The iPhone XS and XS Max just launched and people are still high from the novelty. But, there are people who rejoiced at the launch for another reason. They were expecting last year’s iPhone X to get a massive discount. Unfortunately, Apple didn’t go the same route as before by pulling last year’s flagship from its stores at the same time with the launch of the new phones.
When Apple introduced the S-Year upgrades in the smartphone cycle, all the other manufacturers pretty much followed suit. Mainly, it’s an attempt to revive sales of flagships slowly losing steam a year after release. The iPhone 6s, for example, was released exactly a year after the iPhone 6. It looked and felt like exactly the same phone except for a couple of minor improvements. There were some spec bumps, to be sure, but for a modern flagship, the iPhone 6 had plenty of power; even today, the older phone still has enough processing power for simple every smartphone tasks. Beyond the spec bump, the 6s also had a significant hardware improvement with the 3D Touch but that didn't have a lot of real-world use anyway. Both of these, however, are features that smartphone users don’t really have much need for.
For some people, these S-Year “upgrades” don’t bring enough innovation to merit a buy. This makes S-Years are the perfect time to buy a used flagship that’s both still relatively current and still absolutely sufficient and could even be a bit of an overkill in today’s mobile computing standards.
This year is definitely an S-Year for the iPhone with the XS being pretty much exactly like an iPhone X with a small spec bump. There aren’t even new XS-exclusive features. The interest in the iPhone X, therefore, has spiked as GSM Arena points out. Realizing that the similarities between the iPhone X and XS would make it harder for them to sell the newer model, Apple decided to stop selling the older model. Apple’s decision to pull the older flagship from its stores so as not to cannibalize the XS sales leaving those hoping to get a discounted iPhone X in the dust.
There are still ways to get the iPhone X in 2018 though. If you’re looking for one, here are a couple of ways you can get yesterday’s flagship Apple handset, the iPhone X:
Pre-loved
iPhones are more than just consumer electronics these days; they’ve become luxury products like leather designer bags. Proud owners, therefore, go to great lengths to take care of their products. Most users, either have a case or a screen protector or both of them at the same time for their precious handsets. It is, therefore, a little bit more sensible to buy these phones second hand.
From a friend
This makes buying the phone off from someone you know might be worth taking a look at. This way, you know exactly how they treat their devices. It’s also easier to ask them important questions such as possible issues with the phone.
However, make sure to know everything that you need to know about the phone before buying. Any sort of miscommunication in this type of deal can cause serious damage to your friendship.
Carousell, eBay.
Or, you can also look online for a used iPhone X.
Buying big-ticket items such as the iPhone X involves quite a lot of risk. It is important to do some research on the background of the seller. eBay, for example, gives seller feedback that you can use to gauge how trustworthy the vendor is.
But you're going to have to look at a couple of things first before pulling the trigger on these phones. For example, it's important to know if it's locked to a certain carrier. The condition is also something that you might want to take a look at. With all of these said and done, you may just be able to get the iPhone X of your dreams at a huge discount.
Brand New
There is also the option of buying your iPhone X brand new, of course. But you probably won’t be getting much of a discount when you buy it brand new especially since Apple itself wouldn’t even sell it anymore.
Retailers
Official resellers often buy iPhones in bulk at a discount directly from Apple. This means that they can have leftover iPhone X stocks still in storage. You won’t get much of a discount from these sellers, however, because they have to make a profit from their sales.
Carriers
Much like retailers, carriers often have leftover stocks of the iPhone X. They can even offer it at a small discount through bundling it with your data plan. These phones are also often locked to work only with the network so if you’re not in the market for a new mobile plan, this may be something that you want to steer clear from.
Refurbished
Quality control is never a 100% accurate aspect of distribution. A few imperfections are certainly going to leak out into the world. These will be immediately returned right back to Apple. These units will then undergo a process of repairs and more quality control before being re-released into the market. These phones are called refurbished or refurbs as they’re known in the market.
Technically, they’re defective units. However, they’ve undergone the same rigors of Apple’s quality control like most of the brand new iPhones. It also helps that these units are also heavily discounted from websites such as Amazon, eBay, and other resellers.
In essence, refurbs exist in between brand new and used. They’re most probably already slightly used, but it was given back to Apple almost immediately because of whatever defect the original users found. So, regular signs of wear such as hairline scratches, scuffs, and battery wear are essentially non-existent on these units.
Verdict
The iPhone XS is, by all means, an excellent smartphone that is probably worth the money to some people; but for others who can’t seem to reconcile their use with its price, going the used iPhone X route may be the best way to get their hands on a modern Apple handset. It should cost them way less than the original retail price of the iPhone XS yet still have exactly the same luxurious feel in the hand the same premium flagship performance.
When Apple introduced the S-Year upgrades in the smartphone cycle, all the other manufacturers pretty much followed suit. Mainly, it’s an attempt to revive sales of flagships slowly losing steam a year after release. The iPhone 6s, for example, was released exactly a year after the iPhone 6. It looked and felt like exactly the same phone except for a couple of minor improvements. There were some spec bumps, to be sure, but for a modern flagship, the iPhone 6 had plenty of power; even today, the older phone still has enough processing power for simple every smartphone tasks. Beyond the spec bump, the 6s also had a significant hardware improvement with the 3D Touch but that didn't have a lot of real-world use anyway. Both of these, however, are features that smartphone users don’t really have much need for.
For some people, these S-Year “upgrades” don’t bring enough innovation to merit a buy. This makes S-Years are the perfect time to buy a used flagship that’s both still relatively current and still absolutely sufficient and could even be a bit of an overkill in today’s mobile computing standards.
This year is definitely an S-Year for the iPhone with the XS being pretty much exactly like an iPhone X with a small spec bump. There aren’t even new XS-exclusive features. The interest in the iPhone X, therefore, has spiked as GSM Arena points out. Realizing that the similarities between the iPhone X and XS would make it harder for them to sell the newer model, Apple decided to stop selling the older model. Apple’s decision to pull the older flagship from its stores so as not to cannibalize the XS sales leaving those hoping to get a discounted iPhone X in the dust.
There are still ways to get the iPhone X in 2018 though. If you’re looking for one, here are a couple of ways you can get yesterday’s flagship Apple handset, the iPhone X:
Pre-loved
iPhones are more than just consumer electronics these days; they’ve become luxury products like leather designer bags. Proud owners, therefore, go to great lengths to take care of their products. Most users, either have a case or a screen protector or both of them at the same time for their precious handsets. It is, therefore, a little bit more sensible to buy these phones second hand.
From a friend
This makes buying the phone off from someone you know might be worth taking a look at. This way, you know exactly how they treat their devices. It’s also easier to ask them important questions such as possible issues with the phone.
However, make sure to know everything that you need to know about the phone before buying. Any sort of miscommunication in this type of deal can cause serious damage to your friendship.
Carousell, eBay.
Or, you can also look online for a used iPhone X.
Buying big-ticket items such as the iPhone X involves quite a lot of risk. It is important to do some research on the background of the seller. eBay, for example, gives seller feedback that you can use to gauge how trustworthy the vendor is.
But you're going to have to look at a couple of things first before pulling the trigger on these phones. For example, it's important to know if it's locked to a certain carrier. The condition is also something that you might want to take a look at. With all of these said and done, you may just be able to get the iPhone X of your dreams at a huge discount.
Brand New
There is also the option of buying your iPhone X brand new, of course. But you probably won’t be getting much of a discount when you buy it brand new especially since Apple itself wouldn’t even sell it anymore.
Retailers
Official resellers often buy iPhones in bulk at a discount directly from Apple. This means that they can have leftover iPhone X stocks still in storage. You won’t get much of a discount from these sellers, however, because they have to make a profit from their sales.
Carriers
Much like retailers, carriers often have leftover stocks of the iPhone X. They can even offer it at a small discount through bundling it with your data plan. These phones are also often locked to work only with the network so if you’re not in the market for a new mobile plan, this may be something that you want to steer clear from.
Refurbished
Quality control is never a 100% accurate aspect of distribution. A few imperfections are certainly going to leak out into the world. These will be immediately returned right back to Apple. These units will then undergo a process of repairs and more quality control before being re-released into the market. These phones are called refurbished or refurbs as they’re known in the market.
Technically, they’re defective units. However, they’ve undergone the same rigors of Apple’s quality control like most of the brand new iPhones. It also helps that these units are also heavily discounted from websites such as Amazon, eBay, and other resellers.
In essence, refurbs exist in between brand new and used. They’re most probably already slightly used, but it was given back to Apple almost immediately because of whatever defect the original users found. So, regular signs of wear such as hairline scratches, scuffs, and battery wear are essentially non-existent on these units.
Verdict
The iPhone XS is, by all means, an excellent smartphone that is probably worth the money to some people; but for others who can’t seem to reconcile their use with its price, going the used iPhone X route may be the best way to get their hands on a modern Apple handset. It should cost them way less than the original retail price of the iPhone XS yet still have exactly the same luxurious feel in the hand the same premium flagship performance.