Best iPhone 2023: The best Apple phones tested, reviewed and ranked

Introduction
Choosing the best iPhone for your needs can be a daunting task with iPhones available in all shapes and sizes – but that’s where we at Trusted Reviews come in.
We’ve tested every single iPhone model since the original iPhone, and we know exactly what makes an iPhone stand out from the crowd.
Our expert team has spent countless hours putting iPhones to the test, both in terms of benchmarks and real-world use. Through our expensive use, we evaluate key areas like camera performance, battery life, display quality, and build quality to ensure that each meets our high standards.
We also make sure to spend an extended period of time with every iPhone we test – at least two weeks but often much more – so we know what it’s like to actually use.
Of course, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro have now been made official and once we’ve had time to properly put these new devices through our in-depth testing process we’ll judge whether they warrant inclusion.
If you want a quick overview, our iPhone 15 vs iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Pro guides tell you all the important details. The new phones make the below choices harder to recommend until we really know how much of an improvement they are – so unless you’re getting a great deal it’s worth waiting for our verdicts of the new phones.
However, if you’ve had a change of heart, or just want to check out the competition, then our guide on the best Android phones could be of interest to you instead. We’ve also published a definitive list of the best mobile phones available right now, so make sure to check that out if you’re open-minded about both major operating systems.
Best iPhone at a glance
- Best iPhone: iPhone 14 Pro – check price
- Best for features: iPhone 14 Pro Max – check price
- Best for battery life – iPhone 14 Plus – check price
- Best for most people: iPhone 14 – check price
- Best small iPhone: iPhone 13 mini – check price
- Best affordable option: iPhone SE (2022) – check price
How we test
Every iPhone we review, whether it’s the cheapest model or the most expensive, gets put through more than 15 tests. These include synthetic benchmark tests that give a good idea of general performance and in-depth camera comparisons between competing devices.
Like every phone we review, the expert tasked with putting the specific iPhone through its paces will use it as their main phone for the review period, transferring across apps, chats and accounts. We feel this gives us a proper view of the device and helps ensure we’re not just repeating headline features from marketing releases.

- Great screen that gets very bright outdoors
- Versatile camera system for both photography and videography
- Always-on display and Dynamic Island are both neat tricks
- Additional safety features are always welcome
- Not the quickest to charge
- Zoom photography isn’t on the level of the competition
- Only really a day of battery life

- Stunning display
- Performance that should stay fast for a long time
- Reliable cameras in all conditions
- Long battery life
- Dynamic island is a great idea
- No big zoom camera improvements
- Uncomfy design without a case

- Clever safety features
- Very good battery life
- Reliable camera
- Fun colours
- Stuck on a 60Hz display
- Minimal differences to the iPhone 13

- Great camera
- Better battery life than the previous Mini
- The most powerful small phone around
- No ProMotion
- No optical zoom
- Still can’t compete with the other iPhone 13 models for battery life

- The fastest phone at this price (by some distance)
- Takes great daylight pictures
- IP rating and wireless charging
- iOS and all the benefits that come with it
- Small screen is cramped and restrictive
- Tired design
- No night mode in the camera

- Excellent battery life
- Light design works well with the big screen
- Fast and reliable performance
- Some sacrifices for a high price
- No ProMotion
- No telephoto camera

iPhone 14 Pro
The best iPhone
Pros
- Great screen that gets very bright outdoors
- Versatile camera system for both photography and videography
- Always-on display and Dynamic Island are both neat tricks
- Additional safety features are always welcome
Cons
- Not the quickest to charge
- Zoom photography isn’t on the level of the competition
- Only really a day of battery life
Picking the very best iPhone is easy this year, as the iPhone 14 Pro stands comfortably over its more affordable sibling thanks to a raft of innovative additions.
During our in-depth review, we noted the strength of the new 48-megapixel along with the very bright screen, sleek design and raft of safety features including Car Crash Detection.
One of the stars of the show you won’t find on other iPhones on this list is the Dynamic Island. Basically a new name for the pill-shaped notch, the Dynamic Island can be seen as a new interaction area that houses things like the current song playing, timers and so on. It’ll also house alerts from apps that utilise the upcoming Live Activities API.
Another feature here that isn’t available on other models is the always-on display. Working in a similar way to the Apple Watch, the display slows down to 1Hz when it’s locked, showing you a dimmed version that’s glanceable when the phone is sitting on a desk. It’s a neat trick, even if it does use more battery than when the screen is turned off.
The three rear cameras take excellent snaps and videos, with more versatility than ever thanks to the ability to shoot 48MP RAW images.
The rest of the phone will be familiar to those who’ve used previous Pro phones. The iPhone 14 Pro looks great, has an IP68 rating, Ceramic Shield and MagSafe charging.
Reviewer: Max Parker
Full review: Apple iPhone 14 Pro review

iPhone 14 Pro Max
The best for power users
Pros
- Stunning display
- Performance that should stay fast for a long time
- Reliable cameras in all conditions
- Long battery life
- Dynamic island is a great idea
Cons
- No big zoom camera improvements
- Uncomfy design without a case
You might be looking for an iPhone that can deliver all the very best that Apple has to offer, along with the biggest screen you can fit your hands around as well. No problem: that’s what the iPhone 14 Pro Max is for.
With an enormous 6.7-inch OLED screen, you will feel truly immersed in games and films when you’re using this behemoth of a handset, in a way that smaller-screened devices simply can’t compete with. But the large screen isn’t the only selling point here, because it also can hit the same heights as the iPhone 14 Pro in other regards too.
The triple rear camera is led by that same impressive 48-megapixel sensor, it boasts the uniquely adaptable Dynamic Island at the top of the screen, and it has power to burn thanks to its incredible A16 Bionic processor. Simply put, if you’re looking to go large and you’ve got the wallet to match, then this iPhone should be your first choice.
Reviewer: Max Parker
Full review: iPhone 14 Pro Max review

iPhone 14 Plus
Best for battery life
Pros
- Excellent battery life
- Light design works well with the big screen
- Fast and reliable performance
Cons
- Some sacrifices for a high price
- No ProMotion
- No telephoto camera
The iPhone 14 Plus is a new addition to the iPhone family and it is taking the place, in a matter of speaking, of the iPhone 13 Mini. However this year Apple has gone big, instead of small.
In the simplest of terms, this is a bigger version of the iPhone 14 with a larger battery. Everything else is very much the same, including the camera specs, internals and features.
The battery is key here, and that larger cell leads to the best battery on any iPhone 14 model. Actually, of all the iPhones we’ve listed here, this is the one to choose if you want the best endurance.
We also prefer the 6.7-inch screen to the 6.1-inch iPhone 14. It’s a little roomier for games and movies, and less cramped for typing out emails and browsing the web. Importantly, it’s a much lighter phone than the 14 Pro Max and easier to hold as a result.
These differences aside, this is an iPhone 14. It has the A15 Bionic chipset – the same as the iPhone 13 Pro – which is fast and capable, 5G, up to 512GB storage and a very good set of rear cameras.
Reviewer: Max Parker
Full review: iPhone 14 Plus review

iPhone 14
The best iPhone for most people
Pros
- Clever safety features
- Very good battery life
- Reliable camera
- Fun colours
Cons
- Stuck on a 60Hz display
- Minimal differences to the iPhone 13
The iPhone 14 Pro might be the best iPhone, but we’d say the iPhone 14 offers arguably better value for a lot of people. It’s a device that’s just as capable in most areas as its “Pro” siblings, but it does make a few sacrifices to hit its lower price.
There’s no telephoto camera for improved zooming, for example, and the display is simply a 60Hz panel – so it lacks the smoother scrolling you get with the 120Hz panel. If you’re willing to accept these missing features, then we think this phone will suit you down to the ground.
We were happy with the battery life when we reviewed the phone, though like all smaller phones you’ll likely be charging this one every night. As we said in the previous entry, the 14 Plus model is the one to pick if you’re a seriously heavy user.
The iPhone 14 is simply a great phone to use; the design is slick and a lot more modern than the iPhone SE 2022, while the size makes it easy to hold and slip in a pocket or a bag. The duo of rear cameras reliably take excellent photos whatever the conditions and, as it runs iOS, it’ll be supported for years to come with software updates.
Apple also still sells the iPhone 13, which remains a good buy if you want to save a little extra money.
Reviewer: Max Parker
Full review: iPhone 14 review

iPhone 13 Mini
The best small iPhone
Pros
- Great camera
- Better battery life than the previous Mini
- The most powerful small phone around
Cons
- No ProMotion
- No optical zoom
- Still can’t compete with the other iPhone 13 models for battery life
The iPhone 13 Mini takes everything you’ll find in the iPhone 13 and then shrinks it down to an even smaller size. It has the same duo of rear cameras, the same screen quality and the same overall design as its larger sibling – and it also runs on the same chipset as all the other iPhone 13 handsets in this list, so it boasts 5G and excellent general performance.
We’d recommend this as easily the best small phone on the market, but that said, its diminutive size does introduce a couple of issues. These aren’t necessarily downsides, depending on your point of view, but they’re still factors that might influence your buying decision.
The 5.4-inch display is a lot smaller than the 6.1-inch screen on the iPhone 13. That means the Mini isn’t as suitable for gaming or media binges as the regular-sized iPhone, and it also means that the battery size had to be reduced, so it’s the iPhone 13 with the worst battery life – at least in our tests. If you’re a heavy user, you might be reaching for the charger even before the end of the day based on our experience with the Mini.
Still, there isn’t really anything else like this on the market, and if you prize pocketability above all else, then it is a great choice.
The iPhone 12 Mini is also still on sale too, but we found that this model’s battery life was even worse. If you can afford to spend extra on the updated model, it’s certainly worth it based on our experience with the two phones.
Reviewer: Max Parker
Full review: iPhone 13 Mini review

iPhone SE 2022
The best affordable new iPhone
Pros
- The fastest phone at this price (by some distance)
- Takes great daylight pictures
- IP rating and wireless charging
- iOS and all the benefits that come with it
Cons
- Small screen is cramped and restrictive
- Tired design
- No night mode in the camera
Apple’s cheapest iPhone is also the most confusing. While we like a lot of stuff about the iPhone SE 2022 and it scored well in our overall review, the tired design and slightly dated screen make it a harder proposition than the other phones on this list.
However, on the inside, there’s no doubt that the iPhone SE 2022 is a winner. The A15 Bionic chipset is the same as you’ll find in the 13 Pro Max, and in benchmark tests, it outstripped the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra for sheer performance. Considering the price, that’s an impressive feat and it should support software updates for years and years to come, making it a good investment.
We were impressed with the camera here too. The single 12MP unit takes snaps with lovely colour reproduction and accurate skin tones that aren’t too far off what you’d get on the iPhone 13, although the lack of night mode does make it a little tricky to get a great low-light picture.
Battery life is on par with the iPhone 13 Mini and, like all the phones here, it has an IP rating for dust and water resistance along with 5G and wireless charging. You rarely get this collection of premium features on other phones at this price point.
This phone really isn’t for those who want a phone with a great screen. The 4.7-inch panel is dinky, not nearly as bright or sharp as the 13 series, and comes with chunky black bars on either side to boot. It feels rather old fashioned, although the home button is nice for navigation and quick unlocking.
Reviewer: Max Parker
Full review: iPhone SE 2022 review
We also considered…
FAQs
All the iPhones in this list come with some form of 5G. However, the supported bands can vary so it’s best to check with your carrier or network to see which bands and forms of 5G they support.
No – Apple has removed the charger from the box of all its iPhones. You’ll need to buy it separately or else use an old one.
While the iPhone SE’s 4.7-inch screen is the smallest, the iPhone 13 Mini is the smallest overall device.
The most recent iPhones are the iPhone 14 series, which were first available to order in September 2022.
All the best iPhone specs
Compare all the most important specs from all the iPhones in our list.
Trusted Reviews test data
Apple does a great job at keeping performance the same across all phones, so you’re getting strong speeds whether you go for the cheapest iPhone or the priciest.