Why choosing an older iPhone model is a good choice

Eight days from now, you will soon be able to pre-order the new iPhone 13 series in the Philippines. Naturally, many will line up to get the latest, but some have their eyes on the older models. Here’s why it’s a good idea.

You’ll have more options

Apple’s new iPhone series covers four models: the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max. However, the company knows that not everyone will upgrade to the new iPhones. Hence, they kept some of the older models, namely the iPhone 11, iPhone SE (2nd-gen), iPhone 12, and iPhone 12 mini, bringing the options to eight and covering multiple price ranges to fit the user’s needs and budget.
But you can still expand your options by looking at the other models not included in the 2021 lineup, like the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max and the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max. These are still relatively new, so you’ll still see some brand new units available in some stores.

You don’t need all the new features

It’s hard not to like the new iPhones. There’s the more powerful chipset, fancy cameras, longer battery life, and new colors. But if you observe your daily activities, you will notice that you don’t always need the latest (except for battery life, iPhones should have long battery lives).

Maybe you don’t need the power of the A15 Bionic chip or even the A14 Bionic. I’m using an iPhone XS with an A12 Bionic, and the thing can run Genshin Impact smoothly in its highest graphics settings. Older iPhone models may not perform at the same level as the newer ones, but sometimes, the older performance is more than enough, which brings me to my next point.

It’s more affordable

As soon as a new model comes out, the older models will receive a price drop, and that’s expected. But it gives more value to the older models and serves as great entry points for those who want to jump into the Apple ecosystem. For example, instead of spending PHP 50,990USD 869INR 73,660EUR 828CNY 6,328 for the iPhone 13, you can just spend PHP 31,990USD 545INR 46,213EUR 519CNY 3,970 for the iPhone 11. If you want to save more money, some sellers are offering it for less than SRP. But if you want to save more, you can try the second-hand market. Some are selling much older models like the iPhone X or Xs with good battery health if you know where to look. Just make sure to do your research about the seller before you make the transaction.

Cheaper to repair

Eventually, your iPhone will need to be repaired because of accidental damage, or the battery needs to be replaced. Newer iPhones are more expensive to repair since their components are newer and more expensive. Not to mention more challenging to repair. Older models, however, have a surplus of parts and can be easily repaired at independent shops. We recently had our iPhone X screen replaced for PHP 4K. I wonder how much an iPhone 13 screen replacement will cost.

iOS upgrades

Apple has been known for providing iOS updates to iPhone models for five years. One good example was the original iPhone SE introduced in 2016, but it is still eligible for iOS 15. Although, I’m not sure how well it will perform. But in our experience with the 4-year-old iPhone X and 3-year-old iPhone XS, these devices still run smoothly on iOS 15. We can expect it to receive one or two more updates before we consider retiring it unless it breaks down totally before that.

Considering these factors can influence you in making a practical choice in choosing an iPhone, which is essential since Apple devices are expensive. In my case, if I’m going to upgrade now from my iPhone XS, I might consider getting the iPhone 12 or 12 Pro instead of the iPhone 13. If I don’t need 5G, I might opt for the iPhone 11 or 11 Pro. As you can see, I have a choice, and you should, too.