If You Are Buying an iPhone 14, Some Ways to Save on Your Wireless Bill
The most confusing feature of any new iPhone might be the price tag.
The iPhone 14 Pro Apple unveiled Wednesday can run well over $1,000, but it might cost some buyers almost nothing to upgrade, given many trade-in offers and subsidies from wireless carriers. These deals often come with a catch, of course, such as multiyear commitments to stay with a carrier (with penalties for quitting early) or a higher-priced data plan that can cost you hundreds of dollars more a year, per line.
Which Is Better, iPhone or Android? Know Before You Buy
Great cameras no matter your choice
Both. iPhone and Samsung tend to have the highest-rated cameras, so you really can’t go wrong with either choice. And Google Pixel phones are gaining some accolades, too, including how they leverage intelligence to help make your photos better.
To securely log you into your iPhone or to make purchases online or at retail, the front-facing camera uses Face ID to recognize that it's you — and only you. In other words, your face is your password.
Speaking of your front-facing camera, FaceTime used to be an Apple exclusive, using the front-facing camera so you could talk with friends and family over iPhone, iPad and Mac. But Apple now makes it possible to FaceTime with an Android or Windows user, via a web browser feature.
Wider range of hardware, costs with Androids
iPhone. New Apple phones come in four main flavors today:
The 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini, starting at $699
The 6.1-inch iPhone 13, starting at $799
The 6.1-inch iPhone 13 Pro, which offers better cameras and battery life, starting at $999
The 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max, starting at $1,099, also with Apple’s longest-lasting battery at up to 28 hours of video playback
Yes, they're expensive compared with most Android phones. But they’re very well built and tend to last a long time.
Android. Phones and tablets that use the world's most popular operating system come in dozens of brands and models.
“With Android, you have a choice of less expensive larger phones, compared to iPhone, if you want a bigger display to read enlarged text and such,” Bader says. Only Apple makes iPhones and iPads, but Google's Android platform is open and freely distributed.
Perhaps you want a large-screen Samsung Galaxy smartphone with a bundled stylus pen? Or a Google Pixel phone with an amazing camera? An inexpensive Motorola model? All these brands make Android phones, as do Alcatel, Asus, HTC, Nokia, OnePlus, Sony, ZTE and others. Amazon's Kindle devices are based on Android, too.
"The point is this: You don't need to spend a lot of money for a great Android phone,” Ackerman says.
Low cost, highly rated. The 6.4-inch OnePlus Nord N20 5G, starting at $299.99, the 6.8-inch Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G, starting at $399.99
Premium, foldable. The 7.6-inch Galaxy Z Fold3 5G, starting at $1,899.99
Also, unlike iPhone and iPad, many Android devices let you expand the storage by popping in a microSD memory card.
Android phones are generally more innovative than iPhone, including Samsung Galaxy models with foldable screens, as Ackerman alluded to. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G, starting at $1,049.99, folds up like an old-school flip phone, but it’s one sheet of bendable glass. Plus, many Android phones only have a tiny dot on the screen for a camera instead of the wider and often ridiculed “notch” at the top of iPhone screens.
Other features, updates
iPhone. Apple phones also work with iTunes software on a PC, which you might be using to manage media on your computer. And Apple Mac users can sync their phones and computers with a USB cable or even over Wi-Fi. Plus, iPhone synchronizes with iCloud, where you get 5 gigabytes of storage for free. It is used to back up your important files and wirelessly sync content among multiple devices.
Apple's AirPlay lets you wirelessly stream between supported devices, such as your iPhone sending photos and videos to your Apple TV box connected to your TV. And with AirDrop, you can share photos, videos, documents and more instantly with other nearby Apple devices.
If you're already familiar with an iPad or Mac computer, Ackerman says the learning curve will be low for those who go with iPhone.
When Apple releases an iOS update, you'll be notified on your phone, regardless of what carrier you use. So almost every iPhone user is on the same, newest version of the operating system, which means a more consistent experience for everyone.
Android. Smartphone owners need to be aware that, unlike Apple, which controls its operating system update, Android devices are more fragmented in the version of operating system they are running, Ackerman says. Often your carrier dictates the updates.
Getting support and service
Both. “To me, your choice in phones boils down to either iPhone or Samsung because of the easy availability of service and support you can find in most major cities for both of these brands,” Bader says. “If you need the help, you can simply visit an Apple or Samsung store for someone to look at your phone.”
While Google is making inroads with its own Pixel-branded Android phones, Bader says these devices have proven to have “spotty quality control” for the most part, “and you can’t just walk into a Google store to have something looked at like you can with Samsung or Apple. ... As a result, you may have to mail in your device or bring it to a third-party aftermarket repair center.
“In my opinion, Samsung has the best software maintenance and security record,” Bader says. “Plus, Samsung has done a great job in making their phones simpler to use over the years, including a handy Easy Mode that makes it easier to use the device.”
Why I’m buying the iPhone 13 Pro Max, and maybe you should, too
Why I’m buying the iPhone 13 Pro Max, and maybe you should, too
If you have a recent iPhone or don't need all the bells and whistles of the iPhone 13, you might want to hold off. Here's why.
Along with pumpkin spice everything and the return of football, it’s practically a September tradition that Apple introduces new iPhones. And so it is again in 2021, with a whole slew of new phones: the iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max.
I have a 256GB iPhone 12 Pro Max, and I’m getting ready to toss it aside (well, or trade it in at least) for the new iPhone 13 Pro Max for one very good reason: new cameras.
SEE: How to migrate to a new iPad, iPhone or Mac (TechRepublic Premium)
In my day job as a car journalist, I’m constantly using my iPhone camera for photos and videos. I don’t even carry my big DSLR camera anymore—my iPhone has replaced all my other cameras. And because the new iPhone 13 Pro has a whole bunch of new camera tricks, it’s a must-have for me.
The Pro supports Telephoto Night Mode, Night Mode Portraits, and, most interestingly, Macro Photography on the ultra-wide Pro camera. It can focus at 2cm, and macro photos and videos are supported (including slow motion and time-lapse).
Basically, because I want the absolute best photos and videos (and I’m willing to pay for it), I’ll be going for the new iPhone 13 Pro Max just like I have for the new iPhone every year going back to the OG iPhone in 2007.
SEE: iPhone 13’s best features for business pros (TechRepublic)
But should you get the new iPhone? That’s a very personal choice, and a hard one to make. Here are my thoughts and my recommendation to you for a couple of different scenarios.
If you are the type of person who buys the Pro level iPhone but isn’t obsessed with having the latest and greatest:
If you have the iPhone 12 Pro, keep it for another year.
If you have an iPhone 11 Pro or older, it’s probably worth the upgrade.
If you have a regular iPhone and don’t need all the fancy Pro features:
If you have an iPhone 11 or 12, just keep it for another year.
If you have a phone older than the iPhone 11, it’s probably worth an upgrade.
If you must have the latest and greatest no matter what (like me):
You already know what you’re going to do, and iPhone preorders start this Friday.
The biggest updates over the last two iPhone cycles have been 5G, camera updates, and, this year, a new 120Hz screen on the Pro phones. 5G is cool, but it’s not a game-changer (yet), and we’ll have to wait and see on the new screen until the reviews are out.
SEE: Apple shifts focus to fitness and away from health monitoring for Apple Watch Series 7 (TechRepublic)
The camera updates are significant if you take pictures a lot and really want the best quality possible. But iPhones have had deeply impressive photographic abilities for years. I know people with five-year-old iPhones that are still taking photos that they’re thrilled with, even though they don’t have night mode or telephoto lenses or any of the newfangled software-powered photo modes.
Phones and cameras have both gotten a lot better in the past few years, and a number of carriers are offering fantastic deals when upgrading this cycle.
If your phone is more than three years old, it’s worth the upgrade. And if you want the best camera possible, it’s also worth the upgrade. Other than that, this might be a year to sit out the iPhone upgrade cycle and buy a new iPad instead.
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