I’m usually not an early adopter of new technology and gadgets. But this time is different. This time, I am trading in my old iPhone 5 and taking advantage of my Apple iPhone upgrade eligibility to purchase a new iPhone 7.
Last week, after months of rumors, Apple finally unveiled the new iPhone 7 to the public and started taking preorders. So, I went to my local Verizon store and preordered one. There are many reasons why I took the plunge despite not being an early adopter type of person. See my rationale below.
This week, customers can start receiving their pre-ordered phones. And you can also start purchasing new iPhone 7 smartphones this week if they are available. Lock in your old iPhone’s trade-in price at Gazelle now before you receive your new iPhone 7!
New iPhone 7 Features
Next year’s iPhone 8 will most likely have many new features. It will be the tenth anniversary of the iPhone. Check out more on that at the end of this article! But, I’m taking advantage of my Apple iPhone upgrade eligibility to purchase a new iPhone 7.
Here are just a few new features of the new iPhone 7…
- Upgraded memory
- Faster graphics and processing chips
- Two new colors: ‘Jet Black’ and ‘Black’
- No headphone jack
- Upgraded front and rear cameras
- Upgraded camera flash
- Additional speaker for stereo sound
- Water-resistant
- Pressure touch screen with no physical home button
- Extended battery life
The Apple iPhone 7 price starts at $649 for the 32GB model. The iPhone 7 with a new option of 256GB of storage (which is what I chose) will cost you $849. Click here to get discounts for accessories on iPhone 6 & 7
from Groupon.
Reasons to Upgrade To an iPhone 7
So, why did I take the plunge and ordered a new phone, taking advantage of my Apple iPhone upgrade eligibility instead of waiting until next year? There were several reasons.
Current iPhone Has Glitches
One of the main reasons I’m upgrading my Apple iPhone now instead of waiting until next year is that the phone has started acting up. I have a lot of photos and smartphone apps on the phone that are slowing it down.
I currently have an Apple iPhone 5S, and it’s slow. I have noticed a decline in performance over the past few months as I ask the phone to do more and more.
The new iPhone 7 features a four-core, 64-bit A10 Fusion processor and Apple’s iOS 10 operating software. The iPhone 6 had an A9 processor. Apple says the iPhone 7 is 40% faster than the iPhone 6S and twice as fast as the standard iPhone 6. So, I am looking forward to blazing speed over my old iPhone 5S.
Out of Hard Drive Space
Another reason that I chose to upgrade from an iPhone 5S to an iPhone 7 is because I’m running out of storage space. The last time I upgraded, I moved from the base model for more storage. And I am still running out of space for my photos, music, apps, and podcasts. I purchased an iPhone 7 with the new 256GB storage option.
Reasons Not To Upgrade To an iPhone 7
So, should you choose to upgrade to an iPhone 7? Maybe…maybe not. Many reviewers and critics say the iPhone 6S is just fine for now. This may be especially true if you upgrade to Apple’s new iOS 10.
If you run out of storage space on your phone, you may also benefit from using the cloud to save your photos and videos. Apple offers customers up to 5 GB of free iCloud storage space. But you can run out of space there fast.
Apple offers customers an option to upgrade their iCloud and increase their storage to 50GB, 200GB, 1TB, or 2TB. However, additional monthly fees are associated with using additional iCloud services.
Finally, the rumors say that the Apple iPhone 8 may be a revolutionary change for the iPhone next year. It will mark the tenth anniversary of the iPhone, and critics expect drastic changes to the current model.
Will we see edge-to-edge screens? Will the phone be completely waterproof for your underwater selfies? Maybe. These revolutionary changes to the iPhone may be why you wait to upgrade your iPhone until next year.
Apple iPhone upgrade eligibility
Almost all of the cell phone carriers in the United States have stopped subsidizing the purchase of a new smartphone. Instead, customers typically purchase the phone outright at full price or roll the cost of the new phone into their monthly payments.
At Verizon, I was given the option to purchase the phone right then and there for the full price. Or, prorate the cost of the phone over 24 months.
In the past, you only had Apple iPhone upgrade eligibility every two years and had to wait to upgrade. Now, you can upgrade anytime that you want because you are ultimately paying for the entire cost of the phone either through monthly payments in your bill or completely upfront at the time of upgrade.
Of course, you can also sell your old phone back to the store to offset the cost of your new phone. For me, this ultimately cut my purchase price almost in half because of the type of phone I was upgrading.
Ultimately, upgrading may not be for everyone based on your Apple iPhone upgrade eligibility with your cell phone carrier. You should compare all cell phone carriers and how upgrading will affect your monthly bill.
Have you looked into upgrading your iPhone? Have you considered your Apple iPhone upgrade eligibility with the new iPhone 7?
Ha! I’ll share this with my kids as they both want to upgrade.
I have an iPhone 6 and will keep it until it dies. I will wait at least until the 8.
We ran into a Verizon rep at a fair this weekend and she said 1) they would pay a minimum of $350 for an iPhone 6 and 2) my son actually qualified for a discount on his/our service because of his employer.
Just wondering what they purchased your phone for — if you’re willing to share.
That’s pretty close to what they said that they would purchase my phone for as well….somewhere in the $250 – $350 range. But, my phone is a 5S. I’ll be sure to update everyone on exactly how much I get when I pick up the new phone this Friday.
Thanks!
We haven’t yet gotten the deal yet but hope to later this week…