iPhone X all the fuss about iPhone prices...

[Phone Junky]

half of you probably have bad credit and aren't able to finance a cell phone with a carrier at all and don't have a choice BUT to buy it full retail up front....but that's none of my business

Did you have to say this? All you're doing is making an assumption. It doesn't add anything to the discussion. One could just as easily assume that you have good enough credit to finance a phone and a monthly income to cover it, but have only $50 to your name.

 

[russiaak47]

how many people are ACTUALLY paying full retail for an iPhone?

last year i got the X 256 with $0 down and taxes charged next bill.
$56/month and in 10 months it's half paid off which makes upgrade eligibility...

i order the Xs Max 512 as an upgrade with $0 down and taxes charged to next bill...

so I've only "paid" for half of the X, $560, and a year from now I've only will have paid $720 for the Xs Max when it's time to upgrade again

I know everyone has different carriers with different upgrade options but realistically how many people are for real paying the entire price?

unless you are buying SIM FREE or you use prepaid carriers... there's not a reason you can't be upgrading yearly with little to no additional cost. if you are i feel like you're doing something wrong...

Dude, you had actually paid it, just through another way.

 

[Justanotherfanboy]

they don't want to hear the facts

The simple FACT is that you pay way, way, way more doing the trade in...
Here I’ll math 3 years of it both ways.

You:
Year 1, $1k phone- pay $500 of it, then trade it in for another... ($500 to use for the year)
Year 2, $1k phone- pay $500 of it, then trade it in for another... ($500 to use for the year)
Year 3, $1k phone- pay $500 of it then trade it in for another. ($500 to use for the year)

Me:
Year 1, $1k phone pay $1k, then sell it for $800 when I’m ready for another ($200 to use for the year)
Year 2, $1k phone pay $1k, then sell it for $800 when I’m ready for another ($200 to use for the year)
Year 3, $1k phone pay $1k, then sell it for $800 when I’m ready for another ($200 to use for the year)

After 3 years... you’ve paid $1500 to have the latest phone each year & I've paid $600!

You didn’t figure out a way to “game” the system... rather, they figured out a way for you to gleefully give them an extra $900 & you to honestly feel like you came out on top. You didn’t. Carrier trade ins... (& Apple’s) are an absolute scam.
You honestly think these big corporations are NOT after getting the very most out of you for the least??

All you’re doing is paying a huge amount to not have to deal w/ the 10 minute process that is “selling your own phone for it’s true value- rather than letting them take it back for roughly 1/2 its worth”.

The end.

 

[BigMcGuire]

The simple FACT is that you pay way, way, way more doing the trade in...
Here I’ll math 3 years of it both ways.

You:
Year 1, $1k phone- pay $500 of it, then trade it in for another... ($500 to use for the year)
Year 2, $1k phone- pay $500 of it, then trade it in for another... ($500 to use for the year)
Year 3, $1k phone- pay $500 of it then trade it in for another. ($500 to use for the year)

Me:
Year 1, $1k phone pay $1k, then sell it for $800 when I’m ready for another ($200 to use for the year)
Year 2, $1k phone pay $1k, then sell it for $800 when I’m ready for another ($200 to use for the year)
Year 3, $1k phone pay $1k, then sell it for $800 when I’m ready for another ($200 to use for the year)

After 3 years... you’ve paid $1500 to have the latest phone each year & I've paid $600!

You didn’t figure out a way to “game” the system... rather, they figured out a way for you to gleefully give them an extra $900 & you to honestly feel like you came out on top. You didn’t. Carrier trade ins... (& Apple’s) are an absolute scam.
You honestly think these big corporations are NOT after getting the very most out of you for the least??

All you’re doing is paying a huge amount to not have to deal w/ the 10 minute process that is “selling your own phone for it’s true value- rather than letting them take it back for roughly 1/2 its worth”.

The end.

This is true, though, having been scammed and dealt with painful experiences, I'm willing to pay that difference to not have to deal with the problems that come with selling your phone / chance at being scammed. That said, I do realize it's a noticeable chunk of change, ever so now... so my wife and I will be keeping our Max phones for 2-3-4 years ... no question this time. For a $1500+ phone... Upgrading every year is just not going to be something we're going to do.

Our monthly payment went from $46 to $72. Taxes and first payment were about $180.

But yeah, doing an early upgrade with AUP like we are, Apple is gleefully shoveling handfuls of cash into their pants. I realize it's a convenience cost, having done it twice now. But you're right, due to the cost of the phone, it's a cost I don't think I'm going to swallow anymore.

 

[bambooshots]

You hit the nail on the head. If everyone had to pay cash, or put it on a credit card and pay the monthly interest, these phones wouldn't sell at anywhere near the amount that they do.

This right here. If everyone had to write a check at the end of every fiscal year for income tax instead of having it taken away little by little from their paychecks, I’m sure things would change pretty quick.

The phone is the same. People will keep on paying on a monthly basis to justify it and wouldn’t know the full amount that they are paying.

Sounds like most of them don’t want to know, either. Just keep on paying $60/mo to have some shiny new gadget.

 

[craigio85]

The simple FACT is that you pay way, way, way more doing the trade in...
Here I’ll math 3 years of it both ways.

You:
Year 1, $1k phone- pay $500 of it, then trade it in for another... ($500 to use for the year)
Year 2, $1k phone- pay $500 of it, then trade it in for another... ($500 to use for the year)
Year 3, $1k phone- pay $500 of it then trade it in for another. ($500 to use for the year)

Me:
Year 1, $1k phone pay $1k, then sell it for $800 when I’m ready for another ($200 to use for the year)
Year 2, $1k phone pay $1k, then sell it for $800 when I’m ready for another ($200 to use for the year)
Year 3, $1k phone pay $1k, then sell it for $800 when I’m ready for another ($200 to use for the year)

After 3 years... you’ve paid $1500 to have the latest phone each year & I've paid $600!

You didn’t figure out a way to “game” the system... rather, they figured out a way for you to gleefully give them an extra $900 & you to honestly feel like you came out on top. You didn’t. Carrier trade ins... (& Apple’s) are an absolute scam.
You honestly think these big corporations are NOT after getting the very most out of you for the least??

All you’re doing is paying a huge amount to not have to deal w/ the 10 minute process that is “selling your own phone for it’s true value- rather than letting them take it back for roughly 1/2 its worth”.

The end.

You’ve got a very odd definition of what a scam is.

Stripped to the bare essentials, Apple offers two interest-free methods to purchase an iPhone. One of them happens to have a feature which allows users to hand back their device as settlement after a year and start again. The consumer makes that choice of their own free will. They are not being scammed out of anything - they are accepting the loss of equity in the device as a trade off for not having to arrange the sale of the device (and thus not having the risk of that going wrong), not having to spend two or three weeks reverting to an old device following the sale, not having to obsess over maintaining the resale value.

 

[Justanotherfanboy]

half of you probably have bad credit and aren't able to finance a cell phone with a carrier at all and don't have a choice BUT to buy it full retail up front....but that's none of my business

Lol, this is the silliest piece of backwards thinking, back-patting, self-aggrandizing, nonsense rationalization I’ve ever heard!!!

According to that “logic”.... all Americans that have crippling credit debt should probably scoff & look down at those that have no credit debt. Lol, they probably simply can’t afford to be in debt! There’s no way they’re consciously making clever financial decisions... right? Right??!

You REALLY wouldn’t like me!! I worked hard & saved hard for a few rough years, so I could move across the country & pay cash for my house.
I’m glad none of my neighbors know! They probably have 30 year mortgages & would think SO little of me for not being able to “afford” to pay triple the price of my home by splitting it into payments...

 

[michael31986]

The simple FACT is that you pay way, way, way more doing the trade in...
Here I’ll math 3 years of it both ways.

You:
Year 1, $1k phone- pay $500 of it, then trade it in for another... ($500 to use for the year)
Year 2, $1k phone- pay $500 of it, then trade it in for another... ($500 to use for the year)
Year 3, $1k phone- pay $500 of it then trade it in for another. ($500 to use for the year)

Me:
Year 1, $1k phone pay $1k, then sell it for $800 when I’m ready for another ($200 to use for the year)
Year 2, $1k phone pay $1k, then sell it for $800 when I’m ready for another ($200 to use for the year)
Year 3, $1k phone pay $1k, then sell it for $800 when I’m ready for another ($200 to use for the year)

After 3 years... you’ve paid $1500 to have the latest phone each year & I've paid $600!

You didn’t figure out a way to “game” the system... rather, they figured out a way for you to gleefully give them an extra $900 & you to honestly feel like you came out on top. You didn’t. Carrier trade ins... (& Apple’s) are an absolute scam.
You honestly think these big corporations are NOT after getting the very most out of you for the least??

All you’re doing is paying a huge amount to not have to deal w/ the 10 minute process that is “selling your own phone for it’s true value- rather than letting them take it back for roughly 1/2 its worth”.

The end.

Yea but can you transfer apple care after you sell your phone after a year? If not it sucks. Cause you only pay the 12 months of apple care when you return your phone to apple and start again. You save money in there. Too

 

[Justanotherfanboy]

You’ve got a very odd definition of what a scam is.

Stripped to the bare essentials, Apple offers two interest-free methods to purchase an iPhone. One of them happens to have a feature which allows users to hand back their device as settlement after a year and start again. The consumer makes that choice of their own free will. They are not being scammed out of anything - they are accepting the loss of equity in the device as a trade off for not having to arrange the sale of the device (and thus not having the risk of that going wrong), not having to spend two or three weeks reverting to an old device following the sale, not having to obsess over maintaining the resale value.

Fair enough.
Replace scam w/ “poor value”, or “not a good deal”.

I suppose if it’s worth hundreds upon hundreds of dollars for one to not have to deal w/ crazy, new-fangled, difficult to comprehend & use sites such as eBay or Craigslist- hey... more power to them!
You pay for convenience!
I personally find it well worth it to pay to have a steak prepared at my local steakhouse... However, I’d be being INCREDIBLY disingenuous if I went on to public forums and tried to convince others that there was a value-oriented or “good economics” piece to that decision. There’s not- I’m allowing a company to reap profit to provide me w/ convenience... just like if I participated in one of these upgrade programs!
[doublepost=1537110966][/doublepost]

Yea but can you transfer apple care after you sell your phone after a year? If not it sucks. Cause you only pay the 12 months of apple care when you return your phone to apple and start again. You save money in there. Too

You used to be able to transfer your AC+ to your new device (I preferred that...), now you get a credit for the unused portion, prorated to the day- thus not paying a penny more than you use.
It’s still fair, but.. I agree- adds a slight wrinkle.

 

[razmonster]

The simple FACT is that you pay way, way, way more doing the trade in...
Here I’ll math 3 years of it both ways.

You:
Year 1, $1k phone- pay $500 of it, then trade it in for another... ($500 to use for the year)
Year 2, $1k phone- pay $500 of it, then trade it in for another... ($500 to use for the year)
Year 3, $1k phone- pay $500 of it then trade it in for another. ($500 to use for the year)

Me:
Year 1, $1k phone pay $1k, then sell it for $800 when I’m ready for another ($200 to use for the year)
Year 2, $1k phone pay $1k, then sell it for $800 when I’m ready for another ($200 to use for the year)
Year 3, $1k phone pay $1k, then sell it for $800 when I’m ready for another ($200 to use for the year)

After 3 years... you’ve paid $1500 to have the latest phone each year & I've paid $600!

You didn’t figure out a way to “game” the system... rather, they figured out a way for you to gleefully give them an extra $900 & you to honestly feel like you came out on top. You didn’t. Carrier trade ins... (& Apple’s) are an absolute scam.
You honestly think these big corporations are NOT after getting the very most out of you for the least??

All you’re doing is paying a huge amount to not have to deal w/ the 10 minute process that is “selling your own phone for it’s true value- rather than letting them take it back for roughly 1/2 its worth”.

The end.

what is your point exactly? if it's that you and i choose to do things differently then ok...otherwise im not sure. i didn't say what i do is better or worse than what anybody else does. why are you so upset?

 

[Ffosse]

I always pay upfront the full price for a phone.

 

[nrvna76]

what is your point exactly? if it's that you and i choose to do things differently then ok...otherwise im not sure. i didn't say what i do is better or worse than what anybody else does. why are you so upset?

When I signed up I looked at it as the way to have the most options. If after 12 months somebody I trust wants to buy my phone for more than %50 value, or I want to go through the trouble of listing and selling it I can do that. If I do not want to I have a minimum offer from Apple of %50. If I decide not to upgrade (like this year) I can keep my phone and decide what to do next year. It’s more of a safety net than anything else, but the credit pull is a definite negative.

 

[Justanotherfanboy]

what is your point exactly? if it's that you and i choose to do things differently then ok...otherwise im not sure. i didn't say what i do is better or worse than what anybody else does. why are you so upset?

=)

I genuinely apologize for hitting a nerve!!

Please consider my post “food for thought” for others (NOT you), in case they’re trying to figure out which makes the most sense to them, in an economic sense.

I certainly didn’t mean to imply that the way I choose to do it is “better” than yours!! Simply cheaper. Your way is definitely more convenient.

Again... no offense intended!
I know whenever someone says something like “why so upset?” about a post that had no upsetting content whatsoever (no yelling, insulting, condemnation, etc.) it likely means something was erroneously read into it. Please know whatever perceived slight you felt was unintentional!

 

[Sackofnickels]

how many people are ACTUALLY paying full retail for an iPhone?

last year i got the X 256 with $0 down and taxes charged next bill.
$56/month and in 10 months it's half paid off which makes upgrade eligibility...

i order the Xs Max 512 as an upgrade with $0 down and taxes charged to next bill...

so I've only "paid" for half of the X, $560, and a year from now I've only will have paid $720 for the Xs Max when it's time to upgrade again

I know everyone has different carriers with different upgrade options but realistically how many people are for real paying the entire price?

unless you are buying SIM FREE or you use prepaid carriers... there's not a reason you can't be upgrading yearly with little to no additional cost. if you are i feel like you're doing something wrong...

So basically you never own a phone. The idea of making payments to a company indefinitely seems like an unnecessary expense.

 

[michael31986]

So basically you never own a phone. The idea of making payments to a company indefinitely seems like an unnecessary expense.

You can own if you want to. People are missing the point that 24 months payment you own it. Or 12 you return it. Either way if you sell it when new one comes out. You owned it but now sold it to someone so you no longer own it. It's the same. Just you selling it back to apple and not John Smith.

 

[Cashmonee]

I admit that I have not read all seven pages as petty bickering is not my thing. But why are so many people put off by the OP's decision to use a payment plan that allows him to a) trade the phone in, in 12 months, and get a different one or b) pay off the phone at any point within 24 months? It is zero interest. It isn't costing him anything more than a person who buys outright. He could decide that making payments for 11 months is better for his current financial situation but by the time 11 months rolls around, he'll have cash laying around to pay it off. In that scenario, he didn't pay any more money than someone who bought outright, he possessed the phone just like anyone else, and he could still sell it vs rolling into a new lease if he chooses to. He has given himself options that perhaps he deems preferential or necessary given circumstances that none of you are privy to. If you want to pay all of the money up front for your phone, more power to you. But you only 'own' your phone more than the OP in theory. He can decide at any moment to pay it off and have the same amount of 'ownership' as you.

People are put off because he implied that people should not be complaining about the prices of the phones because everyone uses payment plans and the payments only go up slightly (since the price increase is divided by 24). Before he gets upset again, that is the way it came off, not necessarily word for word what he said.

My issue with this is that it plays right into the hands of Apple and perpetuates the thing that has already burned us all once in 2008, buying things you really cannot afford with credit because "I can make the payments." Realistically, only a very small percentage of people can afford $1000+ phones on a yearly basis, but the payment plans make others think they can. This is dangerous honestly.

Not to mention, what happens when the residuals are no longer 50%? If we push out the loan payments like some carriers are doing, the residuals certainly won't be more than 50%. So what then? The obvious answer is rolling it into the new loan like being upside down in a car. The point is, these payments plans are not good for consumers in the end, and everyone just jumping in because they have to have the gold one this year could end up hurting us all in the same way it did in 2008.

 

[IdentityCrisis]

The simple FACT is that you pay way, way, way more doing the trade in...
Here I’ll math 3 years of it both ways.

You:
Year 1, $1k phone- pay $500 of it, then trade it in for another... ($500 to use for the year)
Year 2, $1k phone- pay $500 of it, then trade it in for another... ($500 to use for the year)
Year 3, $1k phone- pay $500 of it then trade it in for another. ($500 to use for the year)

Me:
Year 1, $1k phone pay $1k, then sell it for $800 when I’m ready for another ($200 to use for the year)
Year 2, $1k phone pay $1k, then sell it for $800 when I’m ready for another ($200 to use for the year)
Year 3, $1k phone pay $1k, then sell it for $800 when I’m ready for another ($200 to use for the year)

After 3 years... you’ve paid $1500 to have the latest phone each year & I've paid $600!

You didn’t figure out a way to “game” the system... rather, they figured out a way for you to gleefully give them an extra $900 & you to honestly feel like you came out on top. You didn’t. Carrier trade ins... (& Apple’s) are an absolute scam.
You honestly think these big corporations are NOT after getting the very most out of you for the least??

All you’re doing is paying a huge amount to not have to deal w/ the 10 minute process that is “selling your own phone for it’s true value- rather than letting them take it back for roughly 1/2 its worth”.

The end.

Sadly, it didn't work like that this year with the X. $1200 for the X, sold it for $800 (256gb model). That is a $400 loss not $200.

 

[KrisLord]

So basically you never own a phone. The idea of making payments to a company indefinitely seems like an unnecessary expense.

Having to make payments on something doesn’t mean you don’t own it.

In most cases ownership transfers as soon as the item is received, the seller doesn’t want to still own it whilst you’re making payments.

 

[Sackofnickels]

Having to make payments on something doesn’t mean you don’t own it.

In most cases ownership transfers as soon as the item is received, the seller doesn’t want to still own it whilst you’re making payments.

Stop making payments and then tell me who owns the phone.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Stop making payments and then tell me who owns the phone.

It’s a non-point point. Move on.

 

[pat500000]

Another word: you'll being enslaved to pay apple every year...or "you owe apple money."

 

[mzengr]

I admit that I have not read all seven pages as petty bickering is not my thing. But why are so many people put off by the OP's decision to use a payment plan that allows him to a) trade the phone in, in 12 months, and get a different one or b) pay off the phone at any point within 24 months? It is zero interest. It isn't costing him anything more than a person who buys outright. He could decide that making payments for 11 months is better for his current financial situation but by the time 11 months rolls around, he'll have cash laying around to pay it off. In that scenario, he didn't pay any more money than someone who bought outright, he possessed the phone just like anyone else, and he could still sell it vs rolling into a new lease if he chooses to. He has given himself options that perhaps he deems preferential or necessary given circumstances that none of you are privy to. If you want to pay all of the money up front for your phone, more power to you. But you only 'own' your phone more than the OP in theory. He can decide at any moment to pay it off and have the same amount of 'ownership' as you.

This! Also, why does it matter? Unless any of you are married to another or live in the same household, it’s none of your business how, or how much, anyone paid for their phone.

 

[Justanotherfanboy]

Sadly, it didn't work like that this year with the X. $1200 for the X, sold it for $800 (256gb model). That is a $400 loss not $200.

Well, was selling it worth the $200 extra you saved vs. paying $600, then trading it it?

If someone said “hey, I’ll pay you $200 to list my phone on eBay for me”, I know I’d jump! =)

 

[KrisLord]

Stop making payments and then tell me who owns the phone.

You still own it, they don’t want it back.

They would need some sort of court judgment to get the money owed can could potentially cease any assets to get the money back.

They wouldn’t specifically want the phone.

 

[nrvna76]

So basically you never own a phone. The idea of making payments to a company indefinitely seems like an unnecessary expense.

Different topic but this is how I am beginning to feel about my photo storage. Do I pay monthly indefinitely to store my photos? What does everybody else do for this?