Despite launching amidst a pandemic, the iPhone 12 series has been a massive success for Apple. The company has reportedly shipped over 100 million iPhone 12 units within just seven months of its launch. With the iPhone 13 launch just a couple of months away, should you buy the iPhone 12 now or wait for iPhone 13?
It might be easy to say that it makes sense to wait for the iPhone 13 series, especially since its launch is just a couple of months away now. However, in many cases, a user could be looking to upgrade now and cannot postpone their purchase by a few weeks. If you find yourself in a similar dilemma on whether you should get the iPhone 12 now or wait for the iPhone 13, read our guide below.
Should You Buy the iPhone 12 or Wait for iPhone 13?
Buy the iPhone 12 Now If…
Your Old iPhone Broke or Stopped Working
If you are immediately looking to replace your old or broken iPhone because it has stopped working, go for the iPhone 12 series. If you rely on your iPhone to get things done and for work purposes, it will be difficult to wait for another two months at the very minimum for the iPhone 13 series.
Getting your old iPhone fixed or repaired also does not make much sense depending on the extent of the damage. If your iPhone’s Lightning port has stopped working, that’s a relatively minor repair which I would recommend you get done and wait for the iPhone 13 series instead of buying the iPhone 12 now. However, if there’s a logic board or display repair, then instead of spending a couple of hundred dollars on your old iPhone, it is better you buy a new iPhone 12.
Don’t Care Much About Specs
If you are the sort of person who wants a working iPhone, go ahead and buy the iPhone 12. Despite being seven months old, the iPhone 12 is still the best performing smartphone out there. You will not face any performance issues or need to worry about the phone getting outdated in a few years.
You Need a New iPhone Now
There can be instances where you just need to buy a new iPhone now. Your existing smartphone might have become too slow to use, or you need a feature that’s available only on the newer iPhones. In such cases, it can get quite frustrating to wait for the iPhone 13 series to launch.
You Are Getting a Good Deal
The iPhone 12 series is now over seven months old. When new iPhones initially launch, there’s a lot of demand for them, so retailers don’t usually offer that good of a discount on them. Seven months later, though, depending on where you live, you are going to find some pretty good deals on various iPhone 12 models.
The next new iPhone will always pack a better display, camera, and battery life. However, you are not going to get a good deal on it right after its launch. So, if you want a new iPhone and still want to save some money, jump on that sweet iPhone 12 deal that you are getting.
Which iPhone 12 Model Should You Buy?
Depending on your budget, you have four options: the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 Pro, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max. If you need a massive display, great battery life, and the best possible camera, the iPhone 12 Pro Max should be your choice.
If you don’t like big and bulky phones, want something compact, don’t use your phone much, and don’t care much about battery life, the iPhone 12 mini would suit your requirements. The iPhone 12 mini has not really done as per Apple’s expectations, so you can find some good deals on it.
The iPhone 12 is the best of the lot for most people, with a decently sized 6.1-inch display, great battery life, and an excellent dual-camera setup. This is the perfect do-it-all iPhone that won’t burn a hole in your wallet as well.
The iPhone 12 Pro will be ideal for you if you want a relatively compact phone with a great camera and excellent build quality and don’t mind paying a premium for it.
Wait for the iPhone 13 If…
You Want the Latest and Greatest iPhone
If you are someone who always wants the latest and greatest iPhone, you should wait for the iPhone 13 series, as its launch is just over a couple of months away now. With the iPhone 13 launch on the horizon, if your existing iPhone is working just fine or can make it for another two months, it makes little sense to go for the iPhone 12 now.
You Want Better Battery Life
On paper, the iPhone 12 series offers the same battery life as previous iPhones. That’s not bad by any means, but with the addition of 5G, if you push the iPhone 12 a lot, you can drain its battery relatively quickly. Rumors indicate Apple will make the iPhone 13 series a bit thicker to make space for bigger batteries. Coupled with the use of other more power-efficient components, this should have a positive impact on the battery life of the iPhone 13.
So, if you really want an iPhone with the best possible battery life, I’d suggest you wait for the iPhone 13 series as they should bring a noticeable improvement in this regard.
Best Camera
The iPhone 12’s camera is not bad by any means. It is easily among the best camera phones out there. However, just like it happens with every new iPhone, Apple is expected to further improve the imaging performance with the next iteration of the device.
As per rumors, Apple will use bigger camera sensors on the iPhone 13 series. The ultra-wide angle camera will also get a wider aperture lens for improved low-light imaging performance. Lastly, sensor-shift stabilization, which is currently only found on the iPhone 12 Pro Max, will make its way across the entire iPhone 13 lineup.
Combined, all these changes should lead to the iPhone 13 series offering better image and video quality than the iPhone 12 series. The improvements might not be too big, but if you want the best possible camera performance, it makes sense to wait for the iPhone 13.
Better 5G Connectivity
The iPhone 12 series is the first iPhone to ship with 5G connectivity. However, for various reasons, Apple only offered the mmWave 5G version of the iPhone 12 in the US. For the rest of the world, the iPhone 12 models were only sold with sub-6GHz connectivity. With iPhone 13, Apple is expected to use a newer 5G modem to offer better and faster 5G connectivity. The company is also expected to launch the mmWave variant of the iPhone 13 in more markets this time around.
The faster modem should also be more power-efficient, which should help with battery life. While you can certainly experience 5G on the iPhone 12, the experience will be even better on the iPhone 13.
Smaller Notch
Apple is not going to get rid of the dreaded notch on the iPhone 13 series, but it is rumored to make it smaller. If you are not a fan of the notch and find it annoying, you might consider waiting for the iPhone 13 series to launch. A notchless iPhone would have been the best, but a smaller notch is the next best possible solution until the technology for a notchless iPhone is finally here.
So, will you buy the iPhone 12 now or wait for the iPhone 13 series to launch in September this year? Drop a comment and let us know!
