Advice Needed: Buying iPhone 15 Pro 256GB

boovohh on 23/01/2024 - 15:05
Last edited 23/01/2024 - 15:11

Hi fellow bargain hunters

I am travelling from NZ to australia in Feb for a concert and planning to buy iPhone 15 Pro 256 GB. I currently have the iPhone 8 64GB which I have been using for the past 5 years now and is running pretty well. My main reason for switching is mainly the storage and the camera quality. Do you think 15 pro is a good option or should I consider buying any other phone?

I plan to maybe buy apple GC at 10% off (hopefully the deal comes again) and then get apple to price match a store at around $1800 aud (since apple only price match upto 10% of the phone value) and use those giftcards. I also plan to get GST refund from TRS.

Do you think I should bother with giftcards? I have been looking at past 15 pro deals and the lowest it has gone to is $1689 (pricematch at OW). Would it be a better option to just hope for a better deal in the next 30 days and get OW to price match it (hopefully at around ($1650-1750) and then claim the GST refund bringing it down to hopefully ($1550-$1600)

Edit: Budget is not an issue. I plan to purchase a phone now and use it for 4-5 years unless something goes wrong with it. I'd lean towards an iphone though mainly because I have a mac and the cross device functionalities do help.

Open to suggestions/advice

TIA

Mobile Apple Mobile Phone

Comments

  • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 23/01/2024 - 15:08
    +1

    Go to a JB Hi-Fi/Samsung/Apple store try out some different phones and see what you like. You could have some money by purchasing an iPhone 14 (if you decide on an iPhone) from last year.

    • boovohh on 23/01/2024 - 15:12

      Budget is not an issue. I plan to purchase a phone now and use it for 4-5 years unless something goes wrong with it. So if i decide to buy a 14 or 15, i am not changing it for 4-5 years. I'd lean towards an iphone though mainly because I have a mac and the cross device functionalities do help.

      • CyberMurning on 23/01/2024 - 16:35

        thats what most of us say at first….
        will use 4-5 years so the phone is actually cheap if you divide by 5 years!
        but then next year oh no this new phone is nice ….

        • boovohh on 23/01/2024 - 16:54
          +1

          If you read my original post, you would have noticed that I currently have an iphone 8 64gb that i have been using for 5 years now.

          So most of the people must be saying but not following it, I follow it

  • Lord Fart Bucket on 23/01/2024 - 15:13
    -2

    claim the GST refund

    Have fun declaring it when you get back into Australia:
    https://www.abf.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/touris…

    You must:
    Declare any goods you bring back to Australia, for which a TRS claim was made by you or another person when the goods left Australia.
    On returning to Australia, you must declare the goods at Question 3 on your Incoming Passenger Card (IPC)
    Penalties may apply if you fail to declare these items
    If you bring goods back into Australia for which a GST refund via the TRS has been claimed, the goods must be declared, and if the value of those goods (combined with any other overseas/duty free purchases) exceeds the passenger concession allowance, any applicable GST and/or duty may need to be paid unless another concession (example, all personal clothing – except furs) is available.

    • woodg on 23/01/2024 - 15:21
      +3

      I think the OP is from NZ.

    • follow on 23/01/2024 - 15:22
      +2

      OP is a tourist…..

    • keejoonc on 23/01/2024 - 15:26
      +1

      woosh

    • boovohh on 23/01/2024 - 16:16

      Tourist, will be returning to NZ. I dont see any issues

  • deme on 23/01/2024 - 15:30

    Is there an import tax when you bring it back to NZ?

    • boovohh on 23/01/2024 - 16:16

      No, not really

      • deme on 23/01/2024 - 16:44
        -1

        What does not really mean?

        • boovohh on 23/01/2024 - 16:53

          only need to pay custom duty on unaccompanied goods and goods bought in large quantities with intention of selling. Since its for personal use, it wouldnt be an issue

  • mapax on 23/01/2024 - 15:57

    Budget is not an issue

    In that case just buy the iPXV 512gb and the enjoy your trip.

  • Duckie2hh on 23/01/2024 - 16:21

    Budget is not an issue

    Just buy it.

  • kiitos on 23/01/2024 - 16:31
    -2

    Swiftie?

    • boovohh on 23/01/2024 - 16:50
      +1

      Haha, friend is, I am tagging along

      • kiitos on 23/01/2024 - 22:35

        Thought so, by Feb concert and travelling internationally to see it! Enjoy!

        (Don't know why I was negged though :-( )

  • sumyungguy on 23/01/2024 - 16:47

    Would you consider other than brand new @$1,799?

    • boovohh on 23/01/2024 - 16:50
      +1

      No, i am spending $1800 so wouldnt go for anything other than new

      • sumyungguy on 23/01/2024 - 16:54

        Wish you luck… that's 12% off Apple retail

    • deme on 23/01/2024 - 16:56
      -1

      Lol it's a status symbol, used phone = poor

      • Gdsamp on 23/01/2024 - 17:05

        used phone = risk

        • deme on 23/01/2024 - 17:31
          -2

          Everything has risks

      • boovohh on 23/01/2024 - 20:18

        Thats your perception. I have not heard of that phonebot store before. I know of jbhifi, costco, OW the major retailers so yeah while making a big purchase, I would prefer to go buy at a known retailer and pay a little extra.

        https://www.costco.com.au/Electronics/Mobile-Phones/iPhones/…

        Take this, costco has it for 1900, price match at OW get it for 1800, exactly the price you said but from a reliable and known retailer.

        So your take of use phone = poor is your perception that you think which is why you said it. salty

        • follow on 23/01/2024 - 20:22

          if you have money to spare, i would order that now as you have 30 days to pickup.
          if a gift card offer comes by when you're in Australia, it's easy to cancel and refund the first order

          re: accessories, good guys commercial have great prices

        • sumyungguy on 23/01/2024 - 20:36
          -1

          Officeworks doesn’t match Costco prices

        • deme on 23/01/2024 - 20:46

          You haven't actually stated what risks there are.
          You are buying a $2000 phone it's a status symbol.

          • boovohh on 23/01/2024 - 21:16

            @deme: Looks like you have a lot of problem withe me buying a new $2000 phone.

            • deme on 23/01/2024 - 21:28

              @boovohh: If budget isn't an issue just buy it now.

  • zonra on 23/01/2024 - 16:59

    If budget is not an issue and you don't mind the larger size I'd go for the pro max. Better battery life and camera (zoom wise), also screen size obviously.

    • boovohh on 23/01/2024 - 20:18

      Max phones are too big in size for my hands which is why i am avoiding them

  • Mechz on 23/01/2024 - 17:47

    For another 5 year phone I would be going 512GB.

    Unless you like paying for cloud storage.

    • deme on 23/01/2024 - 20:46

      What about backup?

  • MrFrugalSpend on 23/01/2024 - 23:57

    I am quite qualified to answer this question because my partner and I had two older iphones and upgraded them in November for the same reasons for a trip in December, we bought two different phones:

    1. iphone 15 Pro 256gb for like $2k
    2. iphone 13 Pro 256gb from OzMobiles which was new (they say "ex demo" but it was completely new when it came, screen protector stickers, still eligible for applecare+ and 100% battery health - but we may have got lucky, and they seem to have added an "exceptional" category since then which this probably would have been had it existed back then) with extended warranty and damage waiver for way less they were throwing in for 24 months on a sale… you could also try Mobile Federation or similar combined with ebay store vouchers but I went with OzMobiles*

    At the moment a sierra blue iphone 13 pro 256gb ex demo is $1099

    We then went on the trip and used them extensively and my verdict is the iphone 13 Pro is almost as good, the real world differences were very minor and whilst the camera is in theory better on the 15, most of the time it is the user / situation and the 13 takes good photos too, and even sometimes took better photos in the same place / light- the iphone 15 wasn't worth the extra money (almost double) in my opinion.

    The titanium i'd place no value on as I put them both in good cases, the usb-c is good for plugging in a hdd but I didn't use it, had plenty of space for videos provided you take them off the phone when the trip is done, but given I had a number of lightning cables but not many usb-c right before the trip was actually an inconvenience to organise and neither here nor there. The processing power is great in both, yes it is better in the 15 but its so rediculously high most people don't need it / won't use its extra power and won't notice any difference browsing the web / socials, taking photos, and making calls.

    *We went with OzMobiles as they answered my query that we would get a tax invoice with my name on it as required by TRS - I also planned to get TRS and we got held up going to the airport which cost me a lot of money cause we ran out of time cause the queues are stupid long at times - very sad - so go very early if you want this and don't count on it.

    If it had worked it would only be $1K - given apple was the only phones we were considering, and we find the max too big, for almost imperceptible differences to the 15 pro, a ex-demo / excellent iphone 13 pro presents great value, and is a worthwhile step up from the iphone 8 64gb and you'll have an extra $800+ to enjoy your trip!

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