Apple

Why You Probably Shouldn’t Buy an iPhone Right Now

Published

8 months ago

08/10/2023

If you’re dire need of a new iPhone, you might be tempted to buy one right now. That said, if you can wait a few more weeks, you should.

Apple’s current iPhone lineup has something for everyone. The iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max are the flagships aimed at people who want the latest hardware and software features.

The company’s iPhone SE 3 is the latest budget model and it should appeal to those who want an up-to-date phone without putting a huge dent in the bank account.

You may also want to take a look at the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. They’re older, but they are all much cheaper than they once were.

You’ve also got the iPhone SE 2, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max. These are Apple’s budget options and all of them have moved to iOS 16 and will move up to iOS 17.

If you’re looking to upgrade your iPhone this month, you’ve got plenty options. However, we can’t recommend buying any of these devices in right now unless you’re truly desperate.

iPhone 15 Launch

Apple’s planning to launch four new iPhone 15 models in September.

The company hasn’t confirmed a launch event yet, but sources are pointing to an event happening on September 12th. There, the company will outline the iPhone 15 series for the first time.

We expect the iPhone 15 release date to land a week after the announcement which means we have just a few weeks to go before these devices hit shelves.

Before you go out and buy an iPhone 14 or an older iPhone model, you’ll want to dig into the latest details about the iPhone 15 models. Here are the basics for those that haven’t been paying attention to the rumors:

Titanium design.
Upgraded cameras.
USB-C in place of Lightning.
New processor in the iPhone 15 Pro models.

If any of that sounds good to you, and your phone isn’t failing apart at the seams, we recommend holding out for Apple’s annual iPhone event.

Even if you aren’t enamored with the rumors, you should still hang around and wait for Apple to announce its new phones.

iPhone Deals

When Apple announces the 2023 iPhone models, it’ll switch up the prices of its current iPhone lineup.

If Apple continues to sell the older models, you can expect their prices to drop. Retailers around the world will respond in kind. We should see some nice price cuts that don’t require a trade-in. We’ll probably see price cuts on top Android phones as well.

If you aren’t in a hurry, you might think about holding out until November for Black Friday or December for additional holiday deals. We should see some deep discounts on popular iPhones.

New iPhones only come around once a year. And with the iPhone 15 launch and guaranteed price cuts just a few weeks away, those of you in need of a new iPhone would be wise to control those urges and hold onto your current phone for a little while longer.

5 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 15 & 5 Reasons Not To

Wait for Design Changes

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Last year, Apple introduced a brand new pill-shaped notch the company calls Dynamic Island. Unfortunately, this change is only available on the company's high-end iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models. That will likely change this year.

Analyst Ross Young believes Apple could bring Dynamic Island to the lower-end iPhone 15 models. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman does as well.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the iPhone 15's proximity sensor will be integrated into Dynamic Island. The proximity sensor on the iPhone 14 Pro models is under the display outside of Dynamic Island. This could lead to Face ID improvements.

This might give some of you considering Apple's iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Plus a reason to hold out and wait for the new models.

On the flip side, Young doesn't think the standard iPhone 15 models will get 120Hz/LTPO like the iPhone 15 Pro models.

This has been backed up by another source who says the iPhone 15/iPhone 15 Plus won't get ProMotion and Always-On display capabilities.

We've heard the the iPhone 15 Max's design will be made out of titanium as opposed to stainless steel. The frame supposedly has a brushed finish.

In a tweet, a prominent leaker says the iPhone 15 Pro models will "have thinner bezels" with curved edges. The display is reportedly still flat, however.

ShrimpApplePro says additional sources now agree with the information and that the bezels on the iPhone 15 Pro models will indeed be thinner.

In a tweet, well-known leaker Ice Universe says the iPhone 15 Pro Max will break the record for thinnest bezels on a smartphone. The record is currently held by the Xiaomi 13.

In a follow up tweet, he's shown off what are evidently glass displays and third-party screen protectors for the iPhone 15 series.

Analyst Jeff Pu from Haitong International Securities also believes the company is working to deliver a new titanium design.

So does Gurman. In a report Gurman says the iPhone 15 Pro models could be about 10% lighter than their predecessors thanks to the new design.

We've also heard the iPhone 15 Pro will have a new mute button that replaces the switch. This "Action" button could work like it does on the Apple Watch Ultra in that it will allow users to map it to different functions.

This new addition has seemingly been confirmed by the iOS 17 beta.