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Experts reveal the exact iPhone model that gives you the very best value for your money: 'Nothing beyond is worth the expense'
Experts — product reviewers, third-party repair techs, and even ex-Apple staffers — all agree that the latest is not necessarily the greatest when it comes to the iPhone.
DailyMail.com contacted these independent experts in the hopes of finding out which model of Apple's iconic smartphone landed in that perfect 'sweet spot' promising high quality hardware and key features alongside affordability.
While the reasoning for their recommendations varied, the experts all advised that consumers consider 2021's iPhone 13 models and, for those looking for the best budget option, 2022's iPhone SE.
Their picks follow a rollercoaster year for Apple's fortunes, including a dip in stock price tied to 'gimmicky' or 'lackluster' new iPhone models and stiff competition from rival mobile-maker Samsung — which beat the tech giant in device sales this year.
Here's what the experts told DailyMail.com informed their decision on the 'perfect' and perfectly priced iPhone model.
Experts - product reviewers, third-party repair techs, and even ex-Apple staffers - all agree that the latest is not necessarily the greatest when it comes to iPhone. They told DailyMail.com that 2021's iPhone 13 models (above) and 2022's iPhone SE were the best iPhones at the best price
iPhone 13, 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max
Many rank-and-file Apple users swear by the company's 2020 iPhone 12 as the best, longest-lasting generation of the phone, with some calling it the 'sweet spot.'
'Beyond the iPhone 12, the differences are quite minimal,' as one proud owner posted to the Ars Technica forum, 'effectively just slight improvements in speed, battery life, and cameras.'
'The iPhone's a mature product and I don't expect radical improvements year-over-year,' the poster noted, 'but looking at the cost, I don't feel like anything beyond the iPhone 12 is really worth the expense.'
But experts told DailyMail.com that the following year's model, the iPhone 13, perfected everything good about iPhone 12 — making it the 13 that is actually the ideal older model for the best value, without skimping on performance or features.
Tyler Morgan, a former Apple employee who posts his advice on the company's products as @hitomidocameraroll on TikTok, told DailyMail.com that 'anyone going from [an iPhone] 12 Pro to a 13 Pro would notice a substantial change.'
'Personally I always recommend the iPhone 13 Pro,' Morgan continued. 'Since the 13 release, it's just been copies with small updates and gimmicks.'
Stan, a repair technician at New York's Geek Shop, co-signed Morgan's advice.
Experts told DailyMail.com that the iPhone 13 perfected everything good about iPhone 12 - making it the ideal older model for the best value without skimping on any cool new hardware or key features. Above, several colors of the highly recommended iPhone 13 Pro
'I would go for the 13 instead,' Stan told DailyMail.com
'Usually what they do is they'll release a new model with a different chassis,' Stan, who asked that his his last name be kept private, explained.
'Then, the next model will be like a revision — slightly better, but they'll fix up any of the small kinks they had with the previous model, which was a 12,' he added. 'The 13 was the revision.'
According to Stan, the relationship was similar between the novel iPhone 10 and the revised iPhone 11, as well as between iPhones 14 and 15.
Refurbished iPhone 13s with 128 gigabytes of memory currently range in price from about $400 for the basic model up to $550 for the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Morgan praised the iPhone 13 models for their top notch specs, including a rapid refresh rate of 120 Hz (or 8 milliseconds) for its screen, significantly improved battery life over the iPhone 12, and, in his words, a 'proper pro camera setup.'
Morgan told DailyMail.com that most everything Apple has done to the iPhone since the 13 has been 'gimmicks or minor upgrades no one asked for.'
iPhone 14's 'Dynamic Island,' which allows users to operate apps without leaving other apps, iPhone 15's 'natural Titanium finish,' and the newer 'action button' and 'capture button' additions all fall into this category, Morgan said.
Even the newer iPhone models' most impressive hardware upgrades don't seem worth the price, according to Morgan: the five-times zoom feature and other capabilities of iPhone 15's 48-megapixel camera.
'As great as it is,' Morgan noted, 'no one knows how to use it out of the box.'
But beyond iPhone 13, Stan at Geek Shop and other experts had more suggestions for a cheaper, but still well-made, iPhone to please even more thrifty Apple fans.
Released on March 18, 2022, the third generation version of Apple's iPhone SE (pictured above) remains a standard for consumers looking to buy an economical, but high quality smart phone, according to third-party phone repair experts and product testers
Above, Apple CEO Tim Cook debuting iPhone SE back during a March 8, 2022 event. That year's new iteration of the iPhone SE featured 5G and the tech giant's A15 Bionic chip
iPhone SE (2022)
Introduced in 2016, the iPhone SE — short for 'Special Edition' — has become Apple's budget model for those who prefer their phones to be smaller and less obtrusive.
The third-generation iPhone SE is 'the ideal choice' for those who want 'don't want to pay as much for a new smartphone as you would for a decent laptop,' according to the New York Times' product review site, The Wirecutter.
And Stan at Geek Shop told DailyMail.com that he agreed with their analysis.
'If you were looking for best 'bang for the buck,' that would be the SE 2022, in my opinion,' Stan said. 'Every every technician will have his own opinion, but that's usually my go-to.'
'If you just want basic like text message, email check, basic photos,' the repair tech advised, 'then I would go for the SE 2022.'
A used and refurbished 2022 iPhone SE with 64 gigabytes (GB) of memory typically sells for about $210 to $250, with the 124 GB version still often under $300.
The iPhone SE also might benefit more privacy and security conscious consumers who recoil at the thought of using full facial recognition scans via Apple's Face ID to access their device over a simple (and faster) fingerprint scan.
The phone's response-times and internet speeds are impressive as well, per The Wirecutter: 'iPhone SE is significantly cheaper than the iPhone 15, but in many situations it feels just as fast.'
The product reviewers note that it's only when using processing-speed intensive programs like playing games, streaming video or FaceTime calls over LTE or 5G networks that the iPhone SE begins to show signs of its pint-sized pedigree.
Plus, unlike other budget phones, including many cheap Android devices, iPhone SE is much more likely to receive iOS software support, patches and updates for years, the reviewers noted.
Geek Shop's tech, Stan, added that iPhone SE's camera is fairly good, although lacks the additional telephoto lens and Night Mode setting that allows Apple's most up-to-date models capture incredible pictures in darker environment.
Shutterbugs interested in an incredible digital camera as well as a top shelf phone, Stan said, might find these features on iPhone 15 worth the splurge.
'At the end of the day,' he admitted, 'I'm just a guy with an opinion.'