Should You Buy an iPhone Directly from Apple or a Carrier?
Buying an iPhone can be a daunting task, especially when you’re faced with the choice of purchasing from a carrier or the official Apple store. If you want to know which one would be the right option, you’ve come to the right place.
This article will help you determine the best fit for you and provides the best value for money.
The Convenience of the Upfront Cost
A significant factor when purchasing a phone is the upfront cost needed to buy the device. When purchasing an iPhone at an Apple store, you need to pay all the money upfront.
With a carrier, this isn’t the case. You don’t need to have all the money you need to purchase the phone because payments are based on monthly installments. You can walk into a carrier store, do all the paperwork, and walk out with an iPhone without putting any money down.
Locked vs. Unlocked iPhone
When you buy a phone outright from Apple, it comes unlocked. An unlocked iPhone is programmed to work with antennas from various mobile service providers. This feature gives you the flexibility of switching between different wireless carriers. This is a great option. If you dislike the services provided by one carrier, you can always change to another one.
In contrast, purchasing a phone from your carrier ties you down to that carrier because the iPhone is locked. As a result, if you want to try out different carriers in the future, then buying from Apple is the most sensible option. An unlocked iPhone is also suitable if you travel a lot, as you can conveniently switch up carriers wherever you go.
You can unlock a locked phone but the process can be pricey. First, you’ll have to talk to your carrier. Typically, most carriers require that you close the contract by paying a termination fee. Also, you’ll be required to pay the pending cost of the phone in full before it can be unlocked.
Device Protection and Insurance
Like any other item, you should buy an iPhone that has some protection. Both wireless carriers and Apple offer some degree of protection for your iPhone. However, the quality of the maintenance differs a lot.
Most carriers offer pretty solid insurance. Verizon, for instance, provides insurance against damage, theft, and loss for just $13 a month. Also, it’s convenient as you don’t have to wait days for a simple fix for your iPhone.
Apple, on the other hand, offers AppleCare. This is 90-day phone support and a one-year limited warranty against manufacturer’s defects. Note that the protection doesn’t provide any immunity against damage or theft.
Apple protection also features AppleCare+, which is a superior version of AppleCare. AppleCare+ has a two-year warranty and offers device support for two years. However, you should choose AppleCare+ Theft and Loss if you want insurance cover for both eventualities.
The price for each package increases as you tier up the programs, with AppleCare+ Theft and Loss being the most expensive.
Budget and Hidden Costs
Budget is a core factor when purchasing any utility or product. Therefore, it’s critical to understand the difference in costs when buying an iPhone from your carrier or Apple store.
There are rising concerns that purchasing an iPhone from a carrier might be more expensive than buying it directly from Apple. While these concerns are not entirely accurate, your duty as a consumer is to research a deal before signing any contracts. Ensure that you work out which option best fits your financial needs and makes the most economic sense. If you don’t face financial restraints, this might not be a big issue, but it’s still nice to know.
However, the cost of an iPhone from the two services tends to be somewhat similar. The only difference is that the price is spread out across multiple months. Additionally, the general costs of a contract will be higher with a carrier as they are inclusive of the data plans. Hence, carriers are seen as the most expensive way of getting a new iPhone.
Buying Pressure
Apple employees don’t work based on commission. Consequently, when you step into their stores, they will give you genuine feedback on what you should buy, depending on the information that you provide.
On the flip side, if you head over to your carrier, the salespersons work based on commission. Naturally, they will try and pressure you to purchase the most expensive device and unnecessary accessories that you don’t really need.
Trade-in Values
Trade-ins are a significant part of the thriving phone market. It’s not time to chuck away your iPhone just because it’s getting old. You can always trade it for a brand-new model. Compared to carriers, Apple offers surprisingly low trade-in prices. You can trade in an iPhone 11 for around $300.
With the same deal at Verizon, figures stand at around $800. Carriers are your best pick, therefore, if you’re making a purchase decision based on trade-in value.
Where Should You Buy Your iPhone
Deciding to buy an iPhone from a carrier or an Apple store boils down to whether you can afford to pay all the costs upfront or in monthly installments. Of course, more goes into buying a product than a mere question of how much it costs upfront. Some important things to consider include insurance, trade-in values, locking contracts, etc.
Happy Buying
A phone has become an integral part of our lives. We spend the majority of our time on our cell phones, either working, entertaining ourselves, or talking to our loved ones. For that reason, it’s necessary to consider the plans you use for your purchase to ensure you squeeze the maximum value out of the product.
Have you ever purchased a phone from Apple and a carrier? Which was the best deal? Let us know in the comments section below.
Five reasons to buy the Apple iPhone 13 now
(Pocket-lint) - Apple released iPhone 13 on the 14th of September, 2021, along with newer generations of Apple Watch, iPad, and iPad Mini. If you’re like most iPhone users, you’re probably wondering if you should upgrade to an iPhone 13 or wait for the next generations. In this article, we highlight 5 important reasons to buy the iPhone 13 now.
If you’re looking to buy the new iPhone 13, you can get some amazing deals on EE, the UK’s best network for 4G and 5G. EE provides dependable and reliable connectivity in most parts of the UK with stable connections and excellent customer support. Furthermore, subscribing to EE also gives you access to incredible Smart Benefits, such as subscriptions to Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, BT Sport Ultimate, and more.
POCKET-LINT VIDEO OF THE DAY
5G compatibility
5G is the fifth generation of broadband cellular network technology, which makes online connectivity faster, more powerful, and more responsive than ever before. As the 5G rollout across the country takes place, we will see it become an essential component of all our lives. The iPhone 13 is leading the charge on our global shift towards 5G technology. If you get 5G and want a cutting-edge phone, you should definitely go for the iPhone 13.
Below, we highlight some of the unique benefits of 5G connectivity on iPhone 13:
You can live stream 4K videos on your iPhone 13 without delays.
Engaging in competitive multiplayer gaming without annoying lags.
Faster uploads and downloads than ever before.
Play HDR videos using SharePlay on your AppleTV or SmartTV without WiFi.
Future-proof your phone against the inevitable rise of 5G network connectivity.
Smart Data mode allows iPhone to determine when it should use 5G and when it should conserve battery.
Beautiful design
Whenever Apple announces a new iPhone, most people are eager to see how they look. Apple has a stellar and undefeated record for producing visually stunning and minimalist products, and their iPhone designs never disappoint. The iPhone 13 features a gorgeous, durable flat-edge design with an aluminum frame. The display features Ceramic Shield on the front, which is the toughest and most durable smartphone glass.
The iPhone 13 has three essential changes in terms of design — the camera locations, the notch size, and the colors.
The cameras are positioned diagonally for the advanced dual-camera system.
The iPhone 13 notch is 20% smaller than iPhone 12 without compromising the Face ID.
The iPhone 13 is available in the following colors — Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Red, Pink.
All things considered, iPhone 13 yet again pushes the envelope in terms of design, giving us a sleeker and more attractive smartphone than ever before.
Amazing cameras
iPhones are known for providing brilliant cameras, and each generation of the iPhone brings massive improvements over the previous. The iPhone 13 includes a large widescreen camera sensor that captures 47% more light, helping you achieve sharper and more attractive pictures in low-light situations. If you like photography at night, you should definitely consider upgrading to an iPhone 13. Besides the 12MP Wide and 12MP Ultra Wide camera, iPhone 13 also features the new A15 chip, thus ensuring sharper and clearer image processing. For help capturing the perfect selfie at night, the 12MP TrueDepth front camera is also able to tap into both Night mode and Portrait mode, the latter of which provides six different effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono and High-Key Light Mono).
iPhone 13 also features Cinematic Mode during video recording. This video records in Dolby HDR with automatic rack focus mode, thus eliminating the shakiness that comes with home recordings. You can also change the video’s focus after recording. Furthermore, iPhone 13 now features Photographic Styles, which allows you to modify your images with one of the unique integrated styles instead of using an extensive post-processing filter. You can now record and upload stunning, cinematic videos and images to your socials with minimal processing.
iOS 15 features
Apple released the much-anticipated iOS 15 on the 20th of September, 2021, only a few days after the launch of the iPhone 13. They essentially made it clear that iPhone 13 and iOS 15 are supposed to go together, complementing each other’s capabilities. While you can also access iOS 15 on numerous other iPhones, the A15 Bionic chip - featuring a 6-core CPU, a 4-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine - housed inside the iPhone 13 will provide the fastest and most complete experience.
The following are some of the most exciting iOS 15 features on iPhone 13:
Improved FaceTime features, such as voice isolation and FaceTime links.
Share music, TV shows, and screen with others using SharePlay.
Customized notification summaries are available at specific times.
Automatically transcribe or translate the text in photographs.
iCloud Private Relay can encrypt your IP Address and Safari browsing data to aid privacy.
Upgraded battery life
Apple doesn’t usually disclose the average battery life for their iPhones because it depends on their usage. However, iPhone 13 includes larger batteries that boast improved battery life, and the A15 Bionic chip is said to increase energy efficiency. The combination of larger batteries and the A15 chip lead to far superior battery performance. If you spend considerable time outdoors, it’s completely worth investing in a phone that you won’t have to charge constantly.
According to Apple, iPhone 13 has a battery life of 19 hours with typical video playback. The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max provide 22 hours and 28 hours of battery with typical video playback, respectively. As such, even with regular usage, you can essentially make your iPhone 13 last an entire day on one charge. The upgraded battery life is one of the most convincing reasons for buying an iPhone 13 now.
iPhone 8 review: is this Apple iPhone still worth buying in 2022?
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This iPhone 8 review aims to answer the question 'is the iPhone 8 worth buying in 2022?' - in short, maybe. However, it was discontinued in 2020 so you'll only be able to find refurbished or second hand models.
The Apple iPhone 8 has been on the market for almost five years, so it's been a long time since this was the new kid on the block. Since its launch, there have been loads of new Apple handsets including the iPhone 11, iPhone 12 and most recently, the iPhone 13.
I'll start off by saying that if you want an iPhone but you're on a budget then going for an older generation is a no-brainer but you will have to manage your expectations quite a lot.
If you're not completely set on Apple then it might be worth checking out T3's guide to the best cheap phones because even the most affordable Android devices are getting better and better each year.
Should I buy the iPhone 8 in 2022?
First things first, Apple has discontinued the iPhone 8 so you'll have to buy a refurbished model if you do choose to go ahead and get one. That's better for the environment and better for your wallet so that's not necessarily a bad thing.
You should also know that while the iPhone 8 is still receiving updates to its operating system and security, judging on past generations, 2022 could well be the last year of that, so from 2023 onwards you can expect problems to start cropping up and it could start to slow down.
Answering the question 'should you buy the iPhone 8 in 2022?' is a hard one because you can pick it up dead cheap right now but you could end up in a pickle when Apple stops rolling out iOS updates.
So what are your other options? If you want a budget Apple handset then the iPhone SE (2020) could be the better choice although you will have to pay a little more for it.
iPhone 8 vs iPhone SE (2020)
The iPhone 8 looks a little dated now because it still has a camera notch interrupting the screen, a physical button on the front and the bezels are a lot thicker than you'll see on the best phones you can buy this year. The iPhone SE (2020) looks very similar though, so they're pretty much on par when it comes to design.
Both phones also have a 4.7-inch screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 750 x 1334 pixels, as well as a 1,821mAh battery, so they are neck and neck in those areas.
Another likeness is in their camera systems. Both devices have a decent 12MP rear camera and a 7MP front camera. The iPhone SE (2020) will have better camera features though so while photos won't look that different, you can expect the SE to be a step ahead in the final result.
Under the hood, the iPhone 8 packs Apple's A11 Bionic chipset, it's inevitably going to be less powerful than the iPhone SE (2020) which has an A13 CPU. Day-to-day, you won't see that much of a difference but if you start throwing more demanding tasks at it, the newer phone is sure to be a clear winner.
What you can take from this is that the iPhone 8 and iPhone SE (2020) are very similar phones, but because the iPhone SE (2020) is newer with slightly updated hardware, it's definitely the better buy in 2022. You will have to pay just a little bit more for it but it'll be worth it to get more years of updates from Apple. Take a look at the widget below to see where you can pick one up.
iPhone 8 review: design
The iPhone 8 measures 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm. That's fractionally larger than the iPhone 7, but it should still fit inside an iPhone 7 case. It carries over the 4.7-inch screen (more on that later).
The size makes it a pleasure to hold and use one-handed, which could be the killer reason to buy the iPhone 8 over anything else.
Clearly, you don't get the bezel-less displays that the Samsung Galaxy S8 and iPhone X offer. That makes the iPhone 8 feel a bit more dated than its competitors that were launched around the same time.
As we've already mentioned, the iPhone 8's design isn't a massive departure from the iPhone 6 and 7 aesthetic. That's not necessarily a bad thing, they're great-looking phones.
The aluminium unibody design has been replaced by a glass back (evoking the spirit of the iconic iPhone 4). This allows for wireless charging and should improve the wireless performance (that's what other manufacturers like HTC have claimed in the past).
The glass back feels great, although, not quite as premium as the almost-ceramic metal case.
It has a grippy coating that makes it feel more secure in your hands compared to other glass-backed phones. This is also helped by the extra weight, 148g vs 138g of the iPhone 7.
We reviewed the white and silver model, which doesn't show any fingerprints, and we've also been using it without a case and haven't noticed any scratches yet.
The camera lens still protrudes from the rear casing.
Just like the iPhone 7 there's no headphone port. It's time to jump onboard the wireless bandwagon.
The stereo speakers are now louder. It's a clear improvement ove ther previous iPhones, but lack bass for proper music listening. They do create a pleasingly wide soundstage.
The iPhone 8 is water resistant, with the same IP67 rating. That means it should survive in 1 metre of water for up to 30 minutes.
And finally on design - Apple have changed the colourways available. The iPhone 8 comes in Silver, Gold, and Black.
The Gold is the standout here. It's much truer to real rose gold than the pink of Apple's old rose gold. The old iPhone Rose Gold is now discontinued.
iPhone 8 review: screen
The iPhone 8 features a 4.7-inch 750 x 1334 IPS LCD display which has a pixel density of 326 PPI.
That's the same number of pixels as the iPhone 7 (and the three-year-old iPhone 6).
If you hold them together side by side the difference is noticeable, but in reality, you won't be disappointed by the iPhone 8's resolution - it's plenty sharp enough.
What Apple has focused on improving is the brightness and colour representation.
Apple has added True Tone technology to the display. This monitors the ambient light around the handset, and calibrates the screen to perfect it under your current lighting conditions. This was first seen in the iPad Pro.
It results in bold colours and beautiful contrast, without out looking over-processed, like some competitors.
iPhone 8 review: performance and battery
The iPhone 8 comes packing Apple's A11 Bionic hexa-core (that's six cores) processor. At the time it was the most powerful processor Apple had ever put in an iPhone but now it's been left behind.
Tearing through different apps, playing music, watching video, and checking emails are all uninterrupted by the hardware (as is usual for a new phone). What's super impressive is how instantly apps are ready when multitasking between numerous jobs, but that's something iPhones have always been good at.
Where the added processing power will really become apparent is when running the more intensive apps (which use AR Kit, for example).
Apple also simplified storage options, now the iPhone 8 comes with 64GB, or 256GB.
Apple claimed the iPhone 8's battery life was comparable to the iPhone 7, but we found it performed very well, far exceeding our expectations.
Obviously, we're not talking a two-day battery life here, but we found it comfortably lasted a day with mixed usage.
We've also got two new ways to charge the iPhone 8 - wirelessly and quickly (and yes, those are mutually exclusive).
The new glass-backed design means that you can set the iPhone 8 down on a wireless charging pad and it'll instantly start sucking up juice.
It's the universal 'Qi' standard as well, so you won't need a special Apple wireless charger for this to work.
It's a nice touch and convenient, but at the moment it's rather slow. We found it very useful on a recent road trip which a Qi-enabled car, however.
Also onboard is fast charging, but you'll need to buy an additional USB-C to Lightning cable and fast charger to unlock this.
Read T3's guide to iOS 11
iPhone 8 review: camera system
Ah, the camera - now this is where it gets interesting.
On paper the iPhone 8's camera looks unchanged from the iPhone 7. You get the 12 megapixel f/1.8 lens setup as you did with the previous generation, but this year the sensor is larger and the software smarter.
The result is a big improvement, with the camera now capable of taking some stunning shots with great detail and contrast.
It's still not quite as reliable as the trusty Google Pixel or HTC U11, but it's narrowed the gap significantly.
Check out these iPhone 8 image samples:
Image 1 of 18
It's still a shame you can't get Apple's dual camera system on the smaller phone, because I constantly feel like I'm missing Portrait Mode and Optical Zoom.
The 7MP front facing camera is excellent, as is the 4K video at 60fps.
iPhone 8 review: verdict
The iPhone 8 is an excellent smartphone. The battery life is decent, the camera improved, and the addition of wireless charging adds convenience.
We like the glass-backed design as well, and, thanks to the small screen it's one of the most ergonomic phones we've ever used.
There's one X-shaped problem.
The iPhone 8 is overshadowed by the more exciting, more expensive brother, and if you're looking for the latest, greatest iPhone ever released, you're going to want the iPhone X.
iPhone 8 review: specs
Dimensions: 158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3 mm
Display: 4.7 inches, 750 x 1334 pixels pixels
Processor: Apple A11 Bionic / 2GB RAM
Storage: 64 / 256GB
Battery: 1821 mAh
Camera: 12MP sensor, f/1.8, OIS, quad-LED (dual tone) flash
Liked this? Check out the iPhone 8's rivals in out best smartphone guide
All of our tests are done in a real-world environment – not in a lab. You can find out more about how we test at T3 here.
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