iPhone 15 Pro Best time to buy a new iPhone

[zkap]

For me, the best time is when the new phone is announced, then buy the version from a year ago. You get a bit of a discount, the issues with the phone have been ironed out during the first year of updates and the old phone is basically the same thing as the new one, with minor changes you are unlikely to notice. We reached a point where smartphones are so good in just about everything now that improvements are only incremental. Every new phone has a slightly better camera, slightly faster silicon etc., but these things will not be noticed in normal usage. I don't know what you have to do with the phone to notice the difference between the A17 and the A16 chips.

So, unless you're someone who upgrades annually, follow your own upgrade schedule (that you made beforehand, also accounting for the cost of other devices you will have to replace eventually) and when the time comes that you are in the upgrade period financially-wise, buy the last year's phone at a reduced price compared to the new model.

 

[now i see it]

Beyond that, my question is when is the best time to buy the new iPhone?

Right after the new models launch. But last year’s model.
Why? It’ll come with a finished OS instead of beta software on launch day phones — and their 16 software updates required throughout the year.

 

[Zayway86]

The best time is during the holiday season because of the extended return period. More time to change your mind.

 

[TKSX]

Get it during the holiday season for the extended return window.

Of course, if you want the "best" time, there is no best time.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

If you are an annual upgrader like me...buy during pre order. I have never had any issues what so ever with a launch day iphone. My iphone history is pretty long too. Remember....these forums do not account to not even 1% of the iphone users of this entire planet. If you don't care about new iphone every year then just buy when ever you desire.

Exactly this.

The Op saying "...after so many generations and the same patterns over and over but how does it feel to pay for the damages ?" made no sense to me, because in my experience since v1 "same patterns... ...the damages" have been 99% a figment of the internet sensationalizing. E.g. remember a week ago when MR was buzzing about Titanium fingerprint-gate based on a closeup pic poached from The Verge showing fingerprints on a demo 15?

Real world my 15 PM has no fingerprint issues, or heat issues, or bend issues, or breaking issues despite the headlines here. But I am enjoying the benefits of this year's most current phone tech. And I can say the same about all my other day one purchases.

Those "same patterns over and over" were mostly just internet sensationalism, largely posted by folks who did not even own the phones they were posting commentary regarding.

 

[boss.king]

Hello there

I don’t want to diss on people who buy iPhone on day one and are actually helping non-early adopters but after so many generations and the same patterns over and over but how does it feel to pay for the damages ?

Why not wait iOS x.2 or more before buying a new iPhone?

Beyond that, my question is when is the best time to buy the new iPhone? Christmas ? February?

Most of the things you see complained about here and on other tech blogs are fringe issues. The millions of people having a good experience rarely take the time to seek out internet forums to talk about them. Plus, you have a year of warranty to get anything fixed/replaced as needed.

I don't even buy phones on day one, but avoiding things of a few incidents that nerds and blogs blow out of proportion seems like a bad way to live your life.

 

[BadBuoy]

Recently I've enjoyed going back to getting the shiny new thing every year (I do the whole pre-ordering debacle). Makes it feel like Christmas morning as a kid. Is it the smartest way to buy a new phone? Probably not because we're kind of like guinea pigs. But my 15 PM and my 14 PM last year have been flawless on launch day. I know others haven't had the same experience, but I've been fortunate. For the best time to buy a new phone ... I would probably wait a month or two after the initial launch to get one.

 

[RickTaylor]

Beyond that, my question is when is the best time to buy the new iPhone? Christmas ? February?

I'm considering upgrading my 11 pro to the 15 in November during the extended holiday return period, to have extra time to try the phone out and make sure I'm happy with it.

 

[okkibs]

Is it the smartest way to buy a new phone? Probably not because we're kind of like guinea pigs.

For most people the iPhone works just fine from the start and for others Apple fixes at least the major bugs relatively quickly. The last few iPhone launches have been very similar and at this point I think we know exactly what we're getting, a slightly more refined phone that will feel very similar to the ones before. Take any iPhone of the last couple years and you'll find your way around instantly, no surprises.

iPhones are actually one of the very few products I don't worry about pre-ordering. They've always come in flawless condition with no major bugs that I personally experienced and were basically just how I expected them to be. Build quality has always been flawless.

There are things to complain about and yes some people do run into issues, but the likelihood of problems is much higher with literally every other phone. Other manufacturers aren't as consistent.

 

[m1pro_maybe]

But does Apple do any mid cycle hardware tweaks to the iPhone in the supply chain? We will never know.

 

[gigatoaster]

Thanks, everyone. Is there different batches of iPhone , throughout the production cycle?

What I can see from this discussion, it appears that some people like the feeling of getting the new iPhone as it is a one of a kind of experience (clapping day 1). Then, others prefer to wait. It appears that the forum acts as an echo chamber on issues because it’s known that people come here when they have problems and it doesn’t reflect the majority of users who tends to be satisfied about their new device.

I also wonder what’s the point of yearly upgrade, apart from the status effect. I tend to renew by skipping several generations, in my personal exemple it was 6s / 11 Pro and maybe 15 Pro. I feel I can really make the most of my iPhone by using it several years and I benefit from better upgrades by jumping several generations.

 

[gigatoaster]

In the end, I bought it the 29th of October. I think I waited for iOS 17.2 and I didn’t have any issues with it. I took it for holidays for pictures in Singapore & Vietnam and it was great for the memories.

 

[Reverend Benny]

Thanks, everyone. Is there different batches of iPhone , throughout the production cycle?

What I can see from this discussion, it appears that some people like the feeling of getting the new iPhone as it is a one of a kind of experience (clapping day 1). Then, others prefer to wait. It appears that the forum acts as an echo chamber on issues because it’s known that people come here when they have problems and it doesn’t reflect the majority of users who tends to be satisfied about their new device.

I also wonder what’s the point of yearly upgrade, apart from the status effect. I tend to renew by skipping several generations, in my personal exemple it was 6s / 11 Pro and maybe 15 Pro. I feel I can really make the most of my iPhone by using it several years and I benefit from better upgrades by jumping several generations.

Its an interesting question regarding the batches of phones.
I'm guessing now but I would answer "absolutely" on that one.
There is always tweaks being made to the production and bugs found that might require revisions of the manufacturing process or revisions of components, cost cuts etc.
Most of these aren't known to us but if you dig deeper you are most likely do find differences.

I can't remember exactly but one thing that comes to mind is "Antenna gate", can't remember if Apple changed the design during the livecycle of iphone 4 to fix that but I think they did along with offering a bumper.

 

[Al Rukh]

The scale of production is so huge these days. No companies can fix a hardware flaw until the next iteration of product is in the works. Take the iPhone 6 for the example - it bends from day 1 to day 365. This ‘issue’ was fixed in the 6S.

If you’re worried about the iOS then you can wait a month or two. I can think of two instances where the latest iPhones had bugs until software patches are released - iPhone 14 Pro with the vibrating camera and iPhone 15 Pro with the heating issue.