2024 iPhone Buyers Guide

With no less than four current iPhones and a few from prior years also in the line-up, picking an iPhone can be difficult. Fortunately, we can help.

When you’re in the market for any new gadget, working out what you want can be a daunting task. There are prices, feature sets, sizes, and so on, and so picking anything is often a case of research and working out just what is right for you.

It’s a question only you can answer, while the research side is often up to publishers like Pickr to help out. After all, reviewers have been working for years to explain what makes the right product the right product for you.

Picking a phone is one of these dilemmas. It’s never all that easy unless you know exactly what you want, and there is often a lot to choose from.

Pickr’s editor has long suggested to head to a store and find three phones you like the look and feel of, and then to research them and read reviews. Feeling whether they match your hand and who you are is an important part of working out if a phone is right for you, and is very much like seeing a TV for yourself when you audition it before buying. However, the research is critically important, as well. After all, how do you know if it’s good if you don’t see a review?

Buying an iPhone is no different, thanks in part to just how many iPhone models there are these days. With four released at a minimum every year, plus older models still in the range, both found new and from refurbished places, how do you pick an iPhone?

Buying the best iPhone right now

One of the obvious approaches is to pick the best iPhone you can, of which there are always two best iPhone models every year.

Simply look for the model that has the latest number and the words “Pro” or “Pro Max” to find the best iPhone. What makes the Pro/Pro Max models “the best” comes from a combination of factors, including:

• The materials used in the design
• Faster screen technology, and
• Better cameras

From September 2024 to September 2025, those models are the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, released on September 20, 2024.

While our reviews are on the way, their predecessors are still very much in demand, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple typically keeps the feature set very similar between models, so in terms of technology, one of the best iPhones available right now is the iPhone 15 Pro Max, due to its difference in camera technology from its Pro sibling, something we confirmed by awarding the 15 Pro Max a Best Pick award at the end of 2023.

The iPhone 16 range for 2024

Speaking of the current iPhone range, let’s talk about what they are. From September 2024 when they were launched to September 2025 when they will likely be replaced, the current iPhone models to pick between are the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

• If you want a 6.1 inch normal-sized model, you’re essentially picking between the iPhone 16 and the slightly bigger 6.3 inch iPhone 16 Pro. The 6.3 inch 16 Pro retains the look of the 6.1 inch model, but offers a bigger screen.
• If you want a larger 6.7 inch large-sized model, you’re essentially picking between the iPhone 16 Plus and 6.9 inch iPhone 16 Pro Max. The 6.9 inch 16 Pro Max retains the look of the 6.7 inch model, but offers a bigger screen.

You may find similarities between the new 16 range and the now older 15 models, though, given the difference in a one year release period.

Older iPhones are still great, too

Of course, you don’t have to buy a new iPhone.

Apple keeps slightly older models in its system for the next few years, providing a way to buy an iPhone that’s still great quality for less money, handy for people who want to save.

Until September 2024, that range includes:

While Apple still proactively sells the 14, 14 Plus, 15, and 15 Plus, the previous Pro and Pro Max models can still be found at various retailers, telcos, and online stores, as well.

Once the top of each model line, these are still excellent phones and may offer great value for money depending on the prices you can find them at.

Refurbished phones can save serious money

There are others ways to save money on an iPhone in Australia, too.

While buying an older generation of iPhone is definitely one way to save on costs, a refurbished phone will also help you cut back due to its pre-owned status.

Refurbished phones are essentially used phones that have been checked by a professional and restored to their factory appearance as best possible. They’ll typically come with information noting the level of quality you’re buying, and may have components replaced, such as the battery and screen, which can give you more confidence than simply buying a used phone from someone else.

When it comes to buying an iPhone, buying a refurbished iPhone also comes with the added bonus of being able to find some of Apple’s older models that are quickly replaced when new models come out. While Apple shifts standard iPhone models along in its line, former Pro and Pro Max models invariably are removed from the line-up, likely to encourage people who want the best iPhone to consider the latest technology found in that year’s current iPhone Pro and Pro Max model.

Refurbished models can overcome this issue because they can be sold back to refurb dealers and be found once again.

If you’ve read the review of a Pro or Pro Max model iPhone that no longer can be commonly found, you may find a refurbished dealer can provide what you need.

It’s worth keeping in mind that some older phones won’t be supported by current updates. Presently, if you’re looking at older iPhone purchases, the iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and anything older is not supported by iOS 17. The latest release of iOS 18 We expect iOS 18 supports models from the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max, onwards, however anything earlier will not run iOS 18.

That’s just something to keep in mind when looking at refurbished iPhones. You may save some money depending on the age, but you also might miss out on updates early into owning the phone.