Other Are you a dedicated upgrader?

[eyoungren]

I would like to run at least 4 years on a phone, but my wife and I both have phones and invariably one of the two will have issues by that time. However, I think in the future we are going to buy our phones outright rather than on a carrier plan, unless our timing is right and an absolutely fantastic offer is available through our carrier.

My wife used to simply want whatever I was getting. Which was fine because we both upgraded when I did. But in the last few year, tech has started to become more second nature to her and she is seeing other stuff she likes now.

When the time comes to upgrade again, she will probably have an opinion on it. More and more she seems to be gravitating to Samsung. She carries both an 11PM and a Pixel 3a XL with her ever day though, so switching between iOS and Android is a non-issue for her.

 

[coffeemilktea]

I'm still using an iPhone 11 Pro, I might upgrade in another year or two. Definitely before this thing stops getting updates, at least.

 

[PauloSera]

With the ever increasing cost of new iPhone models yearly, as well as [in my opinion] the more 'minor' upgrades, are you still a dedicated yearly upgrader??

I used to be but stopped since the iPhone X, after I switched to a 2 year cycle - so from X, to the 11PM, and now the 13PM. However, I'm actually considering skipping the 15 as well considering the rumors so far..... for me, there just doesn't seem to be enough of an upgrade to warrant the extra cost (I always purchase in full and have a separate sim-only plan).....I'm waiting for a bigger jump so that when I do upgrade, it actually feels like an upgrade!

I'm hearing more and more of this, but I'm curious as to what people think "warrant the extra cost" means. This thing has become integral in our lives like few other products since the automobile or television have. It's value goes far beyond what it costs, that's for damn sure. People are spoiled and lack perspective, but it would not be unreasonable to charge several thousand dollars for a smartphone to match the real world value it brings to our lives. I suppose the people who primarily use it to make phone calls wouldn't agree.

That said, I consider it a drop in the bucket to upgrade annually as even the slightest improvement is welcome for something that is so much a part of everyday life now.

 

[257Loner]

We moved into our 2023 house this past January, and we're already looking at some 2024 model homes being built. One of my favorite things about this 2023 house are the hue-changing smart bulbs. But what's convinced us to upgrade to a 2024 home is that the bulbs are 13% more efficient, which purportedly can reduce our annual energy bill by 0.000128%.

 

[eyoungren]

I suppose the people who primarily use it to make phone calls wouldn't agree.

You're right.

The iPhone cannot do what I do with a computer, so that means I use it as a phone - plus a few other things when out (such as texting).

 

[JamesMcFlyJR]

Well lemme see how often I upgraded

* iPhone 4 bought on Christmas 2011 (bought from ebay used a year after the 4 launched)

* iPhone 6 bought on Black Friday 2014. So 3 years since the iPhone 4

* iPhone 6s bought in Summer 2016. 1.5 years

* iPhone X bought on Thanksgiving 2018. 2 years

* iPhone XS Max bought on September 2019. 1 year

* iPhone 13 Pro Max bought on launch 2021. 2 years (first new iPhone bought since the iPhone 6. all others have been second hand)

So on average 1.9 years I upgrade. I almost upgraded to the 14 Pro Max but the lack of significant features upgraded dissuaded me. Definitely looking forward to upgrading to the 15 Pro Max since its looking like a helluva of an upgrade.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

I'm hearing more and more of this, but I'm curious as to what people think "warrant the extra cost" means. This thing has become integral in our lives like few other products since the automobile or television have. It's value goes far beyond what it costs, that's for damn sure. People are spoiled and lack perspective, but it would not be unreasonable to charge several thousand dollars for a smartphone to match the real world value it brings to our lives. I suppose the people who primarily use it to make phone calls wouldn't agree.

That said, I consider it a drop in the bucket to upgrade annually as even the slightest improvement is welcome for something that is so much a part of everyday life now.

That's on way to look at it, b regardless of how much you use your device, what exactly does a 14 do that 13 doesn't, that makes it worth the upgrade? Slightly better camera...does that enhance your life? AOD, okay maybe..but I have an Apple Watch and don't look at my lock screen. I guess I just don't understand upgrading yearly.

My iPhone is still primarily a communication device. Calls and texts are the most important feature.

 

[Apple$]

Android user ringing in, I tend to upgrade every 2 years but I hope to keep my current Samsung Galaxy A53 5G at least until the rumored iPhone SE 4 comes out and upgrade to that if it seems like a decent upgrade and comes out with a reasonable price. (Around $6-700 CAD for at least a 128GB storage unit.)

 

[zachz]

My first iPhone was the iPhone 5, and I used to upgrade every two years. Not sure why I didn't line up my upgrades with the S iPhones instead lol

Stopped upgrading after the iPhone 7 and my next phone was the 12 mini, and now the 13 mini.

Didn't want to get rid of TouchID so held off, also found phones were(are) getting too big so held off until the mini.

Now I'll keep my mini until the next one. I also find that I use my phone for pretty basic things and haven't found any upgrades over the last few years useful for me other than the size with the mini

 

[Thoradin]

I used to be a serial upgrader.
I never used to be seen with a phone for more than 6 months and would brand hop for the latest and greatest. That stopped when I had my BlackBerry KeyOne, which I kept for 2 years (it had even been out a year when I picked it up). Moved to an XR just before the first lockdown, so around Feb 2020. Purely to get access to Wi-Fi calling due to network problems and like it so much I picked up a 12 Pro for launch day.

2 days ago I finally traded up to the 14 Pro Max after almost 2.5 years of the 12 Pro, the longest I’ve ever daily driven a phone in my life. I’m hoping this new one lasts me even longer.

 

[LacrosseChic]

I have been upgrading or sidegrading since I started using iPhone. Android from 2002 til 2020 and I would switch almost every year. Got the 12 mini in 2020, upgraded to 13 pro, downgraded to the 13 mini and now have had the 14 pro max since launch. Someone ran over my daughter's SE so she got my 13 mini. I love the 14 pro max and will be sticking with this for a while (am also paying it down over 24 months so not much choice). But I would keep it nonetheless since these phones are now way too expensive and loans and mortgage are skyrocketing. So it would be frivolous of me to upgrade when I have a perfectly working and great phone!

 

[akash.nu]

Not sure if I can consider myself a serial upgraded but definitely during the initial iPhone era I upgraded almost every year bar a few models.

So here’s my iPhone history.
- Started my iPhone journey with the 3 > 3GS > 4 > 4S
- Kept the 4S for an extra year and bought 5S > 6
- Kept the 6 for a couple of extra years and then got 8 > Xs Max > 11 Pro
- Kept the 11 Pro for a couple of years and finally got 13 Pro Max > and now on the 14 Pro Max.

 

[janeauburn]

I am a dedicated upgrader. I upgraded my BlackBerry to an iPhone 6 Plus. Then I upgraded again to an iPhone 8 Plus.

I also plan to upgrade my 8 Plus to an iPhone 15 when it comes out.

Damn those upgrades!

 

[gpat]

3 years sounds like a good average.
Imagine getting an iPhone X in 2017, then an iPhone 12 in 2020, and you'd be changing it for an iPhone 15 this year... yup, sounds about right.
4 years would totally be doable specs-wise, but you'd have to treat your phone with kid gloves, since the battery or the touchscreen will most likely start to have issues by then.
If you upgrade after 3 years, you still have and old phone, fully supported and functional, which can be used as a spare or as an hand-me-down for a relative.
Below 3 years I can't even find a reason to bother getting in the store and transferring all my data to the new device.
It's the same in the Android world as well. I have a Samsung S21 Ultra, i've taken an hard look towards the S23 Ultra but it looked so much like a marginal upgrade, I decided I'm keeping mine for another year.
And even upgrading on next year will be more of a whim than anything else.

 

[eyoungren]

4 years would totally be doable specs-wise, but you'd have to treat your phone with kid gloves, since the battery or the touchscreen will most likely start to have issues by then.

I have a 3GS, a 4, a 4s, a 5 and a 6s+. My primary phone is an 11 Pro Max.

Between all of these phones there is one issue. The iPhone 4 has a faulty power button. I bought it for $20. I'll give you batteries, although my 3GS seems to do pretty well. I got that one for $25.

The 6s+ is my secondary phone. It too six years for the battery to degrade enough before Apple would replace the battery. That was November 2021. It does just fine with battery every day, although as a secondary phone I'm not using it much.

I suppose if you're using a phone for more than what I use it for (calls, texts, light email, light web browsing) then you could be right. On the other hand, the 3GS, the 4 and the 4s were never my primary phones. So I have no idea how the original buyers used them - yet they are still functional.

And I don't handle any of these phones with kid gloves, I just take care of them.

Oh yeah. My smartphone from 2009 (HTC Touch Pro) also works perfectly. That's running Windows Mobile 6.1. And my Pixel 3a XL, bough in May 2020 is fine too.

 

[floral]

I wonder why people would need to upgrade every year? If I used iPhones, I'd upgrade until it stops getting updates, or until it feels slow. Otherwise it would work just fine.

 

[gpat]

I have a 3GS, a 4, a 4s, a 5 and a 6s+. My primary phone is an 11 Pro Max.

Between all of these phones there is one issue. The iPhone 4 has a faulty power button. I bought it for $20. I'll give you batteries, although my 3GS seems to do pretty well. I got that one for $25.

The 6s+ is my secondary phone. It too six years for the battery to degrade enough before Apple would replace the battery. That was November 2021. It does just fine with battery every day, although as a secondary phone I'm not using it much.

I suppose if you're using a phone for more than what I use it for (calls, texts, light email, light web browsing) then you could be right. On the other hand, the 3GS, the 4 and the 4s were never my primary phones. So I have no idea how the original buyers used them - yet they are still functional.

And I don't handle any of these phones with kid gloves, I just take care of them.

Oh yeah. My smartphone from 2009 (HTC Touch Pro) also works perfectly. That's running Windows Mobile 6.1. And my Pixel 3a XL, bough in May 2020 is fine too.

I think it depends a lot on how much daily screen time those devices get in their lifetime.
A lot of younger individuals (mainly those born in the 2000s) use their smartphone as their only computing device until they're in college, so those phones get a lot of additional abuse.
I have an iPhone XR in my household used in such a scenario, bought around mid 2019, the battery is cooked and the touchscreen is on its last legs, starting to glitch occasionally.
It's likely to be trashed after replacement but it's fine as the user has got a lot of mileage out of it.
As for myself, I use the smartphone as my main GPS (both on foot and while driving), it handles my home banking, various digital IDs, picture/video taking, multiple WhatsApp accounts, I used to upgrade every 18-24 months (Android user) by reselling the old one, but starting with the S21 Ultra I can no longer find a solid reason to do it.
Also I have to say that hardware durability has massively improved in the last years.
Batteries last longer, screens are a lot harder to smash, and also I've never seen an USB-C or Lightning connector break.
That used to happen all the time with the old 30-pin iPhones, and also when microUSB was a standard, if you often used your phone while charging, it would eventually break in a matter of 2-3 years.
Nowadays they look indestructible to me, as long as you buy iPhones or Samsung S-series.
Budget Motorola or Xiaomi are much frailer, mainly on the screen part.

 

[ian87w]

I wonder why people would need to upgrade every year? If I used iPhones, I'd upgrade until it stops getting updates, or until it feels slow. Otherwise it would work just fine.

In reality, most people do exactly that. As such Apple’s initiatives such as the upgrade program and the push for more services (TV+, Fitness+, etc).

Having said that, there are valid reasons for yearly upgrades. Those on iPhone Upgrade Program should upgrade yearly to get the most benefit of the program. The same with those on carrier contracts, as they usually are still spending the same amount per month anyway, so might as well upgrade when they are allowed to. There are also those who use iPhones as status symbol. They have to be on the latest one no matter what.

 

[Andeddu]

Agree. iPhone SE from 9 generations back does all I ask from a communication device, and does it fast. A9 with 2 GB of RAM is enough for modern web/apps.

I'd not miss any of the new features:
- wireless charger is not energy efficient and still has to be plugged into the wall;
- speakers don't matter as I use earphones anyway;
- OLED screens cause eyestrain for many people (including me);
- the camera is average, but I don't ask too much from it.

Upgrading would actually be a downgrade for me, as I'd lose a single-handed use and the headphone jack. Besides, I hate the notch/iLand.

The SE still seems like a relevant phone and doesn’t appear outdated like some other phones from that era. The fact that something so small and light can still do 90% of what an iPhone 13 does in 2023 is remarkable.

I just wish Apple would use the original SE shell and pair it with an A14/A15. If that happened, I would sell my 13 and “downgrade” in a second.

 

[eyoungren]

I think it depends a lot on how much daily screen time those devices get in their lifetime.
A lot of younger individuals (mainly those born in the 2000s) use their smartphone as their only computing device until they're in college, so those phones get a lot of additional abuse.
I have an iPhone XR in my household used in such a scenario, bought around mid 2019, the battery is cooked and the touchscreen is on its last legs, starting to glitch occasionally.
It's likely to be trashed after replacement but it's fine as the user has got a lot of mileage out of it.
As for myself, I use the smartphone as my main GPS (both on foot and while driving), it handles my home banking, various digital IDs, picture/video taking, multiple WhatsApp accounts, I used to upgrade every 18-24 months (Android user) by reselling the old one, but starting with the S21 Ultra I can no longer find a solid reason to do it.
Also I have to say that hardware durability has massively improved in the last years.
Batteries last longer, screens are a lot harder to smash, and also I've never seen an USB-C or Lightning connector break.
That used to happen all the time with the old 30-pin iPhones, and also when microUSB was a standard, if you often used your phone while charging, it would eventually break in a matter of 2-3 years.
Nowadays they look indestructible to me, as long as you buy iPhones or Samsung S-series.
Budget Motorola or Xiaomi are much frailer, mainly on the screen part.

I think perhaps it has also to do with what is in the house.

I've always had a computer in the house, since 1980 when I was nine. My son was born in 2003 and my daughter was born in 2008. Both kids came home from the hospital to a house full of computers. When my son was five, he had an iBook G3. My daughter's first computer was my old TiBook 400. Both my kids have had a series of laptops over the years.

Neither kid got their own phone until it became necessary to communicate with them when they were outside the house. Before that, they shared a 3GS in the house and my daughter borrowed my iPad from time to time. That was until she dented it and caused me to take that privilege away.

My son is daily on his laptop at home - his phone simply used to communicate with his friends. Before she spilled lemonade all over the keyboard, my daughter was also on her laptop daily. Now it's her phone because she isn't using the school issued laptop for personal things.

But both choose computers over being on their phone.

And so do I. Phone screens are way too small for what I like to do/consume. I have large screens and monitors here at home. I'm going to use those, plus all the computers I own (and there are many).

For the record though, my primary phone screen is on all night when I go to bed. I use it as a bedside clock and have been doing that since 2009 with every phone that has been my primary. Phone always plugged in at night though.

 

[MisterSavage]

Joined the iPhone Upgrade Program the first year they offered it and have enjoyed using it to upgrade yearly.

 

[kstewart61]

When your carrier gives you 1000 trade in why not upgrade?

 

[raycornwall]

I upgrade when the battery starts to become an issue. I had a 12 Pro Max before the 14 Pro Max. I was in New Orleans, and the battery started dying early, so I upgraded. I got $800 for my old phone, and I really like the 14 Pro Max a lot. I'll probably wait until the 16 product cycle at minimum, and maybe the 17.

I'm more aggressive with iPads- my iPad is always in my hand.

Obviously, we're seeing a slowdown in feature rollouts. The products are maturing. So upgrading isn't as important to me.

 

[PauloSera]

You're right.

The iPhone cannot do what I do with a computer, so that means I use it as a phone - plus a few other things when out (such as texting).

That's about as wrong as it gets.

 

[eyoungren]

That's about as wrong as it gets.

OK.

Then I can connect two 30 inch Cinema Displays, two 23" Cinema Displays, one 20" Cinema Display and a 55" HDTV to my iPhone then?

I can run InDesign CS21 and QuarkXPress 2020 using a wired mouse and full wired keyboard on my iPhone?

How about Acrobat DC? FontExplorer? Where am I storing my over 5k fonts?

Photoshop, Illustrator? How about when I need to run Vector Magic to create a vector image out of a raster graphic?

I need a filesystem when I direct ID and QXP to create PDFs. Where am I doing that on my iPhone?

I need to work off my employer's server where all the documents are stored. How is the iPhone handling that?

Let me know. I'd love to do all this simply using my iPhone.