The best iPhone for photography in 2024: from the iPhone SE to iPhone 15 Pro Max

The best iPhone for photography lets you take high-quality photographs and videos, quickly and easily, all with a device that fits in your pocket. We'll help you to find the best iPhone for photography whether you want to spend big on the very latest iPhone 15 series or are happy with an older and more affordable model.

Apple is one of the biggest and best camera phone manufacturers, and it offers many different devices in its lineup. If you've got an unlimited budget and want the best that money can buy, the best iPhone for photography overall has to be either the iPhone 15 Pro or the iPhone 15 Pro Max – the latter is my personal preference for its 5x telephoto camera and bigger screen for editing.

Older iPhone models tend to be cheaper, and this increased affordability continues as you go back through the range – though you'll also start to compromise on camera functionality. For instance, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a much bigger main sensor than the iPhone 13 Pro Max sibling. 

There's also the recently revamped iPhone SE (2022), an iPhone with an iconic design and a far lower price than flagship iPhones. Essentially, then, it's about balancing your needs and your budget. Find out more in our iPhone generations guide.

To help you find the right balance, we've listed the best iPhones for photography, and the best prices you can get them for right now.

Gareth Bevan headshot
Gareth Bevan

Gareth is the Reviews Editor at Digital Camera World, and the person in charge of approving all the latest camera-related tech. An everyday user of both iPhones and Android devices, and several years as a professional photographer – he certainly knows exactly what he likes in a phone camera! Outside of testing phones, expect to find him cycling around London, or deep in a Netflix binge.

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The best iPhone for photography in 2024

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The best iPhone for photography overall

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)
The best iPhone for photography

Specifications

Release date: September 2023
Rear cameras: 48MP (24mm, f/1.8), 12MP Ultra Wide (13mm, f/2.2), 12MP Periscope Telephoto (120mm, f/2.8), TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth)
Front camera: 12MP (23mm, f/1.9), SL 3D (depth/biometrics sensor)
OIS: Yes
Weight: 221g
Dimensions: 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.25 mm
Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent camera performance
+
RAW photos are loaded with detail
+
Premium IP68 design
+
Powerful internals

Reasons to avoid

-
No SIM slot for US customers
-
Telephoto camera isn't class-leading
-
Very expensive

It comes as no surprise I am rating the iPhone 15 Pro Max as the best iPhone for photography. It's a serious pocketable powerhouse with a 5x telephoto camera able to reach further than ever before in much higher quality, 48MP RAW photo, ProRes Log video which delivers incredible dynamic range plus a 12MP ultra-wide and front-facing camera. The one downside is there is still no pro mode for manual photography and that makes us sad. 

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is a little chunkier than Apple's other offerings but it's got an impressive set of camera features that make it perfect for photographers. Another huge benefit of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is that it's finally adopted USB-C charging making it compatible with most chargers plus a range of monitors and camera accessories. 

While the new iPhone 15 Pro is very expensive, it's a mighty phone with a brilliant camera, that's powerful and lasts a full day. If you're an Apple fan who likes more compact phones, the iPhone 15 Pro is a no-brainer, but you will be bumped down to a still very impressive 3x optical camera. But if you like big phones and the best photography experience, the Pro Max is for you.

Read more: iPhone 15 Pro Max review

The best affordable iPhone for photography

(Image credit: Future)
The best for regular iPhone for photography

Specifications

Release date: September 2023
Rear cameras: 48MP (26mm, f/1.6), 12MP Ultra Wide (13mm, f/2.4)
Front camera: 12MP (23mm, f/1.9), SL 3D (depth/biometrics sensor)
OIS: Yes
Weight: 171g
Dimensions: 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm
Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

Reasons to buy

+
More affordable than the Pro versions
+
Action mode for smooth handheld clips
+
Effective Portrait mode blur

Reasons to avoid

-
Lacks telephoto lens
-
No option to shoot in RAW

If you are looking for one of the best photography experiences in a phone, but you don't quite have the budget to stretch to the iPhone Pro or Pro Max then I think the regular iPhone 15 is a solid option for high-quality images with that iPhone look.

You won't get any telephoto camera on the iPhone 15, but the main camera is more than capable of producing some great images, especially if you just want to point, shoot, and share great-looking shots via social media without doing much post-processing. The larger 48MP sensor is also capable of cropping further without losing detail, making digital zoom a more viable option, although it isn't to the level of an optical lens.

The more serious photographer will miss the ability to shoot in RAW (.dng) format so that they can enjoy fine-tuning the look of their images in a digital darkroom such as Adobe Lightroom

Apple has found savings with the iPhone 15 over the Pro by making the phone just not quite as sophisticated. The regular iPhone 15 doesn't always-on functionality or the Action Button. Also, the processor is slightly less fast, and the battery life is slightly shorter. However, unless you're doing really advanced photography stuff, most people won't notice the difference. However, all these savings so make the iPhone 15 lighter than the Pro, which I see as a positive.

Read more: iPhone 15 review

The best regular sized iPhone Pro for photography

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)
The best iPhone Pro for photography in a smaller size

Specifications

Release Date: September 2023
Rear cameras: 48MP (24mm, f/1.8), 12MP Ultra Wide (13mm, f/2.2), 12MP Telephoto (77mm, f/2.8), TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth)
Front camera: 12MP (23mm, f/1.9), SL 3D (depth/biometrics sensor)
OIS: Yes
Weight: 187g
Dimensions: 146.6 x 70.6 x 8.3mm
Screen: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR
Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB

Reasons to buy

+
Large 48MP camera sensor
+
USB-C connector
+
3x zoom

Reasons to avoid

-
Telephoto camera isn't class-leading
-
Very expensive

The iPhone 15 Pro is fundamentally the same as the iPhone 15 Pro Max that I placed at the top of this guide – although with a few key differences that I think makes it not quite as good of a photography phone.

Firstly, the iPhone Pro is smaller than the Pro Max, with a more pocketable 6.1" screen – if you like smaller phones then this is a positive, but I personally prefer the Max's larger screen for photo and video editing. But the regular Pro is the best iPhone you can buy for photography if you want something manageable in size. 

The other downside to the Pro is it doesn't get to share the same the 5x optical zoom lens as its bigger sibling the Pro Max. Instead the Pro has a 3x telephoto lens, which is still a great lens, but the Max has teased what is possible on the iPhone for zoom range, and it makes the regular Pro feel a little left behind.

The big appeal is that this titanium model costs significantly less than the Max - and despite missing that 3x zoom, you do get lots of the new features, like the Action Button, latest processors, and the about-time-too USB-C charging port!

Read more: iPhone 15 Pro review

The last-gen iPhone for photography

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli / Digital Camera World)
The best slightly older iPhone for photography

Specifications

Release Date: September 2022
Rear cameras: 48MP (24mm, f/1.78), 12MP Ultra Wide (13mm, f/2.2), 12MP 3x Telephoto (77mm f/2.8)
Front camera: 12MP TrueDepth camera (f/1.9)
OIS: Yes
Weight: 240g
Dimensions: 160.7 x 77.6 x 7.85mm
Screen: 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR
Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB

Reasons to buy

+
Larger camera sensor than 13 Pro series
+
Rich styling with IP68 certification
+
New selfie camera has autofocus

Reasons to avoid

-
No SIM slot for US customers
-
Price increase over 13 Pro in the UK
-
Telephoto reach isn't class-leading

2022's iPhone 14 Pro Max checks all the boxes you'd expect from an Apple smartphone. A big, immersive screen. Fancy styling. Stacks of power. A large, 1/1.28-inch, 48MP sensor, and a front camera with autofocus. So even though it's last year's model, it still has a lot to offer.

Yes, if you really want 5x zoom and a USB-C port, you'll need the latest Pro Max. And this older model has a slightly less speedy processor to fly through editing tasks, although the A16 Bionic chip is certainly fast enough for everything this phone is capable of. But otherwise, the differences between the two models are slight, so if you can find this one at a significant lower price, I'd still be very tempted.

The main difference between the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max is the screen size. If you need the larger 6.7-inch screen for reviewing and editing images, shooting videos, or even playing games, then the Pro Max is definitely one to go for – as long as you can afford the higher price point, that is.

Read more: iPhone 14 Pro Max review

Best older iPhone for photography

(Image credit: Rod Lawton/Digital Camera World)
This old-gen iPhone Pro Max is still great for photography

Specifications

Release date: October 2021
Rear cameras: 12MP 13mm f/1.8 Ultra Wide, 12MP 26mm f/1.5 Wide, 12MP 77mm f/2.8 telephoto
Front camera: 12MP f/2.2 TrueDepth
OIS: Yes
Weight: 240g
Dimensions: 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.65mm
Screen: 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display
Storage: 128 / 256 / 512GB / 1TB

Reasons to buy

+
Automatic macro mode
+
Superb Cinematic mode
+
77mm telephoto lens
+
RAW capture

Reasons to avoid

-
More of a phablet than a phone
-
Expensive, even by Apple standards

The iPhone 13 Pro Max is the best of Apple’s older generations of iPhones for photography – that is still available. It is becoming slightly harder to find in stock, but when it is it's often at a significantly cheaper price than Apple's latest models.

The iPhone 13 Pro Max with the same cameras and tech as the iPhone 13 Pro, but with a bigger screen (6.7 inches versus 6.1 inches). The Pro Max also boasts a slightly longer battery life of up to 28hrs video playback versus up to 22 hours on the smaller 13 Pro. 

It might be tempting, then, to pick the Pro Max over the regular Pro model just to get the best of everything. The regular Pro costs enough, so why not take that last step and get the bigger screen? Some may simply find it too big to be comfortable to use every day. So it's really a judgment call based on what you want to spend.

Overall, there's no doubt the iPhone 13 Pro Max is a truly stunning camera phone today, and many people have simply not upgraded to newer models as this phone still puts out beautiful images with the iPhone look.

Read more: iPhone 13 Pro Max review

Best cheap iPhone for photography

(Image credit: Future)

6. iPhone SE (2022)

The best iPhone for photography for the least money

Specifications

Release date: March 2022
Rear cameras: 12 MP, f/1.8 (wide), PDAF, OIS
Front camera: 7 MP, f/2.2
Dual OIS: No
Weight: 144g
Dimensions: 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm
Storage: 64/128/256GB

Reasons to buy

+
Great value
+
Fast performer
+
Supports 5G

Reasons to avoid

-
No Zoom or ultrawide

Want the photography smarts of a modern iPhone, but on a tight budget? Then I recommend the latest update to the iPhone SE. At a surprisingly affordable price (it is Apple after all), you get an impressive camera setup, with a 12MP f/1.8 aperture wide camera on the rear. This isn't really in the same league as the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but that phone is several times the cost the SE.

The fast A15 Bionic chip makes everything works smoothly and beautifully, and there are photography-focused features such as the AI-enhanced Portrait mode and the same Smart HDR 4 tech as the iPhone 13 giving you lots of great shooting options. For selfies, the front camera (7 MP, f/2.2) is pretty decent too. 

Elsewhere, the iPhone SE (2022) offers 5G, longer battery life, and improved durability. It's rated IP67 for water and dust resistance, features the Home button, and supports Touch ID and Apple Pay.

On the downside, the screen is pretty small, at 4.7 inches, (unless you love small phones that is) and you're not getting zoom or ultra-wide lenses. But overall you're getting a very nice camera phone indeed, for not a lot of money.

How to choose the best iPhone for photography

Choosing the perfect iPhone for photography involves considering each devices cameras, your expectations for what you hope to shoot, and of course – your budget. The latest iPhone models, such as the iPhone 15 series, boast cutting-edge features and enhanced capabilities but are also the most expensive, you can save some bug money by looking at older and cheaper models.

iPhones also cater to different size preferences – from the compact 4.7-in iPhone SE to the 6.1-in iPhone 15, all the way to the biggest 6.7-in iPhone 15 Pro Max, there is a size of iPhone for almost everyone. However, camera enthusiasts seeking advanced photography and videography will find the most powerful camera systems in the largest Pro Max model.

Battery life is also a crucial factor for power users, with models like the iPhone Plus or Max models offering extended usage over smaller iPhones with their more diminutive batteries. 

Future-proofing your purchase is essential, newer models typically receive updates for a longer duration, ensuring compatibility with upcoming apps and features. Although Apple does promise up to 7 years of updates, so even the oldest phone on this list has quite a few years left.

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)

What are the best iPhone accessories for photography?

If you want to create with your iPhone, then there are plenty of brilliant accessories to improve your photography and video. The microphones in the iPhone are great, but you can't beat one of these best microphones for iPhone for even better external audio recording. You will really notice the difference in quality. If you want to expand beyond the cameras on your phone, the best add-on lenses for phones give you more options for wide, telephoto, and macro photography.

Is iOS better than Android?

Well, depends on who you ask! The real truth of the matter is – both operating systems are excellent, and there is really not a huge amount between them. Both systems provide nearly all of the exact same features but just function in slightly different ways. Both have all the major apps you are likely to use. The OS to pick is just the one that you enjoy using more on a day-to-day basis.

How we test the best iPhones for photography

As a photography website, we pay special attention to the photo and video quality of iPhones. We rate resolution, noise, and color rendition in the context of what rival camera phones can do, and where there are any special features, such as ‘night modes’ or ‘portrait modes’, we check that these perform as the makers describe. We also use our expertise in digital cameras to compare how these phone cameras compare to a dedicated mirrorless camera – and make comparisons based on some very realistic expectations.

We then assess each phone for general handling, usability, and practicality – such as battery life. We do this by using the phone for the entire time we have the unit for review, attempting to use the iPhone for as many tasks as we can see fit to test the widest variety of its functions. Camera phones are all-around digital assistants too, of course, so we also check out Apple's (and Siri's) AI smarts.

We can then compare this to all the other current and previous iPhones to create this guide covering our recommendations for what makes the best iPhone for photography for different users.

Read more about how we test and review at Digitial Camera World.

Gareth Bevan
Reviews Editor

Gareth is a photographer based in London, working as a freelance photographer and videographer for the past several years, having the privilege to shoot for some household names. With work focusing on fashion, portrait and lifestyle content creation, he has developed a range of skills covering everything from editorial shoots to social media videos. Outside of work, he has a personal passion for travel and nature photography, with a devotion to sustainability and environmental causes.

With contributions from