor is the most notable of them. The iPhone 14 Pro can shoot a 12MP image that the phone has adjusted to your lighting circumstances with the entire sensor, but with four times the detail thanks to the quad-pixel layout, even though this feature is not exclusive to Apple’s phones. A 48MP image in its whole can be obtained upon request in ProRAW, which is amazing.
The iPhone 14 Pro is a power user’s dream in real life. For the majority of jobs, it has more than enough power for days. The iPhone 14 Pro maintains consistently smooth frame rates in every game I tested, so gaming is not a problem. The A16 Bionic excels in real-time video editing, even with 4K ProRes material. The phone hardly lags when you use effects and edits while you’re on the road.
Dynamic Island is a good notch replacementBest performance in a smartphoneStunningly beautiful displayIncredible cameras
No SIM tray may bother somePhotonic Engine can get a bit aggressiveWorse battery life than last year
The iPhone 13 may be a more appealing purchase than its successor, but it is no longer Apple’s most recent smartphone. The iPhone 14 series is now available, and its flagship model shares many features with the 13-generation model, including its cameras, display, CPU, and design. The battery life of the iPhone 13 is its best feature. Historically, iPhones haven’t been known for having long-lasting batteries, yet during every day of our testing, we struggled to drain the iPhone 13’s power. Battery life has finally been mastered by Apple, and it is now significantly better than it was on earlier iPhone models.
The new A15 Bionic CPU in the iPhone 13 is extremely powerful, and when coupled with 4GB of RAM, it can handle many apps and tasks fast and effectively. The iPhone 13’s dual camera system enhances image clarity, and the company’s Sensor Shift optical image stabilization (OIS) technology, which was previously exclusive to Apple’s Pro Max phones, is now available. This is significant for photographers who want to shoot quickly without losing their subject in motion.
The enhanced battery life, performance, screen, and camera make the iPhone 13, which at first glance may not appear to be a significant step forward for Apple, a worthwhile upgrade for anyone coming from an earlier iPhone or considering the transition from Android. If you have an iPhone 12, the iPhone 13 probably isn’t for you because there aren’t enough new features to justify an upgrade. However, if you have an older iPhone, like an iPhone 8 or iPhone XR, there are many reasons to be excited.
Strong battery lifeGreat designPowerful internals
Minimal design changesNo 120Hz screenNo Ceramic Shield on rear
The larger camera hump and the smaller notch are the two biggest visual distinctions between the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro. The former is largely obvious. The phone is far from flat when lying on a table or desk because of the lenses and the square that surrounds them, which protrude pretty substantially. But the smaller notch deserves attention. According to Apple, it is 20% smaller than the model we are all accustomed to. When you hold up the new phone next to an iPhone 12 Pro, you can tell the difference between them with certainty. The notch is here to stay for the time being, and under-display TrueDepth technology is probably still a ways off because Apple is still fully committed to Face ID.
The iPhone 13 Pro weighs a ton thanks to its stainless steel frame. Apple cites the weight of the phone at 7.19 ounces, but it feels heavier and more substantial. The design of the iPhone 13 Pro is basically unchanged, so rather than being a revolutionary advancement, it feels more like an incremental improvement over its predecessor. The iPhone 13 Pro’s screen, which measures 6.1 inches diagonally, contains a lot of pixels thanks to the same-sized OLED panel as its predecessor.
This is the newest iteration of Apple’s Super Retina XDR technology, and it looks stunning. The viewing angles are excellent, the colors are vibrant, and there is enough contrast. Three 12MP rear cameras, including a telephoto lens with a 77mm focal length and a 3x optical zoom, are included with the iPhone 13 Pro. This year’s main shooter has a bigger sensor and a wider f/1.5 aperture, allowing it to let in more light. A bigger sensor and autofocus were added to the 12MP 120-degree ultrawide, resulting in crisper super wide-angle pictures. The new phone performs best in low light, outperforming both its predecessor and the competition.
Gorgeous and bright 120Hz displayIncredible performanceSpectacular camerasVastly improved battery life
Fast charging limited to 20W4K ProRes video limited to 256GB and above
The iPhone 12 was introduced in October 2021, and it is still available from Apple and several carriers. Any alteration, no matter how modest, is often welcomed because Apple rarely makes changes to the iPhone’s physical design from year to generation. One of those less significant updates is the new flat-edge design of the iPhone 12. Yes, the flat edges are a welcome contrast from the rounder iPhones that have been available for several years running.
Additionally, they increase the durability of the iPhone 12 in conjunction with Apple’s new Ceramic Shield material, as the rounder frames of earlier iPhones rendered them more brittle. Apple has used magnets as a key component of the iPhone 12’s design, despite the fact that the wonder of magnets continues to confound the best minds in the world. Apple’s new MagSafe ecosystem of accessories, including wireless chargers, cases, and wallet attachments that simply snap on and off, is made possible by a ring of magnets located in the center of the back of the iPhone 12.
The iPhone 12 addresses what has undoubtedly been the LCD display’s Achilles heel of Apple’s entry-level premium iPhones in recent years. It’s all because of a brand-new, identically-sized 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display to the one seen on the iPhone 12 Pro. Comparing this panel’s 2532×1170 resolution to the iPhone 11’s antiquated 1792×898 display, the quality of the on-screen material is noticeably improved.
Additionally, it is HDR10 certified, enabling you to see any videos taken with the device’s Dolby Vision-enabled rear camera in the manner in which they were meant to be viewed. From the outside, the iPhone 12’s camera doesn’t appear to have undergone a significant amount of change. But don’t be fooled by appearances; there have been improvements. The iPhone’s primary camera now has a new 7-element design with the widest aperture it has ever had at 1.6. As a result of both of these adjustments, low-light performance has improved by 27%.
Attractive new design with MagSafeComprehensive 5G coverageImpressive dual camerasFastest performance in this price rangeSolid battery life
Only 64GB of base storageLacks 120Hz displayNo optical zoom
The notch on the iPhone 13 mini is the only significant visual difference between it and its predecessor. According to Apple, it is 20% smaller, and you can definitely tell. Even though the notch is still present, having extra screen space is still wonderful. The iPhone 13 mini has the same squared-off corners and is still comfortably pocketable. I was also able to use it with one hand without any trouble. All iPhone 13 models have IP68 certification, so the 13 mini can withstand being submerged for 30 minutes at a depth of up to six meters.
The 5.4-inch OLED display on the iPhone 13 mini is largely the same, but the brightness has increased significantly. The OLED panel produces genuine, deep blacks and rich, bright colors. I was pleased by how effectively the phone portrayed the vibrant color pallet while I was playing Genshin Impact, which was an intriguing experience on such a small phone. With its sharp contrast between the orange fog and the shadows, the iPhone 13 mini also did a good job of capturing the scene from Blade Runner 2049’s third act.
The iPhone 13 mini received a number of camera improvements. With a bigger sensor that lets in more light, the primary 12MP camera takes better pictures in low-light situations. In addition, Apple debuted sensor-shift optical picture stabilization with the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Even more stability than with regular OIS should be maintained as a result. The 12 MP ultrawide camera has a bigger sensor as well. Additionally, autofocus is now included, which can significantly impact how sharp ultrawide images turn out.
The iPhone 13 small is a pretty potent little phone thanks to the new A15 Bionic system-on-chip, which has a quad-core GPU. In reality, it ruins all that Android has to offer, including the top gaming smartphones.
Improved camerasBetter battery lifeExcellent performanceBase model has 128GB of storage
No mask-friendly authenticationFast charging limited to 20W
The iPhone 11 is still one of the greatest phones for the money because of its lower price. However, the iPhone still offers essentially everything you require in a smartphone if you don’t mind the three-year-old technology. A wide-angle lens and a night mode for greater low-light performance make the cameras quite good. The design of the iPhone 11 is a blend of the old and the new. The sides and front are essentially identical to those of the iPhone XR, down to the metal band, hefty bezels, and a notch at the top.
What you can’t see is the biggest design change on the iPhone 11. Due to a dual-ion exchange mechanism, Apple says that this phone has the strongest front and back glass of any smartphone. Although we have not detected any scratches on our evaluation model, several iPhone 11 owners have reported that the displays are easily scratched. However, you might wish to spend money on an iPhone 11 case or screen protector.
One of the greatest waterproof phones available, this item also has an IP68 rating for water resistance, meaning it can endure 2 meters of water for 30 minutes. The iPhone XR was limited to 1 meter. Although the iPhone 11 Pro increases it to 4 meters, it is scarcely justifiable to shell out more money. You still get a vibrant, vivid screen, smooth speed, superb image quality, and a long battery life with the iPhone 11. The iPhone 11’s sole drawbacks, aside from the newest phones in Apple’s lineup, are the pricey fast charger and the meager 64 GB of storage in the base model.
Compelling ultra-wide cameraNew Night mode is excellentLong battery lifeFast A13 Bionic processor
Fast charger not includedJust 64GB of storageLTE slightly slower than iPhone 11 Pro
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