When it comes to new phones, Apple giveth and Apple taketh away: when the iPhone 14 launches in the next few hours, that means it'll be the end of the line for at least one of the existing iPhone models. And the most likely candidate is the iPhone 11 – which is currently the most affordable of the larger iPhones and whose predecessor, the iPhone XR, was discontinued last year.
That doesn't mean the iPhone 11 is suddenly going to become obsolete. Far from it: the iOS 16 compatibility guide says that you'll be able to run Apple's latest mobile OS on devices going back as far as the iPhone 8 and the second generation iPhone SE.
This is more likely to be a commercial decision. Back in April, the India Times reported that the iPhone 11 was eating into Apple's sales of the 2022 iPhone SE: for only $70 more it had a bigger display and a much more modern design than Apple's most affordable iPhone. With a new, larger iPhone SE apparently on the horizon, Apple reportedly intends to stop making the iPhone 11, it's bad for business.
So where does that leave budget buyers?
What will the most affordable iPhone be after the iPhone 14 launch?
There are multiple conflicting reports of Apple's plans for the post-iPhone 14 lineup, but the focus appears to be on selling the iPhone SE (2022) – so it's possible that the iPhone minis could be for the chop too.
Apple is reportedly working on a new, larger iPhone SE based on the iPhone XR, but that isn't likely to be launched for some time yet. Some reports predict the iPhone 13 may get a price cut, but Apple may prefer to keep the iPhone 12 as its budget option.
Here's the line-up, as it stands ahead of Apple's 'Far Out' September 7 event:
- iPhone SE, $429
- iPhone 11, $499
- iPhone 12 mini, $599
- iPhone 12, $699
- iPhone 13 mini, $699
- iPhone 13, $799
- iPhone 13 Pro, $999
- iPhone 13 Pro Max, $1,099
Apple also tends to discontinue its Pro models when new ones come out, so the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are likely to get the chop this week; Apple was similarly ruthless with the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max this time last year.
The wild cards here are the minis, which could be much more desirable after a price cut – but that might cannibalise sales of the iPhone SE. On that basis, we think that the post-launch iPhone line-up may look something like this (prices are based on the most credible predictions for the cheapest version of each model):
- iPhone SE (2022), $429
- iPhone 12, $599
- iPhone 13 mini (maybe), $599
- iPhone 14, $749 to $799
- iPhone 14 Plus (or Max), $849 to $999
- iPhone 14 Pro, $1,049 to $1,099
- iPhone 14 Pro Max, $1,149 to $1,199
We won't have to wait long to find out: the Apple Event is on Wednesday 7 September and of course we'll be posting live with all the important announcements and analysis.
We'll also be tracking all the best iPhone deals so that no matter what model you want, you'll be able to get it for the very best possible price.
