What iPhone Would You Choose? Please help!

Lfullbags on 21/03/2025 - 23:48

I'm considering moving from Android over to iPhone and am wondering a few things:

What seems like the better deal? I would of course like to get the best for my money.

"Excellent condition" refurbished iPhone 15 Pro Max with a brand new battery for ~$1240

Brand new iPhone 16 plus for ~$1480

Should I wait for a better deal to come along?
Are there typical seasons or stores you see better discounts on iPhones?
Why can't I seem to find any brand new 15 Pro Max's?
What would you do in my shoes?

I am very tempted to get the 15 Pro Max. I am also considering how much I can resell it for should I not like it and want to swap back to Android. I have seen that iPhones tend to hold their value more than Androids but I am not expecting all of my money back obviously.

Thanks in advance :)

Mobile Apple Mobile Phone

Comments

  • urahara on 21/03/2025 - 23:55

    Why would you ? Peer pressure ?

  • sumyungguy on 22/03/2025 - 00:02
    +2

    Comes down to whether you need the extra features of the Pro models?

  • john smith123 on 22/03/2025 - 00:53
    +7

    Fyi, you can buy iphone from apple store with 14 days refund policy… I did that before to trial whether i like it or not.

    • AustriaBargain on 22/03/2025 - 02:38
      +3

      And they can price match. I don't know about used phones, but they price match like JB Hifi for new ones.

  • Nillionaire on 22/03/2025 - 01:02
    +7

    Which Android phone are you coming from? The base model iPhones will feel like a downgrade if you previously had high end Androids like Galaxy Ultras or Pixel Pros so I'd recommend a Pro or Pro Max depending on your screen size preference. Pro Max if battery life is the most important factor.

    • CrispyChrispy on 22/03/2025 - 01:37
      +1

      60Hz refresh rate on the base iPhone 16 and 16 Plus in 2025 is crazy

      They gotta upsell you to the Pro somehow

  • Hybroid on 22/03/2025 - 01:50
    +2

    Very happy with my 15 Pro Max. Apple discontinued it with the release of the 16 Pro Max. Definitely wouldn't recommend getting a Plus at all.

    What would you do in my shoes?

    Wait 6 months for the iPhone 17 series.

  • AustriaBargain on 22/03/2025 - 02:51

    You'll probably want some iCloud storage. The cheapest way to get a decent amount of storage is to join a family plan like the 2TB storage shared and everyone technically gets 333gb or whatever, but always someone is using more because they don't really understand what's being backed up, costing the organiser time. Anyway a 1/6th share of the Apple One plans is a decent deal if you think you'll use most of the features in them, like Apple TV+ and Fitness+ if you want some workout videos, News if you want select news from various news sources ad free. The trick is to join a plan with someone you trust and who can understand how it all works, so then you don't really need to worry about it.

    • asspelican on 22/03/2025 - 04:00
      +1

      also i'd recommend setting up a turkey account and making a family icloud through that. Then inviting yourself to the family the cost is much cheaper this way. Many guides on how to do it on this site. 2TB was costing $5 a month between girlfriend and i

      • AustriaBargain on 22/03/2025 - 05:10

        That's a good price. I'm paying $50 a month for the Premier One but I kinda like it, it's nice having all the features and it is only $8.33 a month, probably much less with Turkey. I could save money with just the Music and 2TB shared but I do like TV+ and News gives you some normally paywalled articles. I wish it came with ChatGPT Plus or something though.

        • buyer-123 on 22/03/2025 - 13:48

          12ft.io bypasses some paywalls

  • asspelican on 22/03/2025 - 03:06
    -2

    i was an apple user since 2008 till 2025 and i'd recommend avoiding apple they simply are not worth it. If you are already on a website like ozbargain i can assure you apple isn't going to give you any answers you are looking for.

    • AustriaBargain on 22/03/2025 - 03:17
      +1

      There's strength in numbers. Using an iPhone is nice because there's a good chance, like 50% chance, that someone else is using the exact same series of phone with the exact same OS. They can show you what to do. Every time someone hands me an Android though they all seem to be using random versions of the US, the function buttons do god knows what because all the models are slightly different, and there's always the temptation to get a cheap Android phone which might be kind of annoying to use in ways that are imperceptible to you as a casual tech user. Getting an iPhone is like getting a Toyota because every mechanic can fix them and get the parts quickly and cheaply, just makes life easier.

      • asspelican on 22/03/2025 - 03:46
        +2

        I have to disagree. I believe that apple has slowly bloated all their software and instead of making things easier have just let AI solve the issues (i'm sure android is guilty too). The settings for example is a nested nightmare where unless you spend a considerable amount of time tinkering with tech, it's a lot less streamline/direct than the android equivalent. Maybe my one second google search is incorrect and I'm happy to agree with any more thoroughly researched information, but from my quick google search results the market share globally is 71% android vs 27% iOS so you would have a wealth of resources available to you if you are struggling with some technological issue. Besides the UI, most of the OS is very similar across android devices. (From what I understand, yet again I'm new and am happy to be wrong).

        "And there's always the temptation to get a cheap Android phone which might be kind of annoying to use in ways that are imperceptible to you as a casual tech user. " I don't understand this part sorry, could you reword so I more clearly understand thanks. And as for repair-ability, I've fixed my own iPhone a few times with older generations and i can assure you it is a nightmare. Ifixit score their repair-ability low. (Same of course is true for modern android phones especially flip phones.. yikes lol) but yes apple intentionally make it extremely difficult to repair, i like where they are heading with for example the electric removable glue for battery repairs, but they sure as hell aren't there yet. I probably still have a piece of shattered glass in my eye from being a dumbass and not wearing safety goggles when repairing my old iphones. But on android side things like the fairphone exist. Whilst DAMN ugly it is a step in right direction for being repairable that none of the bigger companies are doing.

        Essentially, at the end of the day your device is just an on-boarding device now for other apps anyway… Think dropbox, nytimes, or tiktok whatever. At least if you go down the android route then from a cost saving perspective there will always be abundant equally decent sometimes better FOSS software that'll never be available on iphone without some costs occurred, as they force developers to pay to use the appstore which is always put on the customer. At least with android you have f-droid etc. But admittedly that's a bit more nerdy and requires more tinkering. The issue with apple devices is their software is all caked in with no ability to root or remove, so you are stuck with their advertisement software like icloud for example where you'll be more than likely to pick up a subscription or two and before you know it, you are getting double penned by the apple ecosystem. Majority of the settings etc across these apps regardless of platform are the same so if you are speaking about OS specific issues, like idk changing the brightness.? Then of course there will be resources online.

        • greatlamp on 23/03/2025 - 16:13
          +2

          My 70 year old aunt couldn't get her photos transferred from her old phone to the new one. Sent her to the apple store and they did it for her, for free. Took several hours. You simply don't get that service anywhere else.

          I use an Android but I wouldn't recommend one to anyone asking, because if you have to ask you are better off with an iPhone

          • asspelican on 23/03/2025 - 22:42
            -1

            @greatlamp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2_SZ4tfLns you also don't get priced gorged simply anywhere else.. I'm sorry they simply have ups and downs its not so black and white.

            • greatlamp on 24/03/2025 - 04:11

              @asspelican: If we were talking about PC/laptop, 100% I would agree. But mobile phones are throw away sealed devices. The advantages on android were designed away years ago.

              The phone gets discarded when the battery fails or it becomes laggy, they all have sealed batteries and glued screens. I'm not getting the screen repaired on a flagship Samsung anymore than I am on an Iphone, and the software clearly has a longer lifespan on iPhone.

              I don't think saying that an Android will last longer than an iphone is a reasonable argument

          • OzzyOzbourne on 24/03/2025 - 11:15

            @greatlamp: It would probably take minutes with an Android phone and you wouldn't need to go into a store to do it

            • greatlamp on 24/03/2025 - 12:53

              @OzzyOzbourne: No it would take a similar amount of time because it is a similar amount of data.

              You can do it from home on an iPhone too. What you can't do is get free help from the retailer with an Android

        • rumblytangara on 24/03/2025 - 10:01

          but from my quick google search results the market share globally is 71% android vs 27% iOS so you would have a wealth of resources available to you if you are struggling with some technological issue.

          This is some skewed thinking. 70% Android still means hundreds of models and dozens of distinct UI variants versus a fairly unified IOS experience. IOS is far more consistent for user experience whereas Android is a total mess when it comes to tweaking specific system settings.

          I'm firmly Android, spouse has moved between Android and IOS at various stages. I don't like the IOS interface, but I can appreciate the consistency of it as well as longer term hardware support.

          @greatlamp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2_SZ4tfLns you also don't get priced gorged simply anywhere else.. I'm sorry they simply have ups and downs its not so black and white.

          Not sure what the point of one incident was. Have you not noticed the repeated stories "Samsung has denied my warranty repair and is charging me" pop up repeatedly on this forum?

      • CaptainJack on 22/03/2025 - 08:43
        +7

        Honestly using a phone of any common brand is piss easy. It's not like you are setting up an obscure Linux distro or building a rocket ship.

        These people that say android is too hard, I always wonder how they passed primary school.

        • SYLTB on 22/03/2025 - 10:28

          Private primary school and with their parents' cash money!

        • asspelican on 23/03/2025 - 22:43

          i agree totally. But for elderly etc settings can be super overwhelming. Like for my 73 year old father he really struggles with apples ios

  • Potatohead82 on 22/03/2025 - 03:19
    +1

    After years of hesitation, I moved from Samsung to 16 pro max. I chose the max version because of the bigger screen. I use an iPhone 12 for work, there are 4 years difference between the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 16, and I don't see a huge difference between the two. If you are looking for a bigger screen, maybe get the 15 line (cheaper), otherwise the 16 line will hold up for the next 4-5 years easily.

  • try2bhelpful on 22/03/2025 - 07:07
    +3

    The first thing to do is Google a comparison between the phones you are considering. That will give you the specs and might get you a review. My current model is an iPhone 15 Pro and my previous was an iPhone XS. I made the jump because the XS iOS updates were about to stop and I wanted a really good camera to travel with. I preferred the specs of the Pro.Very happy with the purchase because I got some decent Northern lights shots. However, I mainly use my phone to run my iPAD and Apple Watch. If you intend to sell iPhones make sure you sell whilst they still do iOS upgrades.

    I like Apple because they just work well with little pfaffing around. There are also plenty of freebie apps you can download. Fandroids seem to have this weird obsession with telling people not to buy them but I think people should try things out and make up their own minds.

    If you aren’t sure then buy one from Apple or Costco. Apple has a 30 day returns policy and Costco has a 90 day returns policy. Costco usually discounts on RRP and has even more discounts reasonably regularly. Telstra has a few times a year where they have significant discounts on the phones. Do some searches on this site for past examples.

    Best of luck with finding what you want.

  • Fredfloresjr on 22/03/2025 - 07:29
    +2

    If you want to keep arguing even to the Clouds and Thunderstorms, then stick to Android. They'll talk to rubbish bins and 2P traffic signage just to tell Android is better than Apple.

    If you want to relax and don't care to Android at all, move to Apple.

  • Wiadro on 22/03/2025 - 08:17

    I have an iPhone 15 pro max, the wife has a iPhone 14 Pro Max.
    Both are working working perfectly fine in 2025 and will work fine till around 2030

  • AndyC1 on 22/03/2025 - 08:59
    -2

    i16 pro as it is the latest and greatest for iPhone fanatics.

  • CascadeHush on 22/03/2025 - 10:04

    Still rocking my iPhone 6S Plus. It’s my third one.

  • BigBirdy on 22/03/2025 - 12:34
    +3

    New user, no response to any comments. Who’d have thought!

  • LFO on 22/03/2025 - 12:43

    The first question is why an Apple iPhone? Sick of Android?

    I have an iPhone but needing a "cheap" 5G phone mainly for SMSs on my other SIMs.

    Seriously checking the Nothing 3A phone. The cheap one for about $599.
    But very tempted for the Nothing Pro at about $849. Mostly for the camera part, but having an iPhone is pretty silly to double in.

    All said, will you consider a Nothing Pro 5G top model as another Android???
    Looks/reviews are quite amazing

  • SlickMick on 22/03/2025 - 13:20

    I went with iPhone 11. Still current, haven't encountered anything that would require an upgrade.

    I do not see $1000+ value in a phone.

  • kosh52 on 23/03/2025 - 09:49
    -5

    Don’t mate. The interface is better than android but battery degrades quickly. My eyephone 15 ‘pro’ battery only lasts three hours with moderate use from full charge. That would indicate faulty battery which would warrant a new replacement from Apple Store but there are only 3 in Victoria and they are booked out 6 months in advance. Good luck if you get eyephone

    • try2bhelpful on 23/03/2025 - 10:47
      +2

      I don’t have that issue with my iPhone 15 Pro. You might have a dud one. They can’t fob you off by saying they can’t get an appointment that quickly. I would just wander into one of the Apple stores during the week and talk to someone.

    • smartazz104 on 23/03/2025 - 13:12
      +1

      Your specific issue is not indicative of a widespread problem with iPhones.

    • MrFrugalSpend on 23/03/2025 - 20:31
      +1

      Same as try2bhelful, I have a 15 pro that goes all day and into the night with moderate use for overnight charge, or most of the day with really heavy use (like travelling with filming, photos, navigation, apps constantly, searching, social media etc etc) needing a charge in the early evening - I got it within the first 2 weeks of launch so its one of the oldest 15 Pros

      I kept it at max charge of 80% in the settings most of its life to keep the battery healthy

  • SuperMid on 23/03/2025 - 12:01

    Just ask chat gpt to do a cost benefit comparison for you.

  • dlakers3peat on 23/03/2025 - 16:08
    -4

    Don't do it. Apple is made for the masses who cannot think for themselves and go with what they are told to buy. You will be locked into a ecosystem that is so anti anthing that is not apple. Even the simplest of things will be difficult to do.

    • MrFrugalSpend on 23/03/2025 - 20:39
      +2

      I used to think like you, was very anti-apple for so long. Was even vocal about my apple hate.

      Then I got given one by my work 7 years ago and its great. I'm on my third now - I could go back, but I don't want to. Everything just works so well.

      As for being stuck to an eco-system, with a little planning for a droid user moving across, I'm afraid its fake news:

      1. I backup all my photos / files manually to a PC so no issues there, not stuck at all
      2. I installed Outlook for work / calendar / contacts, plus Gmail for personal and Google Photos and Drive to bring across my old stuff and still use it, so no issues there transitioning back away - Yes even google stuff works fine on apple with iOS apps - despite owning android, they know they need to appeal to the masses.
      3. It works with my non-apple accessories such as bluetooth ear buds, Anker wireless charger, and as from iphone 15 on is now USB-C even my aftermarket fast charger cable and I can even plug in my mini portable hard drive and record videos straight to it etc on the go.
      4. if you really feel so inclined, some people I know jailbreak it straight up which makes it more like android for app / file access, but I like the complete stability and security only having tested apps provides.

      It never crashes, even if I have 500 tabs open in safari (internet) - not exaggerating, actually 500. There's no bloatware, no viruses, apps work well - every legit company's app is on the app store because that's how you get the most users, all websites work well and user friendly because everyone tests their mobile sites for apple. It just works well without being clunky filling in forms etc like I had before.
      So many people have them, so easy to transfer files with air drop, car play is great, apple pay just works, 'find my' for your iphone and accessories, plus air tags for years which were way ahead of the android version (only really coming out now etc) meaning I have had them in my luggage when travelling for years, in my car in case stolen etc, very handy and again just works and has for a long time. The camera, its image processing, and LiDAR etc is great on Pro. The photos are amazing with almost any just point and shoot, low light etc.

      I still have android for my Galaxy Tab, its less than a year old and to be honest, I find it frustrating - I'm really thinking it's time to switch to iPad or just ditch the tablet as I barely use it now the phone is so capable.

      Yeah the apple hate is mostly just a non-event - sorry to bust your bubble. I have not found anything difficult to do except for lack of sd card expansion space, but I have 256gb model so no space issues anyway and can purge large media to the hdd via USB-C and/or PC backup or google photos / Drive, but quite a few things are easier though.

      • Wort on 23/03/2025 - 21:49
        -1

        no viruses

        That's very optimistic. There's been a least a few exploits for iphones….

        • MrFrugalSpend on 23/03/2025 - 21:55
          +1

          I've never had one in 7 years.
          There's just no comparison in volume. Android is massively more vulnerable due to its architecture.

          "Over 98% of mobile banking attacks target Android devices" - Kapersky

          "According to recent reports, Android users are 50 times more likely to be infected by malware than Apple device users." - Silentbreach.com

          Apple not only more extensively tests and controls apps, it sandboxes third party apps from the iOS.

          • Wort on 23/03/2025 - 22:26
            -1

            @MrFrugalSpend: I appreciate your sample size of one! I'll update the claim in my comment. However "less than android" does not equal "no viruses".

            • MrFrugalSpend on 24/03/2025 - 09:22
              +1

              @Wort: Well I am giving my account, and my account is I have had no viruses. I said "it", I didn't say "they" at the start of each sentence in the paragraph, referring to my iphone.
              I keep it up to date, nothing like jailbreaking etc.

              Additionally, I highly doubt Kapersky and SilentBreach's sample size is one when they made their claims quoted!

      • CaptainJack on 23/03/2025 - 23:02

        Sometimes these posts make me want to try apple to see what the fuss is. Maybe I'd be amazed, maybe not. I'm slightly skeptical cos every time I hear it 'just works' I'm thinking yeah but that exact feature 'just works' on my android phone for half the price.

        • MrFrugalSpend on 24/03/2025 - 09:30
          +1

          Maybe android (and more specifically the app and web developers in relation to android) have picked up their game of late, but 7 years ago + when I was an android phone user, and even now with my android tablet, not everything did work that well. Some things only kind of worked, a bit clunky, occasional app restarts for no reason, compatibility issues with websites making them fiddly to fill in forms / hard to use, cameras were crap, and the occasional malware / bloatware / exploit etc. Mind you back then I bought fairly cheap phones comparatively. I'm guessing some of that has been ironed out, particularly for an expensive android with camera quality and power, but they are as much as an iphone or more for the top Samsung etc.

          However I'm also not at all saying don't buy android, they are fine too - I am simply rebutting when someone like dlakers3peat claims the sky will be falling and you'll be unable to do basic things and in some sort of serious trouble if you dare cross over to Apple like all the other blind sheep or whatever the usual story is. It's just fake news. Like it really just works - that's the best way to describe it. For most people, it does everything they want seamlessly. If you are happy your android does, good for you too. However if OP wants an iPhone, OP can have an iPhone - everyone can calm down naysaying.

          • CaptainJack on 24/03/2025 - 11:12

            @MrFrugalSpend: Yeah I'm quite ok if people want to use iphones, no skin off my back.

            I'm just a bit bemused by the 'just works' comments as if android phones don't also 'just work'. Maybe there are some people that tech illiterate people that struggle with change, therefore when they switch (in either direction) they confuse things being different with not working.

            I'm sure there's some things on iphones that work marginally better, but it goes the other way as well. E.g., I'm kinda shocked you still can't use myki on iPhone, whereas it has just worked on android for 7 years which is an eternity in phone time lines. Carrying that card everywhere like a pleb would be a daily annoyance for me.

    • smartazz104 on 23/03/2025 - 22:01
      +1

      Apple is made for the masses who cannot think for themselves and go with what they are told to buy.

      Ironic, seems like the "masses" are always ready to try and stop people from buying an iPhone.

      Even the simplest of things will be difficult to do.

      What "simple things" are you doing on your Android that you could never do on an iPhone…

  • Romain on 23/03/2025 - 22:14
    +1

    Between those two options I’d go for the refurbished iPhone 15 pro with new battery. The chip is older than on the iPhone 16, but you gain a better camera with telephoto and you save over 200$. That money can be put into a new battery 3 years later which will happily extend the life of your phone for another 2-3 years.

  • Starlight8 on 23/03/2025 - 22:16
    -2

    Dont do it!

    I did, Iphone 15 pro last year - whole year of pain ! I was at the apple store so many times complaining. Had so many issues.

    I ended up going back to andriod.

    STAY on andriod :)

    • MrFrugalSpend on 24/03/2025 - 09:43

      My 15 pro has been nothing short of seamless and amazing, just like the 13 Pro, sorry you got a dud.

  • McFly on 23/03/2025 - 23:13
    -2

    I'm considering moving from Android over to iPhone
    I would of course like to get the best for my money.

    These two statement are incompatible.

    • ThithLord on 24/03/2025 - 09:50

      You get more than two years out of your iPhone, so the value is definitely realised.

      • MrFrugalSpend on 24/03/2025 - 09:56
        +1

        Not to mention great resale value if you want to upgrade sooner.

        • ThithLord on 24/03/2025 - 10:08

          Absolutely. That's the tip of the iceberg

  • dealBuoy on 24/03/2025 - 02:44

    Do check out the new Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro before finalising, you will get your answer.

  • Eeples on 24/03/2025 - 08:21

    Do you have iPads, MacBooks or Mac mini?

    This might help inform your decision.

  • Spootage on 24/03/2025 - 10:46

    Have a look at the comparisons and see what matters most to you/her! Ignore the 3rd option, I couldn't see how to remove it.

    https://www.apple.com/au/iphone/compare/?modelList=iphone-15…

    Personally, I'd go the iPhone 16 Plus as it's newer and only a couple hundred more, plus it's brand new.

  • dpk91 on 24/03/2025 - 10:56

    TLDR. What I can tell you is this, I just upgrade from iPhone 12 to iPhone 16. Wish I hadn't bothered. They are almost exactly the same. The camera is better, for me that is the only noticeable change.

  • OzzyOzbourne on 24/03/2025 - 11:19

    After using Android for years, I made the switch to iPhone (13 pro max) purely for the lidar scanning. Never again, within a year I switched back to Android and gave the phone to my missus. My whole family is on iPhone, constantly asking how to do xyz…. I say I have NFI, that's why I went back to Android.

    • McFly on 24/03/2025 - 11:42

      My wife would probably divorce me if I did that!

  • browser on 24/03/2025 - 12:23

    The plus/max models are not pocket friendly, would go with a regular iPhone 15 or 16.

    Buy from Apple directly, so you have 14 calendar days to return, in case you don't like it.

    Apple does match price a bit, but they don't try hard, generally less than 10%, but you get 14 days change of mind in exchange.

  • bob smith on 24/03/2025 - 14:04

    Lots of arguments for and again (mainly against).
    I moved over from pixel to iphone. considering the last iphone i had was iphone 4.
    There were security issues with my pixel where you could pay without unlocking the phone. Or at times paying wouldn't work and i had to restart my phone for it to work again.
    People couldn't hear me over the phone, which was definitely a phone issue. Sent back to google for RMA, still same issue.
    There was no airtag alternative for google/pixel…
    It takes a while to get use to the OS after a while its fine.

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