Other Does anyone else feel pressure to buy either the latest iPhone, or at least a 'Pro' model?

[Rainshadow]

Interesting post. Also interesting how many people are saying no.

I don’t feel pressured to buy the higher end phone by peer pressure. As a matter of fact, I feel self conscious and judged more when I DO buy the top of the line apple stuff. Even using AirPods Pro some of my friends call me Mr. Moneybags.

What I feel strongly is - when I’m buying something, I have felt over the years - that I shouldn’t skimp on what I want - because I usually end up upgrading sooner or not using something as much as I would otherwise. Why save $100 on a pair of boots that just work when I can spend a bit more and have the best, comfiest, toughest boot I can find? Then I wear them longer and they last better and I use them daily.

Same for my phone. I bought a standard 11. Told myself I wouldn’t spend pro prices on a phone. 3 months later and I could not stand lacking the features of the pro model and the feel of the device. I sold it and bought the pro. And - I have no regrets at all. I’m still rocking it and will rock it another year. I totally would have upgraded to the 13 if I would have stuck with the standard 11.

I sincerely believe that as long as folks can financially, honestly, afford something, go for the best (within reason) and just hold on to it and use it. If you want to upgrade every year, fine. You tend to get a good resale anyway.

Another point… I don’t care how moderately better cameras progress from year to year. When you catch a moment - that’s the only chance you’ll ever have. I want the best quality photos right now. Not 3 years from now. That’s the only thing that makes me want to upgrade year to year… but that’s the ONLY reason. Can’t wait til next year when I can trade up again.

 

[eyoungren]

Even on this forum - why do so many people favour the Pro models over the non-Pro or mini? Seems like 80% of people on here have a Pro or Pro Max.

Speaking only for myself…

Unless I utterly could not care about whatever it is I am buying, I buy what I want. If I don't care and I'm still buying something its because I need the item I am buying. That is the only time I buy based solely on need.

But if it's something I WANT, I don't care whether I actually NEED it - or not. If the two come together, great. If they don't, oh well.

I upgrade phones every 2.5 to 4.5 years. I WANT the top model and the MAXIMUM capacity offered. That's what I want. I don't care one bit if I don't need it (see above).

So, I own an iPhone 11 Pro Max 512GB because that is what I wanted.

Note: If I can't afford what I want at the time I will wait. I own things now that I waited 5 or more years to get. As I said, I get what I want.

Oh…and I justify the purchase with "because I wanted it". That's all the justification I ever need for the stuff I buy.

 

[1madman1]

Back in the days when I had devices with useful generation improvements that I actually enjoyed tinkering with - yes.

Today, no. I'll buy whatever good condition used iPhone that my Mac will sync with. I *hate* iOS, and I dislike my iPhones. If it makes/receives phone calls, can send/receive texts and emails then it's good enough.

 

[tranceking26]

I have never felt any pressure at all. I'm still more than happy with my 11.

 

[fischersd]

If anything, resentment that Apple feels everyone needs an iPhad to have the best features. Hopefully the missing battery percentage indicator for the mini's and other smaller phones is just a temporary beta phenomenon. Otherwise, it's another slight against a portion of their customer base - those of us that don't need a tablet in our pockets.

 

[Shh]

No. Also ... no.

 

[blw777]

Do you find yourself with similar experiences in any other aspect of your life? Or is this quirk fully limited to the iPhone?

You bet. I'm a professional photographer, and various people judge you by what gear you're carrying around, rather than by your results. I've had clients, editors and other photographers make snarky comments and even supposedly choose to work with me or not based on supposedly not using the latest gear. I am pretty confident that folks can't actually tell the difference in the results-I am not a rookie at this. I have to balance how much business I can lose to this perception problem against the cost of constant upgrades. (New professional level gear is easily 5-8x the price of a new iPhone.)

 

[xxray]

Luckily, I'm usually very satisfied with my iPhone by the time the next one comes. It's after 2-3 years I start to get antsy. However, what you described in your post is exactly the reason why I decided to go with the 13 Pro at the very last minute after months of being determined to get the 13 Mini. I thought the Mini would be great initially, but I'd start to get envious of ProMotion (I said for years this would be the thing to get me to upgrade), larger battery, and other "Pro" features of the Pro model after a few months.

In the past, I also downsized before from the 6+ to the regular 7 and ended up selling it and getting a 7+ after 6 months because, while I loved the ergonomics of the 7, I got so tired of the small screen and so-so battery life. So, knowing my track record, I ended up buying the 13 Pro at the last minute to prevent me from repeating my history and for your same reasoning of you feeling ready to upgrade already.

I will say I do feel a little envious in September when the new iPhones are released. The hype and tracking threads are honestly one of my favorite parts about buying an iPhone. Seeing the new iPhones out in the wild in those first couple months always gives me a twinge of envy too because I usually buy iPhones on the "S"/non-design change years.

Regarding the status, I don't usually worry about it too much, but I do feel left out if I don't get all the latest features when I upgrade (hence me going for the Pro at the last minute). I've always gotten the top of the line iPhones because of this. I figure if I'm going to be spending that much money and finally upgrading after a few years of restraint, I might as well get the most out of it. Two people I regularly hang out with both were upgrading to the 13 Pro last year when I was upgrading too, and I think I would've had some lowkey serious status/FOMO/inferiority issues if I had gone with the 13 Mini while they got the 13 Pro. I realize it's stupid and pointless to feel this way, and I wouldn't admit it in real life, but it's just my dumb animal brain, I guess.

 

[thefourthpope]

Hmm. I haven’t thought about my phone that way since the very first iPhone. I got that one for a birthday gift and absolutely thought it made me seem cool.

But having thought about it now, most of the people whose opinion I would care about on this issue know that I own what I own by choice. So I don’t at all fear a stigma by not upgrading my phone.

 

[fwmireault]

Probably the most materialistic post I've ever made. It's going to sound a little silly but it's been on my mind for a little while and thought I'd see if anyone else feels similarly. Hear me out.

Does anyone else feel the pressure to have either the latest device, or at the very least a 'Pro' phone?

I have a 13 mini and it ticks so many boxes - small, practical, can be used one handed, light, good battery etc. It really works for me in a lot of ways.

But I always feel I'm 'missing out' on not having a Pro phone, even though I wouldn't use any of the additional features. Sure, 120hz, a better battery and a bigger screen are all nice things, but I definitely don't need them.

It's more the status of having a 'Pro' phone.

Even though it would be so awkward for me - the weight, the bulk with a case, the need for two hands, and the price premium - for some reason I still feel I 'need' one.

Is it an image thing? Do I sub-consciously think that people will think less of me because I have a 13 mini instead of a Pro? Am I thinking they're wondering whether I can't afford a more expensive phone rather than it being a choice? To be blunt, are non-Pro phones viewed as less "cool"? (ugh I feel so old putting the word cool in quotations).

I know come September, even though the 13 mini is fine, I'll still be thinking I need to buy the 14 Pro because it's the latest phone.

I know none of this should matter, it's materialistic, and most people couldn't care less, but why do I still think that way?

I can't say I am completely immune to that, Apple marketing works great on me. That said, I didn't upgrade to the iPhone 13 PM, and I never felt that I was missing that much. Pretty sure I'll feel the same with the iPhone 14. I'll be more than happy to get ProMotion when I will retire my 12 PM of course, but I don't feel that I'm missing a major part of the iPhone experience at this very moment. Granted, my iPhone is not that old, so it's probably normal that FOMO is not working as well

Also, I would probably always get the Pro, but not quite for the same reasons than you. I'm not fond of the colorful iPhones and I prefer the stainless steel finish. I consider myself a tech enthusiast and I love to get the latest tech, the Pro lineup has obviously more to offer in this regard. Finally, as I'm not upgrading my phone each year and tend to keep it 3-4 years, I prefer to get the most features of an iPhone for a more enjoyable experience on the long term. All these reasons are arguably the effect of Apple marketing on me, but I do believe that I'm not primarily upgrading based on the social status of a Pro iPhone, but because I enjoy more the hardware (not saying I need it, that's a different story).

 

[eyoungren]

You bet. I'm a professional photographer, and various people judge you by what gear you're carrying around, rather than by your results. I've had clients, editors and other photographers make snarky comments and even supposedly choose to work with me or not based on supposedly not using the latest gear. I am pretty confident that folks can't actually tell the difference in the results-I am not a rookie at this. I have to balance how much business I can lose to this perception problem against the cost of constant upgrades. (New professional level gear is easily 5-8x the price of a new iPhone.)

One of the reasons I joined this forum is because it has a PowerPC Mac section. Up until 2019, PowerPC Macs were my daily drivers. The community in that section of MacRumors is exceptional so I still go in there. In time, we also got an Early Intel Mac forum and most of the same people in the PowerPC forum are there in the other and vice-versa.

The reason our community (in that forum area) sticks together is for precisely the kind of thing you just described. Judgement.

It is not so bad now, but in 2011 if you entered the Intel Mac forums here on MR you were extensively judged by the newness of your Mac. If the community in that section determined (or you admitted) that your Mac was over a year old the general and consistent response for help was "Get a new Mac!" So I get what you're saying.

I'm a graphic designer. As long as what I'm giving someone is in a correct and acceptable format does it matter whether I used QuarkXPress 4.11 on an OS9 G4, or ID CS4 on a Quad G5 or QuarkXPress 2020 on a 2015 MBP running High Sierra?

The result is what's important. Totally agree.

 

[pianostar9]

Not at all.

Many times I’m out at dinner with clients and they’ll all have iPhone Pros and they ask me when I have an SE considering I know most about Apple.

I tell them my SE makes me more money than their Pro iPhones. One retorted that their phone takes better quality pictures.

I tell them i am a much better photographer than they are and have impeccable editing skills which is why my SE photos always come out looking better.

My iPhone SE pays the bills and then some. And still don’t want a bigger heavier device in my pocket just for perceived social status.

I’m secretly hoping you say it’s a first-gen SE blazing by on an older iOS version

I agree; I have an almost ten years old iPhone 5 hanging around and it’s such a great form factor even with a bulky battery case on it! I got so used to modern Apple that I couldn’t believe how it feels like it’s not even there when the case is off… truly a product that actually would deserve to be called “Air” if it were

 

[unixfool]

When I bought the 13 Pro Max, it had been a long while since I'd bought any iPhone, and back then, there were no Pro phones. Before the 13 Pro Max, I was using an LG V60 and had the 2nd screen dock (you put the V60 into the dock, which has another screen, when enables you to use the phone in dual screen mode). Since LG pulled out of the smartphone market, I wanted an equivalent phone but didn't want to go Samsung again - I had bad experiences with Samsung phones. I didn't want a Chinese brand and didn't care for Sony. The choice was (almost immediately) pretty much iPhone.

There was never a focus on the Pro model, but I did want an equivalent-sized and similarly equipped phone. So, 13 Pro Max it was.

 

[ian87w]

Pressure? Personally, no. I am tech aware and with the prices of tech (especially Apple's) in my country, I need to be judicious in my purchasing decision, buying the best tool for the job and my needs.

However, societal pressure is alive and well in our society. It's so bad that we have people doing tiktoks showing that their "groupies" only have the latest "bobba" iPhones. (Yes, these people actually have no clue about the camera functionalities, they just see three black holes on their Pro iPhones as a status symbol). The Apple brand also carriers a lot of weight in social circles. We even have groupies for Brompton cyclists. People are buying second hand BMW/Mercedez beyond their means just so they can be seen as a successful person amongst their peers. That's how shallow our society is. It's up to us if we want to be trapped into those things or not.

It's also why so many Chinese companies go into Indonesia to open up short term loan businesses. It's a major boom, with so many people got themselves in debt just because of their lifestyle.

 

[973358]

I'm still using my iPhone X. lol. The thing that I upgrade every 3 years is my Macs cuz it helps me make money. I upgrade my phones every 5 years and up since they become hot, too slow and battery drain.

 

[Warped9]

I never feel any pressure or like I’m missing out. I have an iPhone 8+ that works perfectly and serves my needs. I’ll use it until it doesn’t suit my needs anymore.

I personally feel most of the things on these phones are extraneous baggage. These phones can do a million things you will never use, but as long as they do the maybe dozen things you need then your good. And you don’t need to pay top dollar for the latest and greatest to do the maybe dozen things you need.

 

[SumYoungGai]

I’ve been a yearly upgrader for a while, primarily due to the cameras and traveling frequently within the past few years of my life. I want to have a great smartphone camera + the iOS experience + the convenience of not carrying around a point and shoot or even bigger camera. Went from 5>5S>6>7+>XS Max>11PM>12PM>13PM.

This is the first year where I’ve felt like jumping off the upgrade train and I could go either way in terms of keeping my 13 PM or upgrading to the 14 PM and keeping that for 2-3 years. Leaning towards the latter at the moment; tempted by the rumored larger sensor and better dynamic range and I’m hoping the extra info from the 48 MP sensor cuts down on all the extra processing that's done, but everything else about the 14 PM sounds pretty meh at the moment.

 

[chickeneaster]

I know what you mean; when I considered getting the 13 minim I felt weird because I'm missing out on a few key differences (battery, size, and especially the camera since I love taking photos)

 

[kp98077]

Around here, that seems to be true. I think a lot of people care more about their phone being a phablet, which doesn't appeal to me. The 13 mini is the perfect size for me.

yes! Mini is perfect size but low light and camera... whyyyyy cant they just add that to the mini it would be perfect!

 

[Lloigorr]

No, I feel no pressure at all.

 

[ryanflucas]

I'm using a iPhone SE2 and considering a iPhone 13 Mini. Is it absolutely confirmed anywhere that the iPhone Mini is over and dead? I'm tempted to buy a iPhone 13 Mini and skip all this new stuff.

 

[Pandyone]

No pressure, however I definitely experience FOMO a lot when it comes to technology and new devices/features overall.
It’s often just marketing and rarely actually makes that much difference with new devices in daily life.
It usually helps reduce FOMO to either just try things at a store, or buy and sell (if the product does not suit me).

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Some are taking this as "do you feel the pressure to not hang on to an old phone", rather than "do you feel the pressure to buy a Pro device even if that's not the one you want, for the sake of status".

Put it this way...

If I had say, a 12 Pro or 13 Pro (even though I prefer the mini), I'd feel I wasn't being judged, but if I had a 12 mini or 13 mini, or the standard (non-Pro) 13, others would think - "can he not afford a Pro?", "don't you prefer the Pro?", "the 13 Pro is a cooler, more premium phone" etc.

So I feel that pressure to buy a 12 Pro, 13 Pro or even the new 14 Pro for status/credibility - even though I'm perfectly happy with my 13 mini.

Even on this forum - why do so many people favour the Pro models over the non-Pro or mini? Seems like 80% of people on here have a Pro or Pro Max.

I know it sounds moronic, but it does cross my mind despite knowing it shouldn't.

Pressure to buy the Pro for status?? What status does an iPhone Pro give you?? News to me. If people look at me using a non-Pro iPhone and mistakenly assume I can’t afford a more expensive phone then that is their problem, not mine. Let people think that, they aren’t the sorts of people I’d want to be socialising with personally.

People should realise that mobile phones don’t convey the wealth someone has. Anybody can get an iPhone Pro on a longterm contract if that’s the phone they want and it has nothing to do with whether that person can afford it or not. I know plenty of people who own certain items that they can really afford but finance to have, but that’s their business. Never assume.

 

[Tdude96]

You bet. I'm a professional photographer, and various people judge you by what gear you're carrying around, rather than by your results. I've had clients, editors and other photographers make snarky comments and even supposedly choose to work with me or not based on supposedly not using the latest gear. I am pretty confident that folks can't actually tell the difference in the results-I am not a rookie at this. I have to balance how much business I can lose to this perception problem against the cost of constant upgrades. (New professional level gear is easily 5-8x the price of a new iPhone.)

Not to get too far off topic, but your comment makes me curious. I can see editors and other photographers getting snotty about gear, even though they should know better. Lots of gear snobs out there. But I'm wondering about the clients. Are these companies or individuals that you've noticed won't work with you based on not using the latest gear? I wouldn't expect most individual consumers to understand the difference.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Not to get too far off topic, but your comment makes me curious. I can see editors and other photographers getting snotty about gear, even though they should know better. Lots of gear snobs out there. But I'm wondering about the clients. Are these companies or individuals that you've noticed won't work with you based on not using the latest gear? I wouldn't expect most individual consumers to understand the difference.

Exactly. If I turned up with a Canon EOS 5DMKll, I doubt many clients would have a clue it’s more than a decade old as the aesthetics of this equipment have changed very little in 15 years. I also would expect many clients are studying camera equipment trends to know what is latest or not. If they are clued up, they’d likely be photographers themselves and not needing to hire an external source.