With new iPhones, inevitably comes a spate of new kidney sale jokes. However, it is also true that with new iPhone offerings, comes a series of discounts and deals on older ones. As Apple rings in the new, it also brings in generally lower price tags for older devices, and even consigns some to the tech grave. So while most of the talk in the geek quarter of tech town might be about the latest iPhones, those living in more mainstream areas are on the lookout for great deals on older iPhones. Small wonder that when Apple announces new iPhones, there are two kinds of queries retailers have to handle — those about the arrival of the new iPhones, and those about the discounts that will be available on older ones.
It is no different this time around as well, within hours of Apple’s ‘Far Out’ event that unveiled the new iPhone 14 range, there was a frenzy of activity around older devices, with a number of consumers wondering if there are discounts and deals coming up on older and discontinued devices. The good news is: of course, there are!
Some older iPhones get price cuts, some retire… and one gets a price hike
As it often happens, Apple has reduced the official prices of its existing iPhones following the launch of newer models. So the iPhone 13, which had been launched at a starting price of Rs 79,900, is now available for Rs 69,900. The iPhone 13 mini, interestingly, has not received as steep a price cut — the phone was the most affordable of the iPhone 13 series at its starting price of Rs 69,900, and is now available for Rs 64,900. The iPhone 12, which was officially starting at Rs 65,900 before the event, is now down to Rs 59,900.
One iPhone which hasn’t got a discount is the iPhone SE (2022), which has actually been bumped up to Rs 49,900. Retired from the official lineup of iPhones are the iPhone 13 Pro Max, the iPhone 13 Pro, the iPhone 12 mini, and the iPhone 11, all of which had been available on the site a few days prior to the ‘Far Out’ event.
Deals in the market are likely to be better — iPhone 12 and 13 to play starring roles
The point to note is that these are the official prices, as set by Apple and available officially on its site and in exclusive stores. Older iPhones are actually likely to be available at even lower prices from multi-brand outlets and online retailers like Amazon and Flipkart, especially in special sale events to mark the Indian festive season. In fact, at the time of writing, Amazon was already offering the iPhone 12 at Rs 52,900, well below its official tag of Rs 59,900.
One of our sources in the retail business informed us on condition of anonymity that the price of the iPhone 12 was likely to dip below Rs 50,000 in the festive season, while that of the iPhone 13 could go below Rs 60,000, and might even get close to Rs 55,000.
There will, of course, be "special offers" on specific bank cards and special exchange deals too. "With the right combination, you might be able to get an iPhone 13 for under Rs 50,000," our source told us.
That would be a staggering deal as interest in the iPhone 13 is particularly high now, given the fact that the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus actually come with similar processors to the ones seen on their predecessors, the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini. Yes, they might have an extra graphics core (as seen on the iPhone 13 Pro range), but unlike in the past, the regular iPhones this time come with chips that are a generation older than the ones on their Pro siblings.
So, at around Rs 50,000, you might be getting an iPhone that is almost as powerful as the latest ones, and which starts at almost Rs 30,000 less. The fact that the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 are almost indistinguishable in terms of design only makes the iPhone 13 a more attractive proposition in the deal arena.
Interestingly, as per our source, the price of the iPhone 13 mini is not likely to vary too far from its official avatar. In fact, we were assured that it was very likely that in the coming festive season, the iPhone 13 would actually be more affordable than the iPhone 13 mini, which would sell at a slightly higher price tag, charging a premium for its unique form factor.
Look out for deals on retired iPhones
The best deals, however, are likely to come on devices that Apple has removed from its site — the iPhone 11, the iPhone 13 Pro, and the iPhone 13 Pro Max. As per our source, while these phones are likely to be available for a relatively smaller period of time as their production would have been either curtailed or discontinued, they would come with very attractive tags, especially in the festive season.
"A lot of retailers will simply try to clear their inventory of discontinued products on these occasions. And that could lead to some very interesting pricing," our source told us.
How interesting? Well, from what we have been told, the iPhone 13 Pro would be available for under Rs 1,00,000 and the iPhone 13 Pro Max would be available for just a little more than that.
Given the fact that the iPhone 13 Pro was launched at Rs 1,19,900 and the iPhone 13 Pro Max at Rs 1,29,900, and that both remain formidable devices, those are very attractive deals.
A point to note, however, is that those prices are more likely to be available at offline stores than online ones. The iPhone 11, on the other hand, could be available at close to Rs 40,000. Once again, the smaller discontinued iPhone, the iPhone 12 mini, is unlikely to be part of any special deals as its form factor is seen as being worthy of a premium, and anyway, as per our source, its supply is very limited.
Some might wonder whether it makes sense to purchase a discontinued product. Well, as long as you get it from an authorised seller, you are safe in terms of warranty and after-sales support.
All of this makes the coming days very exciting for anyone interested in an iPhone, whether a new or an old one. Keep an eye on those deals and you might end up landing something pretty amazing.