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Do you regret splashing out over $1000 for the iPhone X?

  • Totally worth it!

    Votes: 291 64.5%
  • Absolutely!

    Votes: 110 24.4%
  • Other.. (Comment)

    Votes: 50 11.1%

  • Total voters
    451

sean000

macrumors 68000
Jul 16, 2015
1,628
2,346
Bellingham, WA
On the topic of status symbols: Anything described as the newest, latest, greatest, artisanal, priciest can be a status symbol in some social circles. That said an iPhone is a pretty subtle one. Expensive jewelry, shoes and clothes are much more obvious if your goal is to broadcast your ability to afford expensive things. Where I live people generally don’t care what kind of smartphone you have, but if anyone judges you it will probably be negatively for buying something they see as overpriced. There are people around here with money, but it’s not a place where those with a lot of money tend to flaunt it... unless it comes to outdoor gear (I live in the Pacific NW, in a small city). It’s not unusual for people around here to have mountain bikes that cost more than their cars. If someone recognizes your bicycle as expensive, they are probably a bit into bikes themselves and they will just see you as being really devoted to biking. What makes the iPhone X different is that the price is so widely known (even among those who do not keep up with the smartphone market), but the features and specifications are not. To most people it’s just an overpriced iPhone, but to me it’s not. I don’t really care whether someone judges me for owning one. Besides, most people don’t pay such close attention to the smartphones of others. At least not in my social environment. We live in a time when so many walk around with little black rectangles in front of their faces. How often do you ever examine one closely enough to see what kind of phone it is... especially when so many are in cases that obscure the brand and model?

We all get to decide how we spend our money on such things, and it’s important to be confident enough in yourself to decide that you’re buying it for you and you don’t care what anyone else thinks... regardless of which model iPhone (or Android) you buy. Discussions on sites like this are helpful for others who are trying to decide whether to buy one model or the other, but they become less helpful when we speak in absolutes (this iPhone is better than that iPhone), make assumptions/generalizations about each other, and when we assume others value an iPhone for exactly the same reasons we do. You can ask 10 people what they use their smartphone for the most (and what they like most about it) and get 10 different answers. Some will think the price of the iPhone X is not worth it for their purposes and others will. Everyone might pay the same price for an iPhone in their market, but the value provided will vary person to person. The iPhone X isn’t the right iPhone for everyone. It is for me, and the price was not a showstopper even if it was more than I paid for my previous iPhone.
 
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44267547

Cancelled
Jul 12, 2016
37,642
42,495
Since there seems to be a lot of off topic discussion, The actual topic of the thread is “Do you regret paying $1000 for your iPhone X? “I tend to put logic and thought based on what I purchase that would cost a significant amount of money. No matter how you divide something, if it’s made in monthly payments or paid in full, I don’t have any regret buying something expensive IF it benefits me and meets my expectations. But by no means, is the iPhone X an investment or a luxury item. It’s merely a tool that I use every single day like any other iPhone that I have owned. So I don’t have any regrets for something that conveniences me and connects me to the world around me every day.
 
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The-Real-Deal82

macrumors P6
Jan 17, 2013
17,321
25,479
Wales, United Kingdom
On the topic of status symbols: Anything described as the newest, latest, greatest, artisanal, priciest can be a status symbol in some social circles. That said an iPhone is a pretty subtle one. Expensive jewelry, shoes and clothes are much more obvious if your goal is to broadcast your ability to afford expensive things. Where I live people generally don’t care what kind of smartphone you have, but if anyone judges you it will probably be negatively for buying something they see as overpriced. There are people around here with money, but it’s not a place where those with a lot of money tend to flaunt it... unless it comes to outdoor gear (I live in the Pacific NW, in a small city). It’s not unusual for people around here to have mountain bikes that cost more than their cars. If someone recognizes your bicycle as expensive, they are probably a bit into bikes themselves and they will just see you as being really devoted to biking. What makes the iPhone X different is that the price is so widely known (even among those who do not keep up with the smartphone market), but the features and specifications are not. To most people it’s just an overpriced iPhone, but to me it’s not. I don’t really care whether someone judges me for owning one. Besides, most people don’t pay such close attention to the smartphones of others. At least not in my social environment. We live in a time when so many walk around with little black rectangles in front of their faces. How often do you ever examine one closely enough to see what kind of phone it is... especially when so many are in cases that obscure the brand and model?

We all get to decide how we spend our money on such things, and it’s important to be confident enough in yourself to decide that you’re buying it for you and you don’t care what anyone else thinks... regardless of which model iPhone (or Android) you buy. Discussions on sites like this are helpful for others who are trying to decide whether to buy one model or the other, but they become less helpful when we speak in absolutes (this iPhone is better than that iPhone), make assumptions/generalizations about each other, and when we assume others value an iPhone for exactly the same reasons we do. You can ask 10 people what they use their smartphone for the most (and what they like most about it) and get 10 different answers. Some will think the price of the iPhone X is not worth it for their purposes and others will. Everyone might pay the same price for an iPhone in their market, but the value provided will vary person to person. The iPhone X isn’t the right iPhone for everyone. It is for me, and the price was not a showstopper even if it was more than I paid for my previous iPhone.
I think you’ve summed it up very well especially the subject of an iPhone X being considered a status symbol. It wouldn’t be in that league where I live either but it’s obviously considered one in some parts of the US. For me it’s an overpriced iPhone I will admit. I have to consider what I use a phone for and when I use my iPhone the same way I used an iPhone 4, standard smartphone tasks, paying more is unjustifiable for me. For others it’s different. What I object to is the notion that having a certain smartphone gives the impression you are wealthy and successful. From experience it really doesn’t and I’m glad the vast majority of people agree with me on that.
 
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HeadphoneAddict

macrumors 65816
Sep 16, 2007
1,041
888
Interesting point of view. Why would you find it palatable to pay $2,000 for a MacBook but not $1,000 for an iPhone when they are essentially the same product?



I am in no debt outside of two mortgages that we float on the advice of our financial planner. What we charge on our credit cards gets paid completely at the end of each month. Same for our four iPhone X's, bought them outright, they are not on some monthly plan.

Yeah, our debt too is basically just the mortgage and two cars, but our mortgage at half of yours/mo and will be paid off in 9 years. The two cars are 2/3 the cost of yours/mo, with one paid off in 20 months and the other in 46 months. The other 3 cars are paid off. We paid for our iPhones outright because we are blessed.

But one of my daughters is a server at a restaurant, and after rent, utilities, food and clothing we still pay for her cell phone bill, car maintenance (we paid off the car 2 yr ago) and health care, 4 months after she graduated from college. Her 1st career related job next month will pay about $25,000 a year + benefits, with some upward mobility while she plans for grad school.

So there's not much room for people like her to pay $1000 outright for a phone. If I was in her situation, but paying all of my bills myself, I'd struggle to even buy a $350 iPhone SE.

Fortunately for her I recently gave her an iPhone 8 as a graduation present that I paid for outright, and she'll treasure it for 3 years. She was given the choice of an 8 or an X, and said she'd be afraid to walk around with an X and have people think she is rich and take advantage of her, so she uses a case that makes her 8 look like her old broken 6. She'd have been just as happy with an SE.

Most other people don't have parents like us, or money like us.
 

bushman4

macrumors 601
Mar 22, 2011
4,146
3,942
Regret paying $1000 Perhaps the question should be should the price have been cheaper
Unfortunately in life, in most instances if we really want something we have to pay the price
Apple did a good job but the iphoneX needs a little polishing in its software and more AR available to use. I think the next model will be more buffered and be more value for your money
 

apolloa

Suspended
Oct 21, 2008
12,318
7,802
Time, because it rules EVERYTHING!
Yeah, our debt too is basically just the mortgage and two cars, but our mortgage at half of yours/mo and will be paid off in 9 years. The two cars are 2/3 the cost of yours/mo, with one paid off in 20 months and the other in 46 months. The other 3 cars are paid off. We paid for our iPhones outright because we are blessed.

But one of my daughters is a server at a restaurant, and after rent, utilities, food and clothing we still pay for her cell phone bill, car maintenance (we paid off the car 2 yr ago) and health care, 4 months after she graduated from college. Her 1st career related job next month will pay about $25,000 a year + benefits, with some upward mobility while she plans for grad school.

So there's not much room for people like her to pay $1000 outright for a phone. If I was in her situation, but paying all of my bills myself, I'd struggle to even buy a $350 iPhone SE.

Fortunately for her I recently gave her an iPhone 8 as a graduation present that I paid for outright, and she'll treasure it for 3 years. She was given the choice of an 8 or an X, and said she'd be afraid to walk around with an X and have people think she is rich and take advantage of her, so she uses a case that makes her 8 look like her old broken 6. She'd have been just as happy with an SE.

Most other people don't have parents like us, or money like us.

What you called blessed sounds to me more like your hard work to earn your money and provide for your family, unless you won the lottery, and your just doing what most parents will, helping their children out whilst those children find their own way in life by having their own place and bills etc.
I bet your daughter will keep her iPhone 8 for many years, may not use it but I bet she’ll keep it.

I don’t think it’s a status symbol in anyway, just a decent person looking after their family the best they can :)
 

russelljg

macrumors member
Jan 15, 2018
89
96
Surrey, UK
Since there seems to be a lot of off topic discussion, The actual topic of the thread is “Do you regret paying $1000 for your iPhone X? “I tend to put logic and thought based on what I purchase that would cost a significant amount of money. No matter how you divide something, if it’s made in monthly payments or paid in full, I don’t have any regret buying something expensive IF it benefits me and meets my expectations. But by no means, is the iPhone X an investment or a luxury item. It’s merely a tool that I use every single day like any other iPhone that I have owned. So I don’t have any regrets for something that conveniences me and connects me to the world around me every day.


Presumably your previous phone was used every day and ‘connected and convenienced’ you, so the question could be interpreted as (assuming you bought it outright) could you have found a better alternative use of capital for the $1000?
 

44267547

Cancelled
Jul 12, 2016
37,642
42,495
Presumably your previous phone was used every day and ‘connected and convenienced’ you, so the question could be interpreted as (assuming you bought it outright) could you have found a better alternative use of capital for the $1000?

To elaborate further, See part of my post below that you didn’t choose to quote or simply ignored. I find more benefit with the current iPhone that I’m using then I did my previous iPhone. Whether that be justified through hardware functionality, gesture controls, preferably Face over touch ID, etc. Again, as previously stated, if it benefits me and meet my expectations, that’s how I justify the price point for something that I have an appreciation for, thus conveniencing me for a tool I rely on daily.

I don’t have any regret buying something expensive IF it benefits me and meets my expectations..
 
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HeadphoneAddict

macrumors 65816
Sep 16, 2007
1,041
888
What you called blessed sounds to me more like your hard work to earn your money and provide for your family, unless you won the lottery, and your just doing what most parents will, helping their children out whilst those children find their own way in life by having their own place and bills etc.
I bet your daughter will keep her iPhone 8 for many years, may not use it but I bet she’ll keep it.

I don’t think it’s a status symbol in anyway, just a decent person looking after their family the best they can :)

Thanks, No lottery - I went to college for 4 years, then med school for 4 years, and did a 3 year residency at Children's Hospital in Houston to get here. But I got sick and had to retire 16 years after I finished my residency, and was smart enough to buy a good long term disability policy in 1991. That policy stops paying out in 9 years when I turn 65, but we planned it so that the house will be paid off that same month.

My daughter has been using hand-me-down iPhones since 2009, and the 8 was her first new iPhone. There really wasn't a reason for her to get an X, and she made a good choice that will serve her well for a few years.
 

praterkeith

macrumors 6502
Oct 30, 2005
417
111
Montgomery, AL
I was undecided and needed a new phone. I decided to take advantage of a deal that Verizon was offering on the iPhone 7 so that I could take some time, read opinions from people on this board that use it every day, and possibly see what 2018 holds as far as updates and new models. It's looking like that was a good idea with all of the rumored devices, so later this year during the holiday season, I'll likely upgrade. But I don't need the latest high tech gadgets, so if there's a good deal on the 2017 model iPhone X, that might be my choice. I'm not sure, I'll lay out all of my options when that time comes.
 

mattysmith118

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 6, 2016
303
134
South West Wales
Regret paying $1000 Perhaps the question should be should the price have been cheaper
Unfortunately in life, in most instances if we really want something we have to pay the price
Apple did a good job but the iphoneX needs a little polishing in its software and more AR available to use. I think the next model will be more buffered and be more value for your money

I think almost everyone would like to see it cheaper so that would be kind of a dumb question lol

After a good few months now I have decided I do not regret paying £1000+ for the iPhone X. But I do regret buying the iPhone X altogether for multiple reasons. I think I will start looking to change from Apple in a few months and sell the X.
 

jav6454

macrumors Core
Nov 14, 2007
22,303
6,264
1 Geostationary Tower Plaza
Since there seems to be a lot of off topic discussion, The actual topic of the thread is “Do you regret paying $1000 for your iPhone X? “I tend to put logic and thought based on what I purchase that would cost a significant amount of money. No matter how you divide something, if it’s made in monthly payments or paid in full, I don’t have any regret buying something expensive IF it benefits me and meets my expectations. But by no means, is the iPhone X an investment or a luxury item. It’s merely a tool that I use every single day like any other iPhone that I have owned. So I don’t have any regrets for something that conveniences me and connects me to the world around me every day.

Agreed. It also always boils down to whether the value being asked is perceived as justified by a buyer. For me it isn't, someone else it might. That is where our buyer's mind kicks in and tries to obtain the most bang for the buck.
 
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boltjames

macrumors 601
May 2, 2010
4,876
2,852
I think almost everyone would like to see it cheaper so that would be kind of a dumb question lol

Count me in as one who would like the X to be more expensive. Hey, saving money is fine, I appreciate a bargain here and there, but I've grown to like the fact that I'm the only person in my office with a $1,200 smartphone. After a decade of having the same phone as everyone else it's nice to have a premium, luxury experience. Those of us who drive luxury cars, wear luxury watches, work in a boardroom, and fly first class deserve a special iPhone. I'm grateful to Apple for thinking of us.
 
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blairh

macrumors 603
Dec 11, 2007
5,972
4,472
My mindset going into the X was never that I would pay $1000 for it. I justified my upgrade to the X because I would enable AT&T Next and get a new iPhone this fall, 2018. So essentially I'd be leasing the X for $500. With AC for the X at an amazing $200, no, I would not invest $1200 for an iPhone.

Using the X has made me change the way I feel about the iPhone in general after a few months. I totally do not think it's worth the price. That's just how I feel for myself. I was using a 6S Plus previously and while I do appreciate the smaller, more compact size of my X, my 6S Plus was a replacement iPhone from Apple so really I had no true reason to upgrade. I just bought the hype and excitement of a truly modern looking iPhone.

About two months after my X purchase it hit me how much I really regretted making the leap. I wince at my cell bill which is now $41 more a month. (Again, my mistake, I knew this pre-purchase.) There are things I like about the X, mainly switching apps for once feels natural and fluid. There are things I hate, like having to make compromises watching videos on YouTube in landscape, and the location of Control Center, and elements of Face ID. If the X had cost me $650, I'd say, yeah, this phone is amazing, despite its flaws. At $1,000, I can't say at all that I'm happy with it.

This X experience also changed how I feel about iPhone's in general. I've been using an iPhone since 2008 and usually upgraded to a new one after 24 months. Now, after this current experience, I want to get a new iPhone (something in the $600 range), plus AC this fall, and hold onto it for 3 years. I don't think the iPhone advancements at this rate really justify an upgrade after 2 years.
 
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macsrcool1234

Suspended
Oct 7, 2010
1,551
2,130
yes. it's a good phone but not $1000 good. faceid misses too often and while the notch isn't something i notice anymore, it's unacceptable on such an expensive device.
 

44267547

Cancelled
Jul 12, 2016
37,642
42,495
yes. it's a good phone but not $1000 good. faceid misses too often and while the notch isn't something i notice anymore, it's unacceptable on such an expensive device.

So, you’re saying that the Notch is unacceptable on such an expensive device or because Face ID misses at times? Wouldn’t the notch technically be acceptable because it serves it’s purpose in housing the sensors and Camera? It wouldn’t be acceptable if it serves no purpose, however; if it serves a purpose, therefore you can’t say it’s not acceptable. I Think what you’re trying to say is, you just don’t agree with the design of the notch and its not your personal preference.
 
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