Which iPhone Is Right for You?

If you were to walk into an A&T, T-Mobile or Verizon store and say you wanted to buy an iPhone, chances are they’d have an overwhelming number of choices.

Do you pay a premium for the latest iPhone 13 and get all the new bells and whistles, or do you try to get the iPhone 12 at a cheaper price?

Then there’s always the iPhone SE, which has the same processor as the iPhone 11, and that one costs significantly less than both the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12.

Oh, and we didn’t even get started on what size of phone you should get, or storage options. As you can see, there’s a lot to think about when purchasing a new iPhone, so let’s break down your options to make things easier.

iPhone SE (2020)

The iPhone SE is easily the best budget iPhone option. It doesn’t have the cameras and processing speeds of the iPhone 13, but it costs about a third of the price.

The iPhone SE retails for $399.99, but you can definitely get the phone for cheaper if you hop on a deal or buy a refurbished phone. In fact, you can get the iPhone SE for free from some carriers if you switch and start an unlimited plan.

Take a look some iPhone SE deals going on right now:

Even though the price point is the main takeaway with the iPhone SE, there’s still an impressive amount of firepower under the hood. The iPhone SE has the same A13 Bionic chipset that you can find in the iPhone 11.

For being a budget option, the iPhone SE has the processor of a much more expensive phone. Personally, I’ve used the iPhone SE since it came out, and it’s been a great phone.

It’s run all of my favorite apps (including Hearthstone) exceptionally well, and I do appreciate the tactile feel of having a physical home button. Plus, as opposed to the iPhone 13 Pro that I currently use, the iPhone SE comfortably fit in all of my pockets.

One big thing to note, however, is that the iPhone SE does not offer a 5G connection. It hasn’t been a problem for me the past couple of years using AT&T’s network, but if you want the fastest wireless speeds, you’ll need to go for the iPhone 12 or newer.

iPhone 11

The iPhone 11 came out in 2019, and it’s still a solid device that’s become progressively more affordable (currently retailing for $499 on Apple’s website). Plenty of wireless carriers offer deals that either get you the phone for free or heavily discounted.

You can always go the refurbished route as well if you don’t want to go through a carrier. Here are the most popular deals for the iPhone 11 available right now:

The iPhone 11 still has a fast processor (A13 Bionic), a beautiful display and a dual-camera with wide and ultra-wide lenses. The iPhone 11 doesn’t differ too much from the iPhone 12 from an aesthetics and processing standpoint, but the lack of 5G can be a problem for some folks.

The iPhone 11 was the last iteration of iPhone devices that didn’t include 5G connection. If you’re okay living with 4G data speeds, the iPhone 11 offers more than the iPhone SE for just $100 more.

iPhone 12

The iPhone 12 was the first iPhone device to have built-in 5G connectivity. In that sense, the iPhone 12 is a safe bet in terms of future-proofing because 6G wireless isn’t walking through that door anytime soon.

Now that the iPhone 13 has been released, the iPhone 12 series just got a price cut. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini both received a $100 price cut, dropping the retail price down to $729 for the iPhone 12 and $629 for the iPhone 12 Mini.

Of course, you can always take advantage of the deals offered by wireless carriers to get the phone for even cheaper, or perhaps even free.

The iPhone 12 has a lot of similarities with the iPhone 13. The processing power, the cameras and the displays seem about the same at a glance.

The iPhone 12 even is designed with MagSafe technology, so you can use all the latest iPhone accessories. The main difference between the basic iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models is the battery power. The iPhone 13 has the most impressive battery power in any smartphone to date.

iPhone 13

If you want the latest and great iPhone, then look no further. The iPhone 13 offers amazing battery life, incredible cameras and the fastest processor in the wireless world. For now, the iPhone 13 is king.

Of course, that means you’ll likely need to pay an arm and a leg to get the device in your hands. Thankfully wireless carriers are so desperate for your business that you can get the iPhone 13 for free or super discounted if you take advantage of a deal.

Here are the iPhone 13 deals available right now:

The impressive battery life and cinematic cameras are the biggest features the iPhone 13 has over the iPhone 12. If those two features matter the most to you, it’s worth opting for the iPhone 13 over the iPhone 12.