iPhone X all the fuss about iPhone prices...

[Cashmonee]

This. People need to learn how to talk or type. Say what you have to say for yourself. Don’t talk for others.

I would suggest not trying to convince everyone that you are not making a poor decision by upgrading yearly then. I don't personally care if you light your money on fire for fun. Just don't try to convince me it is a wise decision.

Full disclosure. I was a yearly upgrader and am getting off the hamster wheel. I realized how ridiculous it is to perpetually pay for moderately upgraded hardware year after year.

 

[Mac'nCheese]

Ask him to post his “leasing contract” with his provider. Go ahead. You won’t get it. Because it’s not a lease. You may see it as leasing, but it’s not an actual lease agreement. No matter if you see it that way. Contract shows he can “purchase” the product through payments. He then chooses 24 or 30 months. Just because they give you an “option” to trade it in and they pay the remaining balance does not mean it’s a lease. It’s just an option.

I said originally that what he is doing is the same as a lease not that it legally is a lease. He pays monthly for the use of the phone and gives it back to them. Then he gets a new one but continues to pay.

it's not worth it to you.



pay the balance and then sell it??? what are you talking about? that's exactly what i don't do. over all, I've paid a total of $560 (+tax) for my 256 X. That's it. Now i have a 512 Xs Max on the way and I'll send the X to AT&T which I've effectively sold to them for the remaining $560... and I'll just start paying monthly for my Max
[doublepost=1537051953][/doublepost]

how's your credit?

You said you trade it back in. I asked if you did that, have you paid it off to get money back. But you don't get money back., You get a new phone for the same price. Just like a lease. Your'e entire point was at first saying how you don't pay the same as everyone else who buys it. You don't really buy it since you always give it back and keep paying. You haven't effectively sold them anything because they aren't giving you any money. You are effectively leasing phones. It may not be a legal lease with paperwork but that is what you are doing.
[doublepost=1537052710][/doublepost]

no because I'm not signing a leading agreement. i am signing a purchase agreement and choosing to exercise my option to sell it back. with a lease you are obligated to return it or pay it off

I didn't say it was a legal lease but you are leasing it. And you haven't sold anything back. A sale means you made money. You haven't. You aren't doing anything that different or saving any more money than someone who pays full price. Then sells it in a year. you both paid about half for a years use of a phone.

 

[razmonster]

That's cool. I would still consider spending 12 payments worth of money on an iPhone X to trade in and then spend 12 more payments for an iPhone Xs or Xs Max so you can trade in and rinse/repeat to be pissing money away. You are paying a lot of money, into the thousands now, for features that no one needs, and in fact most will never use purposely or notice if they do.

The fact of the matter is that upgrading yearly and signing up to be a slave to Apple and the carriers is poor financial decision. You are signing up to perpetually pay for a device that in reality isn't drastically different than what has been around since the iPhone 6/6 Plus. If Apple are going to start charging computer-like prices, with computer-like upgrade cycles, then we should begin thinking in terms of computer-like purchase cycles, every 3-5 years. Plopping down $1000-$1500 a year is just insane, and make no mistake, no matter how you rationalize it, that is what you are doing.

Bro it's how YOU are rationalizing it, not me. you don't know what features people do or don't need. what may be valuable to you may not be of value to someone else.
personally i need the lower bandwidth on towers that the new iPhones have (finally) and that alone is worth an upgrade. that may not be the same for you and that's ok.

you don't think the X is drastically different than the iPhone 6? so Face ID, water resistance, dual-sim (for folks who travel overseas often), Animoji, better processors (for people who game especially) are throw-away features?

ok

just because you're content with 2015 technology doesn't mean other people are. maybe you're just basic, and that's ok.
[doublepost=1537053112][/doublepost]

I said originally that what he is doing is the same as a lease not that it legally is a lease. He pays monthly for the use of the phone and gives it back to them. Then he gets a new one but continues to pay.



You said you trade it back in. I asked if you did that, have you paid it off to get money back. But you don't get money back., You get a new phone for the same price. Just like a lease. Your'e entire point was at first saying how you don't pay the same as everyone else who buys it. You don't really buy it since you always give it back and keep paying. You haven't effectively sold them anything because they aren't giving you any money. You are effectively leasing phones. It may not be a legal lease with paperwork but that is what you are doing.
[doublepost=1537052710][/doublepost]
I didn't say it was a legal lease but you are leasing it. And you haven't sold anything back. A sale means you made money. You haven't. You aren't doing anything that different or saving any more money than someone who pays full price. Then sells it in a year. you both paid about half for a years use of a phone.

it's a payment plan that I'm using in the same way as a lease because my carrier allows that.

i take issue with you calling it a lease because it's not and other carriers ACTUALLY have lease programs. with ANY lease you make a initial or down payment and that's not something I've done.

 

[HeyKatie]

In Canada I'm not about to drop 2k for a freakin' phone just to own in outright.

 

[razmonster]

Because you're negating the fact that a phone cost $1000 by saying "it's only $42 a month. Whether it's $42 a month for 2 years or $21 a month for 4 years, IT'S STILL $1000 FOR THE PHONE. Hence, the title of your thread. The fuss is the $1000 or $1100, not how much you can justify paying a month to give it back in a year.

and i also said who is FOR REAL paying that much for a phone meaning full retail

 

[Mac'nCheese]

Bro it's how YOU are rationalizing it, not me. you don't know what features people do or don't need. what may be valuable to you may not be of value to someone else.
personally i need the lower bandwidth on towers that the new iPhones have (finally) and that alone is worth an upgrade. that may not be the same for you and that's ok.

you don't think the X is drastically different than the iPhone 6? so Face ID, water resistance, dual-sim (for folks who travel overseas often), Animoji, better processors (for people who game especially) are throw-away features?

ok

just because you're content with 2015 technology doesn't mean other people are. maybe you're just basic, and that's ok.
[doublepost=1537053112][/doublepost]

it's a payment plan that I'm using in the same way as a lease because my carrier allows that.

i take issue with you calling it a lease because it's not and other carriers ACTUALLY have lease programs. with ANY lease you make a initial or down payment and that's not something I've done.

I'm sorry if you are offended. All I was trying to do is understand what was going on. If you get offended by someone saying you are effectively leasing something, I think you might have some issues to work on. I won't bother you again, I'll leave this thread.

And no, you don't always have to put a down payment on a lease.

 

[Jimmy James]

How quickly does your carrier unlock your phone?

 

[Phone Junky]

In Canada I'm not about to drop 2k for a freakin' phone just to own in outright.

I get that 100%. And on the flip side of that, I'm not about to drop 83 a month just to borrow/lease, whatever you want to call it, a freakin phone.

 

[razmonster]

I would suggest not trying to convince everyone that you are not making a poor decision by upgrading yearly then. I don't personally care if you light your money on fire for fun. Just don't try to convince me it is a wise decision.

Full disclosure. I was a yearly upgrader and am getting off the hamster wheel. I realized how ridiculous it is to perpetually pay for moderately upgraded hardware year after year.

the only person trying to convince anyone of anything is you. my OP said nothing about what anyone should or shouldn't do or give examples
[doublepost=1537053643][/doublepost]

I get that 100%. And on the flip side of that, I'm not about to drop 83 a month just to borrow/lease, whatever you want to call it, a freakin phone.

but if i decide not to upgrade then what does that make it?

 

[Cashmonee]

you don't think the X is drastically different than the iPhone 6? so Face ID, water resistance, dual-sim (for folks who travel overseas often), Animoji, better processors (for people who game especially) are throw-away features?

ok

just because you're content with 2015 technology doesn't mean other people are. maybe you're just basic, and that's ok.

None of that is a drastic increase. Face ID is cool, but not as reliable for me as TouchID. Faster processors are for benchmarks, an iPhone 6 runs just fine for most people. Water resistance was always there, just not certified. None of these warrant buying every year at prices that started in $600's and rose to the $1000's in that time.

Also, I don't understand the need to be disrespectful. You're upset. You thought you had an argument to convince everyone that it was ok for you to upgrade yearly and several people called you on it. I get it, it's frustrating. That doesn't mean you have to be rude.

 

[gurase]

If you’re factoring in the resale value of your previous phone, whether you’re selling it on your own or trading it into the carrier in exchange for a year of payments, then yeah no one is paying “full price”. So a XS Max costs “$550” for a base model, then a XR only costs “$375”....have to compare apples to apples (no pun intended...)

Not saying you should or shouldn’t buy a phone every year or buy the most expensive one if that’s what you want, but don’t try to justify it because it doesn’t actually cost $1000+...it just means the other models are that much cheaper too.

 

[Phone Junky]

the only person trying to convince anyone of anything is you. my OP said nothing about what anyone should or shouldn't do or give examples

The original premise of your thread was the 'fuss about iPhone prices'. Are we to assume that your monthly payments don't reflect the overall cost of the iPhone? If the phone was half the price, would your payments not be lower? Is there no limit to how much you're willing to pay a month for a phone? If so, then you get what all the fuss is about. There is a limit people are willing to pay, be it monthly or in full.

 

[razmonster]

None of that is a drastic increase. Face ID is cool, but not as reliable for me as TouchID. Faster processors are for benchmarks, an iPhone 6 runs just fine for most people. Water resistance was always there, just not certified. None of these warrant buying every year at prices that started in $600's and rose to the $1000's in that time.

Also, I don't understand the need to be disrespectful. You're upset. You thought you had an argument to convince everyone that it was ok for you to upgrade yearly and several people called you on it. I get it, it's frustrating. That doesn't mean you have to be rude.

"but not as reliable for me as TouchID."

again it's a personal decision. and I'm not upset about anything. i wasn't arguing to convince anyone of anything i don't seek validation of strangers on the internet. it is you who wanted to chime in about people's finances and what you feel are poor decisions. and as far as you stating iPhone 6 runs "just fine for most people" i find laughable when Apple legit had drama over the last year about batteries and phones being slowed down....
I'm not suggesting anyone do what i do. if you want to keep your phone for a few years, go for it. you've spent time justifying why upgrades aren't worth it for, again, YOU.

you only speak for you even though you may belive otherwise
[doublepost=1537054497][/doublepost]

I'm sorry if you are offended. All I was trying to do is understand what was going on. If you get offended by someone saying you are effectively leasing something, I think you might have some issues to work on. I won't bother you again, I'll leave this thread.

And no, you don't always have to put a down payment on a lease.

I'm not offended and that's not what was being said initially. saying someone is leasing something is not the same thing as "effectively leasing something" which is exactly what I'm doing. what i do is for a intents and purposes a lease but legally it is not

 

[Cashmonee]

i don't seek validation of strangers on the internet.

Hey man, you started the thread. Not me. If you didn't want validation then why start the thread or insult those that don't validate your rationalization?

People are "fussing" because they are finally realizing that the "features" Apple are putting out are only amazing in marketing materials and presentations. I think people were willing to put up with it to a point, and it seems that point is just north of $1000. I have been here a long time and this is some of the most severe backlash I have seen Apple get. Certainly the most when it comes to pricing. So sure, your monthly payment isn't going up a ton, and you have set it in your mind you aren't paying full price. Many others are looking at the big picture, beyond the monthly payments and are waking up to the idea that Apple's pricing, especially on the phones is getting to the point of ludicrous. We are paying MacBook Pro prices on a yearly basis for a phone. I think people are beginning to feel that that is a bit nuts.

 

[Ortiz83]

I just think everyone should pay full price for the phone. If you can’t, you can’t afford it. Just my thought. Not telling people what to do. Just because there is no interest and it’s only $47 bucks a month doesn’t mean you can afford it.

 

[razmonster]

i posted this thread to have a conversation not to judge or be judged about how people spend their own money. i have not suggested anyone do anything or that buying outright vs a lease vs a payment plan is better than the other.

i simply asked a question because I just read an article/interview with Tim Cook quotes/comments about the pricing and him talking about carrier financing and making apple products attainable for a wider audience.

i didn't ask anyone's opinion on what I'm doing with my old phones but everyone has been sure to let me know why they think I'm wrong
[doublepost=1537055416][/doublepost]

I just think everyone should pay full price for the phone. If you can’t, you can’t afford it. Just my thought. Not telling people what to do. Just because there is no interest and it’s only $47 bucks a month doesn’t mean you can afford it.

i actually think that the only reason apple gets away with exorbitant prices is because of the many financing options available

 

[Appl3FTW]

Yea but u will never own a phone lol

 

[Ortiz83]

i posted this thread to have a conversation not to judge or be judged about how people spend their own money. i have not suggested anyone do anything or that buying outright vs a lease vs a payment plan is better than the other.

i simply asked a question because I just read an article/interview with Tim Cook quotes/comments about the pricing and him talking about carrier financing and making apple products attainable for a wider audience.

i didn't ask anyone's opinion on what I'm doing with my old phones but everyone has been sure to let me know why they think I'm wrong
[doublepost=1537055416][/doublepost]

i actually think that the only reason apple gets away with exorbitant prices is because of the many financing options available

Hey, I agree as well. But Apple is a business. If it was my business, I’d be doing the same thing. So I can make money. If you think about it, it sucks when you see it as a consumer. But you also need to see it as a business. Only common sense they will be seeing it from a business perspective. I’m not saying you are not. Just saying.

 

[razmonster]

Yea but u will never own a phone lol[/QUOTE

i could pay my new phone off on my next bill if i wanted to. i don't have a reason to. Maybe that's your life but it's not mine.

 

[CooKieMoNs7eR]

What is everyone arguing about? If u wanna buy it out right and keep it for 3 years go ahead and do so...if you want to lease it and upgrade every year go ahead, there is no right or wrong it’s all up to the person’s preference and their financial situation.

 

[Ortiz83]

What is everyone arguing about? If u wanna buy it out right and keep it for 3 years go ahead and do so...if you want to lease it and upgrade every year go ahead, there is no right or wrong it’s all up to the person’s preference and their financial situation.

I agree. But it isn’t technically leasing. It just looks that way. People are not signing leasing contracts for the phone.

 

[joeblow7777]

No matter how they disguise it, one way or another, even if it takes years, you’re paying the full price of the phone.

If you’re part of the upgrade program and figure that you’re saving because you get the next phone before you actually paid full price for the previous, that’s only sort of true. Apple gets the phone back so it’s more like a rental with an option to buy, and as long as you’re in the program you are paying for iPhones forever.

 

[Cashmonee]

i
i actually think that the only reason apple gets away with exorbitant prices is because of the many financing options available

I agree 100%. They have figured out how to get people to perpetually pay for a phone. It's brilliant and the ability to produce a steady income with these types of payment plans is why they are so loved by Wall Street. It's unfortunate though. Because as I said, I feel like the new features are overhyped in the name of keeping people on the hamster wheel. I have finally chosen to stop, and I hope that is the case this time next year as well so I can finally not be paying for a phone for a while.

 

[joeblow7777]

I agree. But it isn’t technically leasing. It just looks that way. People are not signing leasing contracts for the phone.

So basically it’s all the characteristics of a lease, but they just don’t call it that on paper.

 

[iF34R]

I've never sold my phones off thus far. So, making payments, then selling it off, and making more payments for the next phone.. I can't. I still own all the phones I've bought. They all actually still work just fine.

iPhone 4, 5, 5s, 6, 2x6s, 7+. Four of them are still in daily use.