Is It Too Late? Expert Insights on Timing Your Next iPhone Upgrade

Key Takeaways

• Any new iPhone will feel outdated with the release of the iPhone 16 range in just two months.
• Even if you don’t want an iPhone 16, current prices are likely to drop by $100 or more in September.

In case you aren’t aware, Apple follows a very predictable annual schedule when it comes to releasing new iPhones. Thanks to this, we can say with a high level of confidence that right now is the worst time of year to buy a new iPhone. You just need to hold out another two months.

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The iPhone 16 Is Almost Here

Apple has released a new iPhone every September for the last 12 years (with one exception in 2020 when the global lockdown pushed it back a month). We have every reason to believe that trend is going to continue with the iPhone 16 , especially as Apple also revealed the next major iPhone update, iOS 18 , in line with its typical schedule.

If you were to pick up a new iPhone right now, the best you’d be able to get is the iPhone 15 Pro . But in just a couple of months it’ll already be superseded by the next release. If you’re spending over $1,000 on a new iPhone, it’s not a nice feeling for it to feel outdated so soon.

Apple Intelligence Won’t Support Older iPhones

Apple

This is an especially important issue this year, with iOS 18 introducing a host of on-device AI features that will benefit from as much processing power as possible. If you’re planning to snag a deal with an iPhone 15, you should know that you won’t be able to use Apple’s AI features when iOS 18 drops; only the iPhone 15 Pro series will support them.

However, there’s a good chance the regular iPhone 16 model will offer support when it’s revealed, and it could be a similar price to the current iPhone 15. Even if you were planning to get the iPhone 15 Pro, which will support these AI features, the iPhone 16 Pro series is likely to cope with them much better.

But maybe you aren’t concerned about having the very best new smartphone in your pocket. Well, it’s still a bad time to buy a new iPhone if your money means anything to you.

iPhone 15 Prices Aren’t Dropping Yet

Although the next iPhone is practically right around the corner, market prices haven’t begun to reflect that. This means that a new iPhone 15 will cost the same amount today as it cost when it launched in September last year. But two months from now, that price is likely to drop by at least $100, maybe more if you don’t buy from Apple.

I already explained how consistent Apple’s iPhone release schedule is. Well, the pricing drops are fairly predictable as well. Whenever Apple releases a new iPhone, it tends to drop the price of the previous generation by about $100. That would cover for a Spigen Mag case , a JETech screen protector , and a MagSafe charging cable if you wanted to fully kit out your new phone.

Beware, though, that Apple will probably also reduce the iPhone 15 lineup when it cuts the price, so you won’t have the same choice of colors and storage sizes as you have now.

Even if you aren’t planning to buy directly from Apple, third-party retailers also haven’t dropped their prices on the iPhone 15 lineup yet. Before long, they’re going to be eager to clear stock and make space for the latest phones, making it much easier to find deep discounts or time-limited offers.

Finally, the second-hand iPhone market will also be flooded with more phones in September as other people upgrade to the new releases. That’s also likely to push prices down, making your dollar go that much further if you can hold off until then.

However you slice it, it’s not worth shelling out for a new iPhone right now. If you’re itching for an upgrade to get something more exciting, you’ll be able to get an even flashier phone with the iPhone 16 Pro in September. And if you don’t care about new features but just need a new phone, you’ll be able to get more bang for your buck when current iPhone prices get cut at the same time.

Of course, if your current phone is completely unusable, you might have no choice but to upgrade now. But it’s worth considering finding an old hand-me-down to get you through to the iPhone 16 release if you can.

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