New iPhone SE and iPad Air pre-orders are live – should you take the plunge?

You have an older Apple device
The new iPhone won't feel like an upgrade if you've got an iPhone 11 or newer, but if you have an iPhone 6 or older, or an iPhone SE, it certainly will. Likewise, the iPad Air 5 will seem like a big step up if you have a third-gen Apple slate, or an entry-level iPad or iPad mini.

You've got something to trade in
Apple offers pretty good trade-in bonuses if you pre-order, and have an older gadget you can trade in. You can net up to $600 off certain iPhones, and while trade-in bonuses for the SE won't go this high (the handset doesn't cost that much), you could still save lots.

You'll be taking out a new contract
Telecom companies often offer tempting pre-order bonuses on smartphones if you're also buying a contract. So if you've been thinking about taking out a new contract this could be a good time – but if you're looking for a SIM-free phone, or staying on an existing contract, this won't be as important.

You're on a tight budget
The iPhone and iPad both cost more than their predecessor – quite a bit more, in the case of the new iPhone SE. So if you don't have that much money to splash right now, we'd be remiss if we advised you to pre-order.

You don't live in a 5G area
Both new Apple device offer 5G where the predecessors didn't, but reliable 5G networks aren't available everywhere, and if you can't readily access a 5G signal these new devices won't bring many gains.

You're considering Apple's premium offerings
The iPhone SE and iPad Air ranges are Apple's mid-range phone and tablet families, and you might want more power. The iPad Pro range has a bigger screen and battery; we last saw a new Pro in 2021, and we think the next might come in 2023. The iPhone 13 series includes models which are better in the display and camera departments than the SE 3, and we're expecting the iPhone 14 family at the end of this year, if you can wait that long.