Three of the four iPhone 12 models are still proudly on our list of best smartphones nearly a year after their release. But should you buy one now? Absolutely not.

The reason may be obvious: the iPhone 13 is reportedly on the way and may be announced as early as September 14. Therefore, buying an iPhone 12 or an earlier iPhone is not a good decision for the very near future.

While we won't know what upgrades and enhancements the new iPhone will have over the previous model until Tim Cook takes the stage, many rumors from usually reliable sources give us a good idea of what upgrades we should expect from the iPhone 13

Externally, the iPhone 13 will apparently look almost identical to the iPhone 12 (albeit with a slightly smaller notch), but it is what is inside that matters, and the new version will feature a new, faster A15 chipset, a larger battery capacity, significant camera upgrades, a Pro The new version will reportedly feature a faster new A15 chipset, a larger battery, a significant camera upgrade, and a 120Hz display for the Pro model.

It is also reported that, unusually for Apple, the new device will introduce emergency satellite communications, making it a trendsetter rather than a follower.

But even if you're not interested in any of these, it pays to wait a few more weeks before picking up the iPhone 12 anyway.

Technology declines in value from the day it is released (with a few notable shortage-based exceptions), and things move so fast that cell phones are especially susceptible.

In the case of the iPhone, unlike Samsung's Galaxy series, the decline is gradual rather than abrupt, but if the iPhone 11 is any example, as the SellCell graph below shows, once the latest version is released, a significant The decline comes.

Obviously, this graph specifically refers to resale value rather than buying new, but the used market does not exist in a vacuum, and the laws of supply and demand apply equally to carriers looking to shift inventory. With the new and shiny iPhone 13 available, carriers will try to give up their remaining iPhone 12 inventory, and that should mean significant discounts.

And it's not just phones with contracts that should see price cuts. Traditionally, Apple has reduced the price of the previous generation when a new model is announced. If Apple keeps the MSRP of the iPhone 13 at roughly the same level as the iPhone 12 (which is by no means guaranteed), then the older handsets will need their own price cuts to make them more attractive.

Given that the iPhone 11 dropped $100 to $599 when the iPhone 12 was released, one would expect the latter to receive a similar discount. And if you're willing to go even older, it might have the effect of bringing the iPhone 11 down to the iPhone XR's current $499 price.

Of course, this is all speculation, but it would be truly surprising if Apple and its carriers did not lower the price when the iPhone 13 arrives. A delay of a few weeks would certainly make it a better bet to wait, even if you still have your heart set on the excellent iPhone 12.