Ranked: Every iPhone in order of greatness
10 years, 18 iPhones - but which one’s the best ever?
Ranked: Every iPhone in order of greatness
Love ’em or hate ’em, Apple knows how to make fantastic phones.
The announcement of the iPhone X marked 10 years since the first one, so we’ve lined up the 18 distinct models and considered each one, not just on its greatness but on its impact, influence, the quality of its competition and any major flaws (we’re talking about you, Antennagate).
Ready? Then let’s begin.
18) iPhone 5c (2013)
The iPhone 5 was a brilliant phone when it was released in 2012, and it was still pretty great when Apple dressed it up in plastic and knocked £80 off the price in 2013. And those colours!
But as the only iPhone ever released specifically to be a "lesser than" model, it was hard to drum up too much enthusiasm for its release.
17) iPhone 4s (2011)
It says a lot about the success of Siri that the phone that debuted it is down in 17th place, but the 4s also enhanced the camera and graphics, with a revised antenna design that avoided the signal issues of the iPhone 4.
You also have to give the 4s props for longevity. It even received the iOS 9 upgrade back in 2015, four years after its initial release, making it the first iPhone to stay active for that long.
16) iPhone 3GS (2009)
Running upwards of twice as fast as its sluggish predecessor, with a better camera that could also shoot video, the 3GS (for speed) was a notable enhancement over the iPhone 3G.
But in the historical context of core iPhone upgrades, it feels like one of the least consequential of the bunch. It doesn’t help that it’s sandwiched by the upgrade to 3G data on one end and the iPhone 4’s beautiful design and Retina display on the other.
15) iPhone 8 (2017)
The introduction of the iPhone 8 felt like the first time that Apple had its attentions elsewhere. With all eyes on the iPhone X, the 8’s just-better-than-720p, 4.7in display is no more than adequate and while the rear camera is very good, it’s not as impressive as the 8 Plus’s.
Wireless charging is a nice, if overdue, addition but what was once the jewel in Apple’s smartphone crown now underwhelms in a post-iPhone X world.
14) iPhone 5s (2013)
Whereas the 5c took the iPhone 5 and made it feel cheaper, the iPhone 5s started from that same device and made it markedly better.
The Touch ID sensor was the most obvious perk, offering innovative security functionality that worked startlingly well (unless you had wet hands), but the upgrade to a 64-bit processor also allowed for glossier game and app experiences.
13) iPhone 6s Plus (2015)
2015’s 6s Plus offered the complete iPhone experience, albeit without adding a great deal to what had come before.
As well as a 3D Touch screen, improved battery life and super-fast fingerprint scanner, it also had optical image stabilisation, which resulted in better low light shots and more stable video recording – something which the iPhone 6s lacked. It was still bloomin’ massive though, and didn’t yet bring a game-changing upgrade like the iPhone 7 Plus would ultimately provide…
12) iPhone 7 (2016)
The iPhone 7 will forever be remembered as the one that ditched the headphone port, but that tells you a lot about the extent of its new features.
A tweak here and a minor upgrade there meant that one missing port got all the snarky headlines, but overall it was still an improvement on what had come before, with a faster chip, better battery life and a home button that wasn’t actually a button. Witchcraft.
11) iPhone 6s (2015)
Apple’s 2015 flagship looked almost identical to its predecessors, which was no bad thing given how sleek and handsome it was.
The main changes were hidden beneath its screen. The new 3D Touch display responded to pressure, letting users access extra menu options or open links in a mini window just by pushing harder. Fancy stuff, then, but admittedly nothing that made upgrading from an iPhone 6 essential.
10) iPhone 6 Plus (2014)
Steve Jobs wouldn’t have approved, but Apple finally entered the phablet market when it revealed the 5.5in iPhone 6 Plus.
For some, it was the giant iPhone they’d always dreamed of. For others, it was just too unwieldy to handle, even larger than some Android phones with the same-sized screen. But one thing’s for sure: it was Apple’s most tech-packed iPhone to date, thanks to that full HD screen and a camera with optical image stabilisation.
9) iPhone 8 Plus (2017)
It might have been overshadowed somewhat by the announcement of the iPhone X but the 8 Plus has plenty to offer on its own.
The dual-camera setup is better than ever thank to Portrait mode improvements and the addition of Portrait Lighting tweaks, plus it’s faster than before, with a better screen to boot. Add in the new glass back and wireless charging and suddenly it doesn’t seem so much like second best.
8) iPhone SE (2016)
Combining a palm-friendly 4in design with up-to-date innards and a decent price (well, for Apple at least), the SE served to rejuvenate the compact iPhone concept.
Sure, it lacked the 3D Touch that was introduced with the 6s but it looked as pretty as the iPhone 5 ever did.
For those looking to balance high specs with pocket space, it was unbeatable. In fact, it probably still is. Unless you switch to Android of course.
7) iPhone 7 Plus (2016)
If the iPhone 7 was simply an upgraded 6s, its bigger brother boasted some series firsts.
Two lenses on the 7 Plus – a telephoto and a wide angle – made it a photographer’s dream and the 5.5in display handled a wide colour gamut, while the four-core A10 Fusion chip made sure things always felt instantly responsive.
The iPhone 7 Plus was the pinnacle of big Apple phones and its successor doesn’t feel as essential, even if it’s technically better.
6) iPhone 6 (2014)
Apple’s first phone to break the 4in barrier was playing catch-up with the competition somewhat, with the Samsung Galaxy S6, OnePlus 2 and HTC One (M8) already 5in or over, but it provided much-needed extra screen real estate while still being comfortable to hold.
The addition of NFC also opened the world up to Apple Pay – a small but handy convenience that it’s easy to take for granted. Naturally, the iPhone 6 sold in droves.
5) iPhone 3G (2008)
As Apple enthusiasts know, the second-gen model is where refinement really takes hold, and that was definitely true here.
The iPhone 3G addressed two major issues with the original model: that recessed headphone port and the lack of 3G (the clue’s in the name). For a phone that was so focused on web usage, that was a dramatic upgrade. It also ushered in the release of the App Store – surely the most important feature addition in iPhone history.
4) iPhone 4 (2010)
Switching to an ultra-thin design with a flat glass back and a metal antenna around the edges was an aesthetic masterstroke for Apple and iPhones of the future, even if it did lead to what became known as “Antennagate” – a loss of signal if the iPhone 4 was held in a certain way. But considering this was the model that introduced the Retina display, we’re willing to let it off.
3) iPhone X (2017)
It’s tough to judge the impact of a device after just a few months but we’re still wowed by Apple’s iPhone X with every day that passes.
With the home button gone, that gorgeous, full-frame OLED introduced navigational tweaks that now feel like second nature, while Face ID works surprisingly well.
Sure, it’s pricey, but that combination of stainless steel and glass delivers the most desirable iPhone ever. The future of smartphones looks like an iPhone X.
2) iPhone (2007)
It’s difficult for us to overstate the importance of the first iPhone. Without it, where would phones be today? It ushered in an era of touch devices that has resulted in billions of modern smartphones and tablets sold around the world.
So while it was by no means perfect – that recessed headphone port and lack of 3G were baffling – it’s impossible to deny that the original iPhone changed everything.
1) iPhone 5 (2012)
So here we are. Numero uno. The iPhone 5 showed Apple at the top of its smartphone game, thinning the sharp build of the iPhone 4 and extending the display to proper widescreen dimensions.
It’s also where Apple embraced long-overdue 4G support, finally giving users the network speed to appreciate that great Retina display and the wonderful App Store selection.
It was the iPhone that sorted our biggest lingering complaints in nearly every significant way and felt like a complete package.
