iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13-series on discount: Which phone to pick?

With the iPhone 14 series now official and with the festive season just about to kick off, older Apple iPhones will get some heavy-duty discounts and offers this year. During Flipkart’s Big Billion Day Sale which starts later this month, models from the iPhone 11, iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 series will be priced starting at under Rs 30,000, along with bank offers, of course. Amazon has not yet revealed its iPhone deals, but we expect something similar from the e-commerce giant as well.
But which of these deals are actually smart buys? Should you get an iPhone 11 at under Rs 30,000 or stretch your budget and get an iPhone 12 mini instead at under Rs 40,000? Do keep in mind that many of these prices are not confirmed yet, and are also going to be inclusive of several bank offers, exchange offers, etc. Here’s a deeper dive into the deals.  Let’s begin with the most affordable iPhone model that will be available during the sale, the iPhone 11.

Oh ok #bigbilliondays2022 pic.twitter.com/YWUfwFa9fC
— Mukul Sharma (@stufflings) September 14, 2022
iPhone 11 at under Rs 30,000
A recent peak at the upcoming Big Billion Day sale deals posted on Twitter tipster Mukul Sharma suggests we will see the iPhone 11 be available for under Rs 30,000, likely with bank offers included.
This may sound like a nice deal, but there are some specifics you should keep in mind. The first is that the iPhone 11 is a 4G phone. Apple didn’t support 5G networks till the iPhone 12 series, and the entire iPhone 11 lineup is simply incapable of connecting to 5G networks. In comparison, every Android phone around the Rs 30,000 mark comes with 5G support among other capable features.
The variant of the iPhone 11 that does come below Rs 30,000 may be the lowest storage variant, which would be 64GB. Apple’s base variant since the iPhone 13-series has been 128GB, but base variants of the iPhone 11 and 12 series will come in at 64GB, which may run out quickly for most users.

Who should buy it? If the older chip, lack of 5G and lower storage, along with other downsides like no MagSafe support is not a bother for you, you can consider the iPhone 11. If only the storage is an issue, you can also consider a higher storage variant, which could also be on discount during the sale.
iPhone 12 mini at under Rs 40,000
The iPhone 12 mini is hinted at being available for under Rs 40,000 including all offers during the Flipkart Big Billion Day sale. While this may be a significantly higher sum than the iPhone 11 deal, the iPhone 12 mini is a generation ahead of its predecessor. With the 12 mini, you also get MagSafe and 5G support, which should make it much more future-proof.
However, remember that the iPhone 12 mini will come with a smaller screen and overall form factor, which is great if you like smaller phones. But not the best option for gaming or media consumption. The mini phones also aren’t the best with battery life since they hold a smaller cell.
Apple has put a pause to the ‘mini’ series this year because of lower sales, which also suggests that you may not find as many third-party accessories for the 12 mini right now. The base variant of the 12 mini is still 64GB just like the iPhone 11, which could be less storage for most users in 2022.

Who should buy it? Those who want a compact, 5G-enabled iPhone, and are not concerned with lesser battery life and a bigger display. Once again you may want to consider getting a higher storage variant than the base 64GB.
iPhone 13 at Rs 49,990
The iPhone 13 is expected to be priced starting at Rs 49,990 during the Flipkart Big Billion Day sale including all offers. If you can extend your budget to this amount, this could be the best deal among all iPhones you could get your hands on in this year’s Flipkart sale.
The iPhone 13 comes with the 5G capabilities to make it future-proof, as well as MagSafe support, which lets you attach a number of Apple accessories to the phone magnetically including the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack which acts as an extra battery behind your phone without any wires. The iPhone 13 base variant is also 128GB, which is always better.

Moreover, the iPhone 13 features Apple’s smaller notch design, and it also isn’t very different from the new iPhone 14. It has practically the same design, a similar notch and a different implementation of the same A15 Bionic chip. The only features you will miss out on are things like ProMotion display and the third rear camera, which Apple has limited to the Pro models.
Who should buy it? Anyone looking to buy an iPhone under Rs 50,000 without compromising on storage, 5G compatibility or screen size and battery life. Compared to the iPhone 14 which doesn’t offer a lot more while starting at Rs 79,900, the iPhone 13 could be a steal deal for buyers looking to purchase a non-Pro iPhone.
iPhone 13 Pro at under Rs 90,000, iPhone 13 Pro Max at under Rs 1,00,000
The Pro variants of the iPhone 13 series will also be available at discounted prices during the Flipkart Big Billion Day sale. This includes the iPhone 13 Pro is priced at under Rs 90,000 and the 13 Pro Max is priced at under Rs 1,00,000. The final price is not clear, but keep in mind this price is indicative of bank offers and the actual discount might be very small.
The iPhone 13 Pro series offers some benefits over the regular iPhone 13 for the high price. These include a more capable triple camera setup on the back, a ProMotion display that enables dynamic refresh rate as high as 120Hz depending on the activity you’re doing, making animations and transitions feel much smoother, and the powerful A15 Bionic chip.

The phones also come with all other perks of the regular iPhone 13, including 5G support, MagSafe support and higher storage variants.
Who should buy it?  The iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max should be considered only those who want the Pro-only iPhone features including the ProMotion display, the camera setup and the A15 chip’s performance. However, do keep in mind that the newer iPhone 14 Pro-series phones start at Rs 1,29,900. If that is a jump in price that you can afford, you should consider the 14-series which has a newer design, 48MP main camera, the ‘Dynamic Island’ notch and a more powerful A16 Bionic chip.
If you are considering the iPhone 13 Pro models only for the performance of the A15 Bionic, you may want to consider the newer iPhone 14 which will actually be less expensive starting at Rs 79,900 or the iPhone 13 which still features a slightly less-powerful version of the same chip.