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Am I the only one not caring about new phones anymore?
- Thread starter Tig Bitties
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I have an MBP M1 16” that I use every single day and for my needs, it is plenty fast. Funny thing is I upgraded from an AW8 to an AW10 and aside from a slightly larger screen, the experience was almost exactly the same. The screen was slightly better and brighter and it was slightly faster when using Siri (which I don’t do often). I still have ten days to decide if I want to keep it and I’m still thinking about returning it because there isn’t enough of a difference to justify the cost.
So it is definitely not just phones and MBPs. The watch is pretty much the same from iteration to iteration as well. At least to me.
I get much more excited about physical tools, like hammers, than I do about tech. I have a workshop full of enough tools to rebuild an aircraft carrier.
Moving from a 13 Pro to my 16 Pro? 🥱
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For me:
4 to 5 - good upgrade. The 4 was never a very fast phone to begin with. Also, the ‘longer’ screen and extra row of icons was amazing at the time.
5 to 6s - great upgrade! The 5 was good phone, but the 6s with a larger screen, more RAM, beefier 64-bit CPU, and Touch ID made for a significant upgrade from a 5 at the time.
6s to Xs - amazing upgrade! Pretty obvious why, but the 6s was also always a great phone in my book.
Xs to 14 Pro - meh upgrade (and very expensive). I should have just replaced the Xs battery and waited until it’s no longer supported. I’ve never really liked the screen size of the 14 Pro. X/Xs/11 Pro was the sweet spot for me.
As it currently stands, I’ll be using the 14 Pro until it breaks or is no longer supported (unless Apple comes out with something truly revolutionary as a new iPhone, but I’m not holding my breath).
4 to 5 - good upgrade. The 4 was never a very fast phone to begin with. Also, the ‘longer’ screen and extra row of icons was amazing at the time.
5 to 6s - great upgrade! The 5 was good phone, but the 6s with a larger screen, more RAM, beefier 64-bit CPU, and Touch ID made for a significant upgrade from a 5 at the time.
6s to Xs - amazing upgrade! Pretty obvious why, but the 6s was also always a great phone in my book.
Xs to 14 Pro - meh upgrade (and very expensive). I should have just replaced the Xs battery and waited until it’s no longer supported. I’ve never really liked the screen size of the 14 Pro. X/Xs/11 Pro was the sweet spot for me.
As it currently stands, I’ll be using the 14 Pro until it breaks or is no longer supported (unless Apple comes out with something truly revolutionary as a new iPhone, but I’m not holding my breath).
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I think that visually for a lot of people, including myself, once Apple achieved and released the full screen iPhone and OLED iPhone (both of which happen to be the iPhone X, back in 2017), we feel there really isn’t much else that can be done. There is only so much that can be done with a full screen slab. They’ve flattened the sides and changed the materials a bit, but nothing much else. We still have a cut-out of a sort for Face ID. Even the rumoured iPhone 17 ‘Air’ doesn’t really change anything.
💯 I don’t know why Apple decided to go from 5.8 inches to 6.1 (and now 6.3 on the Pro) but 5.8 was peak iPhone for me. The 11 Pro was still very pocketable but the 12 Pro and its successors are too tall. I’m stuck with an iPhone 13 mini now but would prefer a 5.8 inch screen rather than 5.4.
I have two iPhone 15 Pros, they are company phones, replaced every 2 years. Since they were replaced in 2024 my next update is due in 2026, so I won't get the 16. Although quite frankly, I would have preferred to keep my older 13 Pros and get the 16 now since the camera button looks like a really cool idea. I'll have to wait for the 17, though.
We get excited when a new tool allows us to do exciting new things with them.
When they're just a replacement providing the same thing(i.e. not letting us do something new) it's no longer exciting.
This is the current state of smartphones for the most part, they're just replacements nowadays.
Because people switch phones too soon.. I went from XR to iPhone 16 pro, and oh boy what an upgrade. Better display, better battery(XR was on 79% after 6 years) 120mm zoom. 6.3" is perfect size. Felt that tech excitement we all looking for
.. kinda same when going for m1 air to m4 pro macbok pro 14.2"you buy when you need upgrade, that's the whole point.
I only care about improved cameras and if the Dynamic Island can ever disappear.
The other phone features - I don't care much TBH at this point. They're all very mature.
The other phone features - I don't care much TBH at this point. They're all very mature.
I keep reading about "improved cameras" only reason I upgrade.
Maybe I'm blind I can barely tell any difference or no big improvements from 8 Pro to 9 Pro or even 7 Pro and 6 Pro last few years.
Maybe I'm blind I can barely tell any difference or no big improvements from 8 Pro to 9 Pro or even 7 Pro and 6 Pro last few years.
yeah, I've got a 12P and after it was replaced under apple care, I've got a new battery and I can't see buying a new phone for awhile. all I do is make calls, internet, and play music. I don't use the cameral accept to take photos for notes.
BUT if Siri became conversational and I needed a phone to access it, I would probably jump onboard, "Siri, what's the plane fare to London, Siri order me a veggie pizza from xyzzy, etc.
BUT if Siri became conversational and I needed a phone to access it, I would probably jump onboard, "Siri, what's the plane fare to London, Siri order me a veggie pizza from xyzzy, etc.
I have never been truly eager to get a new phone. My first cellphone I got because my employer at the time insisted. That phone was a red Samsung flip phone—neat little thing I rather liked and it was fine at the time. I then upgraded to an iPhone 4 as my first smart phone. Since then I usually keep the phones about 4-5 years before upgrading—so after the 4 there was a 6, then an 8+, and presently a 14 which I’ve had going on a year and a half. And so far I’ve never bought a newly just released current model phone. I got the 14 with a good deal shortly before the 15 was released, thus saving money from getting a phone only incrementally better than the one that preceded it.
And thats the thing—smart phones are mature tech in their current form and change only incrementally from one or two years to the next. You’ll see a more significant upgrade over a 4-5 year period. I quite like my 14, but having said that, though, I don’t feel a world of difference in terms of use between my 8+ and my current 14. I do appreciate the larger screen in what is a somewhat smaller and lighter device than the 8+.
And thats the thing—smart phones are mature tech in their current form and change only incrementally from one or two years to the next. You’ll see a more significant upgrade over a 4-5 year period. I quite like my 14, but having said that, though, I don’t feel a world of difference in terms of use between my 8+ and my current 14. I do appreciate the larger screen in what is a somewhat smaller and lighter device than the 8+.
Only reason i really upgrade if for the Camera and i only do that every 2/3 years these days instead of every year
Same here TBH.
Currently have the 15PM, and intend to stick with it until at least the iPhone 18PM....maybe longer........
Its get boring after a while, it's just a phone man...
I got a S24 ultra, might go back to iphone and just stay there, apple backups are great and everything syncs to the new phone regardless of how weak IOS is.
It does a good job doing the basics.
You realize the smart ones make the app, get the people or worhship phones and gadgets and once the traffic stops generating high numbers they sell and cash out.
The blackberry dude did the same thing, moved onto much more profitable ventures after blackberry fell off.
Phil from androidcentral cashed out and went back to being a dad with his kids.
I got a S24 ultra, might go back to iphone and just stay there, apple backups are great and everything syncs to the new phone regardless of how weak IOS is.
It does a good job doing the basics.
You realize the smart ones make the app, get the people or worhship phones and gadgets and once the traffic stops generating high numbers they sell and cash out.
The blackberry dude did the same thing, moved onto much more profitable ventures after blackberry fell off.
Phil from androidcentral cashed out and went back to being a dad with his kids.
Smartphones have been maturing for some years now. It's not like the late 2000s or early 2010s, when smartphones became significantly bigger every year and manufacturers experienced a lot more with both hardware form and software UI and UX. Arguably, only the foldable form factor is interesting nowadays, but for most, a phone has become an everyday tool.
The hardware on it's own is very nice and I can still appreciate new and shiny tech stuff.
The iPhone is straight sci-fi if you grew up with tech from the 80´s and 90´s.
At the same time I've started to miss the world before smartphones more and more.
So it´s not exactly out of joy and excitement I would buy a new one these days.
At this point it's more like "oh great, time for the $1500 Root Canal Pro Max"..
The iPhone is straight sci-fi if you grew up with tech from the 80´s and 90´s.
At the same time I've started to miss the world before smartphones more and more.
So it´s not exactly out of joy and excitement I would buy a new one these days.
At this point it's more like "oh great, time for the $1500 Root Canal Pro Max"..
I do get that "Star Trek" feeling on occasion when I pick up my phone to use it. We have some impressive technology at our disposal.
I'm right there with you. To be honest, for me it's the fact that I'm no longer excited about paying $1000 for a device that collects a bunch of data about me and sends it to third party data brokers to form profiles about me and sell ads to me.
I updated every two years just because my company had a deal with Vodafone and I got a credit of 500 Euros every other year. I remember when I still had a pefectly fine iPhone 7 and the new iPhone X had a insane price even after the 500 Euro credit. I said no thank you, just give me another iPhone 7 so I have a fresh battery and I gave the old 7 to my parents. Then two years later I got my 12 mini. I never felt the need to upgrade. Had one battery swap and it’s still running fine.
It’s really an industry wide issue, as you allude to OP with the Pixel and Galaxy examples. New phone upgrades just aren’t as compelling anymore. And there’s really nothing wrong with that, you can only advance technology so much. There’s a reason computers have been relatively the same for so long.
