It's time to buy an iPhone 13, as with the launch of the iPhone 16 series, Apple has sent its 2021 iPhone into technological oblivion. But I'm here to tell you to buy one while you still can.
That's because the iPhone 13 was, until Apple officially pulled the plug on it, our pick for the best budget iPhone. And for good reason.
Despite being three generations old, the iPhone 13 is still a very capable smartphone and a good entry point into the walled garden of iOS and Apple’s ecosystem. It combines a fairly sleek design with the best display for the size of phones (6.1 inches), has a very capable pair of cameras, and a chipset that I doubt you can get a sweat out of even today unless you’re running the most demanding apps or near-console-quality games on it.
That’s why I was previously motivated to write about why it’s a phone that anyone looking to upgrade from Android to iPhone should consider, as it’s a capable but not overly expensive first phone from Apple. And for people with older iPhones, such as an iPhone X or iPhone 11, it’s a perfectly fine phone to buy if they want to avoid the high prices that newer iPhones come with – such is the benefit of Apple lowering the prices of its older iPhones every time a new generation comes out.
Of course, the iPhone 13 has some downsides, like its 60Hz display, which felt dated in 2021 for a phone of its class (and looks even more dated on the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus), and a Lightning port that no longer works. But otherwise I think it's a fantastic phone, with the resilience to last another generation or two if you're not worried about Apple's smarts, and I would caution you not to be too quick to jump on this Cupertino-tinged AI bandwagon, as I'm not entirely convinced that the AI tools on even the best AI phones are up to par with what I'd like.
So I still think the iPhone 13 is worth it, even if you might just want a spare Apple phone.
Let the hunt begin
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Of course, you’ll need to act fast before the iPhone 13 disappears completely. I’d suggest checking out stores like Best Buy and Currys in the US and UK respectively. Similarly, you can look for a refurbished iPhone 13 – sites like Amazon typically offer pretty solid refurbishments. And check out our iPhone deals page to see if any iPhone 13 models are listed there.
I’d also suggest keeping an eye out for iPhone 13 units receiving decent discounts as we head into Amazon Big Deals Days in October and enter what I now call Black Friday season — basically about six weeks of deals. It’s during these sales events that I suspect retailers will be looking to clear out old Apple stock, and the iPhone 13 will surely make an appearance.
If you end up missing the iPhone 13 train, then I suspect your next best hope for an affordable yet capable iPhone will come in the form of a next-generation SE model. We’ve been referring to that as the iPhone SE 4, and while rumors are vague as to its potential existence, if it does eventually appear — likely next year — we could see a phone that’s not too dissimilar to the iPhone 13, and could even channel the iPhone 14 in terms of design. Stay tuned.
