The previous trope that previous persons are hopelessly illiterate on the subject of expertise is considerably unwarranted. The house laptop revolution is a long time previous at this level, and smartphones have been round for over 16 years. Seniors might not function their smartphones as adroitly as their grandkids, however they aren’t simply sitting round pining for the times of rotary dial telephones.
Seniors want iPhones, too, however they might have distinctive wants. They’re usually on mounted incomes and will have issue studying small textual content, undergo from arthritis, or produce other accessibility wants. The perfect iPhone for seniors is one which received’t value an arm and a leg and can proceed to be up to date for a minimum of a couple of years. Past that, we’re going to make two suggestions: a small iPhone for seniors who discover giant telephones tough to hold and manipulate, and a big iPhone for individuals who want bigger textual content and pictures.
Proper now shopping for an iPhone for an older particular person is rather less easy than standard. We beforehand advisable the iPhone SE as a result of it has a Residence button, which simplifies the iPhone interface for the much less tech-minded and is cheaper. Nevertheless, Apple discontinued the iPhone SE in February 2025 and now not provides iPhones with Contact ID and a Residence button. If that’s what you need, examine third-party retailers and see if they’ve any in inventory.
Additionally observe that Apple Intelligence options are solely supported by Apple’s latest telephones, the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Professional, 16 Professional Max, and 16e. Apple sells the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus for $699 and $799, respectively, however they don’t assist Apple Intelligence, so in order for you these options, you might want to get an iPhone 16.
1. Apple iPhone 16: Greatest for seniors
Execs
- Wonderful battery life
- Nice processing and graphics efficiency
- Digicam Management is a boon for customers who incessantly shoot photographs
Cons
- No always-on show
- Is probably not sufficiently small for individuals who favor small telephones
Worth When Reviewed:
£799
Greatest Costs Immediately:
Greatest Costs Immediately:
Apple iPhone 16: Greatest for seniors
iPhone 16 128GB – Black – Unlocked
£730
iPhone 16 128GB – Ultramarine – Unlocked
£739.69
We suggest the iPhone 16 because the best choice right here primarily as a result of it represents the very best worth for cash proper now. At $799/£799., it provides a twin digicam system with a Digicam Management button. It might additionally shoot 4K video at 60 fps. The iPhone 16 additionally provides Emergency SOS through satellite tv for pc, Crash Detection, Roadside Help through satellite tv for pc, and Messages through satellite tv for pc.
That A18 processor is greater than quick sufficient for electronic mail, checking social media apps, taking photos, making FaceTime calls, and every part else a senior needs an iPhone for. And it’ll nonetheless get a number of years of iOS software program updates.
Face ID would possibly take slightly getting used to if the consumer is used to Contact ID and the Residence button, however might show to be a neater approach to safe an iPhone for these with arthritis.
Learn our full
Apple iPhone 16 overview
2. Apple iPhone 16e: New $599 possibility
Execs
- Small dimension
- Assist for Apple Intelligence
- Lengthy battery life
Cons
- No MagSafe assist
- Outdated set of Photographic Types
Worth When Reviewed:
From £599
The iPhone 16e is Apple’s latest reasonably priced possibility that replaces each the iPhone 14 and iPhone SE. Beginning at $599/£599, you get an iPhone with the identical A18 processor however with fewer GPU cores (4 vs 5). It has a single 48MP digicam, however as we’ve seen on different iPhones it’s fairly good with options like Deep Fusion for higher low-light images. Apple calls it a “2-in-1” digicam since its high-resolution photographs permit it to zoom at 2X with none noticeable degradation.
Apple now not provides a Residence button and Contact ID. The iPhone 16e makes use of Face ID, and also you swipe up from the underside of the display screen to get to the Residence display screen. Some seniors will discover Contact ID simpler to cope with than Face ID (particularly if their earlier smartphone was an older iPhone).
The iPhone 16e is not as small because the iPhone SE it changed, however it’s amongst Apple’s smallest telephones within the present lineup. Regardless of its dimension, battery life is rated by Apple to final 26 hours, which is the longest ever for a 6.1-inch iPhone.
The iPhone 16e helps 5G and is available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB capacities. When you resolve on the 128GB mannequin, you possibly can go for an iCloud subscription plan if you end up needing extra storage. We’ll replace this with our full overview however if you happen to can’t wait, the iPhone 16e must be a strong possibility for customers trying to spend rather less.
3. Apple iPhone 16 Plus: Huge-screen iPhone
Execs
- Massive 6.7-inch display screen
- Lightest large-screened iPhone
Cons
- Cumbersome and heavier than smaller iPhones
Worth When Reviewed:
£899
Greatest Costs Immediately:
Greatest Costs Immediately:
Apple iPhone 16 Plus: Huge-screen iPhone
iPhone 16 Plus 128GB – Teal – Unlocked
£870.96
The big show of one of many Plus-sized iPhones can be a lot simpler for previous eyes to see clearly. Excluding the iPhone 16 Professional Max, there are two selections with a 6.7-inch display screen right here: the iPhone 16 Plus, and iPhone 15 Plus. Once more, it can save you $100/£100 by shopping for the iPhone 15 Plus (at $799/£799) as a substitute of the newer iPhone 16 Plus (at $899/£899). This time we suggest spending the additional cash if there’s a price range obtainable as a result of the iPhone 16 era is a leap forward of the iPhone 15 by way of processor and digicam.
One more reason to decide on the iPhone 16 Plus: it helps Apple Intelligence. The iPhone 15 Plus doesn’t. The Apple Intelligence options might not enchantment to you now, however they become helpful sooner or later. If you need Apple Intelligence and a bigger iPhone then the best choice is the iPhone 16 Plus.
For extra recommendation about equipment on your Mac, iPad or iPhone see all our Greatest Picks.