“Apple sells eight different models of the iPhone, ranging from the iPhone SE all the way up to the most premium iPhone X,” Todd Haselton writes for CNBC. “As CNBC’s gadget reviewer, I’m frequently asked: ‘Todd, which iPhone should I buy?'”
“It’s a tough question to answer, since it really depends on how much you want to spend and what you expect out of your iPhone,” Haselton writes. “Do you need the very best? Do you prefer smaller screens?”
“The iPhone SE is starting to show its age, and rumors suggest Apple will refresh it in the coming months. I recommend most people hold off on buying it unless you really don’t care about having an outdated smartphone,” Haselton writes. “iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus… still offer excellent cameras and features, but which are starting to show their age, but most folks should consider one step up.”
“iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus… are perfect mid-range iPhones for most people. Want most of the latest features without splurging? These are for you,” Haselton writes. “iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus… are best for folks who like Apple’s older design language but still want most of the latest parts.”
iPhone X “is for the folks who want it all and who don’t flinch at the $999 starting price,” Haselton writes. “It’s my current favorite smartphone…”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: A 256GB iPhone X costs $1,149 or $47.88 per month over 24 months. A 32GB iPhone SE (a storage level which we do not recommend) costs $349 or $14.54/mo over 24 months. So, there is a $33.34 difference per month between the top of the line flagship iPhone and the entry-level model with 1/8 the storage capacity. That’s less than the price of a typical Starbucks coffee per day.
Hint: If money’s an issue, brew up your own coffee and get yourself a real iPhone. 😉
The coffee, of course, is merely an example. We bet most people could find a way to save a buck and a few pennies a day. Looking at the difference in cost per day between a 256GB iPhone X ($1.57) vs. a 32GB iPhone SE ($0.49) over a two-year plan can be illuminating. It’s a difference of $1.08 per day.
We’re Mac users. We always opt for the future vs. the past. — MacDailyNews, November 17, 2017
SEE ALSO:
Apple’s iPhone X vs. iPhone 8 Plus: Which one to get? – November 17, 2017
Computerworld reviews Apple’s iPhone X: The smartphone on the market today and the one best one for business, too – November 17, 2017
Samsung Galaxy S9 benchmarks leak and Apple’s iPhone X thoroughly nukes them – November 16, 2017
Apple’s iPhone X destroys Android’s very best smartphones; makes Samsung Galaxy Note 8 seem obsolete – November 15, 2017
Forbes reviews Apple’s iPhone X: So refined, it will convert the most devout Android user – November 14, 2017
Android Central reviews Apple’s iPhone X – November 13, 2017
ZDNet reviews Apple’s iPhone X: The best smartphone – November 13, 2017
ZDNet’s Miller: After 10 days with Apple’s iPhone X, it’s clear its the best smartphone. Period. – November 13, 2017
Michael Gartenberg: iPhone X is the best smartphone you can buy today, and likely tomorrow; Apple is now a full generation ahead of their competitors – November 10, 2017
T3 reviews Apple’s iPhone X: Brilliant, five stars, 2017’s best smartphone – November 8, 2017
DisplayMate: Apple’s iPhone X has the most color accurate display we’ve ever measured; it is visually indistinguishable from perfect – November 8, 2017
Ars Technica reviews iPhone X: Easy to recommend if you want a glimpse at the future – November 3, 2017
iMore reviews iPhone X: The best damn product Apple has ever made – November 2, 2017
TechCrunch reviews Apple’s iPhone X: ‘Like using the future of smartphones, today’ – November 1, 2017
Tim Bajarin’s first impression of Apple’s iPhone X: Face ID worked flawlessly – November 1, 2017
The Verge reviews Apple’s iPhone X: Clearly the best iPhone ever made, despite being marred by its ugly notch – November 1, 2017
Above Avalon’s first impressions of Apple’s iPhone X: ‘An entirely new iPhone experience’ – October 31, 2017
The Independent reviews Apple’s iPhone X: ‘This feels like the future’ – October 31, 2017
David Pogue reviews Apple’s iPhone X: ‘The best thing is its size’ – October 31, 2017
Forbes reviews Apple’s iPhone X: Opulent, gorgeous, classy; the best iPhone yet – October 31, 2017
CNBC reviews Apple’s iPhone X: ‘The best smartphone on the market’ – October 31, 2017
iPhone 8’s Apple A11 Bionic chip so destroys Android phones that Geekbench creator can’t even believe it – September 30, 2017
Apple’s A11 Bionic chip is by far the highest-performing system on the market; totally destroys Android phones – September 19, 2017
Apple’s A11 Bionic chip in iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and iPhone X leaves Android phones choking in the dust – September 18, 2017
The inside story of Apple’s amazing A11 Bionic chip – September 18, 2017
Apple’s A11 Bionic obliterates top chips from Qualcomm, Samsung and Huawei – September 18, 2017
Apple accelerates mobile processor dominance with A11 Bionic; benchmarks faster than 13-inch MacBook Pro – September 15, 2017
Apple’s A11 Bionic chip in iPhone X and iPhone 8/Plus on par with 2017 MacBook Pro – September 14, 2017
iPhone 8 Plus 64GB, £36.50 a month for 20 months… couldn’t be happier.
For incessant whiners… you can find your “right iPhones” on the wall of your phone company’s store. They’ll be labelled “Samsung”. Get the cheapest one available.
Pick the one with the headphone jack?
” A 32GB iPhone SE (a storage level which we do not recommend) costs $349 or $14.54/mo over 24 months…”
that very model and size is $129 at Walmart today.
It looks like that’s only if you use “Walmart Family Mobile” as your service provider. Is that right?
You can take it to any provider and put in their SIMM card.
At Walmart last weekend, I got the AT&T-capable iPhone SE. Although it is advertised as “prepaid”, I promptly switched my monthly Mobile Share plan to it at a nearby AT&T store.
same here, except I got the Verizon version…I simply prefer the pocket-sized phone.
Which actually uses the T-Mobile network. Not a bad deal if you have coverage.
So insightful! I think I am stupider now than before I read the ‘recommendations’
“most folks should consider one step up.”
Most folks should choose whatever phone best suits their own needs, preferences and budgets.
I know you MDN folks have absorbed all the kool-aid into your veins, but…
While I like the functionality of my 6, I HATE the form factor and haven’t liked it since I got it. I’ll replace it with an SE not because of price (I don’t care that much about that), or about performance (which is something I do care about) but because it actually FITS IN MY HAND. The 6s/7/7 Plus/8/8 Plus/X doesn’t. It’s that simple, and all the performance on the planet matters exactly squat if I can’t use it because I can’t reach the freaking numbers and operate even the PHONE app with one hand — never mind all the other apps that use every bit of screen real estate. The “Reachability” function is just flatly annoying (try double tapping the home button 4 times while trying to dial a phone number to see if you like it), and still doesn’t enable my one-handed use of my 6. Thank goodness the SE is (a) still being made and (b) will be upgraded.
Quit dissing anything but “the best” — because other people have different priorities than you.
just bought an SE after tolerating the 6s form factor for nearly 2 years. So much happier with the smaller phone. If they upgrade it significantly in the spring, I’ll sell the current one and get the new one. At this price point, its not even worth worrying about.
Had the 6+. Went through four of them because they kept bending in my (front) pocket. Couldn’t stand the form factor. Got an SE. Loved it.
Just bought an iPhone X. Love everything about it *except* the form factor. Back to using two hands or fumbling the phone most of the time (even though it’s much smaller than the SE). Love the keyboard on it (my thumbs and fingers are too big for the keyboard on the SE) but everything else just sucks.
When the SE catches up to the X, I’m going back to the SE.
Here’s another shout for the SE. When you always have your iPad close to you, you simply don’t need an iPhone with a small screen because if you want a larger screen, you use the iPad instead.
The fact that the SE is compact, has great performance and has a stunning battery life makes it perfect for my needs.
There are some attractive decent deals available for the SE at the moment ( my wife just snapped up a 128g iPhone SE for a good price ) and I reckon there will be some even better deals offered as spring approaches and they need to clear the existing stocks for a new version of the SE.
Software is more important than the phone. The new AppStore stinks, and the apps available are dumbing down.