You really shouldn’t buy a new iPhone right now – here’s why

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Now is the worst time to buy a new iPhone

Apple iPhone 14 Pro hero
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
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Right now you may find yourself chewing over whether to get the current iPhone or wait until the next one comes along. And there comes a point in every year where you really should not buy an iPhone. This is that time. 

Apple’s next product launch, the Apple September event, has been confirmed for September 12. And while Cupertino keeps tight-lipped about what products it plans to reveal, we’d bet our reputation that we’ll see the debut of the much-rumored iPhone 15 range, comprising the standard model, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. 

With a little over a week to wait, at the time of writing, I’d advise you to wait for the new iPhones, especially if you’re going to upgrade from an iPhone 13 model; that’s exactly what I’m planning on doing. 

Why should you wait for the iPhone 15?

I appreciate that it can be hard to wait for a new phone to come along if the current one you’re using is fairly old, with a battery that struggles to last a day, and performance that seems sluggish by current standards. But to buy an iPhone 14 now would be a mistake.

First off, the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are tipped to get a tweaked design, with Apple returning to rounded edges, as well as Apple's A16 Bionic chip, the Dynamic Island and a 48MP main camera. USB-C connectivity looks locked in for all iPhone 15 models, pretty much marking the end of the Lightning proprietary connection. Annoyingly, though, it looks like the standard and Plus iPhone 15 models will stick with a 60Hz display, which is a sluggish refresh rate by 2023 standards. 

But overall, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus look to offer a decent mix of upgrades over the iPhone 14, and a notable jump up from the iPhone 13 and older Apple phones. So it’s worth waiting for. 

Both the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are set to get bigger batteries, thinner bezels, curved titanium edges, improved camera sensors, an A17 Bionic chip, and an action button that, like the one on the Apple Watch Ultra, could be used to trigger custom functions from apps. On top of that, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has been tipped to get a 6x optical zoom on its periscope telephoto camera, doubling the physical zoom range compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max, and likely making for a more powerful camera system overall. 

There are some big upgrades on the cards, which might not revolutionize the Pro iPhones as we know it, but should provide some compelling upgrades over the current models, and be a compelling step up from the likes of the iPhone 13 Pro Max. And if you’ve been making do with an iPhone 12 Pro, then I think this could be the year to upgrade. 

Don’t want an iPhone 15? You should still wait

Even if you’re not fussed about the iPhone 15, and are champing at the bit to get an iPhone 14, I still think you should wait. 

Common practice by Apple is to discontinue most phones in its previous-generation lineup when it launches its new models, but keep the standard model at a discount price. As such, you should be able to find an iPhone 14 for $699 / £749 / AU$1,229. And the standard iPhone 13 could get a further price cut to act as a form of more affordable iPhone outside of the SE models, dropping to $599 / £649 / AU$1,049. 

So if you can wait for two weeks, you could get an iPhone and save a good wad of cash. And at a time when no technology is super-cheap, any savings are well worth grabbing. 

The only reason to get an iPhone 14 now is if you have an older iPhone that’s just about still eligible for Apple’s trade-in program. That’s because with each generation of new iPhone, Apple tends to drop the oldest phone from its trade-in list, meaning you could miss out on such a deal if you’ve been holding onto, say, an iPhone 7.

In short, this is the worst time to buy a new iPhone, and I, along with our deals experts, suggest that you wait for the iPhone 15 to land before you take the plunge. Do check back with us in the run-up to and during Apple's September event, as we’ll bring you all the news and analysis around Apple’s next-gen phones. 

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Roland Moore-Colyer
Managing Editor, Mobile Computing

Roland Moore-Colyer is Managing Editor at TechRadar with a focus on phones and tablets, but a general interest in all things tech, especially those with a good story behind them. He can also be found writing about games, computers, and cars when the occasion arrives, and supports with the day-to-day running of TechRadar. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face and a nose for food markets.