How our buy-now score works
Every current Apple product gets a score from 0 to 100, recalculated each time the site updates. The higher the score, the better the time to buy.
| Part | Weight | What we measure |
|---|---|---|
| Release cycle | 40 | Days since the product came out, compared with how often that line is usually refreshed. Full marks for the first ~35% of the cycle, falling to zero when a refresh is due. |
| Price right now | 25 | The best new price we've confirmed in the last 7 days, compared with the lowest price of the last 90 days. Until we have enough price history, we compare it with Apple's launch price and score this part conservatively. |
| Successor coming? | 20 | Points come off if a replacement is rumoured within six months. The cut is bigger the sooner it's expected and the more we trust the rumour. We count a high-confidence rumour as 80%, medium as 55% and low as 30%. |
| Software support left | 15 | Estimated years of major iOS, iPadOS, macOS or watchOS updates left, based on Apple's past support. Five or more years earns full marks. |
Labels
Buy now 75–100 Good time 60–74 Wait if you can 40–59 Don't buy below 40
What the score can't know
Your own needs matter more than timing. If your current device is broken, a "wait" score won't help much. Buy what fits your budget, and consider refurbished or last year's model. The score is a guide, not financial advice.