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MacBook Air vs 13-inch MacBook Pro: So much in common, but so very different
Apple currently sells two laptop lines: the MacBook Pro (which comes in 13-inch M2, 14-inch M2 Pro/Max and 16-inch M2 Pro/Maxmodels) and the MacBook Air (which is available in 13.3-inch M1 or 13.6-inch M2 models). That is a lot of Mac laptops with very different specs.
Within that line up are a collection of similarly speced 13-inch Mac laptops that are designed for home, student, and office use. These include the 13.6-inch MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro, which both feature the M2 chip and went on sale in July 2022, and an older M1-equipped 13.3-inch MacBook Air model launched in 2020. There are also rumors suggesting that Apple might launch a 15-inch MacBook Air. The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are better suited to pro users.
It’s these 13-inch Mac laptops we are most interested in here. In this article we compare the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the MacBook Air to help you decide which one to buy.
If you are wondering whether your needs might extend a little further on the pro side, you may also be interested to read: Which MacBook Pro: 13, 14, 16-inch compared. Elsewhere we look at the MacBook Air M1 vs M2 and the two versions of the M2 MacBook Air compared. For advice about the best MacBook we also have a buying guide, see: Best MacBook 2023: Which Mac laptop is best?
MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Design
In some ways the design of the 2022 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are more alike than ever. The 2022 MacBook Air lost the tapered design that made it instantly identifiable as the Air (and is still available if you buy the M1 version of the MacBook Air). Now the MacBook Air looks like a thinner version of the MacBook Pro. However, there’s a lot to set these two Macs apart.
The M2 MacBook Air no longer has the tapered design that the Air was recognisable for. IDG
Thanks to an extensive redesign in 2022, the MacBook Air has many features that the 13-inch MacBook Pro lacks. Most significant is the fact that the 2022 MacBook Air has a larger 13.6-inch screen with slimmer bezels, while the 13-inch MacBook Pro has an older 13.3-inch display (the same as the M1 MacBook Air). There is one potential disadvantage to this larger screen – it incorporates a notch, as seen on the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, iPhones, and some iPads. Some people do not like the notch, we feel that it’s forgivable because it allows Apple to increase the size of the screen since it really just sits in the menu.
Another notable difference is that the 13in MacBook Pro is the only Mac laptop that features Apple’s Touch Bar strip. Apple removed the Touch Bar from the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with the 2021 models, so if you want the Touch Bar the 13-inch MacBook Pro is the only Mac laptop to offer it. All three MacBooks have the same Magic Keyboard with scissor-switch keys. All of the models also have a Touch ID sensor and Force Touch trackpad.
The M2 MacBook Pro has the Touch Bar, the M2 MacBook Air does not. As you would expect from the name, the MacBook Air is lighter than the MacBook Pro, but only slightly. When it launched in 2008, the MacBook Air was the lightest laptop available, but over the years the weight of the MacBook Pro has also declined, so the difference is a lot less now:
- M2 MacBook Air: 2.7 pounds (1.24kg)
- M2 MacBook Pro: 3 pounds (1.4kg)
- M1 MacBook Air: 2.8 pounds (1.29kg)
Following its redesign the 2022 MacBook Air is actually very slightly larger than the 13-inch MacBook Pro. That change is what allows Apple to accommodate a larger display. The measurements of the M1 MacBook Air are the same as the 13in MacBook Pro.
- M2 MacBook Air: 30.41cm x 21.5cm x 1.13cm
- M2 MacBook Pro: 30.41cm x 21.24cm x 1.56cm
- M1 MacBook Air: 30.41cm x 21.24cm x 1.61cm-0.41cm
Another difference between these MacBooks is the color choices. The 2022 MacBook Air comes in some brand new colors: Midnight (dark blue), Starlight (gold), Space Gray and Silver.
The MacBook Pro offers only the silver and space grey options. The M1 MacBook Air comes in silver, space gray and gold. The new Starlight shade is paler gold, while Midnight is close to black with a dark blue hue.
There are four different color options for the 2022 MacBook Air. Apple
MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Display
The 2022 MacBook Air has a new display that is larger and brighter than the M2 MacBook Pro, and a leap from the display on the previous generation MacBook Air.
The M2 MacBook Air offers a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, rather than a plain old Retina display. This essentially means the newer display has a better contrast ratio and can support more colors (a billion versus millions). However, neither is as good as the Liquid Retina XDR displays in the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. Those more expensive MacBook Pro options bring up to 1,000 nits of brightness (versus 500 on the M2 MacBook Air and 400 on the M1 MacBook Air), deeper blacks and more vivid colors as well as ProMotion.
The display is bigger on the M2 compared to the M1 MacBook Air. Plus there’s a notch. IDG
Due in part to the fact that the 2022 MacBook Air screen is slightly taller, with a diagonal measurement of 13.6 inches rather than 13.3 inches, the MacBook Air display now offers slightly more pixels:
- M2 MacBook Pro:2,560 x 1,600 pixels
- M2 MacBook Air: 2,560 x 1,664 pixels
- M1 MacBook Air: 2,560 x 1,600 pixels
If the rumors are true a 15-inch MacBook Air could be coming.
The M2 MacBook Pro hasn’t changed much compared to the M2 MacBook Pro Foundry
MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Specs
All Apple’s laptops run on its own system on chip. First the M1 arrived in November 2020, then the M1 Pro and M1 Max in October 2021, and the M2 arrived on the 2022 MacBook Air and 13in MacBook Pro in July 2022. Since then the more powerful M2 Pro and M2 Max have arrived on the larger MacBook Pro models. We have more about the M2-series here: Apple’s M2 chip: Everything you need to know.
Here’s how the 13-inch MacBook models break down, if you are interested to find out how the 13-inch MacBook Pro compared to the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBooks read our separate comparison.
MacBook Air, M1 (2020, $999/£999)
8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
7-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
8GB Unified Memory (up to 16GB)
256GB SSDMacBook Air, M2 (2022, $1,199/£1,249)
8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
8-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
8GB Unified Memory (up to 24GB)
256GB SSDMacBook Air, M2 (2022, $1,499/£1,549)
8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
10-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
8GB Unified Memory (up to 24GB)
512GB SSD13in MacBook Pro, M2 (2022, $1,299/£1,349)
8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
10-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
8GB Unified Memory (up to 24GB)
256GB SSD13in MacBook Pro, M2 (2022, $1,499/£1,549
8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
8-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
8GB Unified Memory (up to 24GB)
512GB SSDYou’ll notice that there is a MacBook Air and a MacBook Pro model that have identical specs and the same price ($1,499/£1,549). You might therefore expect the benchmarks to be similar for those two models, but other factors can slow down the MacBook Air a bit – the fact that it is more compact and fanless means the MacBook Air is less able to manage heat, and therefore may be throttled somewhat if you were to really push it.
If you need to push your Mac with graphic intensive apps a MacBook Pro would be a better choice Foundry
CPU
The 2022 MacBook Air and 13in MacBook Pro both run on Apple’s M2 chip. Like the M1 chip, which you can still get in the entry-level MacBook Air, the M2 has eight CPU cores, four of which are high-performance cores and four are high-efficiency cores. This is an advantage of Apple’s chip design: when the high-efficiency processor cores are busy backing up to iCloud or syncing photos the high-performance cores will still be available for more intensive operations. The M2 is superior to the M1 because this time round the faster performance cores are paired with a larger cache, while the efficiency cores see even greater performance gains, according to Apple. So it might look like the CPU is the same, but it isn’t.
In our Geekbench 5 CPU benchmarks we saw that the M2 MacBook Air peak performance was in line with the M2 MacBook Pro, and a bit better than the M1. But it’s not on par with the higher-end M2 Pro and Max processors.
The Cinebench R23 tests show the differences between the M2 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air though – the new MacBook Air was 15 percent faster than the M1 model, but 10 percent slower than the M2 MacBook Pro.
GPU
As you will see from the specs above, another key difference between all the Mac laptops on offer here is the number of graphics cores.
The entry-level MacBook Air doesn’t only offer a less-powerful M1 chip, there are only seven graphics cores compared to the eight or ten graphics cores in the M2 MacBook Air models.
The number of GPU cores might be a key part of the decision about which model is best suited to your needs. If you think you are likely to need that extra GPU core you may think that the best option is to buy the more expensive Air. But the MacBook Pro, which offers a 10-core GPU option, might be a better option, as we will explain.
The reason why the MacBook Pro is a better option for graphic intensive operations than the MacBook Air is that it also includes a fan for cooling – as a result you will be able to push it a little further. The MacBook Air will be perfectly fine for normal operations, but because it lacks a fan you may find that things slow down in order for it not to overheat while you are pushing it.
The Geekbench 5 Compute benchmarks showed scores for the M2 MacBook Air with 10-core GPU were in line with the M2 MacBook Pro and almost 60 percent faster than the old M1 MacBook Air (with 7 GPU cores), and about 40 percent faster than the “full” M1 with 8 GPU cores in the M1 MacBook Pro.
A MacBook Air has never been a great gaming laptop, and even the improvements we find in the M2 don’t change that. But it’s interesting to see how much better it is at running premium games than the M1.
RAM
All the M1 MacBooks – both Pro and Air – come with 8GB of Unified Memory at their base configuration. The M2 chip brings an option to upgrade to 24GB RAM while the M1 is limited to 16GB RAM.
You may be thinking that 8GB RAM won’t be enough for your needs, but you should note that this RAM – which Apple calls Unified Memory – is part of the M2 (or M1) chip. As a result it is accessible to both the CPU and the GPU, which brings performance benefits that means the 8GB RAM in these models isn’t really comparable to 8GB in an Intel-powered Mac.
If you are concerned though you can update your MacBook Air or 13in MacBook Pro to 16GB or 24GB RAM at point of sale – and we do recommend that you get 16GB if you can afford to.
If you feel that you need more than 24GB memory then you will need to turn to the M2 Pro (which ships with 16GB Unified Memory and is upgradable to 32GB), or the M2 Max (which ships also with 16GB Unified Memory, but is upgradable to 64GB or 96GB). It is even possible to get 128GB RAM, but for that you will need the M1 Ultra in the Mac Studio.
Storage
The Air and 13in Pro both come with 256GB of storage at the entry-level, with an additional model offering 512GB. You can also add a larger SSD at point of sale, but the M1 MacBook Air and Pro models are capped at 2TB.
There are some concerns about the 256GB SSD in the entry-level M2 MacBook Air with reports that its SSD is up to 50 percent slower on read speeds and 30 percent on write speeds. We found that these observations were indeed true when we ran our own set of tests using Blackmagic Disk Speed Test.
The 256GB Air showed read speeds that were 47.9 percent slower than the 1TB MacBook Air we also tested. While write speeds were a staggering 50.2 percent slower, far worse than expected. Unfortunately the entry-level Air was also considerably slower than the 2020 model.
MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Battery life and charging
When it comes to battery life nothing has changed since the M1 Macs, but these Macs are still miles ahead of the old Intel MacBook models. According to Apple, the M1 and M2 MacBook Air models offer 18 hours, while the 13in MacBook Pro offers an amazing 20 hours. This makes the discontinued 2.0GHz 13in MacBook Pro’s 10 hours battery life look appalling.
In our own testing the MacBook Air battery lasted 17.5 hours, outstripping the M1 MacBook Air and M2 MacBook Pro by almost an hour and a half.
In regular daily use, battery life is just as great. It’s a weird feeling, opening up your laptop and doing work for 20 minutes and seeing that the battery percentage hasn’t changed even a single percent, but that’s how it is with Apple silicon. Obviously battery life varies based on what you’re doing, but for this laptop’s target market–the everyday home and productivity user–it’s hard to think that you’ll ever have to charge up before the day is done.
These number are certainly impressive, although not the most hours of battery life on offer from an Apple MacBook, which is 22 hours for the 2021 16-inch MacBook Pro.
It’s not just battery life that is better on the MacBook Air though. Apple has improved charging speed if you use a good USB-C power adapter. A standard 35W dual-port adapter (which comes with all models of the Air aside from the entry-level model) can achieve a 10 percent charge in 10 minutes (30 percent in 30 minutes). The Apple’s 61W USB-C Power Adapter increases this to 72 percent charge in 30 minutes. See our comparison test of Apple’s new M2 MacBook Air chargers as well as the best USB-C charger for your MacBook.
The M2 MacBook Air comes with a nice braided MagSafe cable and compact 35W dual-USB-C Power Adapter (in all but the base configuration). IDG
MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Ports and expansion
Over the years it’s felt like Apple has been on a mission removing ports from Macs in order to make them slimmer and slimmer. This has been a disadvantage for many, although generally if you need more or different ports you can just plug in an adapter or a dock (read: Best USB-C hubs and adapters for Mac).
With the arrival of the 2022 MacBook Air Apple did add a MagSafe charging port, which means that those two USB ports are still free when you are charging. This puts the 13in MacBook Pro and the older MacBook Air at a disadvantage since they both offer only two USB 4 ports two USB/Thunderbolt ports, so one of those will also be used for charging.
The 2022 MacBook Air has MagSafe as well as two USB/Thunderbolt ports. IDG
If you do feel that you need more ports the 14in MacBook Pro and 16in MacBook Pro have a number of ports available including three Thunderbolt 4 (USB‑C) ports, an HDMI port and a SDXC card slot. (If you are wondering what the difference between USB-C and USB 4 is, USB 4 should be able to offer 40Gb/s, which is what Thunderbolt 3 already offers. USB-C offers 10 to 20Gb/s.)
All Mac laptops offer a 3.5mm headphone jack.
MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Price
Regardless of the features, the decision of whether to buy the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro may just come down to price. You might be looking for the cheapest option – in which case the $999/£999 M1 MacBook Air is the clear winner – or you might be happy to pay a little more to get better value for money.
We recommend getting the best machine you can afford at the time of purchase since you won’t be able to upgrade down the line. Normally we’d suggest that you upgrade the RAM before the storage, but given the issues with the storage in the entry-level M2 MacBook Air we’d suggest that you opt for more storage this time round. An M2 MacBook Air with 8-core GPU and 512GB SSD would cost $200/£200 more at $1,399/£1,449 but at that point you might as well spend another $100/£100 on the 10-GPU core model.
We’ll run through the pricing for the different models below, including some of the latest offers on new MacBooks – because you don’t necessarily have to pay Apple’s price. We also recommend checking the Apple Refurbished Store to see if you could pick up a discounted MacBook.
MacBook Air prices
The MacBook Air is available in two default configurations:
- M1 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and 7‑Core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD: $999/£999.
- M2 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and 8‑Core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD: $1,199/£1,249.
- M2 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and 10‑Core GPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD: $1,499/£1,549.
Buy directly from Apple, or look below for the best prices right now:
M2 MacBook Air, 8-core GPU (MSRP: $1,199/£1,249)
When the M2 MacBook Air goes on sale you will see prices below.
M2 MacBook Air, 10-core GPU (MSRP: $1,499/£1,549)
M1 MacBook Air, 7-core GPU (MSRP: $999/£999)
For deals on even more MacBook Air check out our best MacBook Air deals article for discounts available elsewhere.
13in MacBook Pro prices
There are two 13in configurations of the MacBook Pro sold by Apple:
- M2 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and 8‑Core GPU, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD: $1,299/£1,349
- M2 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and 10‑Core GPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD: $1,499/£1,549
You’ll notice that the more expensive Air is the same price as the more expensive 13in MacBook Pro. Both share the same specs. The difference is in the design.
Buy directly from Apple, or look below for the best prices right now:
M2 MacBook Pro, 10-core GPU, 256GB SSD (MSRP: $1,299/£1,349)
When the M2 MacBook Pro goes on sale you will see prices below.
M2 MacBook Pro, 10-core GPU, 512GB SSD (MSRP: $1,499/£1,549):
When the M2 MacBook Pro goes on sale you will see prices below.
We also recommend that you take a look at our round up of the best MacBook Pro deals right now.
MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Buying advice
The MacBook Air and 13in MacBook Pro are both great MacBooks. Really the decision has to be based on your budget. If a low price is the most important to you then the M1 MacBook Air is the best option, but you just need to weigh up whether getting twice as much storage is more valuable to you than the MacBook Pro’s better battery life, extra graphics core and fan. If you don’t do the kind of work that requires lots of graphics processing the 7-core MacBook Air could be sufficient.
If it’s a choice between the M2 MacBook Air and M2 MacBook Pro, the new design and better screen of the M2 MacBook Air do edge it ahead a little. The M2 MacBook Pro has little going for it other than the Touch Bar and the fact that it has better cooling than the MacBook Air, so if you need to use your Mac for intensive work the Pro might be better for you.
But if you really need the ultimate in power then you really should be looking at the 14in MacBook Pro and the 16in MacBook Pro, which offer more graphics cores and support more RAM. They also offer a bunch of ports that will benefit many.
Decided to get a MacBook, Pro or Air? Check out the best accessories for MacBooks.
Still not sure? We also look at how the MacBook Air compares to the iMac and how the MacBook Air and Mac mini compare separately. We also help you choose the Best Mac in our buying guide.
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iPad mini 7: Here’s what’s next for Apple’s smallest tablet
Apple’s smallest iPad was given a substantial facelift at the end of 2021. The 6th-generation iPad mini sports a complete redesign with a bigger display, Touch ID on the power button, USB C instead of Lightning, and an upgraded front camera. This represented the first major change to the design since the iPad mini was first introduced back in 2012. The mini celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2022 without an update, but a new iPad mini 7th generation is rumored to be in the works. Here’s what we know.
iPad mini 7 release date: When will the new iPad mini arrive?
Rumors of the iPad mini’s release date have been tricky to pin down, but we can get some insight from when the last few models made their debuts:
- iPad mini 6th generation: September 2021
- iPad mini 5th generation: September 2019
- iPad mini 4th generation: September 2015
As you can see, September is the traditional month in which the new iPad mini appears. Based on the gap between the last two generations we could be due a new iPad mini in September 2023.
In December 2022 respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the new iPad mini won’t arrive until late 2023 or early 2024, so we may even have to wait until next year.
iPad mini 7 price: How much will the new iPad mini cost?
The arrival of the redesigned iPad mini 6th generation saw a $100 increase in price over the previous model to $499. That price increased even further outside the U.S. including in the U.K. where the price increased another £90. Here’s how the price of the 6th and 5th generations compared:
- iPad mini 6th generation: $499/£479 (Now £569 in the U.K)
- iPad mini 5th generation: $399/£379
As the iPad mini 7 will be similar to the iPad mini 6 we think it’s likely that the price will stay the same for the 7th generation.
iPad mini 7 design: Will the iPad mini have a new look?
It’s been surprisingly quiet on the rumor front, which probably means the iPad mini 7′ design will be largely the same as the 6th-gen model. Here’s what we’ve managed to uncover.
Screen size
The iPad mini screen was 7.9-inches up until the current iPad mini 6th generation launched in 2021. The iPad mini 6th generation screen is 8.3-inch thanks to the removal of the Home button, and this isn’t expected to change for the 7th generation iPad mini.
Folding display
Apple has been rumored to be working on an iPad with a folding display, but it’s unlikely to come to this model. In December 2022, Ming-Chi Kuo said that reports of a folding iPad mini in development were wrong “because a foldable iPad will have a markedly higher price than an iPad mini, so such a replacement is not reasonable.”
ProMotion
The screen isn’t expected to change from the current 8.3-inch, but there may be new screen technology. A post on a South Korean forum in November 2021 indicated Apple had ordered 8.3-inch displays from Samsung that support 120Hz maximum refresh rates. If true, the post on Clien (translated here) could mean the next mini offers the ProMotion ultra-smooth scrolling feature currently seen on the iPad Pro, iPhone 13 Pro models, and 14- & 16-inch MacBook Pro. This would address the minor issue of “jelly scrolling” that some users have complained about with the current iPad mini.
However, it’s not looking that this particular rumor is accurate. Analyst Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, doesn’t believe that Apple will be giving the iPad mini a ProMotion display yet. He indicates that doing so would require significant hardware changes. This would require a “whole new level of engineering,” according to Young.
We remain skeptical of a ProMotion updgrade as its one of the main differentiators between the standard and Pro devices Apple sells.
New colors
The iPad mini will likely keep the same design for several generations.
IDG
One of the most obvious changes to the iPad mini 6th generation was the new palette of colors that Apple made available.
While you can currently select between space gray, pink, purple, and starlight, there are several interesting hues available on the iPad Air when it received its new look in fall 2021, including silver, rose gold, green, and sky blue. It would therefore seem reasonable to assume that some of these make it to the mini. Plus now that the iPad 10th generation brought a bold selection of colors, the iPad mini may get a completely new palette.
iPad mini 7 specs: What features will the iPad mini have?
We think the iPad mini will be a mild update, with small internal improvements and few new features
Increased storage
On the current iPad mini 6th generation, the base model starts off with a rather paltry 64GB of storage. For a device like an iPad, where you can store movies, TV shows, books, comics, magazines, games, and a wide range of apps, that amount can often become a problem, especially if you want to take your iPad away on holiday or use it for your commute without needing to manage the storage.
Although Apple has something of a history of giving base-models low storage capacities, we think it would be a wise move to upgrade the entry-level iPad mini 7th generation to at least 128GB. File sizes are growing all the time, due to higher-quality cameras and software, so doubling the existing 64GB would be a very consumer-friendly solution.
Along these lines, there’s also the possibility that the upper limit of the storage could be increased. At the time of writing, the most storage available on the iPad mini 6th generation is 256GB. Moving up to 512GB would be the logical step, especially if the baseline storage moves to 128GB.
Improved processor
The iPad mini 6 offers the A15 Bionic chip as found in the iPhone 13, however, this chip is down-clocked compared to the one inside the iPhone 13. It’s possible that the next iPad mini model could offer an enhanced A15 like the iPhone 14 or with the A16 chip in the iPhone 14 Pro. Kuo reported in December that the iPad mini’s “main selling point” would be the new processor, so it could also be an A17 chip, depending on when it arrives. We don’t expect that the iPad mini will feature an M1 chip, like that found in the iPad Air, but perhaps it’s something Apple might consider down the line.
We’ll update this article as more details become available, but until then, be sure to read our iPad buying guide to see which models we’d recommend if you want to buy one of Apple’s tablets today. And check our roundup of the best iPad deals and iPad mini deals for the latest bargains on the current range.
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Best iPhone chargers: How to pick the right USB-C power adapter
If you’ve ordered a new iPhone recently, you’ll notice that the box is a whole lot slimmer than in previous years. That’s because the bulkiest accessory is gone: the power adapter. Apple has removed the charger from all iPhones it sells, so whether you’re spending $429/£449 on an iPhone SE or $1,599/£1,749 on a maxed-out iPhone 14 Pro Max, you need to bring your own charger.
Any old charger and Lightning cable you have lying around will work, of course. But if you’ve been using Apple’s feeble old 5W adapter, it’s a perfect time to upgrade. Apple now supplies a USB-C-to-Lightning cable in all iPhone boxes to allow for fast charging, so all you need is the right charger. Here we list our favorite iPhone chargers (iPhone 12 and later) that use USB-C but paired with the right cable they will work wonders for older iPhones, too.
Watch the wattage
The most important thing to consider when buying a new charger is the amount of wattage it will provide to your device. For years, Apple supplied “good-enough” 5-watt chargers in the iPhone box, which take about 2.5 hours to fill up your iPhone. That was fine for the iPhone 5 and earlier, which didn’t support fast charging, but the newest iPhone models are capable of working with chargers that handle up to 20 watts. You can fill up about 50 percent of an iPhone 14’s battery in about 30 minutes with the right adapter.
So you should get a USB-C charger that’s capable of delivering a 20W charge. Quite frankly, it’s harder to find one that doesn’t than one that does, but you’ll want to make sure you’re at least getting the bare minimum to allow for maximum fast charging. You’ll also want to make sure the charger supports USB Power Delivery, which any third-party charger almost certainly will do.
Wired and wireless
Whether you charge your iPhone wirelessly or not, you still need a wall charger to supply the power, and even wireless requires a cable from that power adapter to the charging pad. While Apple ships a USB-C to Lightning cable with each iPhone for wired charging, most of the chargers tested here don’t come with a cable.
From the iPhone 8 on, iPhones have the ability to be charged wirelessly. The latest iPhone models also feature Apple’s superior MagSafe wireless charging technology that uses magnets to make the connection with the wireless charging pad more efficient; check out our roundup of the best MagSafe chargers, most of which require one of the USB-C wall chargers tested here.
Charging with a cable plugged into the iPhone will always be faster than wireless; we list some of the best iPhone charge cables later in this article and in our roundup of the best Lightning cables.
Check the size and the specs
Apple’s chargers have always been light, small, and portable, but some third-party adapters make Apple’s seem downright bulky. That’s due to the newest charging tech, gallium nitride (GaN), which allows for adapters that are significantly smaller and more power-efficient.
Charger makers have already begun replacing the silicon inside power adapters with gallium nitride, and the size difference is significant. For example, the Anker PowerPort Atom III is 35 percent smaller than the adapter Apple supplies with the 13-inch MacBook Pro, despite delivering the same 60-watt charge.
Count the ports
Many adapters offer multiple ports on a single wall charger. If you’re going to be regularly charging more than one device at a time, buy an adapter with at least two ports—some have as many as four ports. You can even get a mix of USB-C and USB-A, depending on your needs.
Plugs: To fold or not to fold
After you decide how much power and how many ports you need, just one question remains: Do you want the plug to fold or not? Some chargers have folding pins to protect the adapter as well as other items if you toss it in a bag, but Apple’s 20W charger and a few others have protruding prongs. It’s a small thing, but it could make a big difference in your travel bag.
As any traveler knows, plugs come in all shapes and sizes around the globe. We’ve tried to cover the most used types here. Some USB-C power adapters even come with different prong sets so you can leave the multi-holed travel adapter at home when you travel.
Best iPhone chargers reviewed
Below we’ll look at the best iPhone chargers you can buy now.
In summary, our favorite single-port 20W iPhone charger in the U.S. is the Anker PowerPort III Cube with foldable prongs. Our recommended charger for U.K. iPhone users is Apple’s 20W USB-C Power Adapter—unlike Apple’s U.S. version, the U.K. adapter does feature a foldable plug. In AU/NZ, the only real premium option is Apple’s 20W adapter but we also like the AU-pinned Ugreen 20W mini charger.
Official Apple iPhone charger: Apple 20W USB-C Power Adapter
Pros
- Official Apple charger
- Foldable prongs on U.K. model
Cons
- No foldable prongs on U.S./AU models
- One port
Best Prices Today: $15.99 at Amazon$19.00 at Apple$19.00 at Best BuyWhy we love it: Apple’s 20W USB-C power adapter is as basic as it gets. It’s one of the bulkiest chargers on this list as well as one of the heaviest, it won’t charge a laptop, and you can’t charge more than one device at a time. However, if you want to keep your chargers in the family, it’s a solid option for $19/£19. And if you’re planning on buying an iPhone 15, it might be the only choice if you want to get fast charging.
In our testing, it won’t charge your phone noticeably faster than the old Apple 18W plug, but it is noticeably cheaper than the model it replaces. We’d like it better if Apple offered a half-price option for iPhone buyers, but even at full price, it’s not a terrible value at all. The U.S. and Australian models don’t feature a folding plug, but the more cube-like U.K. model does, despite the larger plug type, and is a much cleaner design as a result. The hideaway pins on the U.K. model make it our favorite single-port iPhone charger in that country.
Best single-port iPhone charger: Anker PowerPort III 20W Cube Fast Charger
Pros
- Small size
- Foldable plug on U.S. model
- Available in white or black
Cons
- No foldable plug on U.K. model
- One port
Best Prices Today: $15.99 at AmazonWhy we love it: At 1.23 x 1.25 x 1.3 inches, the compact GaN-tech Anker PowerPort III is slightly bigger than the Anker Nano Pro but its hideable plug makes it a better travel companion in a pocket or bag.
The U.K. model is less flexible due to the size of the U.K. plug that here doesn’t allow for foldable prongs, so we prefer the Nano Pro or the even finer Apple 20W Charger in that country only.
Smallest iPhone charger: Anker 511 20W Charger (Nano Pro)
Pros
- Small size
- Available in five colors
Cons
- Plug not foldable
- One port
Best Prices Today: $15.99 at AmazonWhy we love it: The Anker 511 20W Nano Pro is a great alternative to Apple’s 20W charger. The dinky U.S. model measures 1.16 × 1.16 × 1.18 inches compared to Apple’s larger 2.64 x 1.26 x 3.27 inches. The bulkier U.K. version looks like the old Apple 5W charger but still has the 20W punch. Neither has a foldable plug.
Aside from its tiny size, what really sets it apart is its range of five colors—Arctic White, Black, Cool Lavender, Glacial Blue, and Powder Pink—compared to Apple’s white-only option.
Best two-port iPhone charger: Anker 521 40W Charger (Nano Pro)
Pros
- Two ports
- 40W
- Available in four colors
Cons
- No foldable plug
Best Prices Today: $28.79 at AmazonWhy we love it: The Anker 521 USB-C Nano Pro Charger is twice the power adapter that the Anker 511 Nano Pro is, but at 1.37 x 1.34 x 1.8 inches isn’t much larger.
Rated at 40W, it boasts twice the charging power and has two ports so you can charge two iPhones simultaneously at 20W—making it a great choice for homes with a couple of iPhones in need of a power boost. It is also available in a range of four colors: white, black, lavender, and light blue.
Best multi-port charger: Minix NEO P3 100W Turbo
Pros
- Four ports
- Up to 100W
- U.S./U.K./EU pins
- Foldable plug
Cons
- May be overkill for just a phone
Best Prices Today: $53.46 at AmazonWhy we love it: The Minix NEO P3 100W Turbo packs a lot of power and has four ports: three USB-C and one old-school USB-A.
Two of the USB-C ports can charge at 100W, although obviously not at the same time. That means you can use this power adapter to charge a large laptop as well as tablets and phones. The third USB-C is perfect for phone charging at 20W, as is the 18W USB-A port if you have an older charging cable.
Using two ports at the same time it supports one 65W and one 30W feed. Using three supports 45W, 30W, and 20W charges. With all four, it supports, 45W, 30W, and two 7.5W feeds.
Like Apple’s dual-port charger, this adapter features intelligent power allocation, automatically adjusting the power output of each port depending on the devices connected to it.
The U.S. plug folds, making it a tidy package for carrying around, and the U.K. and EU pin converters simply slide onto the U.S. pins to make this a great home charger in those territories and a useful international travel companion.
Best travel adapter charger: OneAdaptr OneWorld 65
Pros
- Five ports
- Travel plug adapter
- 65W PD
Cons
- Total output limited to 5 ports
Best Prices Today: $79 at OneAdaptrWhy we love it: The OneWorld 65 is an international adapter that also boasts a built-in 65W PD Charger that can charge up to six devices simultaneously.
It features one 65W USB-C PD port, one 20W USB-C PD port, another USB-C charging port, and two USB-A charging ports—the non-PD USB-C port and two USB-A ports share 15W of power. Note that the maximum power output is 65W so if you are charging a mid-sized laptop in full use, there won’t be much spare juice for your iPhone.
But the real benefit of the OneWorld 65 is that as well as all the USB ports you can also use this as a travel adapter. Sliding connectors will fit into US, European, Australian/Chinese, and British wall sockets so covering over 200 countries, and you can plug a similar range of plugs into the OneWorld 65 from the other side.
Other chargers we love
Ugreen 20W USB C Fast Charger (2 pack)
Pros
- 2 pack value
- Small
- Foldable plug on U.S. model
Cons
- One port
Why we love it: Ugreen is another maker of premium charging products, and its 20W compact cube chargers are, at 1.21 x 1.21 x 1.36 inches, as small as Anker’s PowerPort III power adapters. Like that charger, the charger features a foldable plug in the US, but not in the U.K. It ships in a two-pack because we all need a spare charger sometimes.
Minix 66W NEO P1 Turbo Wall Charger
Pros
- Three ports
- Up to 66W
- U.S./U.K./EU pins
- Foldable plug
Cons
- May be overkill for just a phone
Best Prices Today: $38.90 at AmazonWhy we love it: A smaller, less powerful but cheaper Minix multi-port power adapter, the NEO P1 can charge up to 66W, enough for a mid-sized laptop such as the 13in or 14in MacBook Pro, and its three ports make it a great phone charger, too.
Using two ports at the same time it supports two 30W feeds or one 45W and one 18W. Using all three supports 30W and 2x 18W charges.
Like its big sibling, this charger ships with U.K. and EU converter pins.
Apple 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter
Pros
- Two ports
- U.S. models have a foldable plug
Cons
- Non-U.S. models don't have a foldable plug
- Expensive
Best Prices Today: $59.00 at Adorama$59.00 at Apple$59.00 at Best BuyWhy we love it: Apple recently released its own dual-port USB-C charger in two models. As far as we can tell they are identical in everything except shape and size. As an Apple product, it’s reassuringly expensive but also a little smarter than most power adapters.
There are two models: the neat 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter aimed at iPhone users, and a larger non-compact model called the 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter, which is the one built for the new M2 MacBook Air. Both U.S. models feature foldable plugs. The larger version is maybe only preferable if you prefer the ports pointing straight on rather than below the plug itself.
As it was designed to work with an iPhone and also something as energy-hungry as an M2 MacBook Air, it needs to be able to distinguish which device needs what. When you connect two devices, power is automatically distributed between them based on their power requirements. In most cases, it will give each device 17.5W, but if you connect a MacBook or iPhone and an Apple Watch or AirPods, it will receive up to 27.5W and the Watch/AirPods gets up to 7.5W.
Apple doesn’t say so, but we expect that it uses GaN technology to keep its size to a minimum.
Spigen PowerArc 20W ArcStation Pro
Pros
- Small size
- Foldable plug on the U.S. model
- Available in white or black
Cons
- No foldable plug on the U.K. model
- One port
Best Prices Today: $17.99 at AmazonWhy we love it: We spotlighted numerous gallium nitride chargers on this list, but Spigen’s PowerArc 20W (1.56 x 1.36 x 1.09 inches) is one of the smallest. When opened, it’s only a bit larger than Apple’s prior 5W adapter (which measures 1.74 x 1.01 x 1.03 inches) but charges four times as fast, whether you’re using a USB-C-to-Lightning cable or a MagSafe cable, thanks to GaNFast technology instead of old-fashioned silicon. The fold-up plug keeps the size down and ensures it won’t get snagged on anything in your bag, and its small size means it won’t block other chargers in a power strip.
The U.K. version’s larger plug type sadly means no foldable pins but it’s still a likable little chap.
Eggtronic Sirius 65W USB-C PD
Pros
- Super-slim design
- Up to 65W
- Foldable prongs
Cons
- One port
Best Prices Today: $69.99 at AmazonWhy we love it: The Eggtronic Sirius 65W USB-C power adapter is the most unique design we’ve used, with a slim body and a pair of lateral-folding pins that seem to defy the laws of physics. The thinness makes it easy to slip into a pocket or a bag and lets it fit into small spaces behind desks and tables as well. It measures 2.71 x 1.99 x 0.77 inches.
It can charge at up to 65W, which means it’s suitable not just for an iPhone but a tablet and even a mid-sized laptop, such as a MacBook Air or 13in MacBook Pro.
Amazon
Best iPhone charge cable
Apple still includes a USB-C to Lightning cable in the box with a new iPhone. But you can never have enough charging cables, right?
If you need a spare, make sure you buy a USB-C to Lightning cable that’s certified Made for iPhone (MFI).
Anker makes several of our recommended iPhone chargers and its MFI-certified USB-C to Lightning cable is a little cheaper than Apple’s own cable and is twice as long. Anker has a bunch of USB-C to Lightning cables in various lengths and colors on its U.S. Amazon Store and at Amazon UK.
We also rate UGreen’s USB-C to Lightning iPhone charge cables.
What is GaN?
Gallium nitride, or GaN for short, is a lightweight, crystal-like material that’s capable of conducting far higher voltages than silicon.
It produces less heat, meaning that components can be packed closer together for more processing power.
As heat is a key factor in how long electronic devices keep working, GaN heat efficiency means a GaN charger should keep working longer than silicon chargers.
How much power do you need to charge an iPhone?
With Fast Charge, Apple says that the iPhone 12 and up will reach a 50% charge in around 30 minutes with a 20W adapter or higher.
Most of the iPhone chargers we have tested here are rated at 20W. To be sure you’re getting all the power you need, you’ll want a modern power adapter that works with at least USB-PD 3.0, which is especially important if you are charging with MagSafe.
You can buy more powerful chargers—at up to 100W—but they won’t speed up the charging process as the iPhone can only take so much at a time. However, a more powerful charger means you can use it to power up a tablet or MacBook, too, and with multiple ports, you can charge devices simultaneously.
Read Tech Advisor’s roundup of the Best USB-C PD Chargers for the most powerful multi-port options.
For more advice on charging your iPhone read: iPhone Clean Energy Charging: How it works and why you want to keep it on, How to charge an iPhone properly and What’s the fastest way to charge an iPhone. If you are looking for wireless chargers read: The best wireless chargers for iPhone.
iPhone, Mobile Phone Accessories -
iPhone comparison chart 2023: Every iPhone compared
Picking out an iPhone used to be easier—just get the newest one with all the storage you can afford. We still recommend buying as much storage as you can afford, but the choice of which iPhone to get it on isn’t quite so simple. Apple currently sells eight iPhone models, four of which launched in fall 2022, one in spring 2022, two from 2021 and one from 2020. Plus you can still buy older refurbished models from the Apple Refurbished Store and elsewhere. Apple offers all this choice because, quite simply, different people have different priorities.
Apple’s latest iPhone lineup includes the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, which it sells alongside the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone SE (3rd gen) and iPhone 12. The “best” iPhone depends on your own personal preferences, so it’s not necessarily the case that the number one iPhone is the one you should buy. This group test of all the iPhones Apple sells should give you a good idea of which iPhone will suit you, and whether you can save money or if it would be worth spending more.
For more help choosing the iPhone for you read our Buying Guide where we explain how each iPhone is different in terms of price, specs and features, cameras, screens and durability. See: Which iPhone? iPhone buying guide.
iPhone specs compared
Apple sells five current-generation model iPhones: four iPhone 14s and the iPhone SE. You can also buy the iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, and iPhone 12. Here’s how their most important specs compare but remember, specs aren’t everything!
iPhone SE (3) iPhone 14 iPhone 14 Plus iPhone 14 Pro iPhone 14 Pro Max iPhone 13 iPhone 13 mini Starting price $429/£449 $799/£849 $899/£949 $999/£1,099 $1,099/£1,199 $699/£749 $599/£649 Screen size 4.7″ 6.1″ 6.7″ 6.1″ 6.7″ 6.1″ 5.4″ Size (H x W x D) 5.45″ x 2.65″ x 0.29″ 5.78″ x 2.82″ x 0.31″ 6.33″ x 3.07″ x 0.31″ 5.81″ x 2.81″ x 0.31″ 6.33″ x 3.05″ x 0.31″ 5.78″ x 2.82″ x 0.30″ 5.18″ x 2.53″ x 0.30″ Weight 5.09 oz 6.07 oz 6.14 oz 7.27 oz 8.47 oz 6.14 oz 4.97 oz Colors Starlight, midnight, red Blue, purple, midnight, starlight, red Blue, purple, midnight, starlight, red Deep purple, gold, silver, Space Black Deep purple, gold, silver, Space Black Pink, blue, midnight, starlight, red Pink, blue, midnight, starlight, red Display LCD (326 ppi) OLED with HDR (460 ppi) OLED with HDR (458 ppi) OLED with HDR (460 ppi), ProMotion 120Hz OLED with HDR (460 ppi), ProMotion, 120Hz OLED with HDR (460 ppi) OLED with HDR (476 ppi) Processor A15 Bionic (4-core GPU) A15 Bionic (5-core GPU) A15 Bionic (5-core GPU) A16 Bionic (5-core GPU) A16 Bionic (5-core GPU) A15 Bionic (4-core GPU) A15 Bionic (4-core GPU) Storage 64/128/256GB 128/256/512GB 128/256/512GB 128/256/512GB/1TB 128/256/512GB/1TB 128/256/512GB 128/256/512GB Authentication Touch ID Face ID Face ID Face ID Face ID Face ID Face ID Rear Camera 12MP f/1.8 Wide camera 12MP f/1.5 Wide camera,
12MP f/2.4 Ultra Wide camera12MP f/1.5 Wide camera,
12MP f/2.4 Ultra Wide camera12MP f/1.78 Wide camera,
12MP f/2.2 Ultra Wide camera (macro),
12MP f/2.8 Telephoto (3x)12MP f/1.78 Wide camera,
12MP f/2.2 Ultra Wide camera (macro),
12MP f/2.8 Telephoto (3x)12MP f/1.6 Wide camera,
12MP f/2.4 Ultra Wide camera12MP f/1.6 Wide camera,
12MP f/2.4 Ultra Wide cameraFront Camera 7MP f/2.2 camera, 1080p 12MP f/1.9 camera, 4K HDR 12MP f/1.9 camera, 4K HDR 12MP f/1.9 camera, 4K HDR 12MP f/1.9 camera, 4K HDR 12MP f/2.2 camera, 4K HDR 12MP f/2.2 camera, 4K HDR Battery capacity 1,821mAh 3,279 mAh 4,325 mAh 3,200 mAh 4,323 mAh 3240mAh 2348mAh Wireless features 5G (sub-6 only), Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0,
NFC5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0,
NFC, Ultra Wideband5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0,
NFC, Ultra Wideband5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0,
NFC, Ultra Wideband5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0,
NFC, Ultra Wideband5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0,
NFC, Ultra Wideband5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0,
NFC, Ultra WidebandMagSafe No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 1. iPhone 14 Pro – Best new iPhone
Pros
- Dynamic Island is a big step forward for the iPhone interface
- Always-on display, finally
- 48MP camera shines in ProRAW format
- Excellent battery life
Cons
- Photos are a bit over-processed
- Big cameras can get in the way
- Some features are waiting on software updates
Read our full Apple iPhone 14 Pro reviewThere are two new features that are exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro (and Max) that actually change the way you use your iPhone for the better: the always-on display and Dynamic Island. Implementation of the always-on display is excellent and Dynamic Island is a revelation.
To create the Dynamic Island Apple shrunk the notch that holds all the Face ID sensors and front-facing camera and moved it down into a little pill-shaped cutout that can change to display useful information like timers, sports scores and even the details of the currently playing music track. It’s a hit.
Thanks to the always-on mode the time and date, lock screen widgets and notifications remain visible when your phone isn’t in use. Apple dims the screen significantly, but there is a small impact on battery life. If you place your iPhone screen down on a table, or leave the room while wearing a connected Apple Watch, the screen will turn off.
There are other improvements to the screen tech. The most significant: the iPhone 14 Pro can crank up to 2,000 nits in bright sunlight so you can see the screen on a sunny day.
The iPhone 14 Pro (and Max) have the best cameras ever seen on an iPhone. There is a new 48MP main wide-angle camera, a much bigger sensor and an f/1.78 aperture. These combine with the new Photonic Engine to create better low light photos. You can take 48MP shots if you shoot in ProRAW – which will mean each photo will take up to 80MB of space. Instead of taking 48MP shots the iPhone 14 Pro (and Max) are able to use the extra detail captured by the 48MP shot to create a better 12MP photo. For example, you can zoom in further without losing the detail. Speaking of zooming, there are also improvements to macro photography (which can now also be used for video). Macro photography is unique to the Pro iPhones.
The front camera also gets an update that includes a wider f/1.9 aperture (up from f/2.2) and autofocus (the same update is available on the iPhone 14). Video recording also get improvements including support for 4K at 30fps in Cinematic Mode and the new Action Mode that stabilises video is recorded on the move (also on iPhone 14).
The iPhone 14 Pro (and Max) get a A16 Bionic chip, which is a newer generation of chip than the A15 Bionic inside the iPhone 14. However, our tests suggested that it’s not a huge leap up from the A15. In our somewhat extreme battery tests the 14 Pro lasted an impressive 9 hours and 44 minutes, which was about half an hour longer than the iPhone 13 Pro. Apple claims 23 hours battery life for the iPhone 13 Pro based on its own tests.
The iPhone 14 Pro, like the whole iPhone 14-series can detect if you are in a car crash. There is also a satellite SOS feature, so your iPhone can contact the emergency services if there is no cellular service. That’s only available in the U.S. and Canada right now. In the U.S. the iPhone 14 series has no SIM tray, meaning that you’ll need an eSIM.
There is one other feature that is unique to the 14 Pro and Max: they feature dual-band precision GPS, which should mean they are better at locating you in areas with tall buildings and tall trees. Never get lost again!
The always-on display and especially the Dynamic Island will transform how you use the iPhone. The 2022 update represents a significant improvement on the iPhones that have come before.
2. iPhone 14 Pro Max – Best battery life
Pros
- Excellent battery life; longest of all iPhones (for now)
- Dynamic Island is a big step forward for the iPhone interface
- Always-on display, finally
- 48MP camera shines in ProRAW format
Cons
- May be too big for some users
- Camera array protrudes farther out than previously
- Photos are a bit over-processed
- Some features require software updates and are not yet available
Read our full Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max reviewThere’s a lot that’s the same when you consider the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, so many of the features of the iPhone 14 Pro Max are discussed in the section above including the always-on display, Dynamic Island, and the camera improvements. But there are some significant ways that the iPhone 14 Pro Max trumps the iPhone 14 Pro, such as battery life and the larger display. However, choosing between the two phones is really a matter of personal taste: for some people the Max is too big, for others the Pro too small.
There’s also the price difference. If you do want the bigger Pro iPhone then you’ll be paying more for it – unless you consider the iPhone 14 Plus instead (discussed next). For the 2022 iPhone line up there are two 6.7-inch iPhones: the Pro Max and the Plus, so you no longer have to pay more to get a bigger screen. However, there are some good reasons to pick the Max over the Plus.
One clear advantage of purchasing the Max is that it brings the Dynamic Island, while the Plus retains the notch. We’ve discussed the Dynamic Island in the iPhone 14 Pro section above, so we won’t repeat ourselves other than to say people are loving the innovative Dynamic Island and it does really add value to the iPhone.
Like the iPhone 14 Pro the Max also offers the always-on screen, which is another very good reason to pick the Max over the Plus. Having an always-on display will mean you can see the time and important notifications without waking the iPhone. There are some battery implications to this, but they aren’t huge – and the battery in the Max is huge: Apple indicates that you can expect 29 hours of video playback on the Max, while the Plus can achieve 26 hours in the same test. In our tests (Geekbench 4) the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s battery lasted 12 hours and 40 minutes–about an hour longer than the iPhone 13 Pro Max and much longer than the 14 Pro, which lasted 9 hours and 44 minutes. We haven’t yet tested the battery in the iPhone 14 Plus, but we know it to be the same 4,325 mAh battery as the Pro Max, so it is feasible that battery life, in our tests, could be even better since it lacks power guzzling features such as ProMotion and the Always-On display.
If you run out of battery all iPhones can take advantage for fast charge with a USB-C 20W power brick (which you’ll have to purchase separately). The larger phones take 35 minutes to charge to 50%, while the smaller phones take 30 minutes for the same – but obviously those batteries are smaller.
There are a variety of camera updates that the complete iPhone 14-series benefit from, as discussed in the iPhone 14 Pro section, but the main feature unique to these pro models is the ability to take 48MP photos. Note that the camera doesn’t take 48MP photos by default, only when in ProRAW mode. Also, 48MP photos take up a lot of space – so you’ll need an iPhone with as much memory as you can afford if you want to use the feature.
You do get more for your money with the iPhone 14 Pro Max: a larger phone has more room for a bigger battery, and the extra screen space is attractive to many. However, the bulk of the iPhone is off-putting for many and this is the most expensive handset Apple sells – especially if you need more than 128GB storage.
3. iPhone 14 – Good enough
Pros
- Action Mode is brilliant
- Faster low light shots so you don’t have to hold the iPhone still for as long
Cons
- Price increase in many parts of the world
- No Dynamic Island or always-on display
- Few changes as compared to the now cheaper iPhone 13
Best Prices Today: $799.00 at AppleRead our full Apple iPhone 14 reviewIt’s been a few years since Apple last introduced an S iPhone, but the iPhone 14 could just as easily have been called the iPhone 13s. Rather than upgrading the processor to the A16 Bionic, as seen in the iPhone 14 Pro (and Max), the iPhone 14 (and Plus) instead features the A15 Bionic, albeit the variant from the iPhone 13 Pro, which means it has an extra graphics core compared to the iPhone 13, which is still on sale.
The fact that the iPhone 13 is still on sale, and similar in so many ways, is the biggest challenge facing the 2022 iPhone 14. If you are upgrading from a few-years-old iPhone there’s a choice of two iPhones: one of which will save you $100/£100.
But there are some features offered by the iPhone 14 that do justify the extra expense. The cameras are by far the biggest difference between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13–the newer model includes a faster aperture (ƒ/1.5 rather than ƒ/1.6) and a larger sensor on the main camera to bring better overall performance and improvements in low-light shooting. The iPhone 14 also benefits from a new Photonic Engine computational system that helps capture more detail in challenging light and aids features such as the new Foreground Blur. This isn’t just about getting better low light photos – you don’t have to hold the iPhone still for as long, which is a real bonus.
The Action Mode is another bonus feature that makes the iPhone 14 a better phone than the iPhone 13. Action Mode means you can video while walking, or even running and get a steady result. It’s a fun feature that people will probably take advantage of. The selfie camera on the front is also improved on the iPhone 14, with a bigger aperture and autofocus.
There are other features that the iPhone 14 offers and the iPhone 13 lacks, such as the Crash Detection feature. If you are in such a situation then you’ll probably be glad to have the 14.
However, there are reasons to choose the iPhone 13 over the iPhone 14, as we will discuss next.
4. iPhone 14 Plus – a reasonable compromise
Pros
- Large format at a lower price
- Great battery life
Cons
- No Dynamic Island
- No always-on display
Best Prices Today: $899.00 at AppleRead our full Apple iPhone 14 Plus reviewAs we said in the section on the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the iPhone 14 Plus is rocking the boat a bit because it means that people who might have chosen the iPhone 14 Pro Max because they want a big iPhone now have a choice. They can save $200/£250 and purchase a new iPhone with standard features. Or, to look at it another way, they can choose between a 512GB iPhone 14 Plus for $1,199/£1,279 or a 256GB iPhone 14 Pro Max for $1,199/1,309. For some more storage will trump additional Pro features.
Perhaps the biggest problem is that the price isn’t all that different to the iPhone 14 Pro, and that is a much better iPhone that costs $999/£1,099 compared to $899/£949 for the iPhone 14 Plus. At just $100/£150 less you’d have to really want the bigger handset.
The iPhone 14 Plus (and iPhone 14) feature two cameras on the rear, while the Pro phones offer three cameras–for some that flexibility will be a good enough reason to pick Pro. Across the board photography is improved compared to the previous generation, with the big difference being in low-light photography (in our experience the biggest difference here is how long you have to keep the phone still while taking the photo – handy with a bulky handset. Like the Pro phones the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus benefit from Action Mode, which enables you to take stable video while you are moving – no bumping up and down in time with your steps. The front-facing camera also gets an upgrade with autofocus and a wider aperture.
Apple claims the iPhone 14 Plus can achieve up to 26 hours video playback compared to 29 hours for the iPhone 14 Pro Max. In our tests the Plus was slightly behind the Pro Max. The battery life score was around the same as the iPhone 13 Pro Max battery life.
The iPhone 14 Plus is a good phone, the main problem is really the price, with the iPhone 14 Pro not costing a whole lot more. However, we do think the iPhone 14 Plus will be attractive to those who might have bought the iPhone 14 Pro Max at a time when people are trying to avoid overspending.
5. Apple iPhone 13 mini – Best small iPhone
Pros
- Portable size
- Last mini iPhone Apple is likely to sell
Cons
- Lower battery life
Best Prices Today: $679.00 at AmazonRead our full Apple iPhone 13 mini reviewThe iPhone 13 mini is the last of its kind and for that reason we are positioning it above the iPhone 13. If you want a small iPhone, and some people do, the iPhone 13 mini is one of two small iPhones sold by Apple – the other being the iPhone SE 3rd generation. The iPhone 13 mini has a 5.4-inch screen, which is bigger than the iPhone SE’s 4.7-inch screen, but the iPhone size isn’t all that different.
The iPhone 13 mini is the only small iPhone with Face ID and it also offers a lot that the iPhone SE lacks, such as better water resistance (the SE offers Water resistant to a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes while the iPhone 13 mini offers Water resistant to a depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes). The iPhone 13 mini features a the Ceramic Shield front, which the iPhone SE lacks, so the glass on front of the 13 mini should be less likely to smash the first time you drop it.
The iPhone 13 mini has a much better screen than the SE as well. It’s a Super Retina XDR display, that’s OLED and offers HDR. Resolution is 2,340-by-1,080-pixels at 476 ppi, there’s a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 800 nits max brightness (typical), 1200 nits peak brightness (HDR). In contrast the SE has a Retina HD display that’s LCD with IPS technology, 1,334-by-750-pixel resolution at 326 ppi, 1400:1 contrast ratio, and just 625 nits max brightness (typical).
There’s a nice bunch of color finishes to choose from with the iPhone 13 mini: Green, Pink, Blue, Midnight, Starlight, Red. The SE only comes in Midnight, Starlight and Red.
One final, and key, reason to choose the iPhone 13 mini if you want a small iPhone is that the cameras are much better than those on the SE. The mini offers two cameras on the rear while the SE only offers one camera.
6. Apple iPhone 13 – Good value option
Pros
- Same generation processor as the iPhone 14
- Can get more storage for your money
Cons
- Lacks Action Mode
- Lacks the camera improvements of the iPhone 14
Best Prices Today: $817.52 at Amazon$829.00 at AppleRead our full Apple iPhone 13 reviewThe iPhone 13 costs $100/£100 less than the iPhone 14, and for many spending the extra money to get a newer iPhone with more features will make sense. However, there are reasons to choose the iPhone 13 over the iPhone 14.
The key reason, we feel, is that the extra money spent on the iPhone 14 could be spent increasing the storage in the iPhone 13. The iPhone 14 costs $799/£849 with 128GB storage, but you could get an iPhone 13 with 256GB storage for $799/£859. There is certainly an argument for getting the maximum amount of storage you can afford – especially if the phone you are upgrading from has more storage.
Even with the arrival of the iPhone 14, the iPhone 13 is still a decent iPhone, especially when compared to the iPhone 12, which is also on sale. Both the iPhone 14 the iPhone 13 have a smaller notch than the iPhone 12 – in fact visually there is little to tell the 13 and 14 apart (which will mean that at a glance nobody will know you have last year’s phone). You might even prefer the deeper colors of the 2021 iPhone in contrast to the muted shades for 2022.
There is actually one design difference that you might notice if you placed the two phones side-by-side, the cameras on the back of the iPhone 14 stick out quite a lot more. This means if you place the iPhone 14 on a surface (without a case) it doesn’t lie very flat. There have always been criticisms of how far out the cameras protrude on the iPhones, and for 2022 they stick out even more. There’s good reason for the protrusion, but it does spoil the design a bit. Not that it matters once you’ve put your iPhone in a case (which you should do!) See: Best iPhone cases.
If you are looking to upgrade from an older iPhone the main point is that in 2022 you won’t be sacrificing as much as you would have in previous years in choosing the iPhone 13 over the iPhone 14. So if you want to save your money you can confidently do so.
7. Apple iPhone SE (2022) – The cheapest iPhone
Pros
- A15 chip
- Cheapest iPhone
Cons
- Old, mediocre quality cameras
- Dated display with huge bezels
- No mmWave support
- Disappointing battery life
Best Prices Today: $429.00 at Amazon$429.00 at AppleRead our full Apple iPhone SE (2022) reviewWe mentioned the iPhone SE above because it, and the iPhone 13 mini, are the only small iPhones sold by Apple. These handsets are a similar size to the iPhone 8, so if that’s the iPhone size that’s right for you then these are the iPhones to consider – although we’d suggest an iPhone with a 6.1in screen (the iPhone 12, 13 or 14) would be preferable (the screen is larger but the iPhone isn’t a lot bigger).
However, there’s one other important reason why for some people the iPhone SE is a good choice. Anyone who feels that they need the Home button will probably feel lost with any iPhone other than the iPhone SE. While most of us can adjust to Face ID and swiping rather than pressing a button, some benefit from the accessibility of a physical button, and there is no doubt that is the reason why Apple still sells an iPhone with a button (although we don’t know for how much longer that will be the case). There is a way to add a software Home button to any iPhone though. Read: How to add a software Home button.
The other reason to choose the iPhone SE is that it is Apple’s cheapest iPhone you can buy new – although the price has actually risen in some locations since it launched. It now costs $429/£449, but it was £419 in the U.K. when it launched in March 2022. The older generations were even cheaper – at one point the iPhone SE cost $399.
While we don’t really recommend buying the iPhone SE, if you need that Home button – and we know some older folk who are concerned about not having that button – it’s the only modern option and definitely preferable to an old iPhone 8, which probably won’t be supported with software updates from 2023.
8. Apple iPhone 12 – Cheapest iPhone with Face ID
Pros
- Face ID
- MagSafe charging
Cons
- Outdated chip
- Large notch
Best Prices Today: $629.00 at AppleRead our full Apple iPhone 12 reviewStarting at $599/£649 this is the second cheapest iPhone after the iPhone SE. The iPhone 12 has been around for a while now though – it launched in 2020.
While it lacks the headline features of the past couple of years, the iPhone 12 offers many of the most popular features like Night mode, and if you want an iPhone with Face ID then this is your cheapest option. It’s also the cheapest 6.1-inch screen on an iPhone – and the screen is no different to that on the iPhone 13 and 14.
The processor is A14 Bionic, so don’t expect the power of the newer iPhones, but if you are upgrading from a much older iPhone you are likely to still see benefits. Just keep in mind that Apple won’t always support the A14 chip, so you’ll probably get one year less use out of it than you would a phone with the A15. See: How long do Apple iPhones last for.
The camera offers many of the features of the newer iPhones including Night Mode (which is missing from the iPhone SE), but you won’t find Photographic Styles (which are on the SE). Of the two photography related features we’d pick Night Mode over Photographic Styles, which are basically filters that are applied to every photo you take. The other thing that’s better about the iPhone 12 compared to the SE is that it has two cameras on the rear, rather than just one. This gives you the choice of a wide angle lens so you can fit more in a photograph – these cameras are the same as the iPhone 13: a 12MP Main (ƒ/1.6 aperture) and 12MP Ultra Wide (ƒ/2.4 aperture. All other iPhones offer two or more cameras on the rear. Find out how the iPhone 12 compares to the iPhone 13 mini – both of which start at the same price of $599/£649.
That’s the low down on every iPhone Apple sells as of fall 2022, but there are a couple of iPhones that Apple no longer sells, but are worth considering should you see them on sale.
Find out the fastest ways to charge an iPhone.
Best iPhones Apple doesn’t sell anymore
If you are lucky enough to see the iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max on sale at a good price we still recommend these handsets.
The “Max” variant of the iPhone 12 Pro had a different camera system than the regular-size iPhone 12 Pro, but with the iPhone 13 Pro, the standard size and Max versions had the exact same cameras, so pick the size that suits you.
Compared to the regular iPhone 13, the Pro models also had a much larger sensor on the standard Wide camera, and a wider aperture, too (f/1.5 vs. f/1.6). They also had the telephoto camera that the regular iPhone 13 lacks, with a more useful 3x zoom instead of the 2x zoom found on older models. And the Ultra-Wide camera had a wider aperture along with a 2-centimeter minimum focal distance, which allows you to take awesome macro shots.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max had the fastest new A15 processor with 5 GPU cores instead of 4 on the standard and mini iPhone 13. This extra core really comes into its own in high-end 3D games. While the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max have identical performance, the huge battery in the iPhone 13 Pro Max means epic battery life (and nothing drains your battery like gaming).
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Three new iOS 16.4 features that will make you want to upgrade right away
When it comes to iOS “point release” updates, there are those that don’t seem to change much and those that bring a bunch of fun new features to your iPhone. iOS 16.4 is the latter.
New security updates are usually a good enough reason to update your iPhone right away, but in the case of iOS 16.4, you’re going to get a bunch of enhancements that will impact the way you use your iPhone. These are the three biggest new features coming to your phone next week.
New Home architecture
Apple first released its promised new Home architecture back in iOS 16.2, but users had trouble updating and it was quickly pulled just a few days later. After several months, it’s now back in iOS 16.4.
The new architecture doesn’t really add any specific new features yet. It’s just a total reworking of the under-the-hood workings of the Home app and HomeKit for efficiency, reliability, and speed. If you previously upgraded before Apple pulled it last December, you shouldn’t need to upgrade again, but things should work more smoothly than last time.
Once you update to iOS 16.4, you can open the Home app, tap the (…) button in the upper right corner, and then select Home Settings. The prompt to update will be at the top of the screen. Note that all your other Apple things (especially Home Hubs like Apple TV or HomePod) will need to be updated as well.
New emojis
Who doesn’t love emojis? In iOS 16.4 Apple is adding 21 new emojis (31 if you include skin tone variations). You’ll get:
- Heart: Blue, pink, gray
- Smiley: Shaking face
- Gesture: Rightwards and leftwards pushing hand with 5 skin tones each
- Animals: Donkey, moose, goose, wing, jellyfish
- Nature: Hyacinth, pea pod, ginger
- Items: Folding hand fan, hair pick, flute, maracas
- Symbols: Khanda, wireless
Web app push notifications
For a long time now, one of the biggest problems with “web apps”–websites you add to your home screen to act like apps–was the lack of ability to send push notifications. With iOS 16.4, web apps added to your home screen can use the HTML5 standard Web Push API to send push notifications, complete with badge icons. Of course, they’ll have to ask permission to do this just like any app, and you can go to Settings > Notifications to adjust the way the web app notifies you.
This will only apply to apps added to your home screen. You know, like you would do with Wordle. Unlike Safari on the Mac, regular websites accessed in Safari on iOS still can’t send push notifications.
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