Update: The iPhone 13 has now been discounted by $100, making it a more compelling purchase on paper, especially given how similar the iPhone 14 is to its predecessor.
But I stand by my now updated article below; I think some of the under-the-hood upgrades the iPhone 14 offers would justify the $100 price difference. If Apple sliced the iPhone 13 by $200 or more, that may be a different story — do check out our best iPhone 13 deals in case you find a particularly well-discounted iPhone 13.
Otherwise, iPhone 14 pre-orders are live at the time of writing, so if you're after a new iPhone, get on that bandwagon.
If you're considering buying an iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 Pro today, stop what you're doing. It would be semi-madness to buy Apple's current-generation phone, now that you can get the iPhone 14.
If you followed, and are still following our Apple event live blog then you'll get a taste for what the next-gen iPhones have to offer. And so you'll understand why I'm recommending anyone wanting a new flagship-grade iPhone pay more for the iPhone 14.
For the standard iPhone 14, we don't get any radical changes, though the iPhone14 Plus offers a 6.7-inch iPhone without the need to fork out for an iPhone Pro Max model.
Sure, the iPhone 14 lacks of a chip upgrade in the form of the A16 Bionic, but that’s not a big deal, as the A15 was a screamingly fast chip, and the one in the iPhone 14 models is the slightly more powerful slice of silicon found in the iPhone 13 Pro.
And the iPhone 14 has got an improved dual-camera system, better front-facing camera, both of which benefit form Apple's new Photonic Engine that's designed for better low-light photography.
Plus there are new features, such as making SOS calls via a satellite connection and a means to detect when you've been in a crash to then alert the emergency services. If the extra $100 ends up getting you a phone that can save your life, I'd say that's worth it.
Admittedly, for the big headline upgrades, like a 48-megapixel main camera, A16 Bionic chipset, and the new notch-less Dynamic Island display, you’ll need to go for the iPhone 14 Pro.
No killer iPhone 13 deals
However, with the new iPhone up for pre-order you may think the current iPhone 13 range will have been slashed in price. Oh my sweet summer reader, that’s simply not the case. And it’s not the way Apple does things.
The iPhone 13 Pro has been discontinued and the iPhone 13 is now available for $100 less, meaning it starts at $699. The iPhone 13 mini now starts at $599, but I'm not an advocate of it; the display and battery are too small.
Trade-in deals are pretty decent on Tom’s Guide’s best iPhone 13 deals page. But despite the discount I’ve seen no standout ones as a result of retailers or telecoms carriers trying to sell out of current models in anticipation for full release of the iPhone 14 range.
This is the case for the U.S. as it is for the U.K. Only the iPhone 13 mini has been notably discounted in Britain, with some £50 shaved off its original price tag of £679 ahead of the Apple event; not a bad discount but hardly the kind of price slashing you might expect with a phone this late in its generation. With the new lower price, better bargains could be had with a bit of shopping around, but don't hold your breath.
So if you were to buy a new iPhone 13 today, I reckon you’d be making a mistake. That’s not to say that Apple’s previous crop of flagship phones are bad; quite the opposite as the iPhone 13 Pro Max holds the top spot of our best phones list (we need to fully review the iPhone 14 range before we make any changes to that), and I’ve been using and loving an iPhone 13 Pro for the past nine months or so. The crux of the issue is you'd be paying what's still a solid wad of cash for a phone that's now out of date.
So really, I reckon you should swallow the price difference and go for the iPhone 14, as the improved cameras, features like Crash Detection and emergency SOS via satellite, as well as "the best battery life on iPhone," justify the extra $100.
Don't fancy an iPhone now?
What, I'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''ve put you off the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14?
Well if you want a flagship phone that’s not going to go out of date too quickly and has impressive features, then I’d recommend the Samsung Galaxy S22 range. The standard Galaxy S22 is a brilliant Android phone with a great display, lovely design, and a very strong trio of cameras; the Galaxy S22 Plus offers a larger screen, and the Galaxy S22 Ultra is exceptional as a do-everything phone and spiritual successor to the Galaxy Note, albeit very large and quite expensive.
But we’re some seven months into the Galaxy S22 range’s life, meaning if you shop around you can find some good deals, especially on the standard S22. Check out our section of the best Samsung Galaxy S22 deals.
