Best iPhone 2025: See where the iPhone 16e ranks

The iPhone 16 Pro is the top iPhone that we recommend right now. With features including a three-camera system that mirrors the Pro Max, solid battery life and a powerful processor, the iOS experience doesn’t get any better than this (unless you opt for the iPhone 16 Pro Max).

Measuring in at a slightly boosted 6.3 inches compared to the 15 Pro, it’s still much smaller than the 6.9-inch 16 Pro Max but sports similarly rounded edges and slimline bezels that make for a premium viewing experience. Importantly, it still sits nicely in the hand despite its slightly increased dimensions, making it a perfect antidote to the sea of competing big-screen phones.

The iPhone 16 Pro runs on the top-end A18 Pro chipset that, as usual, offers stunning performance with oodles of CPU and GPU power that can beat most other phones on the market, with a healthy gap between the iPhone 16 Pro and competing Android phones – for now, anyway.

That chipset also powers the all-new Apple Intelligence experience, though we wouldn’t describe it as the reason to upgrade right now.

Elsewhere, the iPhone 16 Pro features a three-lens rear camera system which includes a 48MP main lens, a 48MP ultrawide lens and a 12MP 5x telephoto lens, so images are crisp and detailed in both well-lit and even low-light conditions.

Other notable changes include a new Camera Control button that allows you to switch between photo modes and take photos, although we found the execution to be somewhat flawed due to an odd placement.

Still, if you want a truly powerful smartphone that offers speedy performance, high-end camera quality and impressive durability then the iPhone 16 Pro is a near-perfect choice.

You might be looking for an iPhone that can deliver all the very best that Apple has to offer, along with the biggest screen you can fit your hands around as well. No problem: that’s what the iPhone 16 Pro Max is for.

It’s bigger than ever, measuring in at an increased 6.9 inches compared to the 6.7 inches of previous models of Pro Max, but much of that is down to impressively thin bezels, meaning its footprint isn’t much larger than before.

Sheer size aside, the 120Hz OLED screen delivers a truly immersive experience when watching films and playing games in a way that smaller-screened devices simply can’t compete with. It also allows Apple to fit a larger battery within, meaning battery life is much better than the iPhone 16 Pro, easily lasting well into the second day of use much of the time.

In all other ways, it’s identical to the iPhone 16 Pro, with the same A18 Pro chipset with support for Apple Intelligence, a new Camera Control button and the same combination of a 48MP main, 48MP ultrawide and 12MP 5x telephoto cameras. It’s just a bigger, more expensive variant.

The iPhone 16 Pro might be the best iPhone but, for many people, the Pro model simply isn’t necessary. After all, the iPhone 16 is just as capable as the Pro and Pro Max in many areas and comes at a much lower price.

The base model received a significant upgrade with the iPhone 16, not only featuring the Action Button previously exclusive to the Pro and Pro Max models but also the new Camera Control button. And, not to miss out on the AI hype, the regular model also boasts support for Apple Intelligence in regions where it’s available.

What’s more, the iPhone 16 does away with the odd chipset split that left the regular iPhones on year-old chipsets, now sporting the A18 chipset for a two-generation jump. That also means that the regular iPhone can now play AAA mobile games like Resident Evil Village without issue.

The phone also packs an all-day battery and a bright display, though the 16 Pro has kept its exclusive hold on the 120Hz refresh rate and telephoto camera.

If you want the smoothest screen and most advanced camera on an iPhone, it’s worth spending extra on the iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max. However, if you’re happy with these sacrifices, the iPhone 16 remains a fantastic smartphone for most people.

We’ll admit, the iPhone 16e seemed like a strange premise when it was first announced. Priced at £599/$599, the phone is no longer in the more budget end of the market in the way that the iPhone SE was, but when you compare the overall usability of the 16e against Apple’s previous entry-level phone, there’s a lot more here to get excited about.

The biggest update is undoubtedly the move away from the Touch ID, boxy design of old and an embracing of the near end to end display that’s become associated with modern iPhones. Now with a 6.1-inch display, the iPhone 16e is far better suited for gaming and streaming content than the iPhone SE’s 4.7-inch panel ever was.

There’s also the leap to include the super fast A18 Bionic chip which gives the iPhone 16e performance parity with the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Plus. More than that, it provides the iPhone 16e with the power needed to run Apple Intelligence.

Admittedly, at the time of writing, Apple Intelligence isn’t quite the game changing feature that Apple no doubt intended it to be, but we do anticipate it being expanded quite a bit in the years to come, and at the very least the iPhone 16e will be privy to those updates when they appear. In the meantime though, you do get some handy features in the form of suggestions on how to rewrite notes and text messages, as well as notification summaries.

Smaller additions come in the form of a USB-C charging port and having the Action Button just above the volume controls. This extra button gives you quick access to an app or feature of your choosing, so you can quickly toggle things like the flashlight or specific shortcuts, or even just open the camera app.

What is unfortunate is all the things missing from the 16e. There’s no MagSafe compatibility (although there is wireless charging), no Dynamic Island and no ultra-wide camera, all of which you can get on the iPhone 16 which is just an extra £200/$200. Still, if all you need is a great-performing iPhone that’ll last for ages, covers the basics well and costs a little less than usual, then the iPhone 16e is just the ticket.

The iPhone 15 Plus might have been surpassed by the iPhone 16 Plus, but that means it’s now more affordable while still offering plenty of flagship-level features, including some of the best battery life we’ve ever seen on an iPhone.

There’s a larger cell in the iPhone 15 Plus than the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, and with its 6.7-inch OLED panel locked at a stable 60Hz, it can keep on going, as we found out during the review period.

We also prefer the 6.7-inch screen to the 6.1-inch iPhone 16. It’s a little roomier for games and movies, and less cramped for typing emails and browsing the web. Importantly, it’s a much lighter phone than the 16 Pro Max and more comfortable to hold as a result – something also aided by slightly rounded corners, a new touch compared to its predecessor.

The iPhone 15 Plus also enjoys other upgrades present on the regular iPhone 15, like a jump to a 48MP primary camera, the introduction of Dynamic Island tech and the use of the A16 Bionic chipset, all of which culminate in a great big-screen iPhone that’s all the more affordable more than a year after release – it’s just a shame the display remains locked at 60Hz, and that it doesn’t offer support for Apple Intelligence.