iPhone 14 Pro How would you justify paying well over 1000 dollars for a next-gen iPhone ?

[rocknrollme]

Hey all,

I live in France and the cheapest iPhone 14 Pro model retails at 1329 euros, that's 1441 US Dollars.

I've had an iPhone for 15 years and used to update every year, lately every two years, but now sometimes ask myself...

Moving forward, what really justifies to spend that crazy amount of money onto an iPhone vs. an Android alternative ?

For the same amount of money I could probably get 3 Xiaomi phones with equivalent specs.

Looking forward to all your thoughts

(I've got mine but am interrested into other people's take)

 

[macsound1]

I think it’s better to rationalize buying one new phone every 2 or 3 years.
In the earlier times, iPhones would progress leaps and bounds every cycle. Things move more slowly now where an iPhone 11 Pro isn’t as far off the 14 pro as a 4 was a 6s.

 

[eyoungren]

How would you justify…

I wouldn't.

I don't need to justify anything. It's my money and I will spend it on whatever I want to spend it on.

I will never understand this whole having to justify a purchase stuff or only buying what you need and no more.

Now, if I am unwilling to pay the price for something, then that just means I don't want it that much.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Because you want one?

Justifying is mostly tied to seeking approval from others. If it's your money, spend it on whatever you want.

If it's their money, you probably need some justification. Now that iPhone advancements are perceived to be refinements more than revolutionary, the easiest justification is "my iPhone is broken/lost/stolen, and I must have another." However, much better than that is to not justify because you can buy one with your own money. Then you only need to decide you want an iPhone more than you want the thousand.

If it's about justifying to yourself, buy if you want one or buy a competing phone if that is as good in your own opinion. Asking Apple people to endorse buying somebody else's phone will get you very little justification. Pretty much ALL of Apple's major products have competing models that are much cheaper than Apples. If the money difference is worth more than whatever extra value you perceive in Apple products vs. competition, there is no justification. Buy the competing products and enjoy spending the spare cash on anything else... or keeping it.

 

[TorbenIbsen]

All basic iPhone things can still be done with iPhone 8. iPhone 12 Pro gave us LIDAR which is a big improvement for pictures and 3D scanning objects and rooms. iPhone 13 Pro added a big difference in the cameras. So a choice might actually stand between iPhone 8 and iPhone 13 Pro. I cannot really figure out any reason to pay for iPhone 14 models.

But if you have an iPhone as the only Apple device you might just as well use someting else. Because what really can justify an iPhone is when you use iCloud synchronization to combine a Mac and/or iPad to your iPhone and have most of your data automatically synchronize to the other devices. And on top of that you are safe from losing all your data from one single, local incident because you always have all the data in iCloud as well as on the devices. Both iPhone 8 and iPhone 13 Pro can of course use iCloud this way.

If all this is enough "justification" is a personal choice each of us have to make. It is enough in my home.

 

[cableguy84]

I used to upgrade every year but moving onto a 2 year cycle. Money isn’t an issue it’s more to do with the fact we are only seeing minor upgrades

 

[eyoungren]

But if you have an iPhone as the only Apple device you might just as well use someting else. Because what really can justify an iPhone is when you use iCloud synchronization to combine a Mac and/or iPad to your iPhone and have most of your data automatically synchronize to the other devices. And on top of that you are safe from losing all your data from one single, local incident because you always have all the data in iCloud as well as on the devices. Both iPhone 8 and iPhone 13 Pro can of course use iCloud this way.

iCloud and Apple's services don't necessarily serve as a justification though…

When I purchased my first brand new iPhone in 2012 (the iPhone 5) I owned a 17" PowerBook G4 as my primary Mac. Guess what? No iCloud on a PowerPC Mac running Leopard 10.5.8 in 2012. I had to get creative using other methods. If I'd been justifying my purchases then getting the iPhone 5 would not have been justifiable.

Even today, there is no 'justification' to have an iPhone for me…

• IMAP for email. I don't use the email Apple provides for iCloud.
• Google for contacts, calendars, reminders and notes. Again, no iCloud.
• Photos/Video - Dropbox/Google. I do have iCloud, but it's not necessary.
• SMS/iMessage. I do use iMessage, but nothing important or valuable is every discussed over messaging in my circles. Even so, that stuff gets backed up with iCloud, but still not necessary.
• Apps. Really don't care about this one. I don't use my phone as a computer. I have multiple computers around me every day for that and they get their own backups.

I do use iCloud periodically to back up, but that's just a whole device backup for convenience. Everything else is already backed up somewhere else (see above).

So, iCloud as a justification…sure, I guess.

 

[Geert76]

for a lot of people it's simply: FOMO

 

[compwiz1202]

Hey all,

I live in France and the cheapest iPhone 14 Pro model retails at 1329 euros, that's 1441 US Dollars.

I've had an iPhone for 15 years and used to update every year, lately every two years, but now sometimes ask myself...

Moving forward, what really justifies to spend that crazy amount of money onto an iPhone vs. an Android alternative ?

For the same amount of money I could probably get 3 Xiaomi phones with equivalent specs.

Looking forward to all your thoughts

(I've got mine but am interrested into other people's take)

Are there carrier trade in deals there. Here there are, but they are even getting worse from stretching the terms. When it was 24, you could pay off the other half of the installment, and the trade in deal would give more than that. Now it's 36 so you would have to pay 2/3 after a year, so the trade in deal may not cover it. And with the upgrades less exciting now, might as well just wait at least until the installments are over, or until it dies. Always nice to hear the people who have plenty of $$$ who have discretion instead of I want X, I have the money here you go. That's why prices keep climbing

 

[MrMojo1]

You don't need any reasons from others regarding your financial budget on whether or not to buy an iPhone.

The iPhone is relatively overpriced now as the tech plateaued awhile back with incremental changes to newer iPhone models, esp. the Pro models. The higher costs of the higher end models have already made some people hesitant on buying newer models and some people on many online forum boards have already said they switched over to Android smartphones.

Many Apple diehards will never leave Apple. Many people who are invested relatively heavy into Apple's ecosystem (i.e. still have funds in the Apple store and like iMessage) would have a relatively difficult time to switch over but it's doable.
Unless one is a diehard Apple fan person or just have disposable income to spend, stay with your current iPhone, including getting a battery replacement and keep it until either Apple does something to iOS to slow it down further or the unit dies.
People are now keeping their iPhones for ~3~5 yrs, depending on the person.
Many don't worry or don't care about having the latest tech unlike techheads or those who need to own the latest and greatest tech, basically to show off, even if it's kept inside a case.

There's nothing wrong with refurbished models. In recent news, Apple started to release refurbished models in certain countries, at least the iPhone 13 models, which includes a new battery/case and is eligible for AppleCare. It may cost relatively more from Apple but it's 'safer' since it comes with a new 1 year warranty by Apple.
You can buy refurbed models elsewhere but caution is needed as you don't know the seller and the condition of the item being sold.

Lastly, if you really need a newer iPhone, you could buy a carrier's iPhone (which comes with discounts esp. on opening day for newer models) but be locked into a contract ~24~36 months, depending on the carrier.
Whether or not it's 'worth it' is up to you.
Better to buy the Unlocked model instead, if available. Read the fine print of the contract as many include a clause that states you will pay Full price if you prepay the iPhone's contract in full sooner.

Good luck!

 

[macos9rules]

I change iPhone every 4-5 years, so I prefer buying the top model.

 

[antiprotest]

It is about what you like, the utility and experience, not the specs that appear on paper. It's not about specs or the cost of materials. If you pay less but suffer daily for it, then you are just paying for it in other ways.

The phone is by far the device that I use most every day, therefore to me it is the thing that I would be willing to pay the most for. I want it to be as close to perfect as possible. I want to have to put up with as little BS from it as possible.

I hardly ever drive, so I would be unwilling to pay more than $25,000 for a car. I know some people that commute for 3 hours every day. They ought to buy the best cars they can reasonably afford since they almost live in it.

On the other hand, my phone would worth more than $50,000 or even more to me (don't tell Apple that). But in terms of cost of materials, the car would worth more.

I am fortunate to speak as someone who can afford anything I want. For someone who can't, then the cost in terms of actual $$$ carries much more weight in making decisions, as it should.

 

[1800AirTAG]

Justification is 100% personal based and subjective to the person looking to buy the product, regardless of what it is. Some will justify it as "I want the latest and greatest always" and have the means to do so. Others don't see the point because their priorities are different - not to mention they change over time.

5-10 years ago I "had" to have the latest and greatest, today, I will run the device until it either breaks to where the repair cost is not worth it, or until a new feature (hardware or software) comes out that I really, really want. Today I would rather spend my money on traveling and experiencing the world than getting the latest and greatest every year.

Ultimately, no ones can justify it (or not) for you other than yourself.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

I enjoyed keeping up with the iPhone parade for many years, for all the same reasons you’ll see all over this site, and even convinced myself, as is the fashion, that it was a need & not just a luxury want. But then in the mood for something more different than the next upgrade offered, I put off buying one until the *next* major feature addition that was worth paying $1k to get. At some point in all the waiting, I realized how many more better things I can do with all those thousands. It is a great many things.

 

[OneBar]

Hey all,

I live in France and the cheapest iPhone 14 Pro model retails at 1329 euros, that's 1441 US Dollars.

I've had an iPhone for 15 years and used to update every year, lately every two years, but now sometimes ask myself...

Moving forward, what really justifies to spend that crazy amount of money onto an iPhone vs. an Android alternative ?

For the same amount of money I could probably get 3 Xiaomi phones with equivalent specs.

Looking forward to all your thoughts

(I've got mine but am interrested into other people's take)

Adjust for inflation and currency exchange and you have paid about the same for every iPhone you've purchased over the last 15 years. How did you justify it then? That's all the answer you need.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Hey all,

I live in France and the cheapest iPhone 14 Pro model retails at 1329 euros, that's 1441 US Dollars.

I've had an iPhone for 15 years and used to update every year, lately every two years, but now sometimes ask myself...

Moving forward, what really justifies to spend that crazy amount of money onto an iPhone vs. an Android alternative ?

For the same amount of money I could probably get 3 Xiaomi phones with equivalent specs.

Looking forward to all your thoughts

(I've got mine but am interrested into other people's take)

If you find it hard to find reasons to 'justify' a purchase, that should be a big red flag labeled 'no purchase.'

 

[dz5b609]

.

 

[Piscestg]

I wouldn't.

I don't need to justify anything. It's my money and I will spend it on whatever I want to spend it on.

I will never understand this whole having to justify a purchase stuff or only buying what you need and no more.

Now, if I am unwilling to pay the price for something, then that just means I don't want it that much.

I agree completely. I am fortunate that financial wise I can buy what I want or need without a problem. Last year alone I bought two iPhones, a MacBook Air and three Apple Watches and paid cash for all. I set myself up for this after working most of my life and being disciplined with money while raising kids and having debt. Now the kids are grown, I'm retired with no debt, have a nice home and cars and making more spendable money (net) than when I was working. Now I'm reaping the rewards. Apple should love me for all I've spent with them since 2016.

 

[saudor]

By only buying every 4-5 years. Still rocking a 8+ and it runs like new with the battery replacement. The phone before that was the 5S and that was running noticeably slow by 2017 but not as bad as an iphone 4 running ios7 or ipad 2 on 9.3.5.

Like someone said, the hardware far exceeds software requirements these days. It's not like the 2011 days where every new generation was at least 2x faster CPU and 9x faster graphics.

Anyways for me personally, it's just a phone. I am not going to be folding proteins on it or compiling code so I'm ok

 

[ShadowJade]

Are there carrier trade in deals there. Here there are, but they are even getting worse from stretching the terms. When it was 24, you could pay off the other half of the installment, and the trade in deal would give more than that. Now it's 36 so you would have to pay 2/3 after a year, so the trade in deal may not cover it. And with the upgrades less exciting now, might as well just wait at least until the installments are over, or until it dies. Always nice to hear the people who have plenty of $$$ who have discretion instead of I want X, I have the money here you go. That's why prices keep climbing

I used to do the carrier purchase when it was 24 months/0%...now I just trade into Apple every year. I got $720 for my iphone 13 PM this year, $790 for my iphone 12 PM the year before. I have no problem paying $400-$500 per year for the device that essentially replaced my Garmin GPS, my Casio Camera, my JVC camcorder, my Sony MP3 player, my Texas-Instruments calculator, my PDA planner, my... These devices are an absolute steal based on all the devices that they made obsolete. I am the lead admin on a 275,000 member forum on FB for iphone usage tricks/solutions...I really need to have the latest unit running the latest software to provide relevant solutions.

 

[Sami13496]

I could never justify paying that much. But that’s just me and my personal needs. Yours may differ. I never buy latest model and I keep my iPhones for 4-5 years. I just don’t need those latest hardware features. I don’t take much photos. I don’t play games. I’m happy as long as I got the iPhone with latest iOS and the phone isn’t laggy. Currently I have iPhone XR. When the battery goes bad or software support ends I will upgrade.

But I would never switch to Android. Specs mean nothing to me. Apple’s design, user experience and ecosystem is unbeatable. I rather use 4 years old iPhone than latest Android device.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Hey all,

I live in France and the cheapest iPhone 14 Pro model retails at 1329 euros, that's 1441 US Dollars.

I've had an iPhone for 15 years and used to update every year, lately every two years, but now sometimes ask myself...

Moving forward, what really justifies to spend that crazy amount of money onto an iPhone vs. an Android alternative ?

For the same amount of money I could probably get 3 Xiaomi phones with equivalent specs.

Looking forward to all your thoughts

(I've got mine but am interrested into other people's take)

My justification is always, generally speaking, I want a thing and have the money for it. No other justification is really needed beyond that. It’s also fortunate, I guess, that I’m not usually around people that question my purchases? Though, it wouldn’t make a difference to me because the answer would still be “because I wanted it”.

 

[Jumpthesnark]

I don't need to "justify" any purchase I make.

As for the idea that you could find three Xiaomi phones for the same money, that doesn't change a thing. I could buy a fleet of Pintos for the price of an Aston Martin, but that doesn't mean they're the same thing. Maybe I don't want a fleet of Pintos.

 

[eyoungren]

I agree completely. I am fortunate that financial wise I can buy what I want or need without a problem. Last year alone I bought two iPhones, a MacBook Air and three Apple Watches and paid cash for all. I set myself up for this after working most of my life and being disciplined with money while raising kids and having debt. Now the kids are grown, I'm retired with no debt, have a nice home and cars and making more spendable money (net) than when I was working. Now I'm reaping the rewards. Apple should love me for all I've spent with them since 2016.

I cannot say I am in the same financial spot, but we (my wife and I) get by. We own two cars, the youngest being 10 years old and the oldest being 26 years old. We're in our own home (five years on after 21 years of renting). But we live paycheck to paycheck. Somehow, the bills get paid and we have most of the stuff we like/want and all the stuff we need.

I am willing to wait for what I want, even if that means getting it used or decades after it was originally for sale. In the case of iDevices I am quite comfortable buying a model that is 2-3 years out of date to get what I want. The interaction of my parents with either me or my mother losing out to my dad, taught me that it's best to wait for what I want - or be miserable with the latest thing that is NOT what you wanted.

Somehow, in the getting what you want, what you need is ultimately satisfied. Or maybe it's just that what I want is always more than I need, LOL!

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I upgrade every 2 years but the 14 Pro is more than I think is worth spending. I’m not ruling out switching to Android next time around as I’m also starting to ask what the justification is for iPhones to be well over a £1000? I’m noticing more and more people I know gravitating away from the iPhone and this is surely down to prices in Europe being ridiculously high?

I opted for a 13 Pro Max this time around and my options going forward will either be the previous years Pro iPhone or an Android. Let’s face it, a smartphone is a smartphone and they all essentially do the same thing.