Should you wait for the iPhone 15 or buy a new iPhone now?
Once the calendar flips to July, the question of whether you should buy a new iPhone now or later becomes tricky to answer. There's certainly nothing wrong with Apple's current smartphone lineup, as the iPhone 14 models that debuted last fall remain the best iPhones you can buy at the moment. But moments have a way of changing, which is why you might be wondering if you should wait for the iPhone 15.
After all, the expected launch of Apple's next iPhones isn't that far off, even if no formal release date has been set. If you can hold out for another few months, you can guarantee that you're getting the latest and greatest Apple hardware. And even if the new models don't impress, you can probably pick up one of Apple's current phones at a discount once the iPhone 15 appears. That's the benefit of waiting for the fall iPhone release.
But there's a disadvantage, too — all that time spent waiting for Apple's next release means the longer you'll have to keep using your current, aging handset. Maybe that's not too big a hardship for some people, but in other cases, you may need to upgrade your phone sooner rather than later.
Which camp do you fall in with? To help you figure out if you should wait for the iPhone 15, it helps to ask yourself the following four questions, as they can clarify just how important it is to have a new handset sooner rather than later. The answers can also help you adjust expectations for the upcoming iPhone release, so you're not holding out for something that won't ultimately materialize.
When is the iPhone 15 coming out?
It sounds obvious once you say it out loud, but knowing if you should wait for the iPhone 15 depends a lot on how long you're going to be waiting for. Because we're now firmly in the summer time, the answer turns out to be not all that long at all.
Apple hasn't set an official date for this year's iPhone launch, but figuring out the iPhone 15 release date only requires a little guesswork on our part. Historically, Apple launches smartphones in the fall, with early September being the most common timeframe for a new iPhone release.
Occasionally, production delays or supply shortages might push an iPhone launch later into the fall. But so far we've heard nothing from the rumor mill to make us think that the iPhone 15 isn't on track for the traditional launch window in the first two weeks of September.
A quick glance at the calendar reminds us that early September is just two months away from now, as of this writing. So if you plan to wait for the iPhone 15, it sounds like you'll be waiting no more than 10 weeks at this point. And in the greater scheme of things, that's not too long to put off a purchase.
What new iPhone 15 features can I expect?
Another big factor in deciding whether to wait boils down to what exactly you're waiting for. Again, Apple isn't much help on this front, but that's where iPhone 15 rumors can help out, by giving you a broad idea of what changes might be coming in the fall.
New iPhone features depend heavily on which model you're contemplating, as once again, the Pro models figure to see the bulk of the more interesting improvements. Still, that's not to say that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus aren't rumored to be getting some improvements, even if they're largely adopting features introduced to the iPhone 14 Pro last fall.
For example, we've heard that the Dynamic Island that replaced the notch on iPhone 14 Pro models is headed to the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. Not only will that mean more screen real estate, Dynamic Island also introduces a new way to deliver notifications and Live Activities. The iPhone 15 is also on tap to get the A16 Bionic chip introduced to the Pro models last year, and it could also see its main camera boosted to a 48MP sensor.
Another big change is coming to every iPhone 15 model, standard phone and Pro version alike. The Lightning port used to charge the phone is likely to give way to USB-C, which could potentially mean faster charging for Apple's future phones.
As for specific changes for the iPhone 15 Pro, Apple's more expensive phones are expected to run on the A17 Bionic chipset, new silicon built on a 3nm process that's likely to bring performance and power efficiency gains. We've also heard that Apple is turning to titanium for the iPhone 15 Pro body, as it's lighter and more durable than the stainless steel used in current Pro models. The iPhone 15 Pro Max may get a unique boost, as Apple is rumored to be switching to a periscope style telephoto lens that will bolster that phone's zoom capabilities.
There's a price for these extra Pro features, as rumors suggest the iPhone 15 Pro will cost $100 more than its predecessor. The cost of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus is expected to stay the same from the iPhone 14 models.
If any of these features grab your attention, it's probably worth waiting to see if they're actually going to show up with the iPhone 15 reveal. But even if those particular improvements don't appeal to you, you shouldn't necessarily rush out to pick up an iPhone 14 model.
What current iPhone 14 model am I considering?
If you're ready to make a move now on an iPhone 14, pause just one moment to consider which device you're thinking of buying. Because some current models figure to stick around after the iPhone 15 release, only at reduced prices.
The iPhone lineup after the iPhone 15 release figures to retain the iPhone 14, as it's the base model of Apple's current offerings. Apple typically cuts the price of this phone by $100 — at least it did with the iPhone 13 last fall and the iPhone 12 the year before that. There's no reason to think that won't continue.
The fate of the other phones in the iPhone 14 lineup is less clear. Apple has never kept a Pro model around for longer than a year, and we'd also imagine the iPhone 14 Plus is unlikely to stick around, too. True, those phones will still be available from other retailers and wireless carriers, though a discounted price, if any, is harder to predict. As a result, if you've been eyeing an iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max and the rumored iPhone 15 features have little appeal for you, it may be time to finally grab one of those phones.
Do I have an iPhone in good condition to trade in?
There's another reason to consider an iPhone purchase now. Apple just boosted trade-in values for iPhone purchases, as it looks to clear out inventory ahead of the iPhone 15 launch. So if you have an iPhone in decent shape, you could get enough of a discount on a new device to justify the purchase ahead of this fall's iPhone rollout.
Trade-in values were boosted at the start of July after a slight uptick in March for some models. You can now get as much as $640 in credit, though that amount would require you to trade in an iPhone 13 Pro Max.
A more likely trade-in — say an iPhone 11 Pro Max — qualifies you for a $300 rebate, up from $280 just a little while ago. Think of it as another way to drive costs down if you absolutely can't wait for an iPhone 15 to arrive. iPhone 14 deals can also help you find a discount on current models if you decide the time is right for an upgrade, regardless of what the iPhone 15 is likely to bring.
iPhone 15 outlook
For most of us, it will make sense to wait for the iPhone 15, since the likely launch date will be here within a matter of weeks. But you're unable or unwilling to wait that long, there are ways to make sure that the iPhone you are getting is the right device at the right price.
