These iPhone buying options are best if you want to upgrade from an older iPhone or are shopping on a budget.
If you’re upgrading from an iPhone that’s a few years old, any new model will feel like a huge step up. But it’s not just the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro. Apple still sells older models like the iPhone 13 and the smaller, more affordable iPhone SE .
These options can be appealing if you're buying your child's first phone, upgrading from an older iPhone, or shopping on a tight budget. CNET's review tested every iPhone model Apple currently sells to help you decide.
iPhone 15 - The best iPhone for most people
With Dynamic Island, a USB-C port for more convenient charging, and an upgraded camera with higher resolution and sharper zoom, the iPhone 15 is a significant upgrade for older iPhone users . It's like a scaled-down version of the iPhone 14 Pro, making Apple's entry-level iPhone 15 feel like a big step up from last year.
The iPhone 15 comes in two size options: the 6.1-inch iPhone 15 and the 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Plus. They run on the same chip as the iPhone 14 Pro, the A16 Bionic, which should bring a significant performance upgrade for people with iPhones that are a few years old. The phones also have Apple's second-generation ultra-wideband chip, which enables a new feature that makes it easier to find friends or family members in a crowd.
Last year's iPhone 14 Pro might be a better choice if you can still find it through third-party retailers, especially since it has a dedicated telephoto lens. But the iPhone 15 is the most exciting upgrade to Apple's standard iPhone lineup in years.
iPhone 15 is priced from 19.5 million VND.
iPhone 15 Pro - The best premium iPhone
Apple has refreshed its Pro models with a lighter design, a new action button, and the world’s smallest processor. And they’ve done all this while maintaining the tried-and-true iPhone aesthetic. They’ve also created more differentiation between the Pro and Pro Max models. The 15 Pro still has the same familiar 3x telephoto camera as the previous models.
The brains behind the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are the A17 Pro chips, which are capable of handling graphically-intensive console games like Resident Evil Village. If the A17 Pro chip is the brain, then iOS 17 is the soul of the 15 Pro and Pro Max. The new operating system is packed with quality-of-life improvements like Standby mode, Check-In, Stickers in Messages, and better autocorrect for the keyboard.
The iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max are among the best phones released by Apple or any phone maker this year.
iPhone 15 Pro is priced from 24.8 million VND.
iPhone 15 Pro Max - The iPhone with the best camera
Apple's 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Pro Max gets the same revamp as the smaller iPhone 15 Pro, complete with a lighter titanium finish and a new action button. But the Pro Max's 5x telephoto lens, compared to the regular Pro's 3x zoom, makes it the best iPhone for photographers.
The longer zoom range allows you to get closer to subjects that are further away, which is great for filming kids playing sports or performing at a school concert. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is also rated to have longer battery life than the 15 Pro, which could be useful for those who regularly shoot video on their iPhone.
iPhone 15 Pro Max is priced from 29.3 million VND.
iPhone 15 Plus - Big screen iPhone with the best price
If you want a big screen without spending a fortune on a high-end Pro Max model, the iPhone 15 Plus is the way to go. It has all the features of the iPhone 15, like a USB-C charging port, Dynamic Island, and a 48-megapixel camera, but in a larger body with a 6.7-inch display. The iPhone 15 Plus will also have longer battery life than the iPhone 15, Apple claims.
Apple still sells the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus, but the benefits of the iPhone 15 Plus make it a much better value for money. The changes mentioned above, along with the newer chip and fresh design of the iPhone 15 Plus, should make it a worthwhile upgrade, especially for those with older phones.