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

[JamesMcFlyJR]

Just going to speak to this point. In a previous post I mentioned that device promos are often only for the base capacity of a device. It's rare when you're allowed to apply a promo to a device with the max capacity.

Likewise, a lot of carrier deals for plans assume a base offering. The four person plan you mention? I assume that's for four lines right? I have a family plan with T-Mobile that currently has 10 lines for a four person family. My wife and I each have three lines for ourselves, two voice lines (for two phones) and one data line (for iPads). There are two lines for SyncUP Drive devices in our cars which give us mobile WiFi. And the last two lines are actually for our kids (voice lines).

Any deals I've ever found from my carrier (or other carriers) are outright assuming three or four lines max for a family. You mentioned where people spend their $$$. This is where I spend mine: on devices, on cellular plans, on my ISP, on my streaming services, etc. And that's where I am often screwed for promos because not a lot of service providers offer much more than the basics.

Ive been able to buy 256gb iPhone Pro Max from T-Mobile before and was able to take advantage of the $1000 bill credits. the 256gb Pro max was $1200 so I just had to pay the $200+taxes up front.

Also I have 8 lines on Magenta Max (but only 4 people) and had no issues with anything (6 devices on EIP). Sorry but I dont know what you mean with this part: "Any deals I've ever found from my carrier (or other carriers) are outright assuming three or four lines max for a family." What t-mobile plan do you have? Simple Choice?

 

[eyoungren]

Ive been able to buy 256gb iPhone Pro Max from T-Mobile before and was able to take advantage of the $1000 bill credits. the 256gb Pro max was $1200 so I just had to pay the $200+taxes up front.

Also I have 8 lines on Magenta Max (but only 4 people) and had no issues with anything (6 devices on EIP). Sorry but I dont know what you mean with this part: "Any deals I've ever found from my carrier (or other carriers) are outright assuming three or four lines max for a family." What t-mobile plan do you have? Simple Choice?

Yes, Simple Choice.

When I was looking up T-Mobile's 55+ plan (my wife had turned 55) I was informed that the deal was only for two lines and the primary line (which is me) had to be the person that was 55. At the time we had 8 lines, so we were told we didn't qualify.

I've seen a lot of prepaid or post paid family plan deals by other carriers where the special was only for 3 or 4 lines. If you had more than that you had to pay more. I'd expect that anyway (more lines), but at the promo price. That wasn't the case.

If I switched to Magenta (or Magenta Max) I'd lose a free line and my plan cost would increase.

Cool that you got a deal on a higher capacity phone. It happens, it's just not as common as deals for lower capacity devices.

 

[tornadowrangler]

Why should someone need to justify themselves? It's their money and their life, and their decisions. People looking for justifications and/or opinions are insecure and looking for validation, in my opinion.

If you have the money and you want it, just buy it and don't look back.

Some of us budget and spend our money wisely. Even if I "want" something and have the money for it, that doesn't mean buying it is a good financial decision. I think he is asking how can you justify the purchase as being a good (or at least not a bad) decision.

 

[MajkJaro]

I have an iPhone xs and I am torn between 14 pro or pro max. Hard choice, that is a lot of cash. Would love to have 128 gb and a better camera. But i think that even the 14+ would be a great buy. A big improvement.

 

[Jackbequickly]

Some of us budget and spend our money wisely. Even if I "want" something and have the money for it, that doesn't mean buying it is a good financial decision. I think he is asking how can you justify the purchase as being a good (or at least not a bad) decision.

‘I do not consider buying a phone for over $1k to be spent unwisely. Everyone’s finances are different and each needs to make their choices accordingly. A $600 to $700 investment each year is well worth it to me. My phone gives me the ability to leave my office while still handling all of my customer. It’s freedom for me and the PM is well worth to cost.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

‘I do not consider buying a phone for over $1k to be spent unwisely. Everyone’s finances are different and each needs to make their choices accordingly. A $600 to $700 investment each year is well worth it to me. My phone gives me the ability to leave my office while still handling all of my customer. It’s freedom for me and the PM is well worth to cost.

You do that because you want to though, not because you need to. Any recent iPhone allows us to do productive tasks on the go and it’s not dependant on us having a new phone every year in order to enable us to complete office based tasks. I have no issue with people replacing their phone every year if that’s their thing, but those that say they need to because of ‘business needs’ seem to miss the point of these devices I think.

 

[gary77]

I’ve always brought the iPhone outright and get a sim only deal used to upgrade every “s year” 4s/5s/6s I didn’t go for the iPhone 7 since I didn’t see much reason to upgrade since then I tend to upgrade when iPhones adopt a new feature like wireless or fast charging like the iPhone 8 did i upgraded to an iPhone SE as I wanted the duel sim option I did upgrade to the 13 as I wanted more storage now cannot justify spending over £1000 for a phone

Since then I don’t go for the newest model anymore aside from better battery life and a faster processor there’s really no need to upgrade to a new model each year

 

[Jackbequickly]

You do that because you want to though, not because you need to. Any recent iPhone allows us to do productive tasks on the go and it’s not dependant on us having a new phone every year in order to enable us to complete office based tasks. I have no issue with people replacing their phone every year if that’s their thing, but those that say they need to because of ‘business needs’ seem to miss the point of these devices I think.

‘I thought I was conveying that, maybe poorly. But we agree.

 

[UltimateSyn]

Just going to speak to this point. In a previous post I mentioned that device promos are often only for the base capacity of a device. It's rare when you're allowed to apply a promo to a device with the max capacity.

I don’t think I’ve ever once seen a carrier promo deal be storage-tier-specific. That being said, the value of the promo doesn’t usually go up as the storage of the phone you’re buying goes up, so any extra storage you’re getting will be purely paid for out of pocket.

Maybe you’re thinking of the payment examples they give on the promo explanation pages, they usually use base storage models for examples, but again that doesn’t mean the promo doesn’t apply to higher storage tiers. It’s just that the value of your trade-in wouldn’t increase any further, and the out-of-pocket cost would increase by the delta between the base storage tier and the one you’re buying.

 

[WoodTableFromIkea]

Some of us budget and spend our money wisely. Even if I "want" something and have the money for it, that doesn't mean buying it is a good financial decision. I think he is asking how can you justify the purchase as being a good (or at least not a bad) decision.

And can you point me to where I said differently? Just because you aren't justifying yourself doesn't mean you aren't budgeting and/or money wise.

Just buy whatever you want and don't mind what others think. Why do I care if the guy next me is jealous of my iPhone 14 Pro Max with 50TB of storage... You people are always looking for validation from internet strangers, it's amazing.

Just live your life and stop caring about what others think of you or how you live your life.

 

[eyoungren]

I don’t think I’ve ever once seen a carrier promo deal be storage-tier-specific. That being said, the value of the promo doesn’t usually go up as the storage of the phone you’re buying goes up, so any extra storage you’re getting will be purely paid for out of pocket.

Maybe you’re thinking of the payment examples they give on the promo explanation pages, they usually use base storage models for examples, but again that doesn’t mean the promo doesn’t apply to higher storage tiers. It’s just that the value of your trade-in wouldn’t increase any further, and the out-of-pocket cost would increase by the delta between the base storage tier and the one you’re buying.

You're probably correct. And I would interpret that as not applying to higher capacity models because I'm not getting the same deal as those with lower capacity models (even if it isn't true).

That said, I have asked about certain promos in the past and been told they only apply to certain models. As to trade-ins, we (my wife and I) keep our phones/devices so that's another reason we miss promos. A lot of them want our old devices and I'm not willing to surrender them.

 

[Gengar]

iPhones are cheaper in America, so you get more for your money. My iPhone 14 Pro Max 512GB was barely more expensive than the cheapest iPhone 14 Pro available to you, for example.

Plus, if you wanna go another route, US carriers (specifically AT&T and T-Mobile) usually have great deals where the phones are heavily discounted or even free since they always launch right before the holidays.

Not to mention US iPhones usually have broader 5G support compared to the European ones.

 

[webkit]

iPhones are cheaper in America, so you get more for your money. My iPhone 14 Pro Max 512GB was barely more expensive than the cheapest iPhone 14 Pro available to you, for example.

iPhones are typically cheaper in America but the difference may not be as much as some think. Keep in mind that most European prices being quoted on here include VAT and are compared against U.S. prices without the VAT equivalent (state/local sales tax).

The pre-VAT price of the cheapest iPhone 14 Pro in France is around €1,093 which at the current exchange rate is around $1,188 USD. At the time the phone launched last September, the exchange rate had put the price at around $1,060 in USD. The pre-sales tax price of a 512GB iPhone 14 Pro Max you were comparing is $1,399 in the U.S.

Also, iPhones sold in EU countries like France come with a standard 2 year warranty (thanks to EU law) while iPhones sold in the U.S. only have a 1 year warranty. That additional year of protection for EU phones has value.

 

[Andeddu]

People used to buy phones annually. The market has matured and now it is rare to upgrade every cycle.

The 14 series was a disappointment and, as such, Apple has been seeing vastly lower numbers compared to the 13 series which was a huge improvement over the 12.

I mentioned this in another thread that the iPhone 6, X, and 12 were all problematic. The 4s, 5s, 8, 11 Pro and 13 Pro are all phones that lasted the test of time; all great models that are still relevant today (other than the 4s and 5s not being supported by most carriers).

Don’t forget the 6S… many would suggest it stood the test of time better than any other.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

iPhones are cheaper in America, so you get more for your money. My iPhone 14 Pro Max 512GB was barely more expensive than the cheapest iPhone 14 Pro available to you, for example.

Plus, if you wanna go another route, US carriers (specifically AT&T and T-Mobile) usually have great deals where the phones are heavily discounted or even free since they always launch right before the holidays.

Not to mention US iPhones usually have broader 5G support compared to the European ones.

I’m always amazed by the trade in deals discussed on here from the US and the BOGOF deals that you’d never see here in Europe. We do pay far less for our data plans though from what I have seen. iPhone prices have gotten silly here recently and I’m hearing more and more people talking about what a rip off it is. I’m seeing quite a few of my friends who I’ve always known as iPhone users sporting Samsung phones in the last few months but carriers do seem to be promoting Samsung a hell of a lot lately. It’ll be interesting to see this year if iPhones go up again as the £150 hike in the Pro’s last year was quite a shocker.

 

[BlackBun]

Can’t take the money with you when you snuff it. My iPhone works incredibly hard for me. Up grade every year.

 

[webkit]

The 14 series was a disappointment and, as such, Apple has been seeing vastly lower numbers compared to the 13 series which was a huge improvement over the 12.

I think it's too early to tell how successful or unsuccessful the iPhone 14 line will turn out to be especially given supply chain issues faced in recent months. While it is true that iPhone sales declined last quarter (compared to year before), the decline was less than the smartphone industry overall. The entire smartphone industry saw an 18.3% decline while Apple only had a 14.9% decline and was able to increase its market share for the quarter.

 

[KOTN91]

People used to buy phones annually. The market has matured and now it is rare to upgrade every cycle.

The 14 series was a disappointment and, as such, Apple has been seeing vastly lower numbers compared to the 13 series which was a huge improvement over the 12.

I mentioned this in another thread that the iPhone 6, X, and 12 were all problematic. The 4s, 5s, 8, 11 Pro and 13 Pro are all phones that lasted the test of time; all great models that are still relevant today (other than the 4s and 5s not being supported by most carriers).

The thing is the 6, X and to a lesser extent 12 are all a lot more iconic than the other phones you mention. I agree mostly about that these other phones being relevant for a long time, except the 8 which was irrelevant on release let alone now

 

[clueless88]

I don't think it is correct to refer to purchasing depreciating items like vehicles, phones, computers as "investments".

These items when purchased (either upfront or over time) are simply purchases with little hope of capital appreciation.

Like all other purchases, the price of the item should not be a significant percentage of one's annual income.

[warning Dave Ramsey rant]--if one is free of personal debt (no unpaid credit card balance at end of cycle, no school or car loans, no loans except housing mortgage), is setting aside at least 15% of income for retirement, is setting aside funds for kids' education, and has 6 months of expenses available (emergency fund), then one should without guilt be able to purchase any item they desire. No justification is necessary--it's just part of one's pursuit of happiness. [end rant].

That being said, I don't plan to purchase a phone for over $1,000. I have made it a habit of not buying the nicest/flashiest vehicle or the highest end electronics (still kicking myself for buying a "cutting edge" Pentium 90 computer back in the day). Down the road with inflation and a weak currency we all may be paying over $1,000 for middle of the road phones (not sure how many forum members were adults in the late 70s/early 80s when inflation ran over 15% annually).

If one can afford it, buy it. If one is careful with their budget, serious consideration will take place prior to one's buying whatever item. If only we can convince Congress to do the same. Bottom line, live within ones budget.

 

[mollyc]

I had the 6, 6s, 7 and 8. The 8 lasted longer than all of those. I handed it down and only replaced it a year ago.

i stopped using my 8+ last week! and my husband his 8. when you only buy a phone every five years cost isn’t as important. we each got a 14 pro max

 

[KOTN91]

I had the 6, 6s, 7 and 8. The 8 lasted longer than all of those. I handed it down and only replaced it a year ago.

The 8 was outdated technology on release, as shown by the fact the X was released concurrently

 

[Andeddu]

S

The 8 was outdated technology on release, as shown by the fact the X was released concurrently

They have the same SoC. Support for both phones will be dropped by Apple at the same time.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

The thing is the 6, X and to a lesser extent 12 are all a lot more iconic than the other phones you mention. I agree mostly about that these other phones being relevant for a long time, except the 8 which was irrelevant on release let alone now

The iPhone 8 and 8+ were hardly irrelevant. They were effectively an iPhone X without the FaceID and newer looking form factor. They were very popular phones and not everybody was thrilled with the X when it was released despite what many on Mac Rumours may feel. It was the first iPhone that pushed the £1k barrier and that turned a lot of consumers off despite its new looking design. The iPhone 8 was a very solid phone, especially the Plus and was often tipped as being more reliable than its X variant and had better battery life.

The 8 was outdated technology on release, as shown by the fact the X was released concurrently

That’s completely false. The iPhone 8 contained current technology and had much of the same internals of the iPhone X. Just because it had a classic design rather than the newer form factor does not mean the technology was out of date. It had the current iteration of TouchID on the device too.

 

[compwiz1202]

if money isn’t issue then why not get even minor upgrades?

from my experience even when it seems like a smallest update eventually i realize i wouldn’t go back

Because they actually look for value in stuff instead of I want this I have the $$$ I'm buying it. The latter drive up prices. I love the ones with the money who don't just buy things because they can.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Because they actually look for value in stuff instead of I want this I have the $$$ I'm buying it. The latter drive up prices. I love the ones with the money who don't just buy things because they can.

Like the CEO of the company I work for. He’s worth tens of millions, owns goodness knows how many super cars and has a 2018 iPad Pro and an iPhone 12 Pro Max lol. I think some on here think if you’ve got money, you’re somehow passionate about having the latest iPhone.