Why You Should Buy a Used IPhone Now More Than Ever
I am a big supporter of old technologies. I think we could all upgrade our devices less and push what we have to the limit. Of course, nothing lasts forever: sooner or later the day will come when, whether you like it or not, you will have to buy a new iPhone. However, when that day comes, I think instead of going to the Apple Store or Best Buy, you should buy something used.
While I’m wary of making technical predictions, the news isn’t great for the price of the iPhone 14 Pro. While the base 14 should match the price of the iPhone 13, there are rumors that Apple will raise the price of the Pro by $100 . While the iPhone 13 Pro starts at $1,000, the iPhone 14 Pro can start at $1,100. Of course, you’re getting something new for your money: if the speculation is correct, the 14 Pro will come with a less intrusive front camera cutout design instead of a notch, Apple’s next-gen chipset, and an always-on display. as you’ll find on the latest Apple Watch (and many Android devices).
Well, there you go: a few fun new features that set this phone apart from last year’s 13 Pro, $100 more. I’m not trying to confuse the hypothetical device itself: I’m sure that, like every new iPhone, it will be the fastest and most feature-packed model. If you buy it, you’ll be able to take advantage of everything Apple has to offer for iOS (at least until next year), so if you want it, you’ll have more options.
But at this point, I no longer see the point in buying the latest and greatest. $1,100 is a lot of money for a phone, money you don’t have to spend to fully enjoy your iPhone experience. This idea is not speculation either: With the announcement of iOS 16, Apple has not only confirmed which iPhones will be compatible with the new software , but has detailed which of those iPhones will be compatible with which features .
Of course, if you still have an iPhone 8 or even X, you’ll get the new update along with the latest iPhones, but you’ll be missing a lot of features. You can’t use your iPhone as your Mac’s webcam with the Continuity Camera; you can’t instantly cut an object out of a photo with a long press; you cannot use Dictation and type at the same time; and you won’t be able to hang up using Siri.
However, all of these features are available on post-A11 generation iPhones: iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR. There are 12 confirmed features available on these devices that aren’t compatible with the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, or X, and given the many hidden iOS 16 features that Apple never talked about, there could be more exclusives. .
Back in September, I named the XS the best used iPhone on the market. When I wrote this article nine months ago, the average XS price on Swappa was $309. Now it’s priced at $247 , making it even better value than ever. For the price of a pair of AirPods Pro, you can get an iPhone that supports many of the features of iOS 16 and is almost guaranteed to support at least iOS 17.
Of course, these iPhone A12s don’t support all of the new iOS 16 features, just most of them. If you’re interested in features like live captioning (including live captioning during FaceTime calls) and a center stage and desktop view with Continuity camera, you’ll need at least an iPhone 11. It will cost you an additional $67. XS average : If you want an XS OLED display or need a third camera, the 11 Pro is almost $400 these days .
However, you can buy the 11 Pro, with its incredible display, great cameras, and still-powerful A13 processor, for less than the third-gen iPhone SE , which features an outdated 750p IPS display, one (decent) rear camera, with that the same design language that Apple first introduced in 2014.
However, as you continue to climb the feature ladder, you start to see less and less return. You’ll need at least an iPhone 12 to take advantage of Studio Light with the Continuity Camera, an iPhone 12 Pro for object detection in magnifier, and an iPhone 13 Pro for foreground blur in portrait mode. For the money, though, you’re probably better off picking up the XS or 11 line, as most of the best features of iOS 16 will be available on those platforms.
Don’t completely ignore the A11 series: while they’re missing features, they’re still compatible with some of the biggest new features in iOS 16, including customizable lock screens, editing and undoing messages, and passwords. Apple password change. If someone offers you an iPhone X at a bargain price, know that you will get quite a lot of iPhones for very little investment.
Thing is, the cost of a used iPhone is simply unbeatable: The iPhone 11 Pro might not be able to do everything the iPhone 14 Pro can, but will the latest features of the latter cost more than $700? I do not think so. After all, changing a battery sometimes requires an old, supported iPhone to feel brand new, and I have a feeling that’s all most of us iPhone owners really need.