When the time comes to upgrade your phone, it can be both exciting and daunting: A brand new handset awaits, but which one? Dozens of new models are launched yearly to complement the older ones still on sale, which might (and often do) offer better value for money.
Even if you think you’ve found the right phone, it will probably be replaced within the next 12 months. So, do you go ahead and make a purchase or wait for the new one to show up? If you’ve not been watching the market, you’d be forgiven for finding it all a little overwhelming.
Here at Gizmodo, we keep a very close eye on the phone market and write about these devices every day, so we felt it was worth putting together some advice on how and when to upgrade your phone. This is less about Android vs. iOS or specs comparisons and more about choosing your moment.
When to buy older phones
Samsung usually refreshes its flagships in January, with Apple following in September and Google following shortly after that (though this year, Google has jumped forward to August). Of course, those aren’t the only phone makers in the business, but it gives you an idea of how each year pans out.
As soon as a new phone appears, the current model that it’s replacing goes on sale at a cheaper price. That might be the perfect time to pick one up because it was top of the range just a few days prior. As the months go by, the price will go down further, but of course, the handset is getting out of date more and more.
By the time another 12 months have rolled by, there will be another launch, and then you’ve got three handsets to choose between—all giving you different trade-offs between price and longevity. The more powerful a phone is, to begin with, the more years it will remain viable for, and it isn’t easy to make a case for buying a budget phone once it gets to 2-3 years old (by then, better budget phones will be available).
It’s not an exact science, but generally speaking, even when you buy an older phone, you want it to be as new as possible—if it started life as a high-end flagship, you can wait a little longer for the price to drop. Double-check when the phone first appeared, how many years of software updates it’s still guaranteed, and which new models you can get for the same price.
When to buy newer phones
Everyone is different in terms of their smartphone needs and budget; for some people, buying the latest and greatest handsets makes sense. Again, though, certain timings should be considered when purchasing the best phones. Right before (or after) the launch can be a good opportunity to pick up discounts or free accessories (like a smartwatch, for example).
Once a phone is six months old, you might see more discounts introduced—or perhaps a new color. Expect the discounts to ramp up as the phone gets closer to being replaced, and once you’re at this stage, it’s usually best to wait. Any available discounts will get bigger once the new model shows up.
It’s important to remember that a smartphone comprises software and hardware. Apple pushes out new versions of iOS in September after previewing them in June, while Google usually launches a new version of Android in August after a preview in May (though these new versions can take a while to roll out to Android phones from other manufacturers, including Samsung).
Buy a current model, and you’re likely to be first in line for the current year of software updates, too, so make sure you’re up to date on what’s coming. If the same software features will be available on current models and models due to launch soon, it might be enough to convince you to buy now rather than wait.
When to wait for upcoming phones
If your current phone has completely died, you might not have the choice to wait for an upcoming handset—but if you do have the option, it might be worth your while waiting for the next model of a particular phone to roll around, especially if the launch date is close or if major upgrades are rumored.
You don’t have to look far online to find rumors and leaks about upcoming phones. While their accuracy can never be guaranteed, they give us a good idea of what’s coming (especially when the same leak arrives from multiple sources). Whether you find those rumors underwhelming will give you an idea about the best time to upgrade your phone.
Even if you’re not convinced by what an upcoming iPhone, Pixel, or Galaxy phone is promising to bring with it, if the expected reveal date is close, you might be better off waiting for the unveiling anyway—because even if you decide not to get the brand new handset, the older one will cost you less.
Bear in mind, too, that whenever you buy your phone, you’re probably only 12 months (or less) away from it being replaced, and you have to take the plunge sometime—there is a danger that you wait and wait and never upgrade. There will always be something better on the way, but with some research, you can understand how much better it will be and when it will appear.
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