Experts reveal the exact iPhone model that gives you the very best value for your money: 'Nothing beyond is worth the expense'

Experts — merchandise reviewers, third-party repair techs, and moreover ex-Apple staffers — each work together that nan latest is not needfully nan top erstwhile it comes to nan iPhone.

DailyMail.com contacted these independent experts successful nan hopes of uncovering retired which exemplary of Apple's iconic smartphone landed successful that cleanable 'sweet spot' promising precocious value hardware and cardinal features alongside affordability.  

While nan reasoning for their recommendations varied, nan experts each advised that consumers see 2021's iPhone 13 models and, for those looking for nan champion fund option, 2022's iPhone SE.

Their picks travel a rollercoaster twelvemonth for Apple's fortunes, including a dip successful banal value tied to 'gimmicky' aliases 'lackluster' caller iPhone models and stiff title from rival mobile-maker Samsung — which hit nan tech elephantine successful instrumentality income this year.

Here's what nan experts told DailyMail.com informed their determination connected nan 'perfect' and perfectly priced iPhone model. 

iPhone 13, 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max

Many rank-and-file Apple users committedness by nan company's 2020 iPhone 12 arsenic nan best, longest-lasting procreation of nan phone, pinch immoderate calling it the 'sweet spot.' 

'Beyond nan iPhone 12, nan differences are rather minimal,' arsenic 1 proud proprietor posted to the Ars Technica forum, 'effectively conscionable flimsy improvements successful speed, artillery life, and cameras.' 

'The iPhone's a mature merchandise and I don't expect extremist improvements year-over-year,' nan poster noted, 'but looking astatine nan cost, I don't consciousness for illustration thing beyond nan iPhone 12 is really worthy nan expense.'

But experts told DailyMail.com that nan pursuing year's model, nan iPhone 13, perfected everything bully astir iPhone 12 — making it nan 13 that is really nan perfect older exemplary for nan champion value, without skimping connected capacity aliases features.

Tyler Morgan, a erstwhile Apple worker who posts his proposal connected nan company's products arsenic @hitomidocameraroll connected TikTok, told DailyMail.com that 'anyone going from [an iPhone] 12 Pro to a 13 Pro would announcement a important change.'

'Personally I ever urge nan iPhone 13 Pro,' Morgan continued. 'Since nan 13 release, it's conscionable been copies pinch mini updates and gimmicks.' 

Stan, a repair technician astatine New York's Geek Shop, co-signed Morgan's advice. 

'I would spell for nan 13 instead,' Stan told DailyMail.com

'Usually what they do is they'll merchandise a caller exemplary pinch a different chassis,' Stan, who asked that his his past sanction beryllium kept private, explained.

'Then, nan adjacent exemplary will beryllium for illustration a revision — somewhat better, but they'll hole up immoderate of nan mini kinks they had pinch nan erstwhile model, which was a 12,' he added. 'The 13 was nan revision.'

According to Stan, nan narration was akin betwixt nan caller iPhone 10 and nan revised iPhone 11, arsenic good arsenic betwixt iPhones 14 and 15.  

Refurbished iPhone 13s pinch 128 gigabytes of representation presently scope successful value from astir $400 for nan basal exemplary up to $550 for nan iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Morgan praised nan iPhone 13 models for their apical notch specs, including a accelerated refresh complaint of 120 Hz (or 8 milliseconds) for its screen, importantly improved artillery life complete nan iPhone 12, and, successful his words, a 'proper pro camera setup.'

Morgan told DailyMail.com that astir everything Apple has done to nan iPhone since nan 13 has been 'gimmicks aliases insignificant upgrades nary 1 asked for.'

iPhone 14's 'Dynamic Island,' which allows users to run apps without leaving different apps, iPhone 15's 'natural Titanium finish,' and nan newer 'action button' and 'capture button' additions each autumn into this category, Morgan said. 

Even nan newer iPhone models' astir awesome hardware upgrades don't look worthy nan price, according to Morgan: nan five-times zoom characteristic and different capabilities of iPhone 15's 48-megapixel camera. 

'As awesome arsenic it is,' Morgan noted, 'no 1 knows really to usage it retired of nan box.'

But beyond iPhone 13, Stan astatine Geek Shop and different experts had much suggestions for a cheaper, but still well-made, iPhone to please moreover much thrifty Apple fans.

iPhone SE (2022) 

Introduced successful 2016, nan iPhone SE — short for 'Special Edition' — has go Apple's fund exemplary for those who for illustration their phones to beryllium smaller and little obtrusive.

The third-generation iPhone SE is 'the perfect choice' for those who want 'don't want to salary arsenic overmuch for a caller smartphone arsenic you would for a decent laptop,' according to nan New York Times' merchandise reappraisal site, The Wirecutter.

And Stan astatine Geek Shop told DailyMail.com that he agreed pinch their analysis.  

'If you were looking for champion 'bang for nan buck,' that would beryllium nan SE 2022, successful my opinion,' Stan said. 'Every each technician will person his ain opinion, but that's usually my go-to.'

'If you conscionable want basal for illustration matter message, email check, basal photos,' nan repair tech advised, 'then I would spell for nan SE 2022.'

A utilized and refurbished 2022 iPhone SE pinch 64 gigabytes (GB) of representation typically sells for astir $210 to $250, pinch nan 124 GB type still often nether $300.  

The iPhone SE besides mightiness use much privateness and information conscious consumers who recoil astatine nan thought of utilizing afloat facial nickname scans via Apple's Face ID to entree their instrumentality complete a elemental (and faster) fingerprint scan.

The phone's response-times and net speeds are awesome arsenic well, per The Wirecutter: 'iPhone SE is importantly cheaper than nan iPhone 15, but successful galore situations it feels conscionable arsenic fast.'

The merchandise reviewers statement that it's only erstwhile utilizing processing-speed intensive programs for illustration playing games, streaming video aliases FaceTime calls complete LTE aliases 5G networks that nan iPhone SE originates to show signs of its pint-sized pedigree. 

Plus, dissimilar different fund phones, including galore inexpensive Android devices, iPhone SE is overmuch much apt to person iOS package support, patches and updates for years, nan reviewers noted. 

Geek Shop's tech, Stan, added that iPhone SE's camera is reasonably good, though lacks nan further telephoto lens and Night Mode mounting that allows Apple's astir up-to-date models seizure unthinkable pictures successful darker environment.

Shutterbugs willing successful an unthinkable integer camera arsenic good arsenic a apical support phone, Stan said, mightiness find these features connected iPhone 15 worthy nan splurge. 

'At nan extremity of nan day,' he admitted, 'I'm conscionable a feline pinch an opinion.'