Is now the worst time to buy an iPhone?

4 minutes read

The announcement date of the new series of cell phones from Apple is already confirmed: September 7th. And with the iPhone 14 knocking at our door, this might not be the best time to buy one of the models currently on the shelves. This includes iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and even the recent iPhone 13 and iPhone SE 2022.

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And the problem is not just a matter of cell phones close to being out of date. This is not quite true with high-end smartphones, which deliver an excellent experience for much more than two years.

I will explain below, one by one, the various issues why buying an iPhone now is not a good idea.

New line in sight

Of course, the fact that new iPhones are about to arrive is one of the reasons. But not because the predecessors will be considered outdated, but because there will be a natural devaluation of the devices available today.

Almost every time Apple launches a new line, it also announces a drop in the price of models that will remain in production. If you buy an iPhone 13 now, for example, you run the risk of getting an undervalued cell phone twice in a few days.

The end of the notch is one of the biggest expectations for the new generation of iPhone (Image: Ivo Meneghel Jr/Canaltech)

This affects the resale value, too. Basically, what I’m saying is that if you wait just a few days, you’ll save a few bucks, as well as pay a price closer to what you’ll get when you pass the device on.

That is, even if previous generations still deliver an excellent experience even two or even three years after launch, this is not the time to invest in them. It is better to wait for the announcement of the new ones and the price drop in Brazil to be official, which normally happens until November.

inflated prices

There is another factor that I consider even more important in the equation. It’s not just that the iPhones available today are going to get cheaper soon, they’re more expensive today than they were just a few weeks ago.

I did a search on the Zoom price comparator to confirm this claim. Although one or another model has not varied as much or is even more affordable today than in early August, most have seen a considerable increase recently.

The New 64GB iPhone came to cost around R$2,800 in early August. In the middle of the month, it started to increase and came to cost R$ 3,300. It is a variation that, combined with the fact that there is a devaluation in sight, makes investing a bad idea today.

Price variation of the iPhone 13 Pro in the last six months shows a sudden increase in the last few weeks (Image: Felipe Junqueira/Screenshot)

This goes for almost all models. The 128GB iPhone 12 went from around R$4,300 in early August to the range of R$4,600 in September. The 64 GB version went from R$3,700 to R$4,300 currently.

The 2021 generation also had some variations. The iPhone 13 Pro was stabilized at around R$4,500, it dropped to R$4,300 and is now in the range of R$4,800.

Only the “normal” iPhone 13 and Pro Max were more or less on the same level. The first one even had an offer at the end of August, when it dropped to around R$ 3,700, and is now around R$ 4,800, even more affordable than at the end of July.

The iPhone 13 Pro Max, in turn, does not usually go below R$6,800, and is almost always close to R$7,000. All prices are from online retail.

New features?

The last point, which I consider even less important and I will explain why, is the possibility of new features appearing. It is true that, apart from the iPhone 11, all models currently on sale are already compatible with 5G.

But we have no way of predicting what Apple will offer in the new generation. Of course, there are some rumors, which are not very exciting. But there can always be surprises — there’s always hope, right?

New generation should bring camera improvements compared to iPhone 13 Pro (Image: Ivo Meneghel Jr/Canaltech)

The biggest possibility of news is in the cameras. Rumor has it that Apple will finally release the option to record videos in 8K resolution. There is also expectation of improvement in the ultrawide cameras.

Overall, changes should be small details. And then it’s up to you to understand if it’s something worth going to the latest generation or if one of the older ones already meets your type of use.

And often the most usable features are released to older generations with an iOS update. Therefore, I consider this the least important point to not be worth buying an iPhone now.

Worst time to buy iPhone

Considering that Apple’s new generation of cell phones is about to be announced, now is not the time to buy a new iPhone. In addition to the possibility of some new feature catching your attention, there is the issue of price, which is on the rise and should drop soon.

There was a price drop in the month of August, but as soon as Apple confirmed the event for September 7, most models skyrocketed. There are a few cases of devices that already had little variation and that are even a little more affordable now, but they are the exception, not the rule.

The tip is valid for all years. Whenever Apple confirms the event of its new cell phones, it becomes disadvantageous to buy a new phone from the company. This usually happens between mid-August and can go on until the end of September.