Contents
The Offer
- Costco has the 256GB Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max Smartphone w/ AppleCare+ (Unlocked, Space Black) For $1099.99
Our Verdict
Good deal if you’re in the market for this phone as they rarely go on sale, still a lot of money to be spending.
the phone through AT&T will NOT be unlocked yet AT&T has trade in plan after those 18months.
Dead ? It shows 1,369.99 for me via link
Personally, I don’t think spending $1K on a phone is good financial decision making. Insurance on a phone is even worse (buy a case). Smart money is taking advantage of a carrier trade-in deals or the super-savvy prepaid offer (e.g the expired Mint Mobile deal on the Pixel 7). That $1K could be making money. I’m rocking a free Pixel 6a on Xfinity Mobile ($15/month).
OOS but some considerations:
1. The included AppleCare is a ripoff because you still have to pay for each claim. It’s cheaper to buy a case. Plus, there’s a convenience factor. Going without your phone when Apple is repairing it, even for zero or low cost, is an inconvenience.
2. The 128gb model is the same price MSRP and is eligible for shopping portal rebates. For most of us, 128gb is plenty of storage. Keep in mind that when it’s time to trade-in, 128gb and 256gb are either very close or exactly the same in value. Apple trade-ins are completely agnostic to how much storage your phone has. They pay the same for 128gb and 1tb.
How many insurances don’t have deductibles? Isn’t Apple Care like a flat dollar deductible? The last time I had a claim for a shattered glass, I wasn’t without, they just replaced my phone on the spot.
for most people 128gb is nowhere near enough storage
Speak for yourself instead of for “most people”.
If you’re storing that much stuff on your phone’s internal storage, you’re doing it wrong.
AppleCare is for sure a ripoff, but you’d be surprised how many amateurs spend this much on a phone they barely know how to use and then drop it on concrete without a case on. AppleCare should be called AmateurCare.
The deductibles are standard everywhere now to prevent people who don’t really need the coverage from abusing it.
Out of stock already?
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Totally useless without the simcard option when traveling outside the US in so many other countries especially Asia . I am holding on to my iPhone 13 Pro
Agree, simcard slot is still necessary in most foreign countries.
Like which? Myanmar?
Yes Burma for sure . India and Nepal where I recently travelled to. Thankfully with T-Mobile free roaming and free 5gb high speed data and I bought local SIM card too with more data for my 13 pro . You should travel and travel outside the country . Seeing is believing. With SIM card option you will always have data and phone call wherever you travel around the world . The data plan and phone calls with foreign sim are so damn cheap
So your definition of “many other countries, especially in Asia” is India and Nepal? lol
India definitely has eSIM coverage. Every East Asian country offers eSIM, and many southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and Phillipines also offer it. You must not be looking very hard, or you’re trying to buy eSIM from brick-and-mortars like a tourist.
I went to india and nepal in Jan 2023. What are you talking about ? My freind had sim ready for me in india and I bought the sim card for nepal in Nepal airport . In those countries it is not just about the SIM card you can buy data text call all with purchase of a SIM card and it is super easy and super cheap . I despise iPhone 14 line ups due to it being useless in most countries in the world where the buildings are not super tall and food are not sandwiches or burgers .
You’re still using physical SIM cards on a device that no longer requires physical SIM cards in countries that no longer require physical SIM cards, so understandably you think that physical SIM cards are necessary “in most countries”.
Agreed, that’s a bummer. How about travelling to Canada to buy iPhone 13 Pro with the simcard?
Depends on if you travel to 3rd world shitholes…
spoken as a mindless consumer that wants to bend over to a manufacturer that arbitrarily pushed eSim in the US market while leaving it elsewhere. The sim card location is simply sealed off for the us market. This is apple removing choice from consumers, because they can.
Apple has never really given much choice to its
sheepconsumers, but that’s on you. No one is forcing you to stay in Apple’s ecosystem.Pushing eSIM was partly in response to shortages of chips used to make traditional SIM cards, so not arbitrarily at all. Yes, removing the option for dual SIM was a shitty move from Apple, but supply chain constraints would have forced that decision sooner rather than later anyway.
The only reason traditional SIM is still necessary is because older phones require them and less developed countries still use them.
Agree 100%. I really wish they kept the sim card tray. iPhones in other regions (Canada, Europe, China etc.) all have it so it’s not an engineering/design constraint
I used to buy a new iPhone every two years then realized I did not need the latest tech for my needs. My iphone XS still working well, especially after getting a replacement battery at the Apple store that cost $69. Unless Apple delivers a new phone experience or innovative functionality, my upgrade cycle is 3-5 years and same goes for my iPad.
Have they slowed down on planned obsolence?
A new phone should be good for five years, as the OS has been compatible for at least that long. The main issue is the battery life, which can be extended with proper settings/charging, or a replacement. For a new phone, I would go with larger storage capacity to last you a few years, as apps, videos, and photos get larger in size.
I think they upped the price of replacements to 100$ for iPhones, and 200$ for Macbooks. 100$ is still a small amount compared to 1000$ but creepy from Apply to squeeze more profits from service.
Yes Apple quietly raised the battery replacement cost from $69 to $89 for older devices starting March 1. The newer device battery replacement is about $100 in the US.
256GB storage for the 128GB storage price. Saves $100. But Apple is halfway through the annual product cycle already. Next year’s model will be for sale in 6-7 months. More speed and efficiency (3 nanometer chips), periscope lens, USB-C finally, and probably titanium frames.
Not disagreeing but adding that this deal includes AC+ ($200), which some care about. I’m in OR and have an Executive membership and Costco Visa, so no sales tax and 4% CB (eventually).
I do see your point about the new adds rumored for the 15 but then there’s also the availability shortage that iPhones often happen when a new model comes out. I’m considering it, but that’s me.
Generic USB C will be artificially limited from performing the same as “apple certified” USB C cables. Because Apple won’t give up their predatory practices and will do everything in their power to rake in pure profit from accessory sales. This is from some leaked information.
This defeats the purpose of adopting the standard, but it should be no surprise from Apple. Price increase also coming as iPhone sales are slowing.
Pro tip: save full MSRP on new Apple products by not buying them.
Jokes on you, I already bought two of them. One for upstairs, one for downstairs.
Wait….
Best tip ever, I’m using it for 14th years 😉
You’re so clever and insightful. I would have never known.