Now that the dust has settled from the Apple launch event this morning, you may be left thinking the new iPhones and Watch Series 4 are kinda pricey. And y
Now that the dust has settled from the Apple launch event this morning, you may be left thinking the new iPhones and Watch Series 4 are kinda pricey.
And you wouldn’t be wrong. For example, the cheapest new iPhone (XR) is priced at $1229, with the XS Max starting at an eye-watering $1799. While plan pricing has not yet been unveiled, expect the XS range to start at $100-plus for any plan worth considering.
However, while everyone drools over the latest and greatest, there are opportunities for the savvy shopper to snap up a (relative) bargain – so long as you don’t mind a slightly older device.
Here are our top picks for the budget-conscious shopper.
The latest iPhones have set a new precedent for ‘entry-level’ pricing. However, Apple quietly reduced the price of the iPhone 7 to $749 outright for the 32GB model. To put things in perspective, you could buy two iPhone 7’s for the price of one iPhone XS and still have change left over for a 12-month subscription to Apple Music.
And the iPhone 7 isn’t even that old. It only came out two years ago and still features several key features like a 12MP rear camera, water resistance, 4K video recording (at 30FPS) and Touch ID which, for many, is still a favourite.
You do miss out on the new edge-to-edge screen design and wireless charging, but for many, the price premium won’t be worth the extra layout.
The Apple Watch Series 4 was also announced last week and features an edge-to-edge display (notice the trend?), bigger watch faces and a redesigned interface. Many of the other new features such as workout detection and podcast support will be coming to multiple Apple Watches – including the Watch Series 3.
Buried deep at the bottom of the Apple press release was the news that the Series 3 has been reduced to $399 for the base level GPS model – a full $200 less than the Series 4.
Apart from features above and a few speed improvements, the Series 3 is close enough to the Series 4 to warrant a purchase at this price.
It’s always hard to tell how long Apple and retailers will stock older devices, so move fast if you intend to go the budget route. Also, be sure to keep a lookout for budget plans from the major telcos as they look to get rid of older stock – particularly once the new devices are available for purchase.
Lastly, accessories and repairs can also be cheaper for older devices. For example, Apple’s official pricing for an iPhone 7 screen repair is $248, while the X is priced at $448.
