The new iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.Edgar Su/Reuters
If you want to buy an iPhone right now, you have seven different options to choose from.
From the brand-new, futuristic iPhone XS to the old-but-good iPhone 7, the current iPhone lineup has a range of devices and price points.
At this point, I’ve tried all seven of Apple’s current iPhones. And although the iPhone XS is gorgeous and powerful, it’s not the phone I would recommend to most people.
It’s worth noting that in September, Apple discontinued a bunch of its older phones, including the iPhone SE, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, and iPhone X. If you’re curious about any of those devices, you can still see how they ranked last year.
Here’s my ranking of all the iPhones you can buy today:
7. iPhone 8 Plus
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The iPhone 8 Plus is in a weird position. It’s only a 1-year-old phone, but there’s not much incentive to buy it.
The device has some solid features — wireless charging, Apple’s year-old A11 chip, and a top-of-the-line camera — but it’s certainly not a bargain, especially compared to the iPhone XR, which you can get for only $50 more.
Price: Starts at $699
6. iPhone XS Max
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The iPhone XS Max is an absolutely beautiful device, but it’s cursed by two things: its giant size and its giant price tag.
The phone starts at $1,099, but can cost as much as $1,449 if you max out the capacity.
And while the screen is the biggest on any iPhone, ever, that’s not always a great thing. It’s impossible to use one-handed — even with reachability enabled.
Still, the iPhone XS Max is a powerful iPhone. It sports Apple’s new A12 Bionic chip, an incredible camera, a beautiful OLED display, and a flashy new gold color.
Price: Starts at $1,099
5. iPhone 8
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The iPhone 8 has a slight advantage over the iPhone 8 Plus: its size.
The iPhone 8 is a standard-sized smartphone, and that combined with its all-glass body means it feels great in your hand — though the screen is certainly smaller than the iPhone XS, XR or 8 Plus.
The one other downside of the iPhone 8 versus the iPhone 8 Plus is the lack of a dual-lens camera, but for $100 less, I think most people can make do without.
Otherwise, the iPhone 8 has all the same features as its big sister: fast charging, wireless charging, water resistance, a great camera, the year-old A11 bionic chip, and 64 GB of starting storage space.
Price: Starts at $599
4. iPhone 7
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The iPhone 7 is more than two years old now, but it remains one of the most sensible — and cheapest — iPhones you can buy.
While the iPhone 8 is newer and slightly better looking (and the iPhone XR and XS are in a league of their own), the iPhone 7 has nearly all the features most people need. It has nearly the exact same camera as the iPhone 8, the same size screen, and is also water resistant.
There are only three major things that differentiate the iPhone 7 from the iPhone 8, besides design: the iPhone 7 doesn’t have wireless charging, it has less starting storage at 32 GB, and it runs Apple’s 2-year-old A10 chip.
The iPhone 7 comes in four color options versus the iPhone 8’s three, weighs less due to its aluminum back, and costs $100 less.
Price: Starts at $449
3. iPhone XS
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The iPhone XS is an update to last year’s iPhone X, which Apple discontinued in 2018.
The XS is an incredible device, despite not being a major overhaul to last year’s model. It has a big, gorgeous OLED display, a great camera, and comes in three luxurious colors. Plus, it has futuristic features like wireless charging, water resistance, and Face ID.
The only reason the iPhone XS isn’t No. 1 is because of its price — it can cost as much as $1,349 if you max out the capacity.
Price: Starts at $999
2. iPhone 7 Plus
The iPhone 7 Plus has it all.
It has Apple’s dual-lens camera, which means it’s capable of portrait mode. It has a big, 5.5-inch screen, it’s waterproof, and it has almost the exact same battery life as the iPhone 8 Plus.
Except for wireless charging and a slightly slower processor, the iPhone 7 Plus is almost the exact same phone internally as the iPhone 8 Plus — and it costs $100 less.
In fact, unless you prefer the iPhone 8’s all-glass design, there are very few reasons to buy it over the iPhone 7 Plus.
The iPhone 7 Plus may be a 2-year-old phone, but you’ll get an incredible deal for your money.
Price: Starts at $549
1. iPhone XR
When it comes to the iPhone XR, it’s no contest.
The phone was released in October, and it has all of the 2018 features you’d want: wireless charging, an excellent camera (that only requires one lens), water resistance, Face ID, and a big display.
Plus, it comes in six fun colors: red, coral, yellow, blue, white, and black.
The biggest selling point? It costs $150 less than the iPhone XS.
Price: Starts at $749
