Apple doesn't have what you'd really call a mid-range phone; Sure, the iPhone SE 2022 costs $429 / £419 / AU$719, which is arguably at the low end of the mid-range (and the high end of the best cheap phones), but its spec sheet isn't exactly impressive. . Then you have the iPhone 15 from $799 / £799 / AU$1,499. This leaves a gap between these two prices for a mid-range Apple phone. There are plenty of Android alternatives, but none that have a partially bitten shiny apple.
But this is where the iPhone 13 comes in. Now that it's two generations old, Apple still sells it, it's just that its price has dropped from the original sticker price of $799 / £779 / AU$1,349 to a much more acceptable price of $599 / £599 / AU. $1,099: Trade in an old iPhone and you can lower this new price even further.
And I still think the iPhone 13 is worth considering if you're looking for an iOS-based smartphone but don't have the money for the latest mode or Pro versions. While models like the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max offer the better overall experience with iOS and I think they are worth their star price, things are harder to justify with the iPhone 15.
Take off the Dynamic Island, still a little bored with what you can do so far. Ignore the admittedly welcome switch from Lightning to USB-C connectivity. Then you are left with a new iPhone that is quite similar to the iPhone 13.
There are two rear cameras in main and ultra-wide configurations: the iPhone 15's main camera is now 48 megapixels, but the iPhone 13's 12 MP sensor still delivers excellent photos in all types of lighting conditions, with a difference in quality that It's probably just noticeable. for people who are really going to look for it. I highly doubt you'll be disappointed with the iPhone 13's camera performance unless you've done something crazy like come with a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Speaking of performance, the iPhone 13 comes with the A15 Bionic chip, while the iPhone 15 has an A16 Bionic taken from the iPhone 14 Pro; This means a little more power over the base iPhone 14. But as someone who regularly uses an iPhone 13 Pro, which also has the A15 Bionic, I'm struggling to notice much difference in daily performance between it and the powerful A17 Pro on my iPhone 15 Pro Max. In truth, it just takes an extra push to run games like Death Stranding, which has been ported from the realm of PCs and gaming consoles to Apple's high-end phones.
So the iPhone 13 may be two years old with changes, but I still think it's a viable iPhone now that it's cheaper than ever. Take a look at the chart below as it will list the best iPhone 13 prices in your area.
Too expensive and underspecified
However, even if you have money to spend, I don't think I'd recommend an iPhone 15. While our iPhone 15 review praises Apple's latest “standard” phone, there's a lot to like about it, like slightly contoured edges and some tweaks in the camera beyond an increase of 48MP, I think it is missing for its price.
Apple's dogged determination to stick with a 60Hz display when many of the affordable models on our best Android phones list have 90Hz or 120Hz displays makes the iPhone 15 hard to swallow for its price. I also don't think it offers enough when for $200 / £200 / AU$400, the iPhone 15 Pro includes an extra camera, a much more powerful chip, a dedicated action button, a 120Hz LTPO display and beautiful titanium. chassis.
I think if you think you can live without the specs that the iPhone 15 Pro offers, then I think you could easily do without the few additional features that the iPhone 15 brings over the more attractively priced iPhone 13.
As it's one of the most popular models on our list of the best iPhones, it seems like a lot of people agree that the iPhone 13 is a compelling phone even in 2024. From my perspective, it's a viable mid-range iPhone, at least until Apple updates the iPhone SE.
