This story is part of Apple Event, our full coverage of the latest news from Apple.
The excellent iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max will land in stores this Friday, Sept. 24 but the best deals are here now — especially if you plan on trading in your old iPhone. In fact, some carriers are slashing $1,000 off the retail price with a qualifying trade-in.
The iPhone 13 gets a bump over the iPhone 12 in some critical ways, including best-in-class cameras with outstanding photo processing and video that take mobile phone photography to the highest level. In addition, this fresh batch of iPhones comes with Apple’s newest A15 Bionic chip and a 128GB starting storage capacity, which brings Apple in line (finally) with top Android rivals. In fact, the iPhone 13 Pro Max has up to 1TB of storage (that’s close to most hard drives and desktop computers). Add two splashy new colors — sierra blue and pink — and you have some great reasons to upgrade or switch over to iPhone for the first time.
Read on for more on iPhone 13 prices by model (and storage size), your full color options, and how to get the best trade-in deals available — it’s complicated, but you might be able to get a new iPhone for “free.” Just note that shipping delays are now into October for some iPhone 13 configurations.
Read more: How to download iOS 15 with Focus mode and FaceTime with Android users.
The new iPhone 13 is on sale now. We have the prices for all four models.
Apple
When is the iPhone 13 release date?
Preorders for all new iPhone 13 models started Sept. 17. The release date — that is, when phones are expected to arrive in stores — is this Friday, Sept. 24, but there are shipping delays into late October for some iPhone 13 models. The first preorder purchases are also expected to arrive by Sept. 24 (sometimes preorders will arrive the day before).
Read more: The iPhone 13 is still missing these 5 Android features
Watch this:
Review: The iPhone 13 and 13 Mini check all the boxes
9:18
What is the difference between the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 13?
The truth is, there aren’t many big differences between the two. We reviewed the iPhone 13 and found a few differences. The newest model has a camera layout to give your photos and videos more light. And the new phone has Cinematic mode to give a clear focus on people in videos. You’ve also heard about the A15 bionic chip, faster charging and the new colors. But if you have an iPhone 12, it might not be worth upgrading quite yet.
What colors are available for the iPhone 13?
A few popular colors are still around, including midnight and Product Red. But Apple added a few new colors to the phone’s lineup. You’ll also notice new colors, such as pink and Sierra blue. Keep in mind that the color depends on your phone choice.
iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini colors
- Starlight (white)
- Midnight (black)
- Blue (not the same as Sierra blue, below)
- Pink
- Product Red
iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max choices
- Sierra blue
- Silver
- Graphite
- Gold
How much does the iPhone 13 cost for every storage size?
As with previous iPhones, pricing will depend on the model and storage capacity. The cost also does not include activation fees or taxes. US prices for the base models for each are below:
- iPhone 13 starts at $799
- iPhone 13 Mini starts at $699
- iPhone 13 Pro starts at $999
- iPhone 13 Pro Max starts at $1,099
iPhone 13 prices by model and storage capacity
| 128GB | 256GB | 512GB | 1TB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 13 | $799 | $999 | $1,099 | N/A |
| iPhone 13 Mini | $699 | $799 | $999 | N/A |
| iPhone Pro | $999 | $1,099 | $1,299 | $1,499 |
| iPhone Pro Max | $1,099 | $1,199 | $1,399 | $1,599 |
Which carriers and stores will sell iPhone 13?
Vendors will confirm its offers and phone availability over the next few hours and days, but it’s safe to say that existing Apple retail partners that sold the iPhone 12 will sell the newest model. That includes Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T and other mobile carriers.
Most wireless carriers have deals on the latest iPhone 13 models, and even though you may not be able to get the phone for free, trading in your device can reduce the up-front cost by a good amount and is the best deal to avoid paying full price for the phone.
Read more: The biggest iPhone 13 feature isn’t on a spec sheet. It’s in the trade-in offers
Deals from retailers and carriers selling the iPhone 13
New and current customers can get the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Mini for free, depending on trade-in, plan and financing. AT&T will also offer $700 off the iPhone 13 and $1,000 off the iPhone 13 Pro Max with qualifying trade-ins under a few conditions.
The deal only applies to those with an unlimited plan and a 36-month installment plan. You must have an eligible trade-in that’s in good, working condition. The iPhone 11 and 12 lines (and XS Max), as well as recent phones like the Samsung Galaxy S20, S21, Note 20, Google Pixel 5 and LG Wing, are among the phones that can get you the full discount on the iPhone 13 Pro. Others, like the iPhone X, XS and XR, Galaxy S10 line, Pixel 4 line and OnePlus 8 line are among the phones tradable to get the iPhone 13 Mini for free. You can check how much your device is worth at AT&T’s trade-in site.
As with other carrier deals, you won’t get the full value up front, with AT&T instead dishing the discount as a monthly bill credit for the next three years to keep you on its network. If you switch carriers or cancel service early, you’ll be responsible for the remaining balance on the phone.
Apple customers can trade in an eligible device to get the new iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max for free or less than the retail price — depending on your trade-in value. You can select your wireless carrier from Apple’s website to get special deals or you can trade in your device with Apple and select one later.
Apple’s deal lets you get up to $790 off the new iPhone 13 models when trading in the iPhone 8 or a newer model. Other phones, like the Samsung Galaxy S8, Google Pixel 3 and LG G8 ThinQ, are also eligible as trade-ins.
Best Buy customers can save up to $1,000 on the iPhone 13 Pro and up to $720 off the iPhone 13 with a qualifying trade-in. The $1,000 discount is only applicable when trading in an iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 12 Pro Max from AT&T. The phone must also be in good, working condition.
But there’s a catch for those preordering the iPhone 13. Customers can only get $720 off the iPhone 13 if they trade in an iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 12 Pro Max from T-Mobile. The offer is only valid from Sept. 17 to 23.
T-Mobile announced a Forever Upgrade program that applies to the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineup. You can now trade in a qualifying device and get up to $800 off the iPhone 12 or iPhone 13. The deal only applies to unlimited T-Mobile or Sprint plans, specifically those with Magenta Max or Sprint Max. Some legacy plans are also eligible for the deal, including older T-Mobile plans like One Plus, Magenta Plus, Unlimited for All Plus and Unlimited for All Premium. Those with newer T-Mobile plans like its Essentials or the Magenta offerings are not eligible.
You can still get the iPhone 13 and enroll in the Forever Upgrade program if you don’t have a qualifying trade-in device right now. You’ll get up to $800 off your next upgrade after two years if you want to upgrade and your phone is in good, working condition.
Verizon’s best deal is for the 128GB iPhone 13 Pro, which new and existing customers can get for free with selected trade-ins alongside an unlimited plan. For all other models, new and existing Verizon customers can get up to $1,000 off with an eligible trade-in. Verizon will also cover up to $500 for new customers to switch and the two offers can be combined. So if you’re thinking of switching to Verizon, you can get up to $1,500 off the new iPhone 13. However, the deal only applies to select unlimited plans.
If you’re already leaning toward Verizon, note that the carrier offers discounts for iPads and Apple Watches alongside an iPhone purchase. Apple Music is also included with the Get More Unlimited plan.
New customers who buy one of the iPhone 13 models can get a HomePod Mini and a $200 Visible gift card after switching from an eligible carrier to Visible. The HomePod Mini is available while supplies last.
Customers will be eligible for the HomePod Mini after one payment and will qualify for the gift card after three payments.
New and existing Xfinity customers can get $300 off when they preorder the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max. Existing customers can add a line to their plan to get the deal, or upgrade without adding a line and get a $300 Visa prepaid card and up to 40% off. Here’s how much you can expect to pay with Xfinity’s preorder promotion. Keep in mind that the phone’s pricing may vary depending on storage.
- iPhone 13 Mini: $429.99
- iPhone 13: $529.99
- iPhone 13 Pro: $699
- iPhone 13 Pro Max: $799
Spectrum Mobile will be carrying the iPhone 13 lineup and the new iPad and iPad Mini. You can also trade in your old phone to get a discount on the new iPhone 13 models. You may qualify for $100 off if you trade in an eligible device, add a new line and get a new phone.
CNET Associate Writer Katie Teague contributed to this article.