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Like clockwork, a brand new iPhone has made its method by way of the rumor mill in August, and customers are starting to marvel if they need to purchase what’s presently accessible or wait till fall to see how issues play out.
Primarily based on previous tendencies, there is a good likelihood Apple will unveil the iPhone 17 sequence subsequent Tuesday. So, must you decide up an iPhone 16 out of your native Apple retailer at this time or play the lengthy (however not that lengthy) sport?
Having examined each main smartphone launch over the previous a number of years and helped quite a few household and pals overcome this actual dilemma, here is the choice tree I take advantage of that works each single time.
1. Do you want a brand new cellphone proper now?
Fairly easy, proper? When you’re presently utilizing a handset that is severely broken or defected in a method that forestalls it from finishing your day by day duties, then it is time to purchase a brand new cellphone proper now.
I’ve had pals say that they’d be prepared to energy by way of one other month with a closely cracked iPhone if it meant they may simply purchase the next-generation mannequin. Nevertheless, that does not consider the truth that Apple sometimes sells its latest iPhones weeks (if not longer) after they’re formally unveiled to the general public.
So, what’s anticipated to be every week’s wait time can simply turn into a month or extra, relying on which configuration and mannequin you purchase. That is to say, in case you want a brand new cellphone at this time, do not wait — purchase one ASAP.
2. How a lot are you trying to spend?
Each new iPhone launch has a giant unknown: pricing. So, your present (and anticipated) finances must also be thought-about as you resolve which mannequin to purchase. Apple’s executed a commendable job stabilizing iPhone costs over time, with the bottom mannequin sometimes beginning at $799, the Professional at $999, and the Professional Max at $1,199, so most individuals would assume the iPhone 17 sequence will price about the identical.
However there are just a few extra variables factoring into this 12 months’s iPhone launch. First, Apple is anticipated to launch a brand new iPhone 17 Air (or Slim) mannequin that contains a thinner and lighter design than the usual variant. If it follows Samsung’s value technique with its ultra-thin Galaxy S25 Edge, we could be an iPhone that is priced slightly below the Professional fashions.
Ongoing tariff and commerce talks have additionally led market analysts to imagine that Apple will increase the worth of iPhones beginning this September. In response to Jefferies analyst Edison Lee, the iPhone 17 Air, Professional, and Professional Max may even see a $50 value enhance, or a 4-5% bump from final 12 months, in an effort to offset the price of new elements and exports. This is a snapshot comparability to the iPhone 16 sequence.
|
iPhone 16 costs |
iPhone 17 costs (anticipated) |
|
|
Commonplace |
$799 |
$799 |
|
Air/Slim |
– |
$949 |
|
Professional |
$999 |
$1,049 |
|
Professional Max |
$1,199 |
$1,249 |
If the potential value enhance offers you pause, then it could make extra monetary sense to purchase an older iPhone mannequin just like the 16 or 15, and even the brand new however accessible iPhone 16e (beginning at $599). Apple sometimes reduces the worth of the last-generation iPhone mannequin by $100 when a brand new one is launched, so there is a good likelihood you’ll purchase the iPhone 16 for as little as $699 later this month — must you select to attend issues out.
Lastly, whereas carriers and retailers sometimes provide aggressive trade-in and buy-one-get-one offers when a brand new cellphone is launched, these offers will not be with out their catches and high quality print.
Most “free cellphone” provides by main carriers often are available in trade for locking right into a long-term contract or upgrading to a pricier knowledge plan. That is to not say that the offers aren’t value it; for the fitting buyer, they’ll actually internet you a brand new iPhone with out a lot additional work. Simply keep in mind to do your due diligence earlier than agreeing to something.
3. Do the rumored iPhone 17 options excite you?
Whereas none of those rumored options have been confirmed or made official by Apple, they offer us a glimpse of the following iPhone’s potential. This is an inventory of anticipated modifications this 12 months, pulled from business specialists, provide chain analysts, and extra.
- The iPhone 17 Air will function the thinnest and lightest design, with a brand new show dimension, a titanium body, and a revamped digicam bar.
- Apple will probably change the iPhone 17 Plus with the iPhone 17 Air, as shoppers have proven the least curiosity within the former mannequin.
- The iPhone 17 might undertake a smaller “metalens” know-how that enables the Face ID sensor and Dynamic Island module to take up much less area on the show. This additionally permits Apple to shrink the cellphone’s bezels and enhance the display dimension to six.3 inches.
- Solely the iPhone 17 Professional fashions can have a brand new scratch-resistant, antireflective show panel. Like Apple’s nanotexture choices for MacBooks and iPads, it could come at an additional price.
- The iPhone 17 Professional fashions will function a brand new 48-megapixel telephoto digicam that may seize at 8x optical zoom (up from 5x).
The anticipated coloration choices are:
- iPhone 17: Black, White, Metal Grey, Inexperienced, Purple, and Mild Blue
- iPhone 17 Air: Black, White, Mild Blue, and Mild Gold
- iPhone 17 Professional: Black, White, Grey, Darkish Blue, and Orange
- iPhone 17 Professional Max: Black, White, Grey, Darkish Blue, and Orange
Backside line: Purchase now or wait?
When you want a brand new cellphone instantly and can’t wait as much as a month, you can purchase an iPhone 16 (or different current mannequin) proper now. The iPhone 16’s present options, together with an A18 chip that may energy Apple Intelligence instruments, Motion Button, Digital camera Management, and Wi-Fi 7 assist, will stay related for years to come back, so you are not lacking out on a lot by choosing final 12 months’s mannequin. There’s additionally an excellent likelihood that you’re going to discover a deal or value drop on the iPhone 16 at this time.
When you’re in much less of a rush, wait till subsequent Tuesday to see what Apple has to supply with the iPhone 17 sequence. Maybe the iPhone 17 Aiir/Slim mannequin will attraction to you greater than anticipated, or Apple introduces a digicam function that solves certainly one of your largest ache factors. Simply be ready for something to occur, together with a better value throughout the board — or none in any respect.
