Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
Deal: I'd rather save money on an iPhone 13 than get an iPhone 16
I am all about saving money, and based on the current economy, I’m sure I am not alone. All these fancy new phones are fantastic, including the brand-new Apple iPhone 16 series, but do you really need the latest and greatest?
The iPhone 13 is still a great device that will keep most users happy, and you can save a bunch of cash by getting this older-generation handset. Right now, Best Buy is offering the iPhone 13 new and unlocked for just $550.
This deal is available from Best Buy. While the discount applies to all color versions of the Apple iPhone 13, not all of them are available anymore. More specifically, the Midnight color model is out of stock. Again, Best Buy sells the iPhone 13 new and unlocked, which means it will be covered under warranty and you can even buy Apple Care protection for it.
So, what is it that makes the iPhone 13 a good purchase in 2024, despite it being a 2021 device? At $550, the iPhone 13 is priced very similarly to our favorite budget phones. The list even includes the more affordable iPhone SE, which is $429. This means you can upgrade to the iPhone 13 for just $121. What do you get for this extra cash?
The iPhone 13 was launched as a high-end device, so it comes with performance that is still awesome in 2024. The Apple A15 Bionic processor, and 4GB of RAM are still pretty snappy. In fact, I still use an Apple iPhone 12 Mini as a secondary smartphone and have yet to encounter any issues. It runs games and all apps without an issue, so the iPhone 13 will do even better.
The rest of the phone is pretty awesome, too. It has that newer, boxier design many of you love, with an IP68 certification for dust and water resistance. There’s also a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a crisp 2,532 x 1,170 resolution and up to 1,200 nits of brightness.
While the camera system is no longer among the best, it is still pretty outstanding, as this series did have among the best cameras at launch. And compared to the iPhone SE, you get a much larger 3,240mAh battery, 15W MagSafe charging support, and UWB compatibility. And if you were wondering, the iPhone 13 will still get the iOS 18 update.
Apple no longer offers the iPhone 13, so we can only assume retailers are selling off the remaining stock. This means stock may start to run out soon, especially the most desirable color models. The cheapest iPhone 16 costs $799, and you might not even need all the extra bells and whistles it offers. Casual users might be better off saving $249 by going with an older iPhone 13, instead of the brand-new iPhone 16.