The smarter way to own an iphone 13

ANOTHER year, another iphone, followed by another “which organ should I sell this time?” joke. Every year, people moan about how expensive the iphone has become, yet as soon as a new model gets released, they can’t stop themselves from getting one anyway.

“Too expensive” is actually becoming subjective, because for the more than a billion iphone worldwide, there is no other product launch more anticipated than Apple’s annual reveal of its latest iphone series.

For many, it’s not a question of “should I get an iphone?” but rather “which iphone should I get?” and with four new iphone 13 models, and up to four storage options, you have a lot of choices depending on the size of your budget—and your pockets.

After last year’s big 5G upgrade, the improvements this year might seem incremental and offer little incentive to upgrade—that is, if you already have an iphone 12, but if you are still using the iphone X or older, then the iphone 13 brings a lot of enticing new features such as a faster processor, nicer display, better cameras and longer battery life.

As far as looks go, the iphone 13 shares a similar design to 2020’s models, with the smaller notch possibly the most noticeable change. The iphone

13 and iphone 13 mini comes in five gorgeous new colors—pink, blue, midnight, starlight and red. Equipped with the Apple-designed A15 Bionic, the iphone 13 series offer super-fast performance and power efficiency, longer battery life, and a brighter Super Retina XDR display that brings content to life. Apple also continues the Ceramic Shield front cover for protection, while doubling the entry-level storage at 128GB, plus IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, and 5G capabilities.

The iphone 13 Pro and iphone 13 Pro Max, on the other hand, are available in four finishes — graphite, gold, silver, and the all-new sierra blue. The Super Retina XDR display also has Pro Motion featuring an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz.

All models feature major innovations in the camera including a new Wide camera with bigger pixels and sensor-shift optical image stabilization offering improvements in low light photos and videos. There’s also a new way to personalize the camera with Photographic Styles, and the Cinematic mode that brings a new dimension to video storytelling.

Content creators will love the improvements in video like Cinematic mode for beautiful depth-offield transitions, macro video, Time-lapse and Slo-mo, and even better low-light performance. And if you want the longest battery life in an iphone, then go for the Pro Max.

CASH, INSTALLMENT OR VIA POSTPAID PLAN?

OWNING an iphone, however, is just part of the experience. The other half is, of course, getting to enjoy all those features with the fastest mobile connection.

The iphone 13 presents an advanced 5G experience with more 5G bands, and works in more places on 5G for greater coverage and performance. According to Ookla’s analysis of Speedtest Intelligence data for Q2 2021, Apple devices perform faster on the Smart 5G network, with a median download speed of 208.76 Mbps and median upload speed of 20.25 Mbps.

Coinciding with the start of preorders, Smart Communications (Smart) announced the pricing of its Signature plans for the iphone 13 series. With Signature Plan L starting at P1,999 monthly (plus a one-time cash-out depending on the model), for example, you get unlimited All Net Calls and Texts, plus 150 minutes PLDT Calls, and 15 GB open-access data monthly with a Data Rollover feature. This means all unused data allocation from the previous month will be carried over to the next month.

If you are a heavy user, personally I think getting a postpaid plan with your iphone is more practical since you can pay in installments with a smaller cashout plus you get large data allocation and all those call/text freebies. I got my first iphone (iphone 7Plus) years ago with a postpaid plan and the same with the iphone 11 Pro Max, and its way more convenient than having to worry about running out of load and not having data when you need it, especially now that I’ve been using Paymaya for most payment transactions. Recontracting Smart subscribers also have the option to do full monthly amortization without the cashout.

Smart Signature subscribers will also receive a free Apple Music subscription for six months, which they can activate via Smart’s Gigalife App, while existing and renewing subs can get the Apple Airpods (2nd Generation) as an add-on purchase.

Now, if you’re worried about losing your mobile number from another telco, you can make the switch and retain your old number with Mobile Number Portability (MNP) via x.smart/switch or visiting the nearest Smart Store. The best things in life are free, it has been said. The second best? Unli.

Now you can add 5G data to the list of Unli offerings as Smart has also announced its postpaid plans with Unli 5G data. Smart’s new Signature Plans+ will include Unli5g access, Unlicalls and Texts to All Networks including landline numbers, plus a 12-month Netflix Mobile Plan subscription for unlimited shows, series and movies. Soon, you can pair these Signature Plans+ with 5G devices through its partnerships with leading smartphone makers.