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Now the iPhone 13 models are here and the question arises, will an older Apple phone do and when is the best time to buy one.
Apple presented its new iPhone generation last week. The iPhone 13 comes again in a total of 4 different versions. We have compared the individual models with each other and compared them to the previous models. We also took a detailed look at the price development of the previous iPhones.
Here again are the official prices of the current iPhone models with 128 GB storage:
iPhone 13 Mini – from 799 euros
iPhone 13 – from 899 euro
iPhone 13 Pro – from 1,149 euros
iPhone 13 Pro Max – from 1,249 euro
Now the question is: Are the new features worth buying a current iPhone or is the price of the previous versions already so low that forgoing the new features is a viable compromise?
Are the iPhone 13’s features worth the upgrade?
The answer to this question is, of course, highly dependent on which smartphone you are currently using. The improvements when jumping from an iPhone 6s to the iPhone 13 are, of course, enormous. But maybe it doesn’t have to be an iPhone 13 at all, maybe a 12 or even 11 iPhone is enough?
There are only marginal differences in design between the 12s and 13s, the iPhone 11 still comes in a much rounder look. In terms of features, the differences between the 3 generations are in the details and mainly concern the camera and the associated semi-professional photo and video features.
Differences in the display
There are major differences in the display technology. For example, only the Pro models of the iPhone 11 have a higher-quality OLED screen. The standard iPhone 11 models only have an LC display.
In the iPhone 12 and also in the iPhone 13, an OLED can be found in all models. And the Pro models of the iPhone 13 also have the increased refresh rate of 120 Hz available for the display.
Other differences
If you look at the battery, charging options, charging speed, processor performance and connectivity features, you will of course notice a continuous development.
For example, the iPhone 11 is not yet 5G-capable, but the 12 and 13 iPhones can also communicate via the 5G network.
The question of storage space
Those who are now comparing iPhone 13 prices with an earlier iPhone model should note that the smallest storage size on the new iPhone is 128 GB. In previous models, the internal storage already started at 64 GB.
If you are interested in an iPhone 12 or older, you should definitely keep in mind that 64 GB of internal storage is pretty tight.
What is the iPhone used for?
For those who place a lot of importance on the form factor, it’s best to go to a store and pick up the individual iPhones. If someone wants a small phone, for example, then a mini model with its 5.4-inch screen is naturally the first choice.
If you mainly want to record videos with the iPhone, a Pro model is absolutely recommendable. The difference between the Pro and standard models is not quite as drastic in photos.
Price development of the current iPhones
If we take a closer look at the price development of the previous iPhones, we can see a pattern that follows the product and launch cycle. For the comparison of the prices, we have oriented ourselves to the actual market prices and not to the prices in the Apple store.
If you want to buy a new iPhone 13 now, you do not have to expect prices to drop significantly before March or April. For example, the iPhone 12 Pro (128 GB) cost €1,149 when it was launched in the fall. By mid-April, the price had dropped by 100 euros.
Things look a bit different for the iPhone 12 (64 GB). Here, the price drop was much more significant: At market launch, the model cost 899 Euros. Between the end of January and the beginning of September, the price dropped from 850 euros to 720 euros.
When is the best time to buy an iPhone?
The following pattern can be seen for the iPhone 11 (128 GB): Until the presentation of the iPhone 12, the price remained relatively constant. Only with the market launch of the successor model did the price move down significantly: from about 765 Euros in mid-September to 650 Euros at the end of November, beginning of December.
Once the Christmas rush and the accompanying offers are over, iPhone prices usually pick up again and drop constantly but only slightly between spring and fall. The iPhone 11 (128 GB) cost around 710 euros in spring 2021, for example. At the beginning of September 2021, the price was 650 euros.
In summary, it can be concluded that the best time to buy an iPhone is between early November and mid-December. However, this only applies to iPhones from the previous year or even older models.
iPhone with mobile contract or better without?
In the coming days, the domestic mobile operators will again entice with offers and advertise the current 13 iPhones with lucrative purchase prices – however, always in connection with longer-term mobile contracts and correspondingly high monthly costs.
The question of whether it is now cheaper to buy an iPhone from a mobile network operator including a contract cannot be answered so simply. It is possible, for example, that an individual loyalty offer is available that makes the purchase seem particularly favorable.
In any case, it is more than advisable to calculate the purchase prices, taking into account the monthly costs, and to compare them with SIM-only rates – including those of mobile phone discounters.
— source: futurezone.at/pictures: apple.com
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