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Yearly Upgrader?

  • Upgrade yearly without fail

  • Upgrade every 2 years or so

  • Upgrade when I absolutely need to!


Results are only viewable after voting.
I've become a dedicated NON-upgrader. My preferred pattern would be 2-3 upgrade cycles before I replace my iPhone. But sometimes new features compel me to upgrade sooner.

iPhone 6 Plus --> iPhone 8
iPhone 8 --> iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone 11 PM --> iPhone 13 (aberration: 5G became available in my area)
iPhone 13 PM --> iPhone 14 Pro (aberration: grew weary of the size of the 13PM)
 
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I used to upgrade every year, (I’ve had every iPhone since launch) (yes I’m that old….lol) I would always sell the previous models to recoup some the cost towards the current model, all the way up until the 11 Pro, let’s say I had significant life change event, (broke up with long time girlfriend) then decided that I need to prioritize some expenses in my life, sold my 11 Pro, purchased my buddies XS Max, luckily I was able to trade in an older iPhone for $800, (carrier trade ins were getting really competitive for upgrades).
To be honest, I really didn’t notice too much of a difference performance wise from the XS Max to the 11 Pro, what I did notice was the camera, pictures just get so much better every year. The battery started to get really bad after 2 years, but was able to get the battery replaced through carriers warranty program, got a new battery and everything was good.
Fast forward a little bit, my wife gets a new phone from her company every year, so I inherited her 12 Pro Max when the 13 Pro Max came out, I will say quite a significant difference from the XS Max to the 12 Pro Max, I didn’t really notice a huge difference from the 12 Pro Max to the 13 Pro Max, and this year I had an opportunity to purchase a 14 Pro Max and get $1000 trade in credit for my old 12 Pro Max (gave that to my mom when I got the 13 Pro Max) (promptly took her 12 Pro Max 2 months later and gave her my 13 Pro Max).
Thanks for reading, there were a lot of changes this past year.
I guess I’ll be keeping the 14 Pro Max for 2 years, obviously keeping this for a little longer.
 
I've purchased every iPhone except the 6 so yes I am. I need to stop though. It's pretty stupid. I'm saying now I'll wait at least until Apple gets rid of the notch/Dynamic Island and moves to a pinhole design. We'll see if I stick to it.
 
I've been upgrading every two years since my first iPhone, which I got when I was in middle school. I will likely continue to do so if I can. (I upgrade phones more often than any other electronic device).
 
Absolutely not. My first iPhone was a 3g back in 2009 (I think), and used to upgrade every other year, but we hit peak smartphone a few years ago and there is nothing worth updating yearly for, or even every other year, really. I plan to keep my 13 until it loses software support.

Keep what you have. Change the battery in a couple years. Replace it when it can no longer do what you want it to.
 
I used to be an every year upgrader until I got to the XR. This thing has seen daily heavy use but still looks and functions as new. One battery replacement is all I've had to do since release day. I may upgrade this fall just for fun.
 
Average of every 3 years since smartphones. iPhone 4, iPhone 5s, Sony Xperia in 2017 and a refurb Samsung S9 in 2019. Tempted by a dual sim S21 but yet to make the jump due to it meaning the dropping of the SD card and the headphone jack. Bought an egg chair last year instead.
 
Only when needed..i also don’t update from the iOS the phone came with and not even incremental updates if the phone is working. I’m on 6.2 on the 14PM and everything works smoothly so i don’t see the need to update for a “smoother” experience
 
I wish Apple would release iPhone's more frequently, so I can buy new iPhones more than once a year.
 
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I upgrade every 2 years usually. Last September I upgraded to the previous years 13 Pro Max as it was a better deal and I didn’t really see the advantage of the 14 Pro with the minor differences and hiked price.

I might extend my upgrade periods going forwards as phones really aren’t changing that much. Manufacturers are driving the market to extend upgrade periods by increasing prices so it’s probably better for the environment anyway.
 
I guess I am a little bit of an “outsider” on these forums. I only require two things: great performance and battery life, and usability.

As long as the phone does what I need it to without having to compromise on either of those things, I’m fine with anything. I do not care about any new models. My expectations and requirements are high, so it has to work properly.

My main iPhone is an iPhone Xʀ running iOS 12. So far it is great compatibility-wise, and I was lucky: I upgraded to the device whose original iOS version is one in which Apple chose to focus on efficiency. After iOS 11’s massive fiasco, Apple made a point of iOS 12, saying “look, we can focus on performance when we actually care instead of obliterating every device”... and focus they did.

My Xʀ runs and has run flawlessly throughout its entire lifetime on its original iOS version. Apple focused on performance and it shows. I cannot call this phone anything but perfect.
I haven’t encountered anyone on the Internet with an A12 Bionic iPhone on iOS 12 (iPhone Xs, Xs Max, and Xʀ), but I hope that whoever has this knows that it might be the best iPhone combo in a very long time. Like I said, Apple focused on performance and it shows. The iPhone Xʀ was touted by Apple as “the best battery life ever on an iPhone”, and whilst this battery life is no longer the best ever (surpassed first by the 11 Pro Max), it is certainly enough.

I cannot emphasise enough how perfect this device is, like I said, Apple focused on performance and it shows.

Hopefully someone somewhere has an A12 Bionic-powered iPhone on iOS 12 like me, and hopefully they know what they have. It was the last time (so far obviously), that an iOS update was focused on improving performance, which makes it special in my view.

Many Xs, Xs Max, and Xʀ users who updated have said that there is no version like iOS 12. Apple’s focus on performance was undeniably successful, and unfortunately, short-lived.

I also wanted to say that not only does the same thing apply to iPads, but I would’ve happily used my favourite iPhone/iPad combo ever for a very long time, if only Apple hadn’t forced me out. I had complete perfection: an iPhone 6s running iOS 9, and a 9.7-inch iPad Pro also running iOS 9. Both were forced out into iOS 13 and 12 respectively thanks to Apple’s A9 activation bug and its pathetic update policy. Otherwise, with minimal app compatibility, I would’ve been able to use them for a very long time (and happily). Unfortunately, Apple had other plans.

I later got an iPhone 6s on iOS 10 and I still have the iPad on iOS 12. While I like this combo, it isn’t perfect anymore. iOS 9 was perfect. I wish Apple hadn’t taken it away from me.
 
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Every 2 years. I always buy AppleCare for 2 years for peace of mind. While for many it's a waste of money, for me it's worth the money for my peace of mind. After the 2 years, the iPhones then go through the family. I'm at the top of the food chain :)
 
I used to upgrade every year up until the iPhone 12 Pro, when 13 came out, I thought no, the 12 is still fine, I'll upgrade to the iPhone 14 Pro, then shortly before the release, my iPhone 12 Pro broke and was replaced by Apple at no cost whatsoever under Apple Care. So with a brand new iPhone 12 Pro, I thought, why upgrade to 14, it still runs fine. And here I am, almost three years after my last purchase and the phone running just fine...I plan to upgrade to an iPhone 15 Pro though...
 
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Used to upgrade every year, but then stopped with the X. Got the 12 PM but switched to the 13 PM because the battery and modem on the 12 sucked..

The 13 PM, in my experience, is the best iPhone iteration since the 4S and I intend to keep this one for a while!
 
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I'm somewhere in between yearly and every 2 years, depending on what improvements the new model has. My timeline goes something like this - 6, 6s (because of battery issues with the 6), X, 11 Pro, 13 Pro, 14 Pro. The main reasons why I upgraded to the 14 Pro are the camera improvements and the Dynamic Island. With the rumored upgrades to the 15 Pro, I will definitely upgrade this year as well.

I think this may be the year I move up to the Pro Max, or whatever it will be called, for the additional screen real estate.
 
Well, I upgraded to the iPhone 14 PM from the 11. I have a 4 year old MBP, 3 year old iPad and 2 year old Mac Mini.

So no, not an early upgrader.
 
I’ve lost interest wanting to upgrade every 2 years. I think, in part, because I wanted to try the Android S series along with the iPhone to see what the differences are. I have the 12PM right now.
 
iPhone 3GS --> iPhone 4 --> iPhone 4S --> Got bored of iOS/Android 2 years --> iPhone 6 --> iPhone 7 Plus --> iPhone XS Max --> iPhone 12 Pro Max

I think for me, once the "S" line of updates started, it made me lose interest in upgrading every year and now with my 12 Pro Max, I honestly can go 3+ years without upgrading. my 12 Pro Max in real-world usage keeps up with my girlfriend's 14 Pro very comfortably. The only obvious difference is pro motion and the upgrade in cameras/pictures when viewed on a larger screen.

Never thought id keep a phone for more than 2 years but just not much incentive these days!
 
Usually every two years but I'm limited to how often they update the iphone SE, not sure what I'll do if they stop updating it or change the screen from LCD.
 
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