Buying Guides | Please Just Work

Is the iPhone Upgrade program the best way to buy a new iPhone?

by Stephen Taber | Jun 9, 2020 | Buying Guides, Product Recommendations

TLDR: Considering Apple Care? Even without Upgrading, Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program is the Best Deal, saving $50 vs. buying an iPhone 11 outright and adding Apple Care separately.

As iPhone sales leveled out, Apple, looking for new ways to encourage adoption of their latest phones, began offering an alternative to carrier subsidies for their iPhone line. The iPhone upgrade plan breaks up the cost of a new iPhone and Apple Care+ over 24 months. As an added bonus, after completing 12 monthly payments, you can trade in that iPhone for any new model at no additional cost. Well almost. Your new phone may have a different monthly fee depending on which model you choose, and you do have to pay sales tax in advanced as if you bought the phone for one lump sum (this is typical for any upgrade plan of this type). Essentially it’s a 0% interest lease for your phone. If you keep the phone for 24 months, the loan is paid in full and the phone is yours to keep. Is this a good deal for you? Let’s look at the numbers.

Surprisingly, buying the iPhone 11 outright for $699 and adding Apple Care for $199 brings you to $898 in the US. Over 24 months the iPhone 11 will cost $847.92 on Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program. Since the iPhone Upgrade Program comes with Apple Care+, you save $50.08 before tax. Apple allows you to pay off the phone at any time, so even if you prefer a lump sum, if you don’t mind the credit check, signing up for the upgrade program may be the best way to buy an iPhone. If you plan on getting Apple Care+ anyway, this is actually the best deal.

Of course Apple Care isn’t for everyone. If you just want the phone, your credit card provides insurance, or you’re one of those lucky people who never seems to smash a phone. Apple’s phones are becoming sturdier every year, a focus of this year’s ad spots for both models. Here we find another mathematical oddity: paying monthly for your iPhone 11 actually comes out cheaper than buying it outright: $698.88. Twelve whole cents cheaper, to be exact! Don’t spend it all in one place.

There is one frustrating catch to the iPhone upgrade program. Signing up requires a post-paid plan on one of the 4 major carriers. As yet I cannot find a satisfactory explanation for this. The loan is between you and Apple’s partner Citizens One and requires a soft credit check, so why it must be tied to T-Mobile, Sprint, AT&T or Verizon, is unclear. If you have Apple Card you can still finance a phone over 24 months, even unlocked, but that’s your only option through Apple.

XR Excess: Breaking down the difference between Apple’s 3 current iPhone models

by Stephen Taber | Mar 26, 2019 | Buying Guides

TLDR: Apple’s latest iPhones come in 3 models. iPhone XR for $749, iPhone XS for $999, and iPhone XS Max for $1,199. For most people, Please Just Work recommends the iPhone XR. Note that unlike past iPhones, the cheapest iPhone isn’t the smallest. The XS is slightly smaller.

Apple’s current iPhone line looks very different from years past. It isn’t just that all 3 models lack home buttons or have notches topping their screens. Before, one knew which was the cheapest vs the most expensive simply by size. Small meant cheap; large meant it had everything. Not true this year. Measuring in at 6.1” diagonally, the XR line, while the least expensive, sits right between the two more expensive options size-wise.

I find it helps to see XR and XS as two different lines, much like how the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are different prices even though you can buy 13” versions of either model. Unlike ‘Pro’ and ‘Air’, however, these new names are downright baffling to most, especially since they mix Roman numerals with letters (officially its pronounced Ten R and Ten S, but that hardly matters outside an Apple Store). While the ’S’ is how Apple traditionally designates a model year after a major redesign, according to Apple’s executive, Phil Schiller, the ‘R’ stands for absolutely nothing. Apple may not provide meaning for these letters, but if you need help remembering which is which I am happy to provide some: think ‘R’ for ‘Reasonable’ and ’XS’ for ‘excess’. I break down the differences between the two lines below.

XR line:

Apple wants you to know the XR is water resistant

Currently Apple only makes one phone in the XR line. One can imagine a future where there are different sizes (I know many dream of an iPhone SE sized device with edge to edge screen), but for now 6.1 is the only screen size. While cheaper, and made up of technically less expensive, easier to manufacture parts, it’s interesting to note that the iPhone XR has the same A12 processing chip as its more expensive cousins, as well as the same FaceID cameras and sensors. This means selfies from this phone should look identical to the XS line, and the phone should stay blazing fast for as long as its counterparts.

What you miss:

an OLED screen.
a second camera lens on the back
stainless steal band around the casing (it’s aluminum on the XR)
the ability to brag to your friends about how expensive your phone is.

What you gain:

colors! 😍
longer battery life than the iPhone XS Max (or any previous iPhone)
the ability to upgrade to 128 gb of storage (plenty of storage for most people and still cheaper than the 64 gb XS)

The XS line:

Apparently XS owners can afford umbrellas

The XS line comes in 2 sizes: the 5.8” iPhone XS and the giant 6.5” iPhone XS Max. The iPhone XS looks virtually identical last year’s iPhone X. It now comes in gold, however, and has a faster processor and better cameras than last year.

What you gain with the XS line:

two cameras on the back, enabling 2x optical zoom and providing more options and slightly better results in portrait mode (Portrait mode on the front camera is identical).
a stainless steel, shiny band around the phone.
an OLED screen and slightly smaller bezels
a 512 gb storage option
did I mention it comes in gold?

The XS max is identical except:

its 6.5″ screen is the largest iPhone screen ever
it’s larger size gives it a larger battery than the smaller XS (the XR still gets better Battey life than either)

Downsides to the XS line:

the cheapest XS is $250 more than the XR but still only has 64 GB of storage.
battery life isn’t as good as the XR
it only comes in silver, gold, and black

Choosing between the XR and XS Max: The struggle

For most people, the XR has everything they need and more. If you absolutely must have the largest screen possible and are willing to pay over $1k for a phone, the Max might be better. Likewise, if you need your phone to be as small as possible, you might find the XS a little more comfortable. Alternatively, one might consider looking for a good deal on a refurbished or used iPhone X.

If you still aren’t sure which phone to get, head to your nearest Apple store and ask to see them side by side. Hold each in your hand and compare the screens. Aside from price, the differences between designs are more subjective and are hard to evaluate without seeing them in person. If that sounds like too much work. Get the XR. It’s a huge upgrade from every other home-buttoned iPhone, and it comes in colors! 😍

Note: if color doesn’t matter, might I recommend choosing the red one rather than basic black or white? It looks the same in a case, and Apple donates a percentage of each red phone to product (RED)™: a nonprofit that helps combat the spread of HIV in Africa. The red phone is the exact same price and the money goes to a good cause. Learn more on Apple’s Product (RED)™ Page.

Preview: Holiday Buying Guide

by Stephen Taber | Nov 24, 2018 | Buying Guides, Product Recommendations

Please Just Work is a project I’ve been developing off and on over the past couple years. There’s still a lot to do, but with all the people buying or gifting tech this holiday, this is an ideal time to put all my advice in one place for those who would like it.

Best Phone for Most People

iPhone XR

With nearly all the features of the $1000+ Xs and Xs Max, and the Goldie Locks 6.1″ screen size the iPhone XR seems like the perfect phone for anyone looking to upgrade to the latest iPhone line without spending too much. If money is no object, and/or you want the biggest screen on an iPhone, the extra features the more expensive models have a few features that may be worth it for some. Read more in my full guide coming soon. The one exception is if you can still get an iPhone X and it’s the same or cheaper, I think that is a better buy. Apple is no longer making them though so at some point stock will run out. Personally, I find the most appealing thing about the XR are the color options. If color doesn’t matter to you, rather than the black or white, I’d recommend the product red model. Apple donates 30% of the purchase price to help fight AIDS in Africa. It’s a kind thing you can do this holiday and it doesn’t cost you anything extra.

Best Wifi Router

Eero

The most important thing when buying a new router is to get one with automatic updates from a company with a good track record. It’s also nice to be able to expand your network to reach those areas of your house that never seem to have strong WiFi. I’ve been recommending Eeros for over a year now, and everyone who’s taken me up on it loves it. The app gives plenty of functionality for those who want to fool around with settings and features, but it also works reliable behind the scenes for those who want to set it and forget it. Since updates are automatically installed in the background you can rest easy knowing your network is secure for years to come. Just make sure your neighbors can’t guess your password.

Best Tablet for Most People

iPad 9.7″

If you’re an artist or photographer with money to burn, an iPad Pro is your best bet. Either the newest, or last year’s model. However for everyone else, the $329 standard iPad will be all the tablet you need. With holiday deals bringing it as low as $249, this well built workhorse is nearly an impulse buy. Even if you have an android phone, the sheer number of tablet optimized apps in the Apple App Store, combined with Apple’s willing to support hardware for up to 5 years with software and security updates, there really isn’t any other tablet that comes close.