iPhone buyer’s guide: Display quality – does it really matter?

iPhone buyer’s guide: Storage – how much is enough?

iPhone buyer’s guide: Storage wars

iPhone buyer’s guide: Shoot video, 4K & slow motion

Slow it down

iPhone buyer’s guide: Camera – how good does it need to be?

iPhone buyer’s guide: Phone size – is the Plus too big?

Can you hold it?

iPhone buyer’s guide: Face ID vs Touch ID

Face value

iPhone buyer’s guide: Speed – can you tell the difference?

Chip off the old block

All the little things

Splash damage

Looking to upgrade your iPhone? Here in this iPhone buyer’s guide we present 8 important things to consider before you buy.With new iPhone 8 and 8 Plus models becoming available, and the 10th anniversary iPhone X up for grabs as well, Apple clearly wants you to upgrade your phone.But it’s also done a curious thing; it’s still letting you buy a fair amount of older iPhone models, instead of phasing them out.We’d expect the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus to still be on sale on Apple’s website and in Apple Stores, and they are; they were only released last year, of course. But the range of available models goes back further than that. The SE, 6s and 6s Plus are all still there, waiting to be purchased. That’s great if you want to save a bit of cash, but it also makes for a confusingly large array of phones to choose from. There’s now a multitude of different model numbers, sizes and features to filter through.we’ll take a look at some of the more important factors when it comes to choosing the right phone for you. How much storage space do you need? Do you want a fancy high-tech camera? Do you need Face ID, Portrait Lighting and the other new features in the iPhone X? We’ll take a detailed look at these issues and more in order to help you decide which iPhone is right for you, and which features you can do without.Yes is the simple answer, but the good news is that all of Apple’s iPhone displays are great. So what should you look for when choosing which iPhone to buy? The pixels per inch (ppi) number is important to look out for, as it determines how densely packed in the pixels are on each display. The higher the number, the less likely you are to be able to discern individual pixels on the screen.The iPhone SE has a Retina display resolution of 1136x640 pixels, giving it 326ppi. Next up, the iPhone 6s, 7 and 8 have what Apple dubs a Retina HD display of 1134x750 pixels but, due to their larger physical size, they still have the same 326ppi.It’s when you get to the larger iPhone models that you’ll start to see a difference in screen quality. All of Apple’s Plus models have a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels (the same as many laptops), with 401ppi. That means that even though they’re larger physically, they proportionally pack in even more pixels than their smaller iPhone cousins. That gives you a higher quality screen ideal for viewing gorgeous photos and video clips.Apple had to go all out with the iPhone X, and its display reflects that. It’s called a Super Retina HD display, with a resolution of 2436x1125 and a truly massive 458ppi. That helps to make it the ultimate iPhone screen. The Super Retina HD display of the iPhone X boasts an incredible 458 pixels per inch.[post_ads]Thankfully, the days of 16GB iPhones are behind us Apple held on to that storage option for far too long. These days you get much more generous capacity choices for your iPhone, but you still need to know which is right for you. The iPhone 6s right through to the iPhone 7 Plus (including the SE) let you choose between 32GB and 128GB of storage space. For the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X, those options have been doubled to 64GB and 256GB.If you’re a light user, don’t store much music or photos on your phone, and make use of cloud storage, 32GB may well be enough. However, we’d recommend getting at least 64GB of storage on your iPhone.That’s because apps and games are getting bigger all the time as they become more complex and graphically impressive. And let’s not forget Apple’s push towards augmented reality if you want to enjoy AR experiences on your iPhone, you may end up paying the storage space price. As iPhones get more capable of recording high quality videos, the space taken up by your footage will also increase. Consider the iPhone 8: Even a short 4K video clip recorded at 60fps could eat up gigabytes of space, as can a super slow motion clip captured at 240fps.That said, be sensible. Don’t overpay for storage you’re never likely to use. Think about how you use your current phone and how much space you’re using at the moment, and use that as a guideline.Every iPhone model currently on sale allows you to record both 4K and slow motion videos. There are some notable nuances between the models, though, that you should be aware of. The iPhone SE, 6s, 6s Plus, 7 and 7 Plus all let you record 4K videos at 30fps (frames per second). However, if you want silky smooth 60fps 4K videos, you’ll need to plump for the iPhone 8 or higher.There are similar differences when it comes to slo-mo. The SE, 6s, 6s Plus, 7 and 7 Plus can record 120fps slow motion videos at 1080p resolution, but if you want to slow things down to 240fps, you’ll have to drop the resolution down to 720p. There are no such worries with the 8, 8 Plus and X, which can record 240fps slow motion videos at the full 1080p resolution. There are other things to consider aside from 4K and slow motion capability. From the 7 onwards, the power of the camera’s zoom has been improved to allow for better digital zoom and, in the Plus model, optical zoom for the first time. The rear cameras on the X also feature better video stabilisation, and an improved f/2.4 aperture on the telephoto lens.Apple likes to say the iPhone is ‘the world’s most popular camera’, and frequently shows off its prowess via the ‘Shot on iPhone’ adverts. There’s no doubting the power of the camera system in Apple’s latest iPhones, but even the older models are still excellent specimens.The iPhone SE, 6s, 6s Plus, 7 and 8 all come with an impressive 12-megapixel (MP) camera, as well as Apple’s Live Photos feature to turn your pictures into short video clips. The 7 Plus, 8 Plus and X go further by adding a second 12MP camera, leaving them with one telephoto and one wide-angle lens.The 7 Plus, 8 Plus and X get another bonus in the form of Portrait Mode. This adds a depth of field effect to blur the background while keeping the subject in focus. The X takes this approach even further, letting you dramatically alter the lighting in Portrait Mode thanks to its Portrait Lighting feature.All models from the 7 onwards have a 7MP front-facing camera; it’s 1.2MP on the SE. All Plus models (and the iPhone 7, 8 and X) have optical image stabilisation.That may all sound a little confusing. However, if you love taking pictures but don’t need many fancy features, the smaller iPhones will serve you well. If you want more, consider the 7 Plus or 8 Plus or, if you really want to go to town, the X.And if you’re desperate to turn yourself into an emoji and use Apple’s Animoji feature, you’ll need an iPhone X it’s a feature that relies on the X’s souped up frontfacing camera.[post_ads_2]iPhone dimensions measured diagonally across the device vary massively. The 4-inch iPhone SE is the most compact of the bunch, easily slipping into your hand like the iPhones of old. The iPhone 6s, 7 and 8 are Apple’s medium-sized offerings, all weighing in at 4.7 inches across. If you’re looking for an iPhone that’s a little larger, the 5.5-inch 6s Plus, 7 Plus and 8 Plus should do the trick. And then there’s the new iPhone X, a 5.8-inch behemoth of a phone. The iPhone SE is great if you’re happy to simply text and call people, but if you love watching video clips on your device, then the larger models are perfect for this.The 4.7-inch devices are ideal if you want something in between.There’s also the issue of comfort. The iPhone X may be all-singing, all-dancing, but if it’s too large for you to comfortably grip and use, it’s not for you. Similarly, if you have large hands and struggle to type on small phone displays, the SE probably isn’t your best option.We got our first taste of Touch ID in 2013’s iPhone 5s, giving us a supersecure way to unlock our iPhones. All you need to do is press your finger onto the Home button and it’ll open up your iPhone simple as that.Apple released a faster second generation version of Touch ID two years later with the iPhone 6s, and ported the functionality to the MacBook Pro alongside the Touch Bar in 2016. Still, Apple being Apple, it has felt that it could do better than Touch ID. While the feature made it into the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, the flagship iPhone X got something new and shiny: Face ID.Apple claimed during the iPhone X launch event that there was a one in 50,000 chance of Touch ID being tricked by an imposter. Face ID, on the other hand, only has a one in a million chance of being spoofed.So how exactly does it work? Well, the upgraded front-facing TrueDepth camera scans your face and maps 30,000 tiny dots onto it to create a ‘precise depth map of your face’. Then all you need to do is look at your iPhone and it’ll unlock. It’ll recognise you even if you put on a hat, grow a beard or change your hairstyle.Pretty clever stuff. So, is it worth upgrading just for the Face ID factor? No, we don’t think so. Touch ID is already extremely safe, storing your fingerprint details in a secure enclave on your iPhone, which makes it very difficult for imposters to intercept your data. If you’re already going to get the iPhone X anyway, then you’ll get to enjoy the new Face ID functionality, but don’t make it the sole reason you upgrade.Apple’s iPhones have always been speedy thanks to the company’s tight integration of hardware and software. Rival phone makers may tout impressive sounding internal specs and enough RAM to fill a desktop computer, but they consistently fail to keep up with iPhones in real-world tests.It’s Apple’s chip that contributes to this. The iPhone SE, 6s and 6s Plus come equipped with the A9 chip, while the 7 and 7 Plus sport the A10 Fusion chip. The iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X were upgraded to the brand-new A11 Bionic chip, so named for its impressive artificial intelligence capabilities.When it first introduced the A9 chip, Apple claimed it was 70% faster than its A8 predecessor. Then came the A10 Fusion, which Apple announced was 40% speedier than the A9. Now, the A11 Bionic, says Apple, is 70% faster than the A10 Fusion. The A11 Bionic manages its power cleverly, distributing power between its two performance cores and four efficiency cores depending on what tasks you’re doing. That has an interesting side effect: despite having a more powerful chip than the iPhone 7, the iPhone X’s battery lasts two hours longer thanks to that efficient use of power.Do you need a more powerful chip? The iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X are all capable of doing more powerful things than the iPhone SE, for example, so the A11 Bionic needs to be faster. For what you’ll do with an SE, the A9 will be brilliant. Want to do more with your smartphone? The A11 Bionic will serve you well.We’ve covered the major bases here, but there are a few more things to think about. For example, if you want to enjoy stereo sound from your device, you’ll need an iPhone 7 or later earlier iPhones lack the feature. Speaking of audio, you’ll need to buy an iPhone 6s or earlier if you want to hook up a pair of your wired earphones without needing an adaptor.The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are also the first models to be water and dust resistant, which is useful if you’re worried damaging your prized new iPhone. And if you’re fed up of cable spaghetti, the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X all feature wireless charging (although you’ll need to get a wireless charging pad as well).3D Touch lets you press a little harder on your iPhone screen to get extra functionality and options, both in apps and the Home screen. It’s only available in the iPhone 6s or later (though not the SE).Let’s not forget battery life. Apple says the SE’s battery lasts for 14 hours of talk time on 3G, as do the 6s, 7 and 8. The iPhone 6s Plus gives you up to 24 hours of 3G talk time; you’ll get around 21 hours on the 7 Plus, 8 Plus and X. In general use, Apple claims the 7 and 7 Plus get up to two hours more juice than the 6s and 6s Plus. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are the same as the 7 and 7 Plus, but the X gets about two hours more battery life.