Updated September 2026: in 2022 I argued that buying last year's Apple model was the smarter choice, because yearly upgrades had become small and older models cost less. I have rewritten it with what has changed since, including features that now depend on newer chips.
My 2022 reasoning was simple. Hardware changes from one year to the next had become modest, and a year-old model offers nearly the same experience at a lower price, with a year of reviews to reveal any problems. That holds for most people. One thing has changed the calculation since: some headline software features now require recent chips.
Why is last year's model usually good value?
Apple typically keeps selling the previous iPhone generation at a reduced price when a new one launches, and retailers discount older stock further during festive sales in India. You also get a year of real-world reports on battery life, heating or bugs before you buy. Year-on-year performance gains are rarely noticeable in everyday use.
When is the latest model worth the extra money?
- When a feature you want needs the newest chip or more memory. Apple Intelligence, for example, only runs on relatively recent iPhones and on Macs and iPads with Apple silicon.
- When you keep devices for a long time. A newer model will usually receive software updates for longer.
- When the camera is the reason you upgrade, since that is often where the yearly changes are largest.
How long will an older model be supported?
Apple usually supports iPhones with major iOS updates for several years, and security updates beyond that, but it does not publish a guaranteed timeline. Buying a model that is one year old rather than three keeps most of that runway. Check which iOS version the model you are considering already runs.
What should you check before buying an older model?
- That it is new stock from an authorised seller, with a full manufacturer warranty.
- Storage size: older base models often have less, and it cannot be upgraded later.
- Whether features you care about, such as the latest AI tools, are supported on it.
- The real price difference after bank offers and exchange discounts on both models.
So which should you buy?
If value matters most and you do not need the newest features, last year's model remains the sensible choice, as I argued in 2022. If you want the newest software features or plan to keep the device for five or more years, the extra spent on the current model is easier to justify now than it was then.