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How to pick
Two decisions matter and the rest is noise. First, storage, because you cannot add to it later. 128GB is the sensible floor and if you take a lot of photos and do not clear them out, go higher, because running out is genuinely miserable to deal with. Second, which model, and here the useful trick is to buy last year's better iPhone rather than this year's cheapest. You get better cameras and the same length of software support for similar money. Apple keeps sending security updates to a handset for roughly five to six years, which is what actually decides when it needs replacing, not speed. On charging, any decent USB-C charger works. Apple has not put one in the box for years and the phone charges much faster with a proper one than with an old five watt plug.
What I recommend
iPhone case and screen protector
Tempered glass on the front and a case with a raised lip around the screen. Buy them at the same time as the phone rather than after the first drop, which is when most people get round to it.
- Protector
- Tempered glass, not film
- Case
- Raised lip around the screen
- Buy when
- Same time as the phone
- Why
- Turns most drops into a shrug
USB-C charger
There is no plug in the box any more. A 20W or higher USB-C charger fills the phone far faster than an old five watt brick. Anker and UGREEN both make good small ones.
- Wattage
- 20W or higher
- Why needed
- Apple stopped including one
- Speed
- Far faster than an old 5W brick
- Brands
- Anker, UGREEN
MagSafe stand or charger
The magnets on the back of the phone mean it snaps into place rather than needing to be lined up. Handy on a bedside table or in the car, and easier if your hands are not steady.
- Snaps on
- No lining up needed
- Good for
- Bedside and car
- Helps if
- Your hands are not steady
- Check
- Your iPhone has MagSafe
iPhone
Storage is the decision you cannot undo, so 128GB minimum and more if you keep your photos. Buying last year's better model beats this year's cheapest, since the cameras are noticeably better for similar money and the support runs just as long.
- Storage
- 128GB floor, cannot add later
- Buy
- Last year's better model
- Supported
- Around 5 to 6 years
- Matters less
- Processor speed
Related reading
New iPhone and everything to move across?
Photos, contacts, messages and passwords. I do this regularly and nothing gets lost along the way.