Other 3 YEARS AND WAITING

[eyoungren]

The boil has gotten bigger and I fear it is here to stay for some time.

Yeah, I may have to hang out on Android for a few years. Either Apple will eventually lose this design concept or the camera technology will advance so far that no one can legitimately claim the bump is there because the phone is thin.

Eventually it will happen though. Apple no longer makes laptops based on the Titanium or the Aluminum PowerBook designs anymore and this isn't like trying to redesign wheels on a car (which will always be round and have tires and be in the same place).

 

[casperes1996]

The Apple Upgrade Plan makes it really easy to trade in your phone (0 waste) as well. My wife and I have enjoyed being able to upgrade if we want to or keep our phones if we want.

It's not really 0 waste. I mean, it's less than a lot of other solutions, but producing these devices comes with some inherent climate waste. - And I'm not trying to say not to upgrade, just that no production is 0 waste.

But if you have the money and you want to upgrade every year, or every second or whatever, go for it. - Regardless of how you choose to do it though, my opinion is that iPhones don't really need to change much; As I mentioned earlier I see them as appliances and my 8 does everything I need from it fine. Phones have never really been that fun or exciting to me anyway

 

[MacClueless]

Phones have never really been that fun or exciting to me anyway

So pretty much you’re just trolling.

 

[freeagent]

I’m not sure that’s entirely true.. people post here because they like their devices.. a lot.. and some more than others lol..

I like iPhones. I like each generation, and to me they all look great. I like the big bezels, I like the notch, I like how they feel, and I like how they perform. You pay for it though. Sure it might not always be technically superior to it’s competition, but you pay for the experience. Yes a little more customization would be nice, and so would an fm radio.. but I’ve been satisfied over the years. Probably more than the average android user has I’m sure.. but again, I paid. I have used AppleCare quite a bit, it has paid for itself by the time my contract is up. They are pretty tough.. but not indestructible 😄

 

[casperes1996]

So pretty much you’re just trolling.

I don't see what could be considered trolling with respect to any of what I said actually.
I'm saying I don't see the appeal of regular upgrades, but people should do it if they feel it brings them something worthwhile and they can afford it

 

[ghostface147]

I'm on the iPhone 6S since summer 2016. Still waiting for a worthy upgrade...

Define worthy.

 

[saxjonz]

Once you start using the phone, you don't even notice the notch is there, camera bumps aren't going away any time soon unfortunately.

People upgrading from a iPhone x and up, won't notice big changes in future models.

iPhone 8 and lower, its like you're getting a whole new user experience, No home button good riddance, Face ID works 100% of the time compared to touch id wet fingers rough skin, good riddance.

Swipe gestures is awesome, makes using the phone feel more natural and faster.

What if your face is all sweaty?

 

[Tsepz]

I always got a kick outta my 8+ because it reminded me of bender or the cylons from battlestar galactica..

In addition, compared to carrying a dedicated camera around... the camera bump is pretty minor.

I have to say I really like the camera bump on the 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max.

The 3 lenses are like a throwback to these vintage bad boys:

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

So pretty much you’re just trolling.

Not sure how you came to this conclusion after reading the post you quoted? People should buy whatever phone they wish for the reasons that suit.

 

[JagRunner]

I played with my moms 8 Plus that I gave her a few years ago. Man, I forgot how nice that phone is. I was jealous for a second. The huge screen without a notch. It was still in excellent condition. It still felt light in the hand compared to the Pro Max. I joked with her if I could have it back and she laughed and said no lol

 

[Jimmy James]

It’s completely predictable how these posts suggest an expectation of greater change with no suggestion of what that should be.

 

[throAU]

After 3 years it appears the iPhone 12 hardware is no great change. Leakers have said Flat sides, Lidar scanner However that appears to be it. Am I missing something

What do you want?

What do you feel is missing? What do you think apple could have done? Other than changing the style for the sake of it; and within the candy-bar form factor I don't feel there's much to be done?

CPU/GPU will be much faster, maybe there will be new software features - but you won't find out about those until the announcement or at least close to it.

 

[bryanc28]

I am not upgrading just because the new phone is square. My work phone is an XR and the notch has always bothered me. Horrible design. Its like staring at a person with front teeth missing.

 

[Harthag]

Obviously must be an appreciation thread that the OP feels their current phone is good enough that they don't feel a need or even a want to upgrade every year. A show of happiness that they got something so good that it's lasted them longer than it apparently used to...

On a more serious note, I never understood upgrading yearly. Even disregarding how wasteful and environmentally unfriendly that is, it's not like it's ever been that big a deal year-to-year. It's a phone. Just a phone.

How is it wasteful and environmentally unfriendly if I upgrade my iPhone every year? I sell it to someone who wants it and will enjoy it. I’m not throwing my phone in the trash or somewhere else that can cause harm.

Is your point is that it is wasteful to buy a phone every year because every phone Apple produces impacts the environment, so we’re all doing earth a favor by not upgrading? Aren’t iPhones manufactured with recycled materials?

 

[casperes1996]

How is it wasteful and environmentally unfriendly if I upgrade my iPhone every year? I sell it to someone who wants it and will enjoy it. I’m not throwing my phone in the trash or somewhere else that can cause harm.

Is your point is that it is wasteful to buy a phone every year because every phone Apple produces impacts the environment, so we’re all doing earth a favor by not upgrading? Aren’t iPhones manufactured with recycled materials?

Follow my theoretical example here:

We say we have 5 people. All 5 people have phones. Person 1 has the newest. He buys the latest one just now, and sells his phone to person 2, who sells his to 3 to 4 to 5; But we now have 6 phones and only 5 people. It doesn't matter That it keeps getting sold down the chain because producing a new one will still increase the overall number of phones so at some point it will hit the bottom of the chain, and best case it goes to recycling, worst case it goes to a landfill.

Even if we say that literally every component and part is both recycled and recyclable, there's still an environmental cost to treating and processing the materials.

But it really wasn't a judging comment; As I said upgrade when you want and can. But production will inherently have an environmental cost that needs to be balanced out elsewhere. Burning coal to drive the electricity required in the robots on the assembly line, or to heat up the furnace that melts the metal so it can be shaped - it's not just about the materials in the device, but the process that was required to get them into a product

 

[lkalliance]

Yeah, I may have to hang out on Android for a few years. Either Apple will eventually lose this design concept or the camera technology will advance so far that no one can legitimately claim the bump is there because the phone is thin.

That would be very interesting technology indeed. The lens has to be that thick for the lensing to be physically possible...but with more and more photo information being created by the chip instead of collected through the lens, who knows? I doubt it though, for a very long time.

 

[compwiz1202]

It’s completely predictable how these posts suggest an expectation of greater change with no suggestion of what that should be.

But that would be the most likely change to get people to upgrade, a surprise. Right now the only thing I would upgrade for is 5G, and only once it is actually in our area, which could be forever yet. I like the big phones, but I think I've reached the max in body size that I want with 11PM. Now if they could shrink the notch and bezels to fit a bigger screen with about the same body size, I might be tempted. Otherwise, it would take a big surprise to get me to upgrade or my phone breaking or getting slow.

 

[casperes1996]

But that would be the most likely change to get people to upgrade, a surprise. Right now the only thing I would upgrade for is 5G, and only once it is actually in our area, which could be forever yet. I like the big phones, but I think I've reached the max in body size that I want with 11PM. Now if they could shrink the notch and bezels to fit a bigger screen with about the same body size, I might be tempted. Otherwise, it would take a big surprise to get me to upgrade or my phone breaking or getting slow.

Genuine question; What use-case makes 5G an attractive upgrade reason?

 

[Jimmy James]

I think the “problem” is that were roughly at peak implementation with available technology.

This is great for consumers. The problem arises when you’re looking for something new to stimulate your dead soul.

 

[blkjedi954]

I'm on the iPhone 6S since summer 2016. Still waiting for a worthy upgrade...

I’m on 6S Plus since 2015. I will be getting iPhone 12. Then I’ll get the iPhone 17...lol. Silly how people upgrade annually. Mature product. No game changers in future products just incremental upgrades to existing features.

 

[Fred Zed]

I wonder if battery screen on time will be better is worse than the 11pro max?

 

[MartyvH]

I'm in an unusual position - I return my iPhone XS at the end of the lease in October and had the 2016 SE previously, otherwise I would "wait" too, even after having one of the recent flagships. The 12 5.4" is the one I have really been waiting for. It should have been there a few years back. To me it looks certain that I will have that for the long term like your 6S. It really is an appliance now. You settle in to your own price point or spec level and that's it. They are becoming more like cars.
[automerge]1592278169[/automerge]

The problem arises when you’re looking for something new to stimulate your dead soul.

Explore more apps! This area is enormous. See what else can be done with your phone. Like a car, see where else it can drive you. Also, outside phones it's a big world now. There are so many more pursuits you can do with your time than there used to be. The new phone news will only get more quiet on MacRumors.

 

[blairh]

After 3 years it appears the iPhone 12 hardware is no great change. Leakers have said Flat sides, Lidar scanner and 5G However that appears to be it. Am I missing something

Notch will be half the size as current.

 

[44267547]

Threads like this don’t represent an ‘actual representation‘ of how consumers think. They keep their phones until they either break physically or no longer supported that struggle with performance and/or apps that are no longer receiving updates. Smart phones have grown exponentially expensive, to the point where it’s pushing Consumers to keep their devices longer, because it’s not a necessity to upgrade. Apple in my opinion has the strongest smart phone on the market in terms of the ecosystem, but even they are diversifying where the iPhone is generally too expensive for the average consumer.

As much as I have invested heavily in to Apple products, there’s only so many fetaures that provoke excitement about a smart phone, Because the technology with smart phones is at a point where it’s still growing, but not everybody uses every single feature that is introduced every year.

 

[throAU]

Because the technology with smart phones is at a point where it’s still growing, but not everybody uses every single feature that is introduced every year.

Yup.

Unless you really have too much money to spend on toys, or are REALLY a hard core Apple/tech enthusiast, upgrading every year is just totally un-necessary.

As mentioned above, smartphones are at the point where all the big-ticket items are "done" or "good enough".

Until there's some revolutionary new feature or tech, don't expect groundbreaking change from year to year. It will be small increments.

Which, if you hit 2-3 or more years, definitely add up (speed mostly), even if they don't look like much on paper. But going from a phone released in year NNNN to NNNN+1 will hardly ever get you a massive step. So don't expect one!