Be honest: Do you tend to buy Apple Products through FOMO, or do you genuinely "need" them?

[Falhófnir]

I think the extreme price escalation across product lines (especially being outside the US) killed a lot of the fun/ fomo for me, so now it's just a case of slowly updating what I have when it needs doing or the odd occasion I might treat myself to something. I have a few other expensive hobbies as well, and bills to pay unlike 10 years ago, so tech in general has taken more and more of a backseat for me!

 

[Gudi]

I haven't bought a Mac in 10 years, until I saw the prices of second-hand M1 iMacs and couldn't resist. So maybe the fear of missing out on a good deal? If your timing is right, you can almost upgrade for free. The price differences never correctly match the performance differences.

 

[Isamilis]

I think the extreme price escalation across product lines (especially being outside the US) killed a lot of the fun/ fomo for me, so now it's just a case of slowly updating what I have when it needs doing or the odd occasion I might treat myself to something. I have a few other expensive hobbies as well, and bills to pay unlike 10 years ago, so tech in general has taken more and more of a backseat for me!

I knew some immature people wear iPhone and AW driven by FOMO. Recently I hardly found them (or probably I just don’t care anymore).
Due to its price, people do lot of considerations before purchasing it.

 

[Claudia P]

Was wondering why you/I/we Apple enthusiasts tend to buy so many Apple products?

I've been on a bit of a FOMO binge, lately. Hadn't bought anything for a while, so "needed" to upgrade a couple of devices. My MacBooks were bought because I didn't own a computer for quite some time (just used my iPhone, and iPad.)

But it seems like once I started buying, I just couldn't stop & the torrent of purchases began!

Would be interested to hear your story.

Wishing you all well.

I'm buying a lot of things at the moment, Chritmas Eve I nearly died, I did have sudden cardiac arrest after having a failed cardiac ablation, I then spent 7 weeks in either the hospital or rehab facility. I am buying on a FOMO binge because I really really may miss out on ever having anything, including the ability to breathe, at any moment. My own mortality and the posssibility of dying at any moment has reminded me that if I see something I really want I had better get it now or I may never have the chance again.

 

[Gudi]

Just bought my third Apple Keyboard in a row, even though I don’t need one. But 55 euro for brand-new with TouchID. I could not not-buy it.

 

[jaw04005]

I haven't bought a Mac in 10 years, until I saw the prices of second-hand M1 iMacs and couldn't resist. So maybe the fear of missing out on a good deal? If your timing is right, you can almost upgrade for free. The price differences never correctly match the performance differences.

The resale value on M1 Macs are crazy. I'm regularly seeing $1299-$1499+ iMacs for $600-800 on Facebook Marketplace. They look brand new. That's crazy to me for a still shipping product. I recently saw a M1 Mac mini for $275.

I kind of understand the mini, but the new M1 iMacs have a striking design and come in multiple colors.

 

[CharlesShaw]

My Apple “fear of missing out“ works more like the old saying, you can’t have your cake and eat it too, which is always misinterpreted. It means that once you have eaten your cake, you no longer have it, and can no longer look forward to eating it. So, now that I’ve bought my refurb M1 iPad Pro, and am no longer waiting for the new one rumored in 2024, I have FOMO because I imagine that everyone will be dancing with joy about all the unexpected awesome new features but I’ll be missing out because I already ate my cake.

 

[Gudi]

That's crazy to me for a still shipping product.

A shipping product, which in January even got a price adjustment for Euro inflation.

1.449 → 1.549 Euro (2-port)
1.669 → 1.779 Euro (4-port)
1.899 → 2.009 Euro (4-port with 512GB)

Sellers want at least half of the money back they originally payed for their machine. And so the asking price for 27-inch Intel 5K iMacs from 2020 is still well above €1000+. Whereas some 24-inch iMacs from 2021 drop down to €900. It's the small one, right? It's got to be worth less! 🤯

 

[dmccloud]

I don't worry about FOMO, mainly because I have two criteria that have to be met before I'll even consider upgrading. First and foremost, are there significant benefits to my workflows and usage if I upgrade? If not, I can hold off longer. The second is having the discretionary funds to purchase a new system outright. For various reasons, I try to limit how much I use my credit cards (unless traveling, in which case I allow myself more flexibility), so I want to have the funds on hand to make the purchase outright.

 

[Heindijs]

FOMO has always felt weird for me. It only exists in people who feel the need to compare themselves to others or to show off. Do I really need to care about having the latest device when no other persons cares if I do?
I just buy stuff because I either need it or just think it’s fun to mess around with. I rarely care enough to tell anyone that I bought a new thing because it’s only special to me

 

[ssledoux]

I voted FOMO, because let’s be honest, there aren’t many times I NEED any device. Sure they make my life easier, and I do need at least one decent device to do things, but I don’t usually need to upgrade or buy the latest and greatest.

Right now I have been fighting the urge to buy something - went to the Apple Store a couple days ago. I don’t NEED anything at all, but I WANT to buy something new. ;-p

**And to me FOMO isn’t about showing off so much is that it’s about thinking something is better or you don’t wanna miss out. My son-in-law has FOMO every time we go to a good restaurant and he can’t come because of work. So I’ll just say my FOMO purchases aren’t so I can have the latest and greatest to impress anyone, but because I don’t want to miss out on the “new and improved.” I AM getting better though - didn’t upgrade my iPP this last time. ;-p

 

[pshufd]

I voted FOMO, because let’s be honest, there aren’t many times I NEED any device. Sure they make my life easier, and I do need at least one decent device to do things, but I don’t usually need to upgrade or buy the latest and greatest.

Right now I have been fighting the urge to buy something - went to the Apple Store a couple days ago. I don’t NEED anything at all, but I WANT to buy something new. ;-p

I've been buying CDs lately because the rates are so good.

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

I voted FOMO, because let’s be honest, there aren’t many times I NEED any device. Sure they make my life easier, and I do need at least one decent device to do things, but I don’t usually need to upgrade or buy the latest and greatest.

Right now I have been fighting the urge to buy something - went to the Apple Store a couple days ago. I don’t NEED anything at all, but I WANT to buy something new. ;-p

**And to me FOMO isn’t about showing off so much is that it’s about thinking something is better or you don’t wanna miss out. My son-in-law has FOMO every time we go to a good restaurant and he can’t come because of work. So I’ll just say my FOMO purchases aren’t so I can have the latest and greatest to impress anyone, but because I don’t want to miss out on the “new and improved.” I AM getting better though - didn’t upgrade my iPP this last time. ;-p

I concur.

Sometimes, you just want to buy something new.

I think they refer to that as retail therapy .

 

[iMarkypad]

Was wondering why you/I/we Apple enthusiasts tend to buy so many Apple products?

I've been on a bit of a FOMO binge, lately. Hadn't bought anything for a while, so "needed" to upgrade a couple of devices. My MacBooks were bought because I didn't own a computer for quite some time (just used my iPhone, and iPad.)

But it seems like once I started buying, I just couldn't stop & the torrent of purchases began!

Would be interested to hear your story.

Wishing you all well.

I once did with the apple watch. It looked so cool but to me it was useless. There marketing is too good sometimes

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

I once did with the apple watch. It looked so cool but to me it was useless. There marketing is too good sometimes

I agree.

Apple’s marketing is like selling crack to an addict.

 

[Isamilis]

I concur.

Sometimes, you just want to buy something new.

I think they refer to that as retail therapy .

This is true to some extent. I bought M2 MBA, just because the old one (MBA 2019) is just so boring, slow and the screen is not eyes-friendly for long usage.

 

[Claudia P]

Sometimes there is more than one meaning to the word need. Need may mean that you/we "need" to buy something new for our mental health as much ,as if not more than we really need a new tech gadget. I for one have reached a point in my life where I really can no longer afford to put off buying something I really really want because my age and health status make it highly likely that FOMO really means I may well not live long enough for that someday to happen.

 

[msackey]

Was wondering why you/I/we Apple enthusiasts tend to buy so many Apple products?

I've been on a bit of a FOMO binge, lately. Hadn't bought anything for a while, so "needed" to upgrade a couple of devices. My MacBooks were bought because I didn't own a computer for quite some time (just used my iPhone, and iPad.)

But it seems like once I started buying, I just couldn't stop & the torrent of purchases began!

Would be interested to hear your story.

Wishing you all well.

I find the Apple products I buy useful, though not all are necessary. For example, upgrading from Series 4 to Ultra was not necessary. iPad is not necessary.

But I don't buy Apple stuff out of FOMO. I don't have, for example, a HomePod. I don't have a current Apple display (although I do have an use an Apple Thunderbolt Display). If Apple does come out with a virtual/augmented reality headset, I am pretty sure I will NOT be buying it. I'm not interested in that stuff which seems more for either gamers (which I'm not one) or for niche uses which I have no use for.

We only bought an AppleTV when Netflix stopped supporting our Samsung device. We only subscribe to one streaming service and that is Netflix. When Netflix stopped supporting our device, we no longer could watch Netflix on our TV so we bought AppleTV (refurb) since we can use it to watch Netflix on the TV.

The number of things I mainly like about Apple devices are their general integration with each other, privacy concerns, good support overall, generally nicer user experience, and also generally aesthetically pleasing.

Both husband and me like tidiness and aesthetically pleasing stuff . Apple devices and software experience generally seems "tidy"

 

[XboxEvolved]

I used to upgrade the phone every two years but I see no use now especially because I just pay straight cash for phones now. I think a lot of people upgrade because their carriers make it easy for them.

My 11 just had a battery replacement but when I do upgrade it will be to the Ultra (Pro Max?) which if by then the 11 has lasted me 5 years, I suspect the Ultra will last me 6.

My Series 6 watch I’ll likely replace in another 3 years in 2025 maybe later it just depends on OS, hardware advances etc but Im fine with it now.

My M1 MBP will get the most life out of anything as I will likely replace the battery towards the end of my usage of it so I can give it to a family member to use that doesn’t care about the newest thing, so likely keep using it until 2026. I typically will use my Macs for 5-6 years at least.

Now my iPad was kind of a dumb purchase. It’s the 7th gen and it was on its way out when I bought it. I use it but its usage is limited due to storage and it’s actually one of the first iOS devices that I’ve seen noticeable, consistent slowdown on. Generally now it’s used for Procreate, browsing, and watching videos and a lot of the stuff I’d like to do on it is difficult or impossible to do. I am ok with it for now, but I’m probably going to buy the latest 12.9 iPad Pro when it’s released and assuming it has a M3 in it, will last me a good long while.