The best iPhone for photography: fully tested by our expert team

iPhone for photography
(Image credit: Apple/Future)

The best iPhones for photography are among the best camera phones you can buy, even with fierce competition snapping at their heels. A good iPhone camera means you’ll always have a top-notch snapper in your pocket. I've put together this guide to help you figure out which one is right for you.

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✅ Every new flagship iPhone tested and rated

Beth Nicholls headshot
Beth Nicholls

I'm Creative Bloq's resident phone photography fanatic, and I've used and tested a huge number of camera phones, Apple and Android alike. Having kicked off my career writing for Digital Camera World, I've got plenty of opinions on which of these iPhones is best for photography!

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Price

Pricey, but full of premium features.

★★★★

Design

Classic Apple design, if a little unexciting.

★★★★

Performance

Class-leading chip performance.

★★★★★

Battery life

Outdone by Android rivals, especially regarding fast charging.

★★★

Our expert says
Erlingur Einarsson headshot
Our expert says
Erlingur Einarsson

"If you are a content creator, pro camera-phone photographer or a YouTuber who needs the extra features (like UHD 120fps video, 5x optical zoom and macro images) the Pro/Pro Max is a viable choice."

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Price

It has been hiked, but the iPhone 16E is still a cheap option.

★★★★

Design

Perfectly fine, though with a few omissions.

★★★★

Performance

Internally excellent, but the camera is limited.

★★★½

Battery life

Upgraded and impressive.

★★★★½

Our expert says
Alex Blake
Our expert says
Alex Blake

"While it’s true that the iPhone 16e’s camera abilities are outdone by other devices, there are a lot of reasons why it’s still a great choice for creatives."

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Price

Pricey, but not immune to deals.

★★★★

Design

Apple's premium design in a large form factor.

★★★★★

Performance

Still one of the industry's best performers.

★★★★★

Battery life

Runs hot and only average fast charging.

★★★

Our expert says
Beth Nicholls headshot
Our expert says
Beth Nicholls

"Last generation's flagship is this generation's bargain, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max is still a heck of an option for photographers."

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Price

Prices are dropping, so you could find a good bargain.

★★★★½

Design

Big and premium, this is an "all out" design.

★★★★

Performance

Surprisingly good performance considering it's a few years old now.

★★★★★

Battery life

We wish it lasted a bit longer.

★★★

Our expert says
author image of Basil Kronfli
Our expert says
Basil Kronfli

"The iPhone 14 Pro Max was one of the best smartphones of 2022, and arguably, is still one of the better camera phones around, provided you don't need stellar zoom."

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Price

Good value if you can find one.

★★★★

Design

The lack of a Dynamic Island means the design is starting to show its age.

★★★

Performance

Not the greatest performance these days, but still a lot to like.

★★★★

Battery life

Strong battery life, with up to 22 hours of power.

★★★★★

Our expert says
Matt Bolton Headshot
Our expert says
Matt Bolton

"When anything is less than perfect, the iPhone 13 Pro does a notable job at keeping image quality high. And when do photographs ever happen in perfect conditions?"

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Price

Very affordable given its size and age.

★★★★★

Design

The ideal iPhone for smaller hands.

★★★★

Performance

Respectable performance in a small package.

★★★★

Battery life

Only average battery life.

★★★

Our expert says
Beth Nicholls headshot
Our expert says
Beth Nicholls

"If you miss the days of tiny phones, scour the second-hand market for an iPhone 13 mini, which is also a capable camera phone."

TOPICS
Beth Nicholls
Ecommerce Writer

Beth is Creative Bloq’s Ecommerce Writer and has the fun job of finding you the very best prices and deals on creative tech. Beth kicked off her journalistic career writing for Digital Camera World, and has since earned bylines on TechRadar too. With a Masters degree in Photography, Beth loves getting to tinker with new cameras, especially camera phones, as the resident Samsung fan on the team. Her background working as a tester for CeX let her play around with all kinds of weird and wonderful products, including robots, and she’s recently gotten into 3D printing too. Outside of CB, you’ll find her gaming on her PS5, photographing local shows under the alias Bethshootsbands, and making TikToks of her dog, Tilly. 

With contributions from
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