Why You Shouldn't Buy A New iPhone Right Now
Apple is just over a week away from introducing the world to its new phones in the iPhone 14 series. In just two weeks from now, meanwhile, the devices will reportedly start shipping to buyers. If you've lately been planning to splurge on a new iPhone, you should almost certainly put that scheme on hold until Apple's event on September 7. There are two major reasons for that, and they both come down to value.
First off, and most obvious, is the potential for an imminent price cut for the iPhone 13 series–and, indeed, older iPhone models. Apple typically slashes the price of its older generation iPhones as soon as the new models hit the virtual shelves. Following the launch of iPhone 13 series in September of 2021, for example, Apple slashed the price of iPhone 12 by $100, bringing down its asking price from $799 to $699. The iPhone 12 mini went from $699 to $599, while the iPhone 11 series also saw an additional $100 price cut.
Looking back further still, to 2020, the iPhone 11's starting price was toned down from $699 to $599 as soon as the iPhone 12 series was made official. The iPhone XR's price was also slashed by the same margin; Apple even dropped it to $499 for the base storage variant soon after that. With the iPhone 14 series just a few days away from its official debut, you might want to wait for the retail price of the current iPhone 13 quartet to come down if those are the phones you've set your eyes on.
It's just not a good deal for your money
The second reason is a little trickier, but effectively it comes down to what you're getting for your money. Apple hasn't made any major hikes to the iPhone's pricing structure in the past couple of years, despite making some key upgrades, in particular for the Pro versions of the smartphones. This year, however, the stakes for generation-over-generation upgrades are even higher. Take, for example, the iPhone 14 Pro, which is heavily rumored to ditch the boat-shaped Face ID notch at the top in favor of a more modern pill-shaped punch-hole cutout instead
On the inside, meanwhile, there'll be a chipset upgrade, with Apple expected to jump to the A16 Bionic SoC based on TSMC's next-gen 5nm fabrication process. However, the most notable change is happening in the camera department, that will reportedly see the main camera getting upgraded from a 12-megapixel sensor to a 48-megapixel version with significant advantages in detail and low-light performance.
TFI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also predicted an upgrade for the front camera, which is finally in line for autofocus. In a medium blog post, Kuo also wrote that the ultra-wide angle camera sensor will also feature larger pixels, bringing in more light to capture more color-accurate and detailed pictures. Finally, there's also chatter about faster charging speeds on the Pro models, which might finally touch the 30W mark. In short, the distinction between what makes a "Pro" iPhone or otherwise is about to get a lot more stark, but if you were considering an Apple smartphone upgrade it's worth holding off for a week to see if your money gets you more from the iPhone 14 series.