{"id":5848,"date":"2023-09-19T16:34:56","date_gmt":"2023-09-19T16:34:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advisorator.com\/members\/?p=5848"},"modified":"2023-09-19T16:34:57","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T16:34:57","slug":"9-19-2023-the-iphone-upgrade-mess-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advisorator.com\/members\/2023\/09\/19\/9-19-2023-the-iphone-upgrade-mess-2\/","title":{"rendered":"9\/19\/2023: The iPhone upgrade mess"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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iPhone carrier deals are a mess<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Plus: Apple news roundup, a space-saving phone trick, and an awesome charger deal<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Jared Newman<\/div>
|<\/div>
September 19, 2023<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
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Hey folks! Quick heads up that I’ll be observing Yom Kippur this coming Monday, so next week’s newsletter will be pushed back a day to Wednesday morning.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the past few years, upgrading to a new iPhone (or comparable Android flagship) was pretty straightforward with the big U.S. carriers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It worked like this: Trade in any iPhone from the past four years or so, and in exchange for a multi-year commitment, you’d get the latest iPhone for free (or equivalent credit on higher-end models). New and existing customers usually got comparable deals, and in most cases you didn’t even have to change plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the new iPhone 15, everything’s more complicated. Deals vary widely based on carrier, data plan, the model of your current phone, and your status as a new or existing customer. And of course, none of the carriers make all the details easy to find.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, I’ve done the legwork and put together what I call the iPhone 15 upgrade matrix<\/strong>. This one chart lets you look up what you can get based on carrier, plan, and phone. I’ve also got up-to-date info on the unlimited plans themselves, so you can make a more informed decision before locking yourself in to a multi-year agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Unlock the full column<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Advisorator’s paid subscribers get exclusive feature columns every week, including this one on how to get the best iPhone deals<\/strong>. You can read it right now<\/a> by signing up for a one-week free trial:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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Apple news roundup<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Along with the iPhone 15 range, Apple announced the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and a minor AirPods Pro upgrade last Tuesday. Instead of doing an exhaustive rundown, I thought it’d be more fun to keep it brief and link out to all the interesting coverage that’s come out after the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

iPhone 15 and 15 Plus:<\/strong> The new phones inherit some features from last year’s iPhone 14 Pro, including a 48-megapixel rear camera, a faster processor, and a smaller front camera notch with “Dynamic Island” interactive widgets. And yes, the Lightning port is gone in favor of USB-C. MacRumors has a great summary<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max:<\/strong> Titanium makes them lighter than previous Pros, and the design is slightly more rounded. A customizable action button replaces the usual mute switch, USB-C data transfers are faster than the regular iPhone 15, and cameras are better all-around (though only the Max model has 5x optical zoom). The base price is now $100 higher<\/a>, at $1,199, albeit with more storage. Here’s MacRumors again<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apple Watches:<\/strong> The Series 9<\/a> ($399) and Ultra 2<\/a> ($799) both have faster processors, plus a U2 chip for locating the watch with your iPhone or handing off music to a nearby HomePod. Big box stores tend to slash Apple Watch prices before long, so I advise against paying full price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

iOS 17:<\/strong> It’s out, and full of new features. I’ll pick out some some favorites in a future newsletter, but MacRumors has a nice run-through<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More Apple tidbits:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n