Don't buy an iPhone 14 through Apple, there are much easier ways

Don't buy an iPhone 14 through Apple, there are much easier ways (*14*)If you were considering buying an iPhone 14, where would you buy it? Depending on where you are in the world, your answer may vary, but in the US at least, the answer is increasingly coming through Apple's own stores.

(*14*) That's according to a report by CIRP (opens in a new tab) (Consumer Intelligence Research Partners LLC), via The Verge (opens in a new tab), which found that only about 24% of US iPhone buyers buy directly from Apple.

(*14*) 67% buy their iPhones through carriers, mainly AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. That's the vast majority of sales, and in much of the world that statistic might not be too surprising, but given the long lines at Apple Stores in the US on iPhone launch days, it seems like this could make a difference. a change in the United States.

(*14*) What might actually be the most surprising statistic is that other retailers, like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart, only make up the remaining 9%.

(*14*) Still, there are good reasons to choose carriers. For one, there are actually only 272 Apple Stores in the US, while carrier stores are much more prevalent, making them much more convenient.

(*14*) Sure, a lot of shopping is done online these days, but whether in-store or on the web, carriers can be a more tempting prospect, as you'll often be able to get a new iPhone "for free" at through an operator. , as part of your monthly plan; at least making it much more affordable.

(*14*)Overall costs aren't always lower, but at least they're more spread out, and often the carriers really are much cheaper, or add extras to sweeten the deal. Therefore, its success in iPhone sales is not really a surprise.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro home screen

Verizon will give you a lot of extras with an iPhone 14 Pro (Image credit: Future/Lance Ulanoff)

Analysis: How Carriers Compare to Apple

(*14*)Carrier deals vary, of course, but sometimes they're really cool, like Verizon's Cyber ​​Monday deal, which is surprisingly still going strong and gets customers an Apple Watch SE 2, iPad 10.2 (2021) and a pair of Beats Fit Pro, free. when they buy an iPhone 14 Pro with an unlimited data plan.

(*14*)On top of that, customers can also get up to €1,000 off if they trade in an old phone and a €200 gift card if they switch from another carrier.

(*14*)If you bought an iPhone 14 Pro through Apple now or even during Black Friday, you'll essentially have to pay full price for the phone, with no discounts, gift cards, or freebies.

(*14*)There are caveats here, as you can choose to split the costs, and Apple does offer trade-ins and some deals with carrier activation (but usually no better than the deals you'd get by going directly to the carrier).

(*14*)But it didn't offer any specific Black Friday or Cyber ​​Monday deals on the iPhone 14 lineup, and even if you bought an older model during that time, the best you could hope for was a gift card. from €50.

(*14*)And that's typical of Apple. Other retailers, like Walmart and Best Buy, sometimes offer bigger discounts, so their small slice of the pie is a bit of a surprise, but even then they rarely measure up to the best deals from carriers.

(*14*) So if you're looking to buy an iPhone, you should definitely look beyond Apple, as there are often much better deals elsewhere, and that's true outside of the US as well.

(*14*)To help you out, we've got a guide to the best iPhone deals, and below you'll find the current best prices for many models in your area.

(*14*) Today's best iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone SE 2022 deals

Apple iPhone 14 Pro - 128 GB (opens in a new tab)Verizon Wireless (opens in a new tab)(*14*)36 months

(*two*)Unlimited minutes

(*two*)UnlimitedThe texts

(*two*)UnlimitedData

iPhone 14 Pro Max 128GB (opens in a new tab)Mint Mobile United States (opens in a new tab)(*14*)Without contract

(*two*)Unlimited minutes

(*two*)UnlimitedThe texts

(*two*)4 GBData

Icon(*14*)Calls:

Calls to MX and CA included(*14*)Texts:

Messaging to MX and CA included(*14*)Data:

(slowed down to 128 kbps speeds)(*14*)Free

(opens in a new tab)