Why You Might Want To Skip The iPhone Upgrade Program
Despite its advantages, there are reasons you might not want to get your phone through the iPhone Upgrade Program.
The biggest reason you may want to avoid the program is the monthly cost. While a 128GB iPhone 13 mini starts at $19.45 per month through AT& T’s installment plan , for instance, that same phone costs at least $30.37 a month through the iPhone Upgrade Program, which is through 24-months. And when all is said and done, and that iPhone 12 mini is paid off, on AT& T you’ll have paid $700, while with Apple, you’ll have paid $729. The price of AppleCare+ is factored into Apple’s monthly installment, but if you don’t feel you need the protection, why pay more for it?
Additionally, if you like owning your phone, the iPhone Upgrade Program might not your best option. While you can certainly hang on to the same phone for 24 months, the program seems geared more towards those who want to upgrade every year and don’t mind parting with their older device.
You Dont Need The Flagship iPhone
Apple makes a range of iPhones now from its expensive flagship models to entry-level iPhones in the form of the iPhone 11 and iPhone SE 2020 .
The simplest way to save money on your next iPhone is to avoid buying the flagship model. In 2020, this would mean getting the iPhone 11 or iPhone SE 2020 instead of the iPhone 11 Pro or iPhone 11 Pro Max.
The iPhone SE 2020 is the best way to save money on an iPhone and still get a new iPhone. The iPhone SE 2020 runs the same CPU as the iPhone 11 Pro Max, so it is plenty powerful.
It lacks an OLED display, Apples triple-lens camera system, and the battery life isnt as good but it is a damn sight cheaper than ALL of Apples iPhone 11 phones.
If you want a modern-looking iPhone, not an iPhone 8 redux, then go with the base model iPhone 11. It is available for £699/$699 outright or from around £20 a month on contract.
Most people do not need three cameras. Most people will be fine with just two, so dont think you need them and pay more for a phone when youll get the exact same utility from a cheaper, lesser-specced model like the SE 2020 or iPhone 11.
Apple iPhone 13 $500 A Month For 36 Months
Why Buy
- Excellent photography and video recording
- Great battery life
- Best value among the latest iPhones
Apple announced its iPhone 13 lineup at the California Streaming event last September, but we all knew it was coming. The 13 lineup included a full suite of phones, including the standard model, a smaller Mini with similar specs, a beefed-up Pro and a super-beefy Pro Max. As with previous releases, the standard iPhone 13 is the one we recommend for most people, as it hits the sweet spot in terms of size, price, and performance.
All of the phones have a Super Retina XD display, with the standard iPhone 13 measuring 6.1 inches . Apple really hyped up the new camera in the iPhone 13 as well. It has improved light sensitivity for better low-light photos and videos. The Pro and Pro Max have Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto cameras, although the standard and Mini do not. However, the photo apps themselves did get improvements with the upgrade to iOS 15, including a new Cinematic Mode. Smartphone photographers have a lot to like in the iPhone 13.
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The Best Way To Buy A New iPhone In Canada
If youâre dead-set on purchasing new, you can save up for a new phone and pay with cash instead of credit to make sure you donât end up paying interest. As a bonus, keep that cash in a high interest savings account so that it makes some interest for you as well.
There are times when paying with a credit card can make sense, though.
If you have the cash to pay it off right away, using a points credit card allows you to earn a little extra when making your purchase.
For instance, you could use the CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite Card, which can earn you $511 or over halfway to a new iPhone. You can use all that cash back towards the purchase and now the $1,596 iPhone is only $1,085. Of course, there is a $120 annual fee for this card.
The Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card is currently waiving their $120 annual fee and after itâll net you $470 back per year.
Don’t Overestimate How Much Data You Need Most Use Less Than 3gb A Month
If you don’t get close to using your allowance of minutes, data and texts each month, you’re essentially overpaying for your contract. Bust your limit, though, and the extra charges can be costly.
In our last MSE data usage poll, 76% of the 4,500 respondents said they use less than 3GB a month, while only 8% of people actually use more than 10GB a month.
If you want to check your usage, our handy Data Calculator in our Cheap Mobile Finder tool can help you. Key in your usage and it’ll give you a general idea of how much data you need.
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The iPhone 14 Pro & Pro Max
There are bigger changes for iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, most noticeably in the camera cut out on the screen and a faster chip.
As ever, youll really pay to get these Pro models. The iPhone 14 Pro is has a huge hike on last year. It starts at £1,099 for the 128GB model , and goes up to £1,649 for a huge 1TB of storage.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max beings at £1,199 for the same size and hits a massive £1,749 for the 1TB model
Best Cheap iPhones Under $300
If you’ve got a little bit more money to spend, then you’ll be able to have your choice of some newer iPhone models, but still not any that have come out in the last couple years. The main iPhone you’ll want to consider for how to get a cheap iPhone is the iPhone X or the iPhone XR, both priced at under $300 outright. The second-generation iPhone SE is also a contender for an iPhone on the cheap, with some excellent upgrades to its processor .
Most prepaid carriers will offer these iPhones for cheap, while some postpaid carriers also offer this phone for ridiculously cheap. On a monthly installment plan, the iPhone X and even the iPhone 11 could cost you as little as $5/month or even free! The only catch there is that you’ll need to stay with the carrier for the full installment period or you’ll owe more money to pay off the phone.
Check out the most popular iPhones for cheap priced at under $300:
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Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
For those that want the best of everything, take a look at the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max. It offers a 6.7-inch OLED Super retina display. It uses an A16 bionic chip that is 40% faster than competition with 2 high-performance cores at 20% lower power.
Like the iPhone 14 Pro It also uses the always-on display and works on only 1Hz with low-power mode for intelligent dimming.
But let’s talk about that 48MP camera. It captures images with a 65% larger sensor and 1.78 aperture. Off to the side, the 12MP telephoto lens operates with up to 2x zoom and a ProRAW image with 48MP to allow you to edit to your preference. The ultrawide camera features a 12MP lens to capturing beautiful landscapes. Like the iPhone 14 Pro, the video camera offers action modes and 30 fps with recording options in 4K HDR formatting so you can shoot great content, too.
The front-facing true-depth camera is still there, but it also added a Dynamic Island pill-shaped display that houses the front-facing camera and all your notifications. The Dynamic Island will also monitor events like Lyft ride ETAs, game updates, and more while allowing you to use other apps. Like the iPhone 14, it comes with enhanced imaging, offering upgraded light sensors, portrait shots, and more.
And with the upgraded A16 chip built into this phone, you can multitask, stream, and more on the device.
Choose A Smaller Phone
Larger iPhones and those with more storage capacity are more expensive. You can save considerably by opting for the basic model over a beefed-up version.
A new iPhone 12 with 64GB of storage retails for $799 to start, while the 256GB is $150 more, at $949. Youll save $100 by picking the 128GB iPhone 12 Pro over the larger iPhone 12 Pro Max with a longer battery life and the same storage capacity, which is priced at $1,099.
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Check For Carrier Or Store Deals
We recommend buying your phone from Apple in many cases, but that’s not always the best option. Apple almost never has promotions or deals on an iPhone, so to save money, you should consider your other options too.
Read more: Should You Buy Your iPhone From Apple or Your Carrier?
Take a look at your mobile carrier’s website to see if it has any deals that help you get a new iPhone for less. Some offer a free device when you trade in an older phone, or a huge discount on a second device when you purchase the first. If you don’t want to buy a phone from your carrier, stores like Best Buy sometimes offer promotions to help you save on a new iPhone.
Shop around and consider all your options before you decide the best place to purchase your iPhone. A little bit of research could result in some savings.
Youre Our First Priorityevery Time
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. And while our site doesnt feature every company or financial product available on the market, were proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward and free.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence which products we review and write about , but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services.Here is a list of our partners.
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Buy Refurbished Or Used
If getting a brand-new iPhone is out of your budget, then buying one that’s refurbished or used is a great idea.
As long as you buy from a trustworthy company, a refurbished device should be nearly good as new. Apple offers a small selection of refurbished devices, and you’ll find other places to buy a refurbished iPhone as well, including Best Buy, Amazon, and third-party resellers.
Used devices are more hit-or-miss. While you can buy a used iPhone from services like eBay or Facebook Marketplace, you don’t want to buy a damaged device from someone who didn’t take care of it. Consider asking your friends if anyone has an iPhone they’re looking to sell buying from someone you trust is a much better option.
If you do buy from somewhere like eBay, follow our checklist on what to look for when buying a used iPhone online.
What’s The Cheapest iPhone Right Now
Right now, the cheapest iPhone you can get is the new 2020 iPhone SE. Yes, the iPhone 7 and 6s will see prices go slightly lower but realistically, for all-round value, the iPhone SE is going to be the best choice.
It can be found with bills below $30 a month or $380 upfront while holding some strong specs on the inside. While it does look identical to the iPhone 8, it is a surprisingly powerful phone for the money.
Alex is deals editor at Future PLC and an all-around expert at one thing – saving readers as much cash as possible while scoring them the best products for their needs. With content that’s always packed full of helpful information, no-nonsense expertise, and of course deals, Alex has also written for other leading sites such as T3 and GamesRadar. At work, you’ll find him mostly covering computing, gaming, and advising people on how to save on their cell phone plans. Outside of work, you’ll find him playing guitar, indulging his love for music, or down at the local climbing gym mostly hanging off boulders far too difficult for his abilities.
Other versions of this page are available with specific content for the following regions:
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Buy iPhone Outright No Contracts No Messing Around
iPhones arent cheap. Youre looking at $699 minimum for the iPhone 11 and $1200+ for the top of the line iPhone 11 Pro Max. Therefore, buying outright, at least for the last majority of people, will simply not be possible. Most people myself included dont have a cool thousand bucks just laying around. But this doesnt mean you CANT buy an iPhone outright.
Best Buy now runs a finance program where you can spread the cost of a new iPhone or any product from its store, for that matter over the course of 18-24 months. Just browsing around the options, I realized that you could pick up the new iPhone 11 for as little as $25 a month with 0% APR for the first 24 months!
That is manageable for most, especially when you consider the main benefit of buying a phone outright: cheaper data and calls!
When you buy outright, you can pick and choose which carrier you go with. Youre not locked into lengthy agreements, meaning you can move to another provider if they offer a better deal, and this means your monthly data/call costs will be significantly lower. For instance, say youre with Verizon but T-Mobile starts doing truly unlimited data for 40% less. Normally, youd have to wait for your contract to end. Not for you though youre free to switch as soon as a better deal comes along.
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PROS:
CONS:
- Youll need either cash or credit to do it
- If you go the finance route, youll have to be approved first
The 10 Best Cheapest Place To Buy iPhone
A Google search on cheap iPhones for sale unlocked will give you endless results. However, the majority of the results are not to be trusted as some sites sell stolen products. If you are looking to buy a used phone, you should ensure that it is certified. It is also helpful to look for a device that comes with a warranty. Buying your phone from a trustworthy dealer gives you peace of mind that the iPhone is quality and not stolen. Some of the reputable, cheapest places to buy iPhone include:
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Who Has The Best iPhone Coverage
The earliest iPhone models worked exclusively on the Rogers network in Canada. Today, Bell and Telus share a network of cell towers to provide the largest LTE coverage across Canada so you can make the most of your iPhone. Koodo and Virgin also run on this network.
Telus provides the most reliable service in Canada, so they are WhistleOut’s choice for the best iPhone coverage in Canada. If you want to push the limits of 5G on the new iPhone 12, Telus has you covered but you can also check out Bell and Rogers. At the moment, Rogers offers the widest 5G coverage in Canada.
Cheap iPhones Where How To Buy An iPhone For Less Than $200
It started, as so many things do, with a Twitter comment. I posted a link to my ZDNet 2020 guide to deciding which iPhone to buy.
As almost always happens, some followers had to share their enduring dislike of all things Apple. Other followers then found themselves jumping to Apple’s defense. Within a few hours, my Twitter feed was ground zero for a battle between attackers and defenders of the world’s first trillion dollar company.
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iPhone 13 Pro And iPhone 13 Pro Max
The lion’s share of hardware upgrades went to the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max over the iPhone 13. Both devices received the same bump in performance, camera hardware, and battery life as the base models, but with some extra perks. The 120Hz ProMotion display will change your perception of how smooth the animation should be on a cell phone. The iPhone 13 Pro models support recording in Apple ProRes for professional-level filming, and there’s a new 1TB storage option to accommodate those larger files.
Should I Get An iPhone 14 Or An iPhone 13
A difficult question to answer. Both devices are markedly similar, with the iPhone 14 being a little more feature-packed at the cost of a $100 higher price tag. Basically, this one is going to come down to whether you value the small iterative upgrades to the camera, new SOS satellite feature, and your overall budget.
If you’re looking to save a bit of cash, the iPhone 13 essentially features the same processor and an identical screen. It’s still an amazing phone for 2022 and probably the best you can buy if your budget can’t stretch to $799. Now it’s no longer the latest in the range, Apple has reduced its price to just $699, which ain’t half bad if you get a trade-in discount on top. Note, the iPhone 12 is also still available for $599 right now, which is yet another option if you’re on more of a budget.
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