New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

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NYCaviator
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New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by NYCaviator »

Looking to upgrade my iPhone 12 mini. I'm getting tired of the small screen and the battery life is becoming horrific. I don't really want to carry a portable charger, and it's not worth it to me to pay for a new battery at this point.

I was thinking of grabbing a 13 or 13 pro before the 14 comes out. My logic is that when the 14 comes out, Apple will probably slash the trade-in values for older iPhones, and rumor has it the new iPhones will cost about 10% more.

1. Should I go 13 or 13 pro? For $200 more, is the nicer screen and bigger battery on the pro worth it?
2. Should I just wait for the 14? From what I've read its not going to be much different. Only more expensive with a smaller "notch.

Edit: I always buy my phones unlocked, new, from the Apple store. So carrier financing/subsidies/etc. don't matter to me.
Silk McCue
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by Silk McCue »

The models are called 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max. I’ve used the large form factor for years, while my wife prefers to the standard size. My 88 year old mother uses the large form factor. It can seem very large when you first hold one but eventually it’s just normal and you can’t imagine using a smaller screen.

Of course If you have smaller hands it might not be comfortable.

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eddot98
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by eddot98 »

My iPhone 12 with 64GB is still performing well and I intend to keep it for 6 months to a year. DW’s iPhone 11 with 128GB is getting a little old and we may replace it soon while it’s still got some value in secondary markets. We will probably wait to buy an iPhone 13 (not Pro) until the iPhone 14 comes out. The iPhone 11 was purchased outright from Apple and we would do that again for a 13. I made the mistake of getting a “free” iPhone 12 from AT&T by 30 months of bill credits. I know that I should just pay off the $250 or so left and switch to Spectrum or T-MOBILE now that they are so much cheaper than AT&T, but I’m not sure of their coverage and inertia is such a strong force to overcome.
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prudent
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by prudent »

T-mobile has a "test drive" offer which worked well for me. Good for 30 days or 30GB data. You download an eSIM and it allows your phone to be on both networks, then you use settings to control which one is active at any given time. I couldn't think of a more realistic way to compare two carriers. It's probably the only way I would have considered using T-mobile. Only potential blind spot is my iphone doesn't have 5G and that's what T-mobile is really pushing right now. I also saw an offer where T-mobile would pay your remaining balance to switch.
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starboi
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by starboi »

NYCaviator wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 6:35 pm Looking to upgrade my iPhone 12 mini. I'm getting tired of the small screen and the battery life is becoming horrific. I don't really want to carry a portable charger, and it's not worth it to me to pay for a new battery at this point.

I was thinking of grabbing a 13 or 13 pro before the 14 comes out. My logic is that when the 14 comes out, Apple will probably slash the trade-in values for older iPhones, and rumor has it the new iPhones will cost about 10% more.

1. Should I go 13 or 13 pro? For $200 more, is the nicer screen and bigger battery on the pro worth it?
2. Should I just wait for the 14? From what I've read its not going to be much different. Only more expensive with a smaller "notch.

Edit: I always buy my phones unlocked, new, from the Apple store. So carrier financing/subsidies/etc. don't matter to me.
The iPhone 13 has a bigger battery than the 13 Pro.
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/09/24/ip ... es-in-mah/
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Metsfan91
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by Metsfan91 »

Wait for the new model (14) - should be out soon. Go for pro-max. Big screen. I have 12 pro-max. Love it.
"Know what you own, and know why you own it." — Peter Lynch
crossbow
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by crossbow »

NYCaviator wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 6:35 pm Looking to upgrade my iPhone 12 mini. I'm getting tired of the small screen and the battery life is becoming horrific.
What's the battery life like that you're experiencing?
Monsterflockster
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by Monsterflockster »

Just put in a new battery in my iPhone 7 for $49. With phones costing anywhere from $400-$1000 i try to get every “pixel mile” I can before it does. I guess we have just accepted how expensive these things are. If you keep a phone for two years it is $50 a month. The. You gotta pay your cell plan. That’s just crazy to me but the world we live in.
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NYCaviator
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by NYCaviator »

crossbow wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 12:21 am
NYCaviator wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 6:35 pm Looking to upgrade my iPhone 12 mini. I'm getting tired of the small screen and the battery life is becoming horrific.
What's the battery life like that you're experiencing?
I'm a relatively heavy user (lots of calls messaging for work), but It'll be below 50% by lunch. It never lasts a full work day. According to battery health it still has 88% capacity left (which I don't believe one bit).
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NYCaviator
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by NYCaviator »

Metsfan91 wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 10:41 pm Wait for the new model (14) - should be out soon. Go for pro-max. Big screen. I have 12 pro-max. Love it.
It would be great to have a bigger phone and not need an iPad, but I don't think the pro max would be convenient for running (which I do a lot) or making actual phone calls using the handset (which I also do a lot). I haven't really checked it out though to compare.
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climber2020
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by climber2020 »

Wait a month for the 14 series.

The only significant advantage of the Pro vs Regular for most normal people is the Telephoto camera lens. If you don't care about that, then the regular one should meet your needs, and it's significantly lighter which is very noticeable when running.

Even if you decide to get the 13, prices will drop when the 14 is announced (usually by $100), and this will more than offset the drop in trade-in value for your 12 Mini.
dsmclone
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by dsmclone »

According to Tom's, your Iphone 12 Mini has a battery life of 7.5 hours

13 10.5 hours
13 pro 11.5 hours
13 pro max 12.25 hours

If you're willing to move to Android, there are about 10 phones that have longer battery life than the longest iphone. You can get something like the samsung galaxy a52 5g that has 13 hour battery life, 6.5" screen and $400.
rebellovw
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by rebellovw »

Did you check your battery settings to see which app is hogging the power? I've found some really nasty hogs that I didn't know about.

I only say this because I have an iPhone X which is working just fine for me and I'll upgrade likely in the next two years.

But I'm not on the phone much at all - so there is that. I'm definitely all over that battery app in the settings.
OnceARunner
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by OnceARunner »

starboi wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 8:23 pm
NYCaviator wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 6:35 pm Looking to upgrade my iPhone 12 mini. I'm getting tired of the small screen and the battery life is becoming horrific. I don't really want to carry a portable charger, and it's not worth it to me to pay for a new battery at this point.

I was thinking of grabbing a 13 or 13 pro before the 14 comes out. My logic is that when the 14 comes out, Apple will probably slash the trade-in values for older iPhones, and rumor has it the new iPhones will cost about 10% more.

1. Should I go 13 or 13 pro? For $200 more, is the nicer screen and bigger battery on the pro worth it?
2. Should I just wait for the 14? From what I've read its not going to be much different. Only more expensive with a smaller "notch.

Edit: I always buy my phones unlocked, new, from the Apple store. So carrier financing/subsidies/etc. don't matter to me.
The iPhone 13 has a bigger battery than the 13 Pro.
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/09/24/ip ... es-in-mah/
But the Pro has longer battery life, which is really the concern. It can last longer even though the battery capacity is lower due to differences in display technology.
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Metsfan91
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by Metsfan91 »

NYCaviator wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 7:14 am
Metsfan91 wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 10:41 pm Wait for the new model (14) - should be out soon. Go for pro-max. Big screen. I have 12 pro-max. Love it.
It would be great to have a bigger phone and not need an iPad, but I don't think the pro max would be convenient for running (which I do a lot) or making actual phone calls using the handset (which I also do a lot). I haven't really checked it out though to compare.
I use ear bud. Phone stays in the pocket. Works for me. No problem doing yard work. I do not talk on the phone as much as you do.
"Know what you own, and know why you own it." — Peter Lynch
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Cosmo
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by Cosmo »

climber2020 wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 7:25 am Wait a month for the 14 series.

The only significant advantage of the Pro vs Regular for most normal people is the Telephoto camera lens. If you don't care about that, then the regular one should meet your needs, and it's significantly lighter which is very noticeable when running.

Even if you decide to get the 13, prices will drop when the 14 is announced (usually by $100), and this will more than offset the drop in trade-in value for your 12 Mini.
^This. On a side note, I recently got the iPhone13 Mini. This is probably the best iPhone that I ever had. Perfect size and much better battery life vs. the 12 Mini.
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starboi
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by starboi »

Monsterflockster wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 12:28 am Just put in a new battery in my iPhone 7 for $49. With phones costing anywhere from $400-$1000 i try to get every “pixel mile” I can before it does. I guess we have just accepted how expensive these things are. If you keep a phone for two years it is $50 a month. The. You gotta pay your cell plan. That’s just crazy to me but the world we live in.
The iPhone 7 will not support iOS16.
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PicassoSparks
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by PicassoSparks »

If you liked the mini size and still like the size, the 13 mini’s battery life is reported to be dramatically better.
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illumination
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by illumination »

I dont think the pro is worth it. There was a version of the pro a few years ago where the battery life jump was more pronounced, but now much of the upgrade is the camera, which I think is just not needed.

I also have a 12 mini and agree the battery life is not great. I plan to just get a 13. If Apple was smart, they'd focus more on a battery life than some of the other features I just dont care about.

I decided with Apple, I would rather just get entry level type products, but do it more often. Like I'm in the market for a laptop, I think I'd rather buy a $1200 laptop and get a new one 2 years from now than buy a $2500 one and keep it for 5 years.
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by illumination »

NYCaviator wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 7:12 am
crossbow wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 12:21 am
NYCaviator wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 6:35 pm Looking to upgrade my iPhone 12 mini. I'm getting tired of the small screen and the battery life is becoming horrific.
What's the battery life like that you're experiencing?
I'm a relatively heavy user (lots of calls messaging for work), but It'll be below 50% by lunch. It never lasts a full work day. According to battery health it still has 88% capacity left (which I don't believe one bit).

Mine is the same, the battery life says over 80%, but if I make a few calls, I'm getting close to zero by the end of the day. I have a lightning port at my desk and it's just my SOP to charge it while I'm at my desk. Fortunately it does charge quickly, if I can get like 30 minutes on it, I usually don't have an issue.

Again, if I was Apple, I'd make a phone that could go maybe 2 days on a charge, even if it was less slim. Apple made a charging case that integrated into the phone that I had, you could go several days. It really wasn't that bulky. That was overkill, but something in between would be great.
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by aquaman »

illumination wrote: Sun Aug 14, 2022 10:33 am Again, if I was Apple, I'd make a phone that could go maybe 2 days on a charge, even if it was less slim.
I'd like that as well, but a very significant number of smartphone buyers make their decisions in large part on just how slim and light a phone is. Every independent smartphone review also compares phones on this basis, so phone manufacturers are forced to strike a very delicate balance between that and the battery.
YeahBuddy
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by YeahBuddy »

Your current options are iPhone 13 pro or 13 pro max. The max would be a great battery upgrade. Mine lasts all day even with heavy usage. If you want to save some money, wait until the 14 comes out. Apple usually lowers the price $100-$200 at that point.
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by mnsportsgeek »

NYCaviator wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 6:35 pm Looking to upgrade my iPhone 12 mini. I'm getting tired of the small screen and the battery life is becoming horrific. I don't really want to carry a portable charger, and it's not worth it to me to pay for a new battery at this point.

I was thinking of grabbing a 13 or 13 pro before the 14 comes out. My logic is that when the 14 comes out, Apple will probably slash the trade-in values for older iPhones, and rumor has it the new iPhones will cost about 10% more.

1. Should I go 13 or 13 pro? For $200 more, is the nicer screen and bigger battery on the pro worth it?
2. Should I just wait for the 14? From what I've read its not going to be much different. Only more expensive with a smaller "notch.

Edit: I always buy my phones unlocked, new, from the Apple store. So carrier financing/subsidies/etc. don't matter to me.
Wait. You have a 2 year old phone and the 14 comes out in a matter of weeks. Wait.

If you don’t like the 14, the 13 will be on sale.
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by dbr »

Smart phone sizes are the perfect worst case of too big to carry and too small and awkward to use. There couldn't be a worse ergonomic combination.

That said I make do with what I make do. My smart phone is far and away the least used of all our electronic devices. A land line phone, a desktop computer, and a Kindle are the most used. I think we have five or six registered Apple devices between two of us.
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by Drew31 »

If it were me, I'd probably wait for the 14 and then decide whether to go with the 14 or 13 dependent on the announcement. I've yet to convince myself why I have any need for a Pro version unless I want to try selling photographs or I'm extra concerned with having the extra camera on the back as a status symbol.
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by quantAndHold »

All you people go have those ginormous phones….how do you carry them around with you? I mean even my iPhone X doesn’t fit in my jeans pocket half the time. Do you carry a purse or something? I want the nice camera that the bigger phones have, but then I’d be stuck carrying a phone around in my hand all the time because it doesn’t fit anywhere else.
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by Silk McCue »

quantAndHold wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 10:02 am All you people go have those ginormous phones….how do you carry them around with you? I mean even my iPhone X doesn’t fit in my jeans pocket half the time. Do you carry a purse or something? I want the nice camera that the bigger phones have, but then I’d be stuck carrying a phone around in my hand all the time because it doesn’t fit anywhere else.
I’m an adult man and the Pro Max fits in my front pocket with ease and without discomfort.

Cheers
dbr
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by dbr »

Silk McCue wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 12:00 pm
quantAndHold wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 10:02 am All you people go have those ginormous phones….how do you carry them around with you? I mean even my iPhone X doesn’t fit in my jeans pocket half the time. Do you carry a purse or something? I want the nice camera that the bigger phones have, but then I’d be stuck carrying a phone around in my hand all the time because it doesn’t fit anywhere else.
I’m an adult man and the Pro Max fits in my front pocket with ease and without discomfort.

Cheers
I am also an adult man and cannot place even a mini in my front pocket without discomfort and inconvenience. But what this means is that everyone is different. On travel I sometimes carry an over the shoulder small bag, aka man-purse, and that works well for a phone. While biking a smaller phone fits well in the back pockets of a cycling jersey but I would probably not want a larger phone there. Again, to each his own.
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by Katietsu »

dbr wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 9:29 am Smart phone sizes are the perfect worst case of too big to carry and too small and awkward to use. There couldn't be a worse ergonomic combination.

That said I make do with what I make do. My smart phone is far and away the least used of all our electronic devices. A land line phone, a desktop computer, and a Kindle are the most used. I think we have five or six registered Apple devices between two of us.
This is illustrates why threads on this topic are sometimes not so useful. We all have very different preferences. Last desktop purchase was 1991. Because smartphones became more powerful, I can now go days and sometimes weeks without using the personal laptop, and I returned the Kindle after a few days. Now I do some things like spreadsheets on my phone (and probably posting on the BH forum) that would be easier on the laptop. But humans not only have different preferences and lifestyles, but also different physical traits that all impact on the best use technology for them.
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quantAndHold
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by quantAndHold »

Silk McCue wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 12:00 pm
quantAndHold wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 10:02 am All you people go have those ginormous phones….how do you carry them around with you? I mean even my iPhone X doesn’t fit in my jeans pocket half the time. Do you carry a purse or something? I want the nice camera that the bigger phones have, but then I’d be stuck carrying a phone around in my hand all the time because it doesn’t fit anywhere else.
I’m an adult man and the Pro Max fits in my front pocket with ease and without discomfort.

Cheers
I’m a small woman. Even if I were up for using my phone as a chest protector, women’s shirts don’t come with usable pockets.
Silk McCue
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by Silk McCue »

quantAndHold wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 1:30 pm
Silk McCue wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 12:00 pm
quantAndHold wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 10:02 am All you people go have those ginormous phones….how do you carry them around with you? I mean even my iPhone X doesn’t fit in my jeans pocket half the time. Do you carry a purse or something? I want the nice camera that the bigger phones have, but then I’d be stuck carrying a phone around in my hand all the time because it doesn’t fit anywhere else.
I’m an adult man and the Pro Max fits in my front pocket with ease and without discomfort.

Cheers
I’m a small woman. Even if I were up for using my phone as a chest protector, women’s shirts don’t come with usable pockets.
Pants pocket not shirt pocket (that would never work with a large phone). You referenced a jeans pocket in your original post.

Cheers
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Re: New iPhone or Wait - Pro or Regular?

Post by quantAndHold »

Silk McCue wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 2:56 pm
quantAndHold wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 1:30 pm
Silk McCue wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 12:00 pm
quantAndHold wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 10:02 am All you people go have those ginormous phones….how do you carry them around with you? I mean even my iPhone X doesn’t fit in my jeans pocket half the time. Do you carry a purse or something? I want the nice camera that the bigger phones have, but then I’d be stuck carrying a phone around in my hand all the time because it doesn’t fit anywhere else.
I’m an adult man and the Pro Max fits in my front pocket with ease and without discomfort.

Cheers
I’m a small woman. Even if I were up for using my phone as a chest protector, women’s shirts don’t come with usable pockets.
Pants pocket not shirt pocket (that would never work with a large phone). You referenced a jeans pocket in your original post.

Cheers
Women’s pants, too. My older, smaller phones fit fine. The iPhone X tries to cut me in half when I sit down. A bigger phone wouldn’t go into the pocket at all.
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