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Which iPhone to choose?

Apple commercialise actuellement quatre modèles d’iPhone, vendus entre 409 € et 1 019 €. L’iPhone 6 Plus, l’iPhone 6, l’iPhone 5S et l’iPhone 5C se distinguent sur plusieurs critères plus ou moins importants. Nos conseils pour choisir celui qui correspondra le mieux à vos attentes et à votre budget.

IPhone and Bordeaux wines share this common point: it is better to be a connoisseur to grasp all their subtleties. Some differences between iPhone are immediate, others less. Most importantly, the functions of the most expensive models are not necessarily indispensable to all.

I just want an iPhone: I opt for the iPhone 5C

While neither screen size, aesthetics nor functions are a primary criterion, common sense invites you to move towards the cheapest iPhone, the iPhone 5C (409 €).

Its memory is limited to 8 GB, and no more than on another model it is not possible to extend storage with a micro SD card: you will have to be content with it. Be aware that it will therefore be necessary to limit the downloading of apps, games, music storage (to perhaps orient yourself towards streaming music), the taking of photos and videos.

For the rest, you will benefit from all the usual strengths of an iPhone, such as simplicity of use, precision of the touch screen and quality of the photos.

That said, compared to the more recent iPhone, the 5C has hit the blow: its components are older and its functions are less advanced. Especially since when it was released in September 2013, it was already an older model, the iPhone 5, simply dressed in a new hull.

I need a little memory: I opt for an iPhone 5S

If you prefer glass or steel to plastic, if you use multimedia functions and therefore need storage, if you own an old iPhone, such as 3GS or 4S, then the iPhone 5S is an interesting alternative. But it will cost you at least 200 euros more.

The iPhone 5S is available with 16 GB (€609) or, even better, with 32 GB (€659) of storage. The screen is the same as on the 5C, both in size (4 inches) and resolution (1136 x 640 pixels). But this model opens a new generation of Apple processors (64-bit architecture and addition of a motion coprocessor). Is the leap in performance significant? No, not really. The iPhone 5S is a little faster than the iPhone 5C, but not to the point of choosing one over the other on this single criterion.

The iPhone 5S, on the other hand, brings a few new features to the camera, enriched by the gust mode and a video mode that allows you to rotate in 120 frames per second to create idling effects. Apple also introduces its touch ID fingerprint reader from this model to unlock the device (instead of typing a code) and validate a purchase in the app store.

IPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus: a whole new generation

As you can see in our video, the new iPhone creates a break with older generations. First of all, by their format: apple offers larger screens (4.7 and 5.5 inches respectively) and comes back to the soft edges, regretted by fans of the first iPhone (up to 3GS). By their components, then. New generation processor (A8 and M8 coprocessor), even higher resolution screen with wider viewing angles, enhancement of the photo sensor with, among other things, optical stabilization of the image on the iPhone 6 Plus and, in video mode, stabilization of the image and automatic focus, as well as the ability to film in 240 frames per second. The gust mode also appears on the front camera. Apple also introduces a barometer, which allows, for example, to measure gravels in a day. Finally, note that iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are compatible with Wi-Fi 5 GHz, a frequency that is less exploited and therefore offers better speeds.

These iPhone are the most sophisticated but also, logically, the most expensive. Their internal storage can reach 128 GB, which puts the iPhone 6 plus at €1,019 and the iPhone 6 at €919 (reduce about €100 for the 64 GB versions, and an additional €100 for the 16 GB versions). These tariffs naturally cut off some of the consumers of these decidedly high-end terminals.

Apple no longer sells directly, either on its website or in its stores, all generations of iPhone. But some operators continue to market the 5 and even 4S models, often through subsidized offers that need to be carefully studied before subscribing to them. Otherwise, the second-hand market is also a good way to buy a cheaper smartphone.

Camille Gruhier