Which iPhone is best for you to buy in 2017? We compare the iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone SE, to see what the difference is in terms of performance, camera tech, features and more.
Apple just launched not two but three brand new iPhones in the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and the slick new iPhone X the latest Apple mobile phones fresh for 2017. However, you can still buy two previous generations of iPhone through Apple’s online webstore and its high street shops: the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, and the iPhone SE.
So what’s the difference between these different iPhones, which is best for you, and should you consider upgrading to a new iPhone if you’re an existing owner? Here’s our full round-up of the best iPhones you can buy right now and how they compare to one another.
Check out our interactive visual history of the iPhone for a fun look at how Apple’s iPhone has evolved over time.
Best iPhones in 2017: iPhone SE
| Price | From £349 – check out the best iPhone SE deals |
| Release Date | Spring 2016 |
| Screen size | 4-inches |
| Storage | 32GB, 128GB |
| Cameras | 12MP, 1.2MP |
| Colours | Silver, Gold, Space Grey, Rose Gold |
| Our Review | iPhone SE review |
The iPhone SE is Apple’s 2016 throwback to its old 4-inch mobile phones of yesteryear. Although it features a chunky, compact design like the iPhone 5s and earlier iPhones, Apple has packed in some much of the same advanced smartphone tech as found on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.
So, like those 2015 flagships, you get a supreme 12-megapixel camera that can shoot detailed photos and record 4K home movies. You also get Apple’s A9 processor, which can still easily handle the latest 3D games, plus a Touch ID fingerprint sensor for unlocking the phone and using Apple Pay. Add £100 to the price if you want to buy the significantly more capacious 256GB version.
As long as you don’t mind the very compact screen, the iPhone SE is a seriously impressive package. It’s one of the cheapest iPhones around, yet packs some solid Apple’s specs and features into a mini, easy-to-handle frame. Nice.
Best iPhones in 2017: iPhone 6s
| Price | From £449 – check out the best iPhone 6s deals |
| Release Date | Autumn 2015 |
| Screen size | 4.7-inches |
| Storage | 32GB, 128GB |
| Cameras | 12MP, 5MP |
| Colours | Silver, Gold, Space Grey, Rose Gold |
| Our Review | iPhone 6s review |
2015’s iPhone 6s was a significant step up from the iPhone 6 in most areas, although it sported a very similar design as well as a 4.7-inch screen again.
For a start, Apple’s A9 processor is still an absolute power house, smashing through the latest memory-hogging games and apps with no sign of slowdown. And for the first time, you can also pick up an iPhone in a meaty 128GB model. That’s particularly handy if you shoot loads of video, download tons of apps and carry around a lot of movies and music.
While the iPhone 6s’ display doesn’t appear any different to the 6’s, Apple crammed in its new 3D Touch technology. This can actually measure the pressure you apply when you poke the surface, giving you an extra layer of control. Check out our 3D Touch guide for more info.
The iPhone 6s also introduced Apple’s excellent 12-megapixel iSight camera. This was the first Apple phone to shoot 4K video, while adding bonus features like Live Photos (utterly pointless). Detail levels were seriously improved over previous iPhone generations, giving you supremely sharp photos even when blown right up to poster size.
It also packs upgraded 5-megapixel FaceTime camera, which captures much better selfies than before. Apple’s Retina Flash feature can even light up your face by making the screen super-bright, to reduce blockiness and grain.
Best iPhones in 2017: iPhone 6s Plus
| Price | From £549 – check out the best iPhone 6s Plus deals |
| Release Date | Autumn 2015 |
| Screen size | 5.5-inches |
| Storage | 32GB, 128GB |
| Cameras | 12MP, 5MP |
| Colours | Silver, Gold, Space Grey, Rose Gold |
| Our Review | iPhone 6s Plus review |
The iPhone 6s Plus was again a minor upgrade over the iPhone 6s, beyond that bigger, sharper screen (which like the iPhone 6 Plus, is a 5.5-inch Full HD display).
You can pick up the iPhone 6s Plus with up to 128GB of storage, and the processor is once again Apple’s own A9 chipset. However, the 12-megapixel rear-facing camera boasts OIS, something once again missing from the smaller model. And unlike the iPhone 6 Plus, the 6s Plus’ OIS works even when shooting video.
Best iPhones in 2017: iPhone 7
| Price | From £549 – check out the best iPhone 7 deals |
| Release Date | Autumn 2016 |
| Screen size | 4.7-inches |
| Storage | 32GB, 128GB |
| Cameras | 12MP, 7MP |
| Colours | Silver, Gold, Rose Gold, Black, Jet Black |
| Our Review | iPhone 7 review |
The iPhone 7 tweaked the design of its predecessor a little while also adding in a whole new camera, IP67 water resistance and a few more new features.
Once again you get a sharp 4.7-inch screen that boasts the same realistic image reproduction as previous models, however, Apple improved on the iPhone 6s’ display with a new wider colour gamut and a more powerful maximum brightness.
That gorgeous panel is packed into a familiar metallic frame, which has lost those antenna bars that previously stretched across the back. You also get a distinctive ‘Black’ colour choice and a glossy new ‘Jet Black’ model if you’re an Ultra Emo, although that shiny surfacing scratches up rather easily.
Apple’s removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack means you’ll need to use a set that plugs directly into the iPhone 7’s Lightning port, or resort to the 3.5mm adapter in-box or a pair of Bluetooth headphones.
The new Force Touch home button also adds another layer of input for developers to take advantage of, measuring exactly how hard you push it for different effects.
Thankfully the 16GB models of yesteryear have been scrapped. The iPhone 7 starts at 32GB, so you’ll have enough storage to carry around plenty of apps and media, and still leave space for those massive update downloads.
You also get Apple’s A10 Fusion processor, which should happily handle the latest apps and games for some time to come. It’s 35 percent more powerful than the Apple A9 in 2015’s iPhone 6s, so this handset should still feel tightly wound for a few more years.
The iPhone 7’s camera tech has also been massively overhauled compared with the iPhone 6s optics. Apple added in Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) to reduce the risk of blurry shots in low light conditions. That’s something previously only found on the ‘Plus’ iPhone models. You also get an f/1.8 aperture lens and imaging system, for impressive results. Check out our iPhone 7 camera feature for more info.
Best iPhones in 2017: iPhone 7 Plus
| Price | From £669 – check out the best iPhone 7 Plus deals |
| Release Date | Autumn 2016 |
| Screen size | 5.5-inches |
| Storage | 32GB, 128GB |
| Cameras | 12MP dual-lens, 7MP |
| Colours | Silver, Gold, Rose Gold, Black, Jet Black |
| Our Review | iPhone 7 Plus review |
The iPhone 7 Plus is once again a 5.5-incher like the 6 Plus and 6s Plus before it, and Apple’s 2016 big boy sports much the same specs of the iPhone 7, as well as that all-important water-resistant design.
Once again there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack, with a secondary speaker taking its place. You can also grab the iPhone 7 Plus in the new ‘Black’ and glossy ‘Jet Black’ colour choices, just like the standard iPhone 7.
Inside Apple’s larger 7 you’ll find a bigger battery, but much the same components including the company’s A10 Fusion processor. The 5.5-inch screen sticks with a Full HD resolution too, rather than bumping up to Quad HD.
Apple has reworked its mobile camera tech making the 7 Plus the first iPhone with a dual-lens primary snapper. This new dual-lens system can capture impressively detailed shots, just like the similarly designed Huawei P10, as well as adding a telephoto optical zoom. Check out our iPhone 7 Plus camera feature for more info.
Best iPhones in 2017: iPhone 8
| Price | From £699 |
| Release Date | Autumn 2017 |
| Screen size | 4.7-inches |
| Storage | 64GB, 256GB |
| Cameras | 12MP, 7MP |
| Colours | Silver, Gold, Space Grey |
| Our Review | Coming soon |
Apple’s first 2017 blower, the iPhone 8, may resemble the previous year’s efforts at first glance but it won’t take you long to spot one significant change in the bodywork. The iPhone 8 rocks a reflective glass back in place of the milled aluminium bodied long-time iPhone users have grown accustomed to.
As well as offering up a slicker appearance, this material change also means the iPhone 8 supports Qi wireless charging, meaning you don’t have to fumble in the dark when you want to plug your phone in at night. Speaking of charging, it’s also the first phone to formally rock fast-charging, with 50 percent charge possible in just 30 minutes.
It retains its predecessor’s IP67 dust and water resistance and rocks a similar 4.7-inch Retina HD display, although this time it’s a True Tone panel, able to adjust colour temperature to counter any changes to the ambient light in the environment for more accurate viewing.
The main 12-megapixel camera packs in OIS and video fans will also love the addition of up to 4K video recording at 60fps, as well as super slow-motion 240fps recording in Full HD; both made possible by the company’s new A11 Bionic processor.
Best iPhones in 2017: iPhone 8 Plus
| Price | From £849 |
| Release Date | Autumn 2017 |
| Screen size | 5.5-inches |
| Storage | 64GB, 256GB |
| Cameras | 12MP dual-lens, 7MP |
| Colours | Silver, Gold, Space Grey |
| Our Review | Coming soon |
For 2017 Apple skipped the ‘S’ naming convention and jumped straight to 8, with the iPhone 8 Plus serving as the larger sibling to the slick new iPhone 8.
It too sports a reflective glass back in place of milled aluminium and as such also benefits from Qi wireless charging, like its smaller counterpart. Fast charging is again on the menu, with 50 percent charge in 30 minutes and it’s all wrapped up in an IP67-certified shell.
As with every ‘Plus’ phone since the 6 Plus there’s a 5.5-inch Retina HD display on the front, although, like the 8, True Tone tech is on-hand for more accurate viewing and 3D Touch less you use pressure to interact with iOS in unique ways.
The dual 12-megapixel camera packs in a wide-angle OIS-laden sensor, side by side with a telephoto one. together you can leverage lossless optical zoom and Apple’s Portrait mode, which now features a virtual lighting rig option so that you can better exposure your subject’s face in-frame and edit it after the fact. There’s also OIS and the same powerful video options as on the smaller iPhone 8
The company’s A11 Bionic processor runs the show and in this instance, you get an extra 1GB of RAM over the 2GB found in the standard 8.
Best iPhones in 2017: iPhone X
| Price | From £999 |
| Release Date | Autumn 2017 |
| Screen size | 5.8-inches |
| Storage | 64GB, 256GB |
| Cameras | 12MP dual-lens, 7MP |
| Colours | Silver, Space Grey |
| Our Review | Coming soon |
Moments after launching the iPhones 8 and 8 Plus Apple also introduced the world to a striking new smartphone in the iPhone X.
Aside from the confusing fact that it’s actually pronounced “iPhone Ten” the X introduces a radical new design and a host of new features never before seen on an iPhone.
Like its launch siblings, you get that same A11 Bionic chip at the helm and an IP67-certified glass and metal design that supports both fast and wireless charging. The front of the device debuts the company’s new Super Retina Display – the first AMOLED panel ever seen on an iPhone and one that stretches to the fringes of the phone’s front. It’s also the first HDR-capable display and the sharpest display Apple’s ever used on one of its handsets, boasting 458ppi.
With the phone’s front dominated by the display, Apple had to replace the physical home button and ditch Touch ID, introducing a new 3D face-mapping ‘TrueDepth’ camera system for its new Face ID security feature. The fancy front-facer also helps for things like motion tracking in Snapchat filters and iOS 11’s new animated emojis, a.k.a. Animojis, which map your facial expressions onto 3D recreations of 12 popular emojis.
Similarly to the iPhone 8 Plus, the X’s dual camera packs in two 12-megapixel sensors, one wide-angle offering with an f/1.8 aperture and one telephoto module with an f/2.4 aperture, both of which also boast OIS. Like the 8 Plus it can leverage Apple’s Portrait mode and integrate virtual lighting states into shots which can be edited after the fact but again thanks to that TrueDepth camera system, you can also use Portrait mode with the front-facing 7-megapixel snapper as well.
Lastly, its two storage options don’t come cheap. The 64GB model costs £999, whilst the 256GB version costs a whopping £1149.