Purchasing New iPhone; New iPad

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
Post Reply
Topic Author
J295
Posts: 3399
Joined: Sun Jan 01, 2012 10:40 pm

Purchasing New iPhone; New iPad

Post by J295 »

62-year-old retiree and it is to replace my iPhone 7 Plus and purchase an iPad

The “young people “in the family recommend I get an iPhone 13, and my protocol is basically buy the newest phone available and use it until it wears out then rinse and repeat. Timing and price wise, do I wait for some sort of deal, or is this just a matter of they’re not really being any deals so just move now to walk into The Apple store or Verizon or Sam’s Club and buy a phone.

As for the iPad, we haven’t had one for years, but I’m thinking with all the reading I do on my phone I should go ahead and invest in an iPad. Is this the same process, just go buy the newest one available at one of the vendors?

And see my follow up at post 14 below.

Thanks
Last edited by J295 on Sat Oct 16, 2021 4:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
hunoraut
Posts: 1717
Joined: Sun May 31, 2020 11:39 am

Re: Purchasing New iPhone; New iPad

Post by hunoraut »

No real deals - outside of educational affiliation discount.

Can look on official refurbish store if you want some discount. Otherwise just grab whatever at Apple store, Amazon, or Costco... not much difference between them.
jebmke
Posts: 25271
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2007 2:44 pm
Location: Delmarva Peninsula

Re: Purchasing New iPhone; New iPad

Post by jebmke »

Amazon had the 2021 standard iPad on sale a few weeks ago (pre-order). Not a big discount but I had planned to replace mine so took advantage. Discounts on Apple hardware are not frequent and not large.
Stay hydrated; don't sweat the small stuff
User avatar
riverant
Posts: 1068
Joined: Tue May 04, 2021 6:51 am

Re: Purchasing New iPhone; New iPad

Post by riverant »

The deal is basically to not get the iPhone 13. The 11 or 12 are fine and will be for many years. It’s also usually financially equivalent to sell your phone when it’s still worth 200 or so and then buy a new (for me, two model old soon) rather than using it until it’s trash.

Just this year, I upgraded to an IPhone XS and a 2020 IPad Air 4. Sure there are newer ones, perhaps I’ll buy the next generation in 3-4 years.
User avatar
climber2020
Posts: 2703
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:06 pm

Re: Purchasing New iPhone; New iPad

Post by climber2020 »

J295 wrote: Sat Oct 16, 2021 9:47 am The “young people “in the family recommend I get an iPhone 13, and my protocol is basically buy the newest phone available and use it until it wears out then rinse and repeat.
Usually good advice, but this year's iPhone update was mediocre for the purposes of most normal people.

I bought an iPhone 13 Pro and ended up sending it back to Apple for a refund because, other than battery life, I saw no significant improvement compared to my current 12 Mini to justify spending $1000. The camera on the 13 Pro was inexplicably worse than what I'm using now due to what I think is a design flaw in the lens.
User avatar
Bogle7
Posts: 1984
Joined: Fri May 11, 2018 9:33 am
Location: In the Witness Protection Program

Re: Purchasing New iPhone; New iPad

Post by Bogle7 »

1. Get an iPad (9th generation). The iPad Air is slightly better and $300 more.

2. Get an iPhone 13 Pro. The cameras are a huge step up. My wife replaced her 11 Pro with a 13 Pro and loves it.
Old fart who does three index stock funds, baby.
User avatar
Leif
Posts: 3698
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:15 pm

Re: Purchasing New iPhone; New iPad

Post by Leif »

I bought an iPhone 12 at the beginning of this year. So it was out for a while. I got it at Costco. With a discount and 5% off for my credit card at the time, I saved some money. However, color choices were limited (black). Lucky that was the color I wanted.

I guess you are talking about the generation 9 base iPad selling for $329. The cheapest I've seen is $299 at Costco, Walmart and Amazon. Educational discount is not as good. I think it was $319.

FYI - Just did some research. Seems like the deals are gone now. Stock is limited or out (chip issue?). You can check at Black Friday, but maybe the chip shortage and supply chain issues will be with us for a while.
Last edited by Leif on Sat Oct 16, 2021 1:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Kenkat
Posts: 9539
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2007 10:18 am
Location: Cincinnati, OH

Re: Purchasing New iPhone; New iPad

Post by Kenkat »

If you have time to wait, Black Friday often offers the best deals of the year. I think you can probably buy an iPhone 12 or 13 depending on what deals are offered and be perfectly fine; heck, even an 11 would be good if they are giving them away. iPad is similar - what’s the current best value out there and buy that. Anything released in the past two to maybe three years will probably work well for you.
PugetSoundguy
Posts: 308
Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2012 3:46 pm
Location: Seattle

Re: Purchasing New iPhone; New iPad

Post by PugetSoundguy »

Just replaced an iPhone 7 with a 13 Pro Max. Well worth it; for a tool I use every day, I didn't worry so much about the price. Just bought straight from Apple with my Costco card for the good extended warranty. Costco itself didn't have the configuration I wanted. The phone is faster, the display is better, and the camera is worlds better. I used to carry a good Sony point-and-shoot camera in addition to my iPhone 7; with the new iPhone, I don't need to any more for most situations.

My iPad is four years old but is fine. The Wirecutter review site says the basic new iPad is suitable for most uses and is only about $329. At that price, I wouldn't worry about discounts too much and just buy the thing and start using it. Although I find that with the large screen on the iPhone max, the iPad gets less use so maybe you could use your new phone for a while and see if you still want a new iPad.
sycamore
Posts: 6309
Joined: Tue May 08, 2018 12:06 pm

Re: Purchasing New iPhone; New iPad

Post by sycamore »

I think you could save maybe $100 - $200 by waiting for Black Friday or some other sale, or by going the refurb route. Over the 5 years (?) it'll last, that's $20 to $40 / year.

Option 1) Wait for the sale or spend time finding a refurb/used.
Option 2) Just buy new at retail, and find ways to make up the $20 to $40 by reducing expenditures elsewhere. Sometimes I'll play such a "game" by cutting back on less healthy expenditures, say by skipping dessert. It's a rationalization: giving up dessert makes up for having paid full price. Not perfectly logical or optimal, of course, but the end result is still good - fewer empty calories and a good net price.
j9j
Posts: 385
Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2015 1:46 pm

Re: Purchasing New iPhone; New iPad

Post by j9j »

If you like the 7 plus screen size then shop for a 13 pro max or 12 pro max to get a even brighter screen in similar form factor. One thing to note is the weight is progressively heavier in each generation.

Unless you are trading in on a carrier promo and committing to a device contract, deals on iPhones are too much hassle. Trade your iPhone 7 at Apple and spend the bucks on new phone.

The 2021 9th generation iPad Pro that retails for $329(discounted at various places for $299) is a great device. iPads last quite a while for normal users. I am still using the iPad Air 2 from 2016.
User avatar
Chris56789
Posts: 46
Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2021 5:49 pm

Re: Purchasing New iPhone; New iPad

Post by Chris56789 »

J295 wrote: Sat Oct 16, 2021 9:47 am As for the iPad, we haven’t had one for years, but I’m thinking with all the reading I do on my phone I should go ahead and invest in an iPad.
Is there any way you can test out an iPad for reading before making the purchase? Depending on the model, and after adding a case, the iPad can get a bit heavy. If the device will be solely for reading, you might consider an e-ink reader.

Getting locked into Amazon/Kindle is a downside. A mitigating factor is that any text you want to read on a Kindle device can be converted to azw format in Calibre (open-source e-book software).

I'm not familiar with other reading devices. Amazon/Kindle seems to dominate.
blastoff
Posts: 402
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 11:04 am

Re: Purchasing New iPhone; New iPad

Post by blastoff »

Do you pay for Verizon post paid?
If yes, could wait for Thanksgiving/black Friday sale.

If you are just buying the phone and using a prepaid carrier without deals, I see no point to wait.

You may also want to decide what size phone you want.
I'm always amazed how quick I get used to a big phone, how small my old phone seems, and how quickly I get used to an old phone if I have to use it again.
Topic Author
J295
Posts: 3399
Joined: Sun Jan 01, 2012 10:40 pm

Re: Purchasing New iPhone; New iPad

Post by J295 »

Everyone who has responded has been super helpful, and I thank you very much. We have four phones on Verizon plan for what it’s worth.

Given that historically I’ve done all my electronic reading on my 7 plus phone, and factoring in the comment about the weight of the iPad, I’m now musing using on whether I just keep reading on a new phone, buy an iPad to read on, or buy another device to read on?
jebmke
Posts: 25271
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2007 2:44 pm
Location: Delmarva Peninsula

Re: Purchasing New iPhone; New iPad

Post by jebmke »

J295 wrote: Sat Oct 16, 2021 4:04 pm Everyone who has responded has been super helpful, and I thank you very much. We have four phones on Verizon plan for what it’s worth.

Given that historically I’ve done all my electronic reading on my 7 plus phone, and factoring in the comment about the weight of the iPad, I’m now musing using on whether I just keep reading on a new phone, buy an iPad to read on, or buy another device to read on?
Might depend a lot on what content you read. I have iPhone 12 Mini, iPad and Kindle. I prefer the Kindle for reading books because it is easy on the eyes, very light and long battery life. I get most of my Kindle books from a couple of libraries using the Libby app.
Stay hydrated; don't sweat the small stuff
awg75
Posts: 28
Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2020 1:10 pm

Re: Purchasing New iPhone; New iPad

Post by awg75 »

I'm 25 and have owned Apple devices for years (iPhone, iPad, and Mac). My recommendation would be as follows:

Buy the new iPhone 13 Pro with likely the base memory (128GB, I believe) and trade in your old iPhone with Apple for a discount. The iPhone 13 Pro is top of the line, is 5G ready, has an excellent camera, and will last you at least 3-4 years. Apple products are generally never on sale, so it really isn't worth waiting. Depending on your phone plan, you may want to reach out to your carrier first to see what/if any deals they have. So far, those are the only ones I've seen with some sort of deal. But I just don't think it makes much sense to purchase a new, previous iPhone model. You're not saving much and you're purchasing older technology with a shorter shelf life.

Regarding the iPad, iPad technology hasn't changed much. I have two recommendations. If you want brand new, buy the iPad Air. I think it's the best option given their current lineup. Secondly, to save money, I'd recommend you look at Apple Refurbished products directly from Apple. I've bought them before, they're Apple certified, and come with a warranty. It's a way to save a couple bucks, especially with a product that hasn't changed as quickly as the iPhone has.
User avatar
crinkles2
Posts: 244
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2014 7:18 pm

Re: Purchasing New iPhone; New iPad

Post by crinkles2 »

I have a iPhone 12 (standard version).

If I were buying new I'd recommend the 13 Pro Max, with a windows laptop in lieu of an ipad :shock:
dbr
Posts: 46137
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2007 8:50 am

Re: Purchasing New iPhone; New iPad

Post by dbr »

J295 wrote: Sat Oct 16, 2021 4:04 pm Everyone who has responded has been super helpful, and I thank you very much. We have four phones on Verizon plan for what it’s worth.

Given that historically I’ve done all my electronic reading on my 7 plus phone, and factoring in the comment about the weight of the iPad, I’m now musing using on whether I just keep reading on a new phone, buy an iPad to read on, or buy another device to read on?
We got back about $350/phone trading 6s for 13 at Verizon. Don't know if the offer is still there.

For me reading on a Kindle is way, way better than using an iPAD or other tablet. It depends on what you are reading, of course.
GmanJeff
Posts: 944
Joined: Sun Jun 11, 2017 7:12 am

Re: Purchasing New iPhone; New iPad

Post by GmanJeff »

Apple offers a small corporate/gov't employee discount on iPads. Worth inquiring.
jayjayc
Posts: 637
Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2013 11:38 pm

Re: Purchasing New iPhone; New iPad

Post by jayjayc »

I also recommend getting a Kindle for reading books. Their e-Ink screen resembles paper and is much easier on the eyes. Kindles also have seamless integration with many libraries for easy ebook checkout so you can read countless books for free with your library card.
Stumptowngal
Posts: 81
Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2020 3:12 pm

Re: Purchasing New iPhone; New iPad

Post by Stumptowngal »

I’ve had an iPad Air (3rd generation) for close to two years and love reading books on it.

It is very customizable for the reading settings. I can change brightness, font size, page color background and whether I want to read it in a scrolling manner or as if flipping the pages of a book (which I prefer). I can’t imagine not having one even though I have a good size screen with an iPhone 8 plus.



I
Post Reply