Wait! This is the worst time to buy an iPhone 14 — here's why
Avoid buyer’s remorse: Don’t get the iPhone 14 (right now)
Ever bought something, thinking it’s the latest and greatest, but then you see it superseded by an even better sequel just a few weeks later? It sucks! That’s the risk you take right now if you buy a new iPhone.
That’s because with the iPhone 15 coming soon, now is absolutely the worst time to buy an iPhone 14. Don’t get me wrong, the 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max are decent phones, but you’ll end up with serious buyer’s remorse if you buy now.
New things are just around the corner
You probably already know by now — we’re talking about it a whole lot. The iPhone 15 lineup is launching soon. More specifically, leaks are pointing to an announcement on September 13, with a full launch on September 22.
We’re also hearing about a lot of upgrades coming to both the standard and pro iPhones, including the Dynamic Island coming to all iPhone 15 models, an upgrade to the 48MP main camera for the regular option, a periscope lens in the 15 Pro Max, and let’s not forget the A17 Bionic coming to the Pro options.
All of these, along with the predicted changes to the physical design of the phone, such as the subtly curved edges for a better grip in the hand, should make these a more substantial update over the past three years of iPhone. Provided we don’t see a price increase, getting more for the same price is worth waiting just a few more weeks for.
What if the iPhone 15 is naff?
It’s a fair question to ask. Everything we’ve heard is just leaks and rumors, and while many of them do come from sources with good track records, we may actually just be in for some very minor upgrades.
Well, this is where your patience truly pays off. With new iPhones come a ton of discounts on outgoing models. In those weeks immediately following the announcement, retailers will have stock to ditch, which is where you pounce.
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For example, when the iPhone 14 launched, we were seeing 25% discounts on contract deals for all models sporting the 13 moniker. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw something similar this time around.
Outlook
So, the situation is simple. We are close to the launch of the iPhone 15, and if you bought an iPhone 14 now, you’re a sucker. Sorry to be so blunt, but that’s the reality.
Whatever you need to do to keep your current phone going — be it buying an external power pack to keep the battery life up for longer, or grabbing a new case to protect it from your butter fingers — stick with it for just a few more weeks.
At that point, you can then make a much more informed decision about whether to switch to the latest and greatest, or save even more on the outgoing iPhone.
Jason brought a decade of tech and gaming journalism experience to his role as a writer at Laptop Mag, and he is now the Managing Editor of Computing at Tom's Guide. He takes a particular interest in writing articles and creating videos about laptops, headphones and games. He has previously written for Kotaku, Stuff and BBC Science Focus. In his spare time, you'll find Jason looking for good dogs to pet or thinking about eating pizza if he isn't already.