Lyfia , good point about 5G. I do keep my phone for a long time because it’s not something i like to deal with. Hence this post! When it won’t do what I want it to do, I move on but that’ could be quite awhile.

Ive has both good and bad experiences in the Verizon store. It depends more on the person helping you than anything else, in my experience.

Dees, I kind of choke at spending that much money on a phone. That’s just me.

When I upgraded to the 11, it took me a good while to get used to the size. It was a pain in the beginning because my hands are small, but having the larger screen really makes a difference. You don’t realize how small the screen on the older phone is until you upgrade. The 11 was issued just before 5G launched so it does not have 5G. I don’t know a lot about 5G but if it’s something you have on your radar, it might be better to go with the 12.

I prefer to buy my phone instead of tying it to my phone carrier. I’ve had a really good experience at the Costco Kiosk and the Apple store, but not so great at Verizon and Best Buy. I think with Verizon, it was more about the store itself then the company as a whole. What I really liked about buying from Apple though was that ALL my questions got answered, no guessing, they knew everything about the products and then some. My Verizon store went hard sales on me to buy accessories which was a real turn off. I didn’t experience that at Costco’s Kiosk or Apple. In the future, I’ll probably just buy direct from Apple again. The only draw back about going to the store was that there are always a lot of people.

I understand dedtired.....I'm in the same camp. It took a lot for me to buy the 6s back in 2015! So much money!

Although I love Apple products, it is really crazy the price of a phone!

I really hope they do not quit making the smaller phones. I've tried the larger ones, and it's just not me. My husband also prefers the smaller size.

Elmer, I had AT&T, then switched to Verizon 2 years ago. I can't wait until my contract expires with Verizon next month. Where I live, with Lake Huron on one side and the state and national forests on the other Verizon keeps dropping calls. At my house it's fine, but when out driving you are lucky to have one bar! When I had AT&T I had no problems. So back I go. It just depends on where you drive.

@marylmi Who is your carrier? Kathy G

Not too long ago, I gave up my iPhone 6 and replaced it with an iPhone SE 2nd generation -- it's the exact same size as an iPhone 8, but it has a newer camera and chip. It was released between the 11 and 12, and was right for me since I didn't care about the latest camera or a larger screen......so it was less than either, but still a significant upgrade from my 6

We had bought the 2nd Generation SE for my husband and he loved it.

Yes, the Iphones are expensive, crazy expensive, I used to swap mine out every year for the newest release because 1/2 the cost was reduced by my trade in. I enjoyed upgrading because the upgrades really made a difference in performance, But now, not so much. A tweek to the camera or a faster chip that the average user isn’t going to notice doesn’t justify the cost to upgrade. The claim about the 11’s battery life per charge was what drew me most to the 11 and it’s lived up to Apple’s claims about it. I used to have to charge my phone daily but now I can easily go days without having to worry about it.

I don’t know if this rings true with the Iphones today but it used to be that the IOS program took up a large portion of the memory available on the entry level offered. Before deciding on how much memory you need, you might want to inquire as to how much memory is recommended for the way you’ll be using your phone. Be sure you allow for future IOS releases as well, because every time a new release for IOS comes out, it will require more memory than the previous version.

kathy g, coverage and signal quality do vary from place to place so I'm not surprised to hear it doesn't work well where you are. In my area and the mostly urban places I've travelled to over the years in the US, Verizon is usually reliably strong. My only time spent in rural or small town areas, as I think you're suggesting for your location, is driving through or past on freeways/interstates so that doesn't count. All the cell carriers are pretty careful to cover major highways with strong signals. Most of them, anyway.

I have the 11 Pro and love it. My daughter and sister have the 12's (not sure which one) but their photos are even nicer than mine. I'm contemplating upgrading to the 13.

i just upgraded from a 6SPlus to a 12 Max Pro. wow, what a difference! i bought directly through Apple. they had the color i wanted, Pacific Blue, wasn't too crowded, got waited on right away. was in and out in about 45 mins. i let them guide me through the set-up.

i wanted to pay up front and Verizon had no deals. i would rather deal with Apple then Verizon to be honest.

upthread someone mentioned they always get black b/c u can't see the color. i bought an Otterbox Clear case so i can always see that calming blue :)

love the wireles charging! and i agree, if u hold on to your phone for a long time, like me, get the latest phone and one with as much memory as u can afford!

So out of curiosity I was looking at the new Iphones on Apple’s website and came across this, which seems like a pretty good deal.

https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-iphone/carrier-offers

Thanks, Lukki. Unfortunately my 6 is not an eligible device for trade in since its so old.

@Lukki Irish thats what i have, the second generation. Im very happy with it!

I tend to keep phones for a long time, so I was in the same situation. My battery was wearing out and the highest level operating system supported by my phone meant that certain applications I wanted were not available. I don't care about the camera and I don't like huge phones. I got the iPhone 13 in order to maximize the time the phone is supported. It's only slightly larger than my existing phone and the screen resolution is far better than the iPhone 6. The fingerprint recognition on the 6 was erratic. The 13 has excellent face recognition, with or without glasses. The upgrade process has been automated significantly since the 6 if you are a do-it-yourselfer. Maximizing the support window is worth the extra $100 to me. If that simply isn't an option, I suggest the iPhone 12.

Moxie, did you get a mini or a larger size 13?

I still use my 6 to stream my favorite Nor Cal jazz station into my 40 year old stereo. It has power and headphone jacks whereas the later devices don’t.

I got the regular 13 rather than the mini. I prefer the size of the mini, but that isn't realistic with my vision. I carry a small purse, and the 13 fits. It's only a little bigger than my 6 -- maybe a quarter of an inch in either direction. It's also a little heavier, but my awareness of that faded quickly. The 13 Pro Max is far too large for me and it's unlikely that I'd ever use all of the cool camera features.

I'm less thrilled with the AirPod Pros. The audio, noise canceling and user interface are all excellent. The buds themselves are a bit large for my ear openings, so I'm still trying to find a position that's comfortable for long periods. If you aren't used to earbuds, I'd suggest getting something inexpensive to explore your preferences.

Kathyg_in_mi...

I have Verizon and so far, works well for me. Once in a while it may show one bar but doesn't happen often.

Thanks, Moxie. Air pods! one more thing to consider.

I am leaning to toward the regular size 12 or 13. Decisions, decisions!

For people with odd ears, like me apparently, the Air Pods Pro have three different doohickeys to make them fit in your ear. I find the cost of Air Pods truly appalling from the get-go, so believe me when I say the upgrade is worth the additional expense. Plus, they are easier to clean.

I am actively avoiding Air Pods, and continue to use wired earbuds (or earphones) with an adapter for the Lightning connection. I personally don't think using Bluetooth that close to my brain is a good idea, and I am also pretty sure I'd lose them all the time.

I am so glad this thread was started, because I have been considering getting a new iPhone. Currently have the 8Plus and really love it. It was purchased in November 2017 and my very first iPhone. I may hang on to it a little longer, just can't make up my mind. Especially after checking with my carrier, Spring which was purchased by T-Mobile, and found that I will be transferred to T-Mobile if I hook up a new phone and T-Mobile says the only cell phone number I have ever had since my first cell phone back in the dark ages is not transferrable to T-Mobile. This really makes me angry!!! I do not want a new phone number - too many family members, friends, stores, grocery stores, and on and on to get a new phone number to. Besides I am too old to have to remember a new phone number. So after learning that less than an hour ago, I am back in limbo. Will have to look for a carrier that will allow the transfer of my current phone number. I will stop ranting.

Honestly, I don't understand why it is not transferrable.

@WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a, I'd be curious to know the reasoning behind that as well.

Here's a guess - sometimes when an acquisition of a competitor in the same business as the acquirer happens, business and IT systems are NOT combined. As a customer of the acquired company, your account may now have some kind of legacy limbo status, both in and also out.

Following this guess along, it may be your hybrid in but out status ends with a new phone purchase and you'd become a "new customer" in T-Mobile's system. If so, it may be a lot of trouble to transfer over acquired co's customers existing numbers and they may have decided to not offer to do that.

In this age of so many people making calls with smartphones, no one needs to "remember" your phone number. Advise your contacts of the change, they'll change their own phone's record for you with the new number, and life will go on. You should have the phone's number in your own contact list so there's no need to remember it yourself either, you can look it up. Or write it where you can quickly refer to it. Or, you can change to another company if porting the number is allowed.

Good luck.

Oh, I meant to write about an article I read last week about considering buying a new phone. I found it very interesting. The writer said as long as the company is doing phone updates, you are good; however, once the company stops doing updates start seriously thinking about buying a new cell phone. Makes sense to me.

@dedtired - the iPhone 12 is just a year old so if money wise it makes more sense to buy then I would. The difference between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 is not big enough to warrant no support in the future. Now there are improvements on the 13 over the 12 such as the camera, a faster chip, better battery life etc., however I wouldn't worry about the support if the money difference isn't worth it. I haven't actually looked at the price of the iPhone 12 so not sure how it compares. But I wouldn't get the iphone13 due to a reason to worry about support for the iphone12. I see nothing that is different between the two to cause a new operating system to not be supported for iPhone 12 that would be for iPhone 13.

The expense isnt an issue except that my miserly brain has trouble spending a lot on a phone. I’m just weird that way. In addition to the phone, I will probably get Apple care, a new case and maybe ear buds and a screen protector. Enough is enough!

Everyone’s comments have been helpful. Thanks.

Another note on the AirPod Pros: If you have small ears, they may not be comfortable. The hard plastic part is a shade too larger for me, so changing to the small silicone cushions didn't suffice. Also, the silicone cushions can be a bear to change. One of mine was fine, but I thought I was going to destroy the cushion or the whole earbud trying to remove the cushion that came the left pod. Pulling firmly didn't. I finally used a needle to break the seal (glue?) between the silicon and the hard case. After that, they could be removed and installed as they should.

Ordering online through Apple always carries the risk of theft. For this reason, Apple products are mailed in unmarked packages and the return address makes no reference to Apple. Even those precautions and a signature upon delivery requirement (if that option is available) won’t prevent mail delivery people from opening the package and taking the contents because they recognize the address and packaging. If you report theft to Apple and get a replacement, you might get a “refurbished” item with scratches on it. Going to the Apple store to purchase eliminates the risk entirely.

Apple stores delivers to your door since Covid. I was annoyed when I had to sign for my latest purchase. That requirement was suspended earlier in the pandemic. I use the Apple App.

"my miserly brain has trouble spending a lot on a phone."

I know, I feel the same way, but I have to remind myself, it's a computer, not a phone.

I want to throw in a good word for Apple Care. The twins have ipads. Even though they are limited in their access to them and the time that they can use them, accidents happen. In the last month, DD has had to make a claim on each. DGD had several small cracks in her screen. DGS dropped something on his and totally destroyed the screen. Apple replaced one and repaired one. I think there was a $50 deductible on each.

Comment on going into the Apple store: Don’t go without an appointment. The Apple store closest to me, which is still far away, requires appointments these days.

Like Elmer, I have always been pleased with Apple Support by phone. I use the call-back feature to reach them. The wait time is usually very short and the support people I’ve talked to have been very pleasant and knowledgeable.

@WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a I thought porting of cell phone numbers was required under Wireless Local Number Portability (WLNP) regulations. Here is a link to FAQs at the FCC about the WLNP https://www.fcc.gov/general/wireless-local-number-portability-wlnp. You may want to read it to see if your situation is covered.

FWIW, I have an iPhone 11XS. It is huge which is what I wanted. Even though it is large, it still fits into the back pocket of my jeans. If I were buying today, I’d get whatever the 13 equivalent is.

I’m going for the smallest Apple 13 pro. Normally I go with older models and then spend the last years of its wonky life stubbornly refusing to go through the whole new phone process. My family gets sick of hearing me complain that it seems like a racket, phone worked fine till it was paid off lol. Anyway, by the time I figure out how to work everything I should still have several years of use. Also, if I did by chance want to change, the 13 pro might actually have some trade-in value. I will go through Apple for my purchase.

The on-line Apple Store is showing a month wait before they can ship the 13 Pro Max.

I was going to go to the store in the mall. If there’s a month wait it just gives a month longer to complain hehe.

@bbstx, thank you for that link. I will certainly go and read it when I get back from cardiologist. I had no idea there is a law. Again, thank you.

Continuation of my above: I just discovered my carrier, Verizon, will do $400 for my old iphone 7 towards the 13 pro. So, it's ordered. Much better deal than going through Apple. I do have to wait close to a month. Can't wait as the camera / functions on the 13 pro are meant to be amazing.

Bumping this back up with another question. I was all ready to,push the uy button for a 12 when they asked if I want Apple Care. One plan costs $149 and the other, which includes theft and loss, costs $250.

Do I want Apple Care??

It depends on whether you like to buy extended warranties or not. My policy is not to buy them. I might make an exception were I travelling someplace where theft was a major concern. If dropping your phone is a problem, just get a grippy case. I really dislike extended warranties.

FWIW, I placed an order for a 13 Pro Max yesterday and declined the extras.

Thats kind of what im thinking. I rarely buy extended warranties. thanks.

Ded, how rough are you with your electronics? I’m generally a ”no extended warranties” person, but I bought Apple Care for my iPad. I’m a klutz and I knew that if I mangled it, it would be covered. I also bought it for DH’s iPad because with his health issues, dropping it was a given. Fortunately, we never had to make a claim. However, see my comment above about the claims made on the twins’ devices.

ETA: When I buy my new Apple Watch, I’ll probably buy the Apple Care to go with it.

Bbstx, Ive had my old phone for years and dropped it a number of times but my Otterbox saved it. Generally im not hard on my phone. Hope i dont regret not getting Apple Care, but i think I will take my chances.

When the plans for many things first came out many years ago, initially, I purchased them. However, after never having any problems and looking back, I decided not to bother with those plans any more. They did nothing for me, and made money for the seller.

if the 12 mini has a larger screen than what you currently have, you will be happy. the form factor is small and the camera is amazing! I love mine.

I was originally going to go for the 12 (regular size), but I think they finally went too far with bulk and weight, especially if you add a case.

note that the 13 mini has a better camera and better battery life if that's important to you. but if you don't care about that, the 12 mini is fine and you can save $100 if you go for the previous year's model.

I decided I need the larger screen, so I ordered the 12. It will take a couple weeksmto arrive and yes, you do have to sign for delivery or sign a waiver. i I’m looking forward to having a better phone. Thanks, every everyone.

Has your new phone arrived?

Mine was delivered today.

I’m looking forward to getting a 13 mini. No rush as I have a perfectly good 11Pro - smallest model at the time I needed a new one. However I do want a smaller phone again and my 11 doesn’t support 5G.

My phone finally arrived on Oct. 26. In the meantime, the exact same phone became available in several Apple stores, but I could wait a few days for it. I like it and am learning the new features. Its such a luxury to have enough memory to download my apps. My son helped me transfer from my old phone to new, so I didnt have to go to the dreaded Apple store. I like the size. It took me a few days to get accustomed to the slightly heavier weight.

Oh, and UPS tossed the box on a bench by my front door, no signature. I kept an eye on it via my doorbell cam until I got home.