Other Rank Your Favorite iPhones of All Time

[Simmias]

Sorry but this OP makes no sense to me. I started with the v1 iPhone and liked each new iPhone I purchased better than the previous one or I would not have bought it. And my protocol is to hold on to the old iPhone for a few weeks just to make sure.

IMO every year the iPhones have improved. On years when I did not upgrade I still spent substantial time testing friends' iPhones, because back then cell service was particularly problematic and if a phone improved connectivity it was a big deal. The 4s was the quantum jump for me as the first year that I found the iPhone camera good enough to be really useful.

Try re-reading the original post. I said "rank your experience with the iPhones you've owned." Of course each year's iPhone is "the best iPhone ever made". And of course newer phones are better than older phones. I'm happy with the progress made over the years and not one of the cynical people claiming that there's been no innovation with the iPhone. That's not the point.

The point is that, at the time we own each phone, our experience using them varies and can be compared as better or worse. For example, I enjoyed owning the 4S more than I did the XS, but that doesn't mean the 4S is better than the XS (it has a worse camera, smaller screen, etc) or I would go back to using the 4S. It means that, at the time, my experience of owning the 4S was better than my experience of owning the XS.

I think the meaning is rather obvious and most other commenters seem to get it.

 

[Tig_one]

There's no contest, the 5s by far.

 

[uacd]

1. iPhone 5. Apple cannot beat themself on this one till this day. Highly pocketable device, convenient, only one camera, squared edges. Beautiful brick.
2. iPhone 11 Pro. Since I only list phones I owned or used, this one is more or less good daily driver for me rn. I dislike round edges though, would have preferred this one to become the first phone for Apple to return to back to square, not 12.
3. iPhone SE 3. Well, it is acceptable but battery life is criminally bad. Camera is ok, but low light performance sucks.
4. iPhone 6s. The worst iPhone I had ever had. Battery was defective from the factory, very slippery feel, notifications bug (I couldn’t receive calls at times or call notifications didn’t arrive at all), taptic engine which was too silent to feel phone vibrating during calls. The only acceptable thing about it was camera, it was ok, but comparing to my 5 it felt somewhat lackluster and overprocessed (if only I knew they would make it worse in the future…). And 6s was the first iPhone to make me switch to Samsung

 

[Abydos]

hard question -

1. 3 gs
2. se (2020)
3. 12 mini

still using the se (2020), the 3 gs had network compatibility issues and has been recycled, the 12 mini suffered a catastrophic fall and has been recycled.

 

[neuropsychguy]

My favorite is always the newest version I’ve had. I think my first was the iPhone 7. I like my 16 Pro the most of any so my ranking would just be moving back from the current model.

 

[capamac]

The iPhone 4/5 size is the best. It's how a phone should be. The problem with later phones is they're trying and failing to be desktops. But while they're busy failing at being a desktop, they're also failing at being a nice small easily pocketable phone.

It's like the flying car. Someone once said of flying cars (which have been around for some decades now, but never really caught on) is that you wind up with an awful airplane and a terrible car.

So with the iPhone model after iPhone 5 what we have is an awful phone and a terrible attempt at desktop.

 

[Asthmatic Kitty]

I reeeally hate the size creep that has happened in the last eight years or so, from 5.8" to 6.3" on the regular pro phone — makes it such a different device to interact with. The X/XS felt like a smooth pebble; the 17 Pro feels like an unwieldy brick. Imo the 12/13/14 Pro design was the low point of iPhone design, heavy and with sharp edges. The 15 Pro was a breath of fresh air after that.

In contrast, I remember when I went from a 4 to a 5 that I found the lighter weight to make the device feel less premium, so there's definitely a middle ground there somewhere.

I feel like durability plays a part in my rankings, too — the 7 was the first officially waterproof iPhone, and you didn't need to worry about the haptic home button wearing out or getting mushy. (Or that the phone would bend.) The 4 was just a classic design, and having a Retina display in that era just felt like living in the future.

1. XS
2. 7
3. 4
4. 5
5. 15 Pro
6. 3G
7. 17 Pro
8. 6
9. 13 Pro

 

[eyoungren]

The iPhone 4/5 size is the best. It's how a phone should be. The problem with later phones is they're trying and failing to be desktops. But while they're busy failing at being a desktop, they're also failing at being a nice small easily pocketable phone.

It's like the flying car. Someone once said of flying cars (which have been around for some decades now, but never really caught on) is that you wind up with an awful airplane and a terrible car.

So with the iPhone model after iPhone 5 what we have is an awful phone and a terrible attempt at desktop.

My ideal size for a phone is somewhere between the Pro Max and the iPad Mini. So, while I'm with you on the iPhone 5, my size preference has changed since that time. And the iPhone 5 was bigger than the 3GS I was using at the time so that should have clued me in.

Lastly, I'm not sure I agree with your 'desktop' assessment. I think people just want larger phones. It's a reason that foldable phones are often mentioned around here. A larger size, with the convenience of folding down.

Regardless, any iPhone attempting to be a desktop replacement (or iPad for that matter) is destined to fail in my home. Click the link in my signature and you'll see why. I have yet to own a phone that can do what my Mac Pro can do.

 

[conmee]

I've owned almost every model since the 3GS. I classify my favorites/experience as pre- and post- camera bump. Not a fan of camera bumps or the camera control button... make for a less elegant experience, imo.

The 5S was my favorite pre-camera bump phone. Elegant, stylish, slightly bigger screen, and flush backside with a microphone jack for me and fellow Luddites. I miss the pre-camera bump era.

Post-camera bump, the XS was my favorite. The rounded edges, stainless steel, a modest camera bump compared to the plateaus we have now. The 5.8" screen size was just right compared to how big all the phones are getting (13 mini with better battery and no camera bump would have been perfect for me, but was pretty close). Can't believe I'm writing this, but I prefer the notch to Dynamic Island, at least from a looks perspective. But I admit that ESPN live activities/real-time scores and flight info with Dynamic Island is something I like.

And for all the complaints about battery life over the years, I never really noticed really bad or really good performance. Always just seemed mediocre to slightly better than the year before. But the 17 Pro is the first time I really noticed that I have significant battery at the end of the day and even during heavy use with YouTube, I don't see it drop very fast compared to my 12/14/15. So that has been a pleasant surprise.

1) 5S
2) XS
3) 13 mini (would be higher if Apple had made it a Pro "equivalent" in everything but size)
4) 17 Pro (noticeably great battery and great cameras)

 

[klasma]

1. iPhone SE (2016)
2. Split between iPhone 4S and iPhone mini 13

White and silver.

There isn’t really much more to say.

 

[conmee]

P.S. I was going through some boxes in the garage today and I still have my 6S in original box with unopened earbuds, power brick, and cable (given they are unopened, I guess that shows in my case, the argument for not including that stuff anymore). But still, it was cool to get a new phone and feel like you got all this value and all these accessories as part of the purchase/unboxing experience. I tend to agree with Flossy, when you spend $1k or more, the unboxing experience can and maybe should be better than just some regulatory paperwork and the device. No more Apple troll stickers even! As Flossy says, "Apple, Google, Samsung, Sony, ****in' Sony!" make the unboxing experience worthy of the price.

P.P.S. Lastly, I should admit that I excitedly bought the iPhone SE while the 6S Plus was my daily driver. After a few days, I returned it because I couldn't go back to the 5S/SE size again. Having said that, I DID keep my 13 mini. Size was just right, but battery life was the main reason I begrudgingly moved on to a 14 Pro.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Try re-reading the original post. I said "rank your experience with the iPhones you've owned." Of course each year's iPhone is "the best iPhone ever made". And of course newer phones are better than older phones. I'm happy with the progress made over the years and not one of the cynical people claiming that there's been no innovation with the iPhone. That's not the point.

The point is that, at the time we own each phone, our experience using them varies and can be compared as better or worse. For example, I enjoyed owning the 4S more than I did the XS, but that doesn't mean the 4S is better than the XS (it has a worse camera, smaller screen, etc) or I would go back to using the 4S. It means that, at the time, my experience of owning the 4S was better than my experience of owning the XS.

I think the meaning is rather obvious and most other commenters seem to get it.

No need to reread, it was not hard to understand "rank your experience with the iPhones you've owned." The OP makes no sense to me because my experience with each newer iPhone improved. Your better/worse experience despite agreeing regarding the continually improving iPhones logic escapes me. YMMV I guess.

Note that I agree that newer models could be less good (e.g. my 2001 Yukon XL was far superior to my 2007 Yukon XL). I just have not found any newer iPhone Pros that are less good.

 

[indefinite]

1. 17 Pro (48 MP camera improvement)
2. 14 Pro (Great display introduced)
3. X

Everything else in the middle was overhyped PR.

 

[SpotOnT]

1) iPhone 15 Pro/16 Pro. Love the Titanium, the balance, the ergonomics.

2) iPhone 8. Like how small and light this phone was. Liked the glass front and back. My main phone for nearly 8 years. The curved edges made the phone a bit slippery to hold though.

3) iPhone 7. Like the iPhone 8, but not as good.

4) iPhone 14 Pro. Felt too heavy. Hated the gaudy polished steel rails. Battery got killed after a year. Not a fan.

5) iPhone 6s. First iPhone that was fast enough for me to use….but not much else to say. Kept breaking on me, and after three replacements, Apple just gave me an iPhone 7 instead.

6) iPhone 6. Horribly slow, unusable phone. Gave the phone to my husband, since I couldn’t stand it. He bent it when he accidentally sat on it one day. Apple replaced it with an iPhone 6s for us.

 

[rambo47]

1. 6+
2. 4S
3. 14 Pro (gave to my son when he needed a replacement)
4. 16 Pro Max (current)

 

[Lynxpoint]

For me, size matters... quite a bit, so:
1. iPhone 4 - just awesome size
2. iPhone 12 mini - loved this phone and never had battery issues or other issues... still kind of regret moving onto the 16 pro because the mini was "perfect"
3. 3 GS
4. 7

and extra mention to my personal fav when it comes to just size and ease of handling, but of course lacked significanly compared to the iphoines that followed it, is the Sony Erricson T68i - this was an amazing, light, fit in hand and in any pocket, one handed operation wonder.

 

[eyoungren]

No need to reread, it was not hard to understand "rank your experience with the iPhones you've owned." The OP makes no sense to me because my experience with each newer iPhone improved. Your better/worse experience despite agreeing regarding the continually improving iPhones logic escapes me. YMMV I guess.

Note that I agree that newer models could be less good (e.g. my 2001 Yukon XL was far superior to my 2007 Yukon XL). I just have not found any newer iPhone Pros that are less good.

I've complained here over the years about a lot of other things with iOS and the iPhone as well. Perhaps your experience has been better with each iteration of the iPhone, but mine has not always been so. And from the looks of it, not everyone else's either.

Example 1: I complained here on MacRumors long and loud for years about the experience I had with iOS 7. Jony Ive took inspiration from PlaySkool and Tutor Time in the use of primary color throughout that version of iOS. It was unicorn puke and pretty much ruined the experience of my iPhone 5. Apple didn't fix it until quite some time afterwards either so I had to endure a few versions of iOS before it ultimately got cleaned up.

Example 2: The continued growth of the camera bump from the iPhone 6 series into what we have now, a full on camera plateau on the back of the iPhone. It is not appreciated at all by my eyes. Yes, yes. Cue the eye rolls, eyoungren is AGAIN bringing up the fugly camera boil!

And for all of those who may register several common rebuttals…

I understand the technical reasons for the fugliness of the camera lenses. But those reasons do not make it any less ugly to me.

I don't use cases, so the argument that it's just going to be 'slapped into a case' holds no relevance here.

And no, I am not staring at the back of the phone all the time. But that doesn't make it any less ugly either.

So, just two examples off the top of my head. I know there are plenty of other users out there who've heard my words ad nauseum over the years here. Not sorry.

 

[Simmias]

The iPhone 4/5 size is the best. It's how a phone should be. The problem with later phones is they're trying and failing to be desktops.

I reeeally hate the size creep that has happened in the last eight years or so, from 5.8" to 6.3" on the regular pro phone — makes it such a different device to interact with.

It’s a shame that the market moved decisively toward large phones. It’s no coincidence that so many people love the 5/5S generation and it’s the one that bucked the big phone trend. There was even an ad for the iPhone 5 focused on ergonomics - “your thumb goes from here to here. The screen goes from here to here.” Apple initially stuck to their guns around “the correct size” for a one handed device, but ended up acceding to making the phone a two handed device. It’s also maybe no coincidence that the 6/6S was considered one of the worst generations. I think Apple has gradually learned to better balance the tradeoffs of large phone and making them more powerful devices. At the same time, that’s why I’ve find the Air such a refreshing and revelatory device for flipping the script on the continual size and weight creep.

 

[Bungaree.Chubbins]

It’s a shame that the market moved decisively toward large phones. It’s no coincidence that so many people love the 5/5S generation and it’s the one that bucked the big phone trend. There was even an ad for the iPhone 5 focused on ergonomics - “your thumb goes from here to here. The screen goes from here to here.” Apple initially stuck to their guns around “the correct size” for a one handed device, but ended up acceding to making the phone a two handed device. It’s also maybe no coincidence that the 6/6S was considered one of the worst generations. I think Apple has gradually learned to better balance the tradeoffs of large phone and making them more powerful devices. At the same time, that’s why I’ve find the Air such a refreshing and revelatory device for flipping the script on the continual size and weight creep.

And yet. Despite how much I loved the iPhone 5, I could never go back to a phone that small.

 

[Simmias]

I've complained here over the years about a lot of other things with iOS and the iPhone as well. Perhaps your experience has been better with each iteration of the iPhone, but mine has not always been so. And from the looks of it, not everyone else's either.

Yes. In addition, it’s very common for people to discuss their favorite generations of, say, cars or video game consoles. Each new generation is technically superior to the previous one and may be worthy of upgrading, but people naturally have favorites that wow’ed them or low points that let them down. Everyone knows what it means to say the Super NES was your favorite console, even though the graphics on current consoles blows it away, or that the 1964 Ford Mustang was the best Mustang, even though it can’t compare to the specs of modern cars.

 

[Simmias]

And yet. Despite how much I loved the iPhone 5, I could never go back to a phone that small.

Agreed. I thought I would love the 12 mini, but it turned out that I couldn’t give up the larger screen size. I think that’s the reality that Apple recognized - bigger screens have more utility despite the trade off in comfort.

 

[mk313]

1. Original SE was my favorite phone ever. (I realize it was the same size as the 4s/ 5s, but I think it was the surprise of them coming out with another small phone after I thought they were done.)
2. Second would probably be the 4S. It was my first iPhone (the first one that was available on Sprint. I actually went early & stood in line to get one. First & last time I ever did that, but the phone was great.)
3. 13 Mini is my current phone & I like it. I'd still trade it for an original SE sized one if they made a newer one, but the 13 mini is ok.

 

[Bungaree.Chubbins]

Agreed. I thought I would love the 12 mini, but it turned out that I couldn’t give up the larger screen size. I think that’s the reality that Apple recognized - bigger screens have more utility despite the trade off in comfort.

It's the same with the camera bump. Like @eyoungren I hate the camera bump, but if the iPhone 19 had a phone in the lineup without one, I'm not sure if I'd choose it because the iPhone cameras, including the ultra-wide lens, are just too useful to me. I'd give it a good hard think though!

 

[French Cruller]

1. iPhone 12 mini
2. iPhone 4s
3. iPhone 6s

 

[dduraznito]

For me it's as follows:
1. 5s
2. 4s
3. X

Happy to find someone with my exact same ranking!