The best iPhone for photography

Some of the best camera phones on the market right now are powerful enough to give even professional mirrorless or DSLR cameras a run for their money. However, finding the best iPhone for photography isn't quite as simple as just choosing the newest or most expensive one in the product range (like the iPhone 15 Pro Max). 

We know that every year Apple will upgrade its iPhone camera features, no matter how minor, but despite the temptation of owning a shiny new toy, it's no good spending your hard-earned money on the latest flagship iPhone if it's not necessary – and other budget camera phone options exist too. 

Apple's track record with photography is pretty consistent, with minimal differences between devices, so you can look beyond the latest generation of iPhones to choose from if you're not fussed about owning the newest model. As a photographer, I have no interest in the iPhone 15 Pro Max and would choose the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra instead every time. Whether you're a pro smartphone shooter or an enthusiastic amateur, you'll want to opt for the best phone to suit your lifestyle, budget, and daily photography habits.

Quick List

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The best iPhone for photography 

The best iPhone for photography overall

At the top of our list, we have Apple's iPhone 15 Pro Max, which might be contradictory to everything we've already said about the newest iPhone not necessarily being "the best". But while we still stand by this statement, if we're boiling it down to the specs on paper, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is technically the best iPhone for photography given the (however minor) camera modifications and updates compared with last year's iPhone 14 Pro Max model. 

It has the exact same main camera as the previous model, but with an upgraded sensor that still uses Pixel-binning (so really it only outputs at 24MP, not 48MP) and an upgraded 120mm telephoto lens which now offers 5x optical zoom instead of 3x optical zoom, but this uses periscope-like methods of bending light to achieve the zoomed-in image, so quality is not guaranteed here. 

There's also the option to customise the default lens, and the phone can now shoot 48MP HEIF as well as Apple Raw. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has also been updated with higher resolution in more focal length options including 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm. With all of this said, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the best iPhone for photographers who are striving for image quality and post-processing features above all else, although its thin lines between this model and the iPhone 14 Pro Max (below), so if you want to save some money last year's iPhone might be the one to go for instead. 

• Need a case? See our picks of the best iPhone 15 Pro Max cases. 

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The best value iPhone for photography

The iPhone 13 Pro is now more affordable than ever given the recent iPhone 15 series launch. It has a 12MP main sensor which is a step down from the 48MP sensor in the new iPhone 15 Pro Max and even the iPhone 14 Pro Max. But it's still pretty great for photography and is now considered great value too (if you can get hold of one, that is). 

The 13 Pro was a big step up from the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max (featured below) in terms of camera specs, and they already had pretty astounding camera arrays. Physically, its sensors are similar to those of the previous generation: a three-lens array with a wide-, super-wide and telephoto. But the difference comes in their performance, with improved maximum apertures and increased optical zoom.

When we reviewed the iPhone 13 Pro, we found general image quality to be much improved across the board. And we're not talking about subtle differences that only a trained eye would notice. We compared shots from an iPhone 13 next to shots from an iPhone 12, and the difference was clear immediately – the colours pop more, there’s more detail and better contrast. The in-built stabilisation is pretty amazing too, meaning you don't need a gimbal. See our iPhone 13 Pro camera tips to get the most out of this iPhone. 

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The best reliable iPhone for photography

The iPhone 14 Max was launched in September 2022, along with the iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Plus, the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max. And it's our pick as the best iPhone for photography, not to mention the best iPhone in general, to date.

For starters, the iPhone 14 Pro Max has a 48MP main sensor: a huge leap from the 12MP sensor in the 13 series. That means full-resolution, 48MP RAW files that are packed with detail. Even more exciting than the iPhone 14 Pro Max's resolution is its sensor size, bringing more light flooding into your lens, which is particularly handy when night shooting. The camera also boasts a wider-than-usual, 24mm angle of view and an f/1.78 aperture lens with OIS.

Besides the main camera is an ultra-wide, 12MP sensor with a 13mm, expansive angle of view, matched with an f/2.2 aperture. There's also a 12MP telephoto sensor, which creates a roughly three-times zoom equivalent, with a 77mm angle of view, OIS and an f/2.8 aperture 

The result is pictures that are packed with detail, even in dimly lit environments, and that also have a warmth and depth to them. On the downside, it's quite expensive, so you may prefer some of the other phones on our list, which should cost less now they're a bit older. To learn more about this phone, read our full iPhone 14 Pro Max review. 

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The best affordable iPhone for photography

Apple’s iPhones have long been characterised as premium and, some would say, overpriced. Apple sought to combat this perception with the budget iPhone SE in 2020, and that was great news for anyone looking for an affordable iPhone for photography. The new 2022 model sports the same lens specs as the 2020 original: just the one 12MP rear camera with a f/1.8 wide-angle lens, plus an 7MP front camera with f/2.2 wide-angle lens.

So it only has the one lens on the back (wide angle, with no ultra wide or telephoto lens), so it can’t compete with the best iPhones for photography, above. But if all you need is a rock-solid point-and-shoot iPhone at the cheapest price, the iPhone SE does hold its own. 

The upgrade offered by the 2022 iPhone SE camera when compared to the 2020 model is the A15 chip, which delivers improved processing power. There's no Night Mode, Dolby Vision HDR or Cinematic Mode for video but you do get the vital smarts like Portrait Mode here. 

When we reviewed the iPhone SE (2022), we tested its camera against that of the top-end iPhone 13 Pro and found that while photos compared side by side have less vibrant colours and a less expansive dynamic range, the level of detail is actually on a par. The iPhone SE lightens its shadows more than the iPhone 13 Pro, something that some users may actually prefer if they don't intend on doing any editing. See our full iPhone SE (2022) review for more details.

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The best veteran iPhone for photography

The iPhone 12 Pro Max was the king of iPhone cameras for some time, and still represents a sound investment now. Apple squeezed all its best camera tech into what at the time was its largest and most expensive phone, and unlike the 13 Pro Max, which sports exactly the same camera as the smaller 13 Pro, there are a lot of differences between the 12 Pro Max and 12 Pro cameras.

Its ultra-wide lens is the same, but the 12 Pro Max has better wide and telephoto cameras than the 12 Pro. The wide lens has a sensor that's 47 per cent larger than the smaller model's, making its night mode function much quicker and more powerful, and it also has a longer telephoto lenses (2.5x vs 2x) with better optical zoom (5x vs 4x) and digital zoom (up to 12x rather than 10x). There’s also Apple’s sensor-shift optical image stabilisation, which stabilises the sensor itself rather than the lens to improve your photo quality.

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The best mediocre iPhone for photography

If you want a superb iPhone camera while saving a little money, 2020's iPhone 12 Pro Max is a good one to go for. It's only marginally different from the iPhone 12 Pro Max (number 3 on our list) in what it can do. 

Its zoom range is a little lower, at 4x against 5x, and its apertures vary slightly. But other than that, you get a brilliant photography setup, including beautiful night mode portraits enhanced by the device’s LiDAR scanner. 

See our full iPhone 12 Pro review for more details.

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The best mini iPhone for photography

Is size an issue for you? If you want a smaller phone that's more portable and easier to shoot with, the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini is an excellent choice. It sports the same cameras as the larger iPhone 12 (see number 6), but in a handy, more palm-friendly format. That makes it more portable than many entries in this article – especially the Pro Max variants, and also much more affordable. 

In short, whether you want a smaller iPhone for photography or are just looking to save some cash, it’s a great option (of course, for a little more cash, you might also consider the iPhone 13 mini). See our full iPhone 12 mini review for more details.

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How to choose

When choosing the best iPhone for photography, it's easy to go in order starting with the latest release. And yes, while the newest iPhone is usually the best one for photography technically, with improved specs and features compared with last year's iPhone, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's the one you should choose or the best iPhone for your lifestyle or budget. 

We suggest that you start by figuring out how much you want to spend first, and then look at the desirable features which make that particular iPhone a great asset for photography. Remember, it's not always about megapixels. If you shoot a lot of video then you'll want an iPhone with 4K capability (iPhone 12 or above is best).

If you know that you'd prefer an iPhone with USB-C charging, then that narrows your options exclusively to the iPhone 15 series, the standard, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max models to be exact. 

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How we test

At Creative Bloq, we enjoy putting phones through their paces when it comes to testing, with benchmarks in place to measure battery life, response rate, and general  ease of use. Although manufacturers carry out their own testing on phones, we think it's important to have an uniased reviewer on the case to detect any flaws or find genuine reasons that we think a device might not be the best fit for creatives. 

With so many phones out there, it can be hard to know which ones are really the best value for money. So with this in mind, we spend significant time testing phones to see how they perform in the real world. We do this by using social media and checking the upload speeds, running photo editing software, streaming video content, and of course, testing the camera in different scenarios. 

It can be easy to geek out over top-spec phones, which is why we also take price into account when pitting similar phones against each other, and seriously consider if a device is worth the hard-earned income of our readers. If we find that a phone isn't up to scratch, we'll be honest and recommend alternatives where possible. For more information, see our guide to how we test and review at Creative Bloq.

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