What iPhone Should I Buy? (Mid-2019 Guide)
Apple currently has one of the largest lineup of iPhones in years. It can become tough to decide which one is worth the money, especially since they have steadily been getting more expensive.
This guide will help you pick out which iPhone model is best for you, especially if you don’t have a lot to spend.
This guide will be split up by budget (in USD). This guide was made in July 2019, so it does not include the 2019 iPhones, which are going to be released in September 2019.
Here are a couple of affordable ways on purchasing a new iPhone, other than going into an Apple Store and buying the latest iPhone at full price:
Used: First, consider buying a used or refurbished phone, instead of a brand new one. If you do so, you can find iPhones at steep discounts.
However, while used phones are cheaper, there are still risks. The official Apple warranty will likely be non-existent (unless mentioned by the seller), and there is the slight potential of getting scammed. Luckily, eBay offers a Buyer’s Protection Guarantee, which allows you to get a refund if you get scammed.
A quick tip to note is that make sure the iPhone is listed as:
a) iCloud Unlocked
b) Passcode Free
c) Non-Activation Locked
If any of these three things are true, chances are the iPhone was stolen, and you won’t be able to use it on most phone carriers since it will be blacklisted.
TIP: After you receive your phone, make sure you check the serial number on the iPhone to make sure it hasn’t been marked as stolen or activation locked. Check out this guide for more information on buying a used phone.
Some good marketplaces for used phone include eBay and Swappa. Make sure you look at the reviews and seller’s history! If a phone seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Prepaid or Clearance Phones: What if you still want a new phone? Wireless carriers will often sell iPhones at a lower price to help attract customers, though it will most likely be locked to that carrier.
For example, Straight Talk, a prepaid carrier, is selling an iPhone 6s for $149. Verizon Wireless is also selling an iPhone 6s for free with a new line.
Apple Refurbished Market: In addition to new products, Apple sells refurbished phones on their website. These phones are fully certified by Apple and should work like new. They also have an official Apple warranty on them.
There’s also third party refurbished markets, like Mac of All Trades. Make sure you deal with a reputable seller though, by checking the site’s reviews and history!
Other Promotions and Sales
If you are looking for steeper discounts, especially on flagship phones, look around Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or other major holidays. At those times, wireless carriers or other resellers, like Best Buy and Walmart, will often have discounts and rebates of iPhones.
This guide will be split up into various price points. Remember, spending $100 now and having to replace the phone sooner is worse than spending more on a phone that will last longer and perform faster.
Entry-Level: iPhone SE (2016) — ~$100+
The iPhone SE is currently one of the smallest iPhones available. Apple no longer sells it on its official website, so you will have to find it on the used market or from your carrier.
It also has a 4 inch display, which makes it significantly smaller than any of the modern iPhones. For example, the iPhone XS (2019) has a 5.8 inch display. Whether this display size difference matters depends on you. Some enjoy the smaller display because it fits better in one hand and is more pocketable. Others prefer a larger display for playing games or watching movies.
Even though the SE is the cheapest option on this guide, it is still very fast and should be usable for the next 2–3 years.
I found some for around $90 on Swappa (used) for the 16GB version and around $120 for the other storage capacities.
However, if you have more to spend, you should spend it.
Budget: iPhone 6s & 6s Plus (2015) and 7 & 7 Plus (2016)
iPhone 6s (2015): ~$140+
The iPhone 6s was Apple’s flagship phone of 2015, and it shares the same internals of the iPhone SE (2016).
It introduced 3D Touch, a pressure sensitive mechanism in iOS that allowed you to get contextual menus in apps, previews in links, and more.
Is it a killer feature that is going to fundamentally change the way you use your iPhone? No. It’s just a nice convenience to have. Also, Apple is already planning to get rid of 3D Touch on its 2019 iPhones, if the rumors apply.
The 6s also has upgraded cameras (like the SE, though the selfie camera is better on the 6s), a faster fingerprint sensor, LTE Advanced, and hands-free Hey Siri.
It should be usable for the next 2–3 years, similar to the SE.
I found the regular 6s on Swappa and eBay (used) for around $140. The Plus version (which has a larger 5.5 inch screen compared to the 6s’ 4.7 inch screen) should cost around $70 — $100 more.
But, if you can spend more, spend it.
iPhone 7 (2016): ~$200+
The iPhone 7 was Apple’s 2016 flagship. It had a slightly updated design from the 6s, with a larger camera, more hidden wireless antenna bands, water resistance, and a solid state home button (that means it isn’t an actual button, just a motor inside).
The cameras were updated, the performance was increased, the 3D touch motor was enhanced, and the headphone jack was removed. Oof.
The larger version of the 7 (the 7 Plus) also added a second telephoto camera lens in addition to the normal wide-angle lens. The telephoto lens allows you to zoom in without sacrificing as much image quality as with a conventional digital zoom.
It should be usable for the next 3–4 years.
I found the 7 for around $200 used, and the Plus version should cost around $70-$100 more.
Apple still sells the new version of these on their website for $449 for the 7 and $569 for the 7 Plus, but I wouldn’t recommend buying them new from Apple. If you really wanted a new iPhone, you should at least get the 8, XR, or XS.
The 7 is a perfectly fine budget phone that should last the next few years, but, it may be worth it to aim higher if you’ve got some more to spend.
Midrange: iPhone 8 & 8 Plus (2017) — ~$400+
The iPhone 8 was released alongside the X as the lower-cost Apple flagship of 2017. It added much faster internals, a glass back allowing for wireless pad charging, improved cameras, and a new technology in the display called True Tone which adapts the display temperature to the ambient environment around it.
Otherwise, the design is virtually identical to the 7, with the same dual camera setup as with the 7 Plus in the 8 Plus.
It should be usable for the next 4–5 years.
I found them used on Swappa for around $400 for the regular model and around $70–$100 more for the Plus version.
Apple also sells the new version of these for $599 for the 8 and $699 for the 8 Plus, which are definitely reasonable prices.
This iPhone sits in a sweet spot between value and longevity, and if you want an iPhone that will just work for the next few years and be a good value, buy this one.
Premium: iPhone X (2017) and XR (2018)
iPhone X: ~$600
The iPhone X was released to the public alongside the iPhone 8 as the futuristic phone of the future. It had a new full-screen and higher resolution HDR display (5.8 inches) , a stainless steel frame, a facial biometric system (instead of fingerprint), and improved cameras.
At the time, it cost $999, compared to the iPhone 8’s original price of $699. Nowadays, you can find them for as low as $525 up to $700 used. Apple doesn’t sell them new on their website anymore.
It will last for at least the next 4–5 years, but if you are considering a phone at this price point, I seriously recommend you check out the XR instead.
iPhone XR: $750
The iPhone XR was released one year later of the iPhone 8 and X and features basically the same things as the iPhone X, except for:
- A larger display → it’s now 6.1 inches.
- The frame switches from stainless steel to the older aluminium.
- It’s available in more colors.
- There’s only one camera, unlike the X’s telephoto (zoom) camera.
- The display is LCD, not OLED, meaning the bezels are not going to be as small as on the X. Also, the colors won’t be as vibrant, and the screen might not be as bright.
- A faster processor than the X (A12 Bionic).
- Longer battery life (even compared to the more expensive XS!)
- Upgraded main, wide-angle camera.
You can find them new from Apple for $750 and used for as low as around $600. For most people, I would recommend the XR over the X simply because it will last longer (5–6 years), and the other missing features won’t be that noticeable.
Flagship: iPhone XS & XS Max (2018)
iPhone XS: $999 — $1099
The XS was released alongside the XR and is currently the best iPhone you can buy. It’s also the most expensive, and is probably not worth it for some. It has some of the features the XR was lacking from the X (and some more), including:
- An OLED display.
- The second telephoto camera.
- Faster Face ID.
- Smarter camera HDR.
- Enhanced IP68 water resistance.
- Two screen size options — 5.8 inches and 6.5 inches.
- A new gold color.
Other than that, there aren’t that many features that differentiate it from the XR. In fact, the XR has a longer battery life than the XS. The XR’s screen size sits right in between the XS and the XS Max.
Plus, the XS new costs $999, while the XS Max new costs $1099, which is pretty high. You can find the regular XS used for around $750–900, which isn’t a significant discount.
The Conclusion
Here is the quick guide for what you should buy:
- Want a starter or extreme budget (like kids) phone that might last a few years? Get an iPhone SE.
- If you can spend a little bit more (around $150–$200), get the iPhone 6s or 7.
- If you want the best value iPhone, that hits the sweet spot between price (~$400) and longevity, get the iPhone 8.
- If you want some of the latest features, including the new iPhone design, while paying more (~$600 to $700 area), get the iPhone X or (my pick) the iPhone XR.
- If you want the best iPhone in existence right now, and don’t really care about price to value too much, get the iPhone XS.
That’s pretty much it. Also, note that new iPhones are coming in September, with triple cameras, tweaked colors, and even faster performance, so it may be worth it waiting to see if certain iPhones decrease in price.
