It's a Bad Time to Buy an iPhone

It’s a bad time to purchase an iPhone. It’s bad if you want to rock the newest Apple cell, and it’s bad if you want to purchase an older, more economical model. Industry watchers expect Apple to announce the iPhone 14 in September, and if/when it does, the entire Apple price structure will almost definitely change—so hold onto that cracked-screened phone for just a little while longer if you can.

September means new Apple Products (usually)

Although there is no date currently scheduled for Apple’s next big announcement, the rumor is Apple will announce the iPhone 14 on Tuesday, Sept. 14 to go on sale on Sept. 24. It’s part of a pattern: The iPhone 13 was announced at an event on Sept. 14, 2021 and began shipping on Sept. 24. The Apple 11 was announced on Sept. 13, 2019 and shipped on Sept. 20. Same basic pattern with the iPhone 8, 7, 6, and 5.

Some years, Apple breaks the combo though: The iPhone 12 was announced in October 2020 and came out shortly after (though you can probably blame COVID for that one), and the iPhone X didn’t hit stores until November 2017, even though it was announced in September.

How iPhone prices are likely to change when the iPhone 14 is released

If you must have the newest phone, you should definitely hold off on your purchase—you don’t want to buy Apple’s top-of-the-line model only to have the best phone for roughly a month or so. But if you’re like me, and you don’t particularly care about being on the cutting edge, it’s still a good idea to cool your heels until the next big Apple announcement.

When Apple officially reveals a new model, the price of older phones falls. In past years, Apple cut prices of older models immediately upon the announcement of new ones, so you shouldn’t even have to wait the extra weeks until the 14 starts shipping. Last year when Apple announced the iPhone 13, the price of a 64GB iPhone 12 dropped from $800 to $700. Prices were cut around the same amount in years past. Once Apple does announce a new model, whether in September or later, tech experts expect the price of an iPhone 12 mini may drop to $500—not bad for full 5G phone. And considering the rumor Apple plans to drop the iPhone mini altogether when the iPhone 14 is announced, smaller-screen phone.

The one Apple phone it’s probably safe to buy now

If you’re in the market for a relatively inexpensive 5G-enabled phone from Apple, the Apple SE is still for sale, and you’re probably safe buying (at least according to MacRumors’ buyer’s guide). The SE is $430 right now, and was announced back in March, so there’s still some life left in its product cycle.