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

[smirking]

Interesting. I frequently fool people into thinking I'm shooting with one when it's the other. As with DSLRs, you have to know your phone cam's strengths and weaknesses when shooting.

So I can either interpret this to mean you've mastered your phone camera and know exactly how to push it to its limits...

Or I could read it as you admitting you're so bad on a DSLR that people think you took it with your phone. 😝

Yeah, most people aren't very good at telling apart something shot on a camera and one shot with a DSLR, especially not when they're on a smart phone. I can't see much of a difference half the time either on a small screen, but if I have to work with the image the smartphone image isn't much fun to work with.

 

[Dismayed]

I only upgrade when my old phone starts to struggle. I was offered a decent trade-in on my iPhone 7, so now I'm sporting an iPhone 13 (non-Pro). I expect that I'll use this phone until the iPhone 18 is unveiled. Don't fix it if it ain't broken.

 

[OneBar]

Perhaps the reason why they stay rich because they stay cheap?

A problem of many persons who come into money suddenly is that their expenses overshoots their improved cashflow.

For example if I were to come into money I'd do the following in secret

- pay off all personal/business debt
- make repairs to current home to rent out and buy myself a new home in a better neighborhood
- sell off all old things as downpayment for current model & follow a scheduled replacement cycle of all home appliances, devices, cars, etc
- do not tell the local diner that I came into money
- invest money into stock in March 2020 & April 2020.

The average millionaire in the US drives a 3-5 year old basic F150. As someone else said, frugal over cheap. Buying a cheap phone every year is going to cost more than getting a good phone every 3-5.

 

[OneBar]

iOS is not perfect though, Siri for example lags far behind Google’s voice assistant which for me is unacceptable as it’s such an integral part of the experience and something I use throughout the day for reminders, app launches and timers. The premium price tag increased significantly last September and I’m at a loss to see what we got additionally that sets the iPhone apart? It’s not like the iPhone has the best camera anymore. Like you I prefer the overall iOS experience with its polished (mostly) interface. However, Apple are neglecting certain aspects and I’m starting to question whether I continue my 12 year iPhone experience as prices continue to increase.

PS: I’m assuming your post isn’t a copy and paste from a marketing ad and I haven’t misinterpreted it.

Inflation. You got inflation. And currency exchange rates if you're not from the US. Adjusted for inflation I've spent within $50 on every iPhone since the 6s. Paid less for the 4s because I couldn't afford the storage bump at the time.

 

[compwiz1202]

Nothing worse than people who have lots of money but are still cheap

Yea that's the other extreme. Also don't want them to just throw money at everything and drive prices up either.

 

[blairh]

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)

You update too often.

There is no need to update your iPhone more than say every 3-4 years. Even in those scenarios, if your iPhone works well, you can just keep it until you truly need to update.

Slab phones are a complete bore at this point. I would justify paying more than $1000 for an iPhone if it unfolds to become a tablet. Otherwise the premium features are not worth it in my opinion. Hence why I am using an iPhone 13 now.

 

[jmpage2]

My family have a quite high income but there's little point in updating to the latest iPhones annually even though we have the means to do so.

Substantial features have to be introduced for me to consider updating, otherwise I update about once every three years lately.

Improving the cameras every year isn't enough to get me to do it.

I will say that the always on lock screen and dynamic island are very good features that were worth updating to and bumped my update to 2 years when I got my iPhone 14 Pro. I did have need of an extra phone for someone else in the household though so that's worth keeping in mind.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Inflation. You got inflation. And currency exchange rates if you're not from the US. Adjusted for inflation I've spent within $50 on every iPhone since the 6s. Paid less for the 4s because I couldn't afford the storage bump at the time.

You don’t need to tell me, inflation has been pumped through our news for the past 9 months. It just means less sales for manufacturers ultimately because consumers reduce spending and it results in the smartphone market and Apples sales declining like they have. Putting prices up doesn’t mean people still buy the product and certainly in reduced numbers. I doubt i’ll buy a current iPhone ever again if these prices hold or rise further. There’s only one loser in that equation and it’s not me.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Unless you are buying a pixel though most android phones are as expensive if not more so these days. S23 ultra i'm expecting to be 1200/1300

I think these manufacturers are pushing us to keep phones longer and maybe it’s pressure due to e-waste? As the smartphone market shrinks year on year and prices go up to cover shortfalls, people are upgrading less often due to choice or affordability. There’s no way i’ll ever pay over £1k for a mobile phone and i’ll continue to buy last years devices at a discount. I haven’t regretted it the twice I have done it so far.

 

[OneBar]

You don’t need to tell me, inflation has been pumped through our news for the past 9 months. It just means less sales for manufacturers ultimately because consumers reduce spending and it results in the smartphone market and Apples sales declining like they have. Putting prices up doesn’t mean people still buy the product and certainly in reduced numbers. I doubt i’ll buy a current iPhone ever again if these prices hold or rise further. There’s only one loser in that equation and it’s not me.

Sure but I was responding to your point that "premium price tag increased significantly". It hasn't. Your dollar has been devalued so it takes more of them to purchase the same product. It's a significant point.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Sure but I was responding to your point that "premium price tag increased significantly". It hasn't. Your dollar has been devalued so it takes more of them to purchase the same product. It's a significant point.

That may be the case but to the consumer the price hiked £150 compared to the 13 Pro/13ProMax. Cost of living in general has skyrocketed and wages have remained the same in many cases. Sure Apple are only maintaining that profit, but they ultimately lose out as their products become less desirable for the price. I understand how it works, this is just the consequence.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Unless you are buying a pixel though most android phones are as expensive if not more so these days. S23 ultra i'm expecting to be 1200/1300

But there are always deals with Samsung phones and their trade in programme is really good.

 

[OneBar]

That may be the case but to the consumer the price hiked £150 compared to the 13 Pro/13ProMax. Cost of living in general has skyrocketed and wages have remained the same in many cases. Sure Apple are only maintaining that profit, but they ultimately lose out as their products become less desirable for the price. I understand how it works, this is just the consequence.

And yet people are still buying their products and they're still worth $2T USD.

 

[KOTN91]

Perhaps the reason why they stay rich because they stay cheap?

A problem of many persons who come into money suddenly is that their expenses overshoots their improved cashflow.

For example if I were to come into money I'd do the following in secret

- pay off all personal/business debt
- make repairs to current home to rent out and buy myself a new home in a better neighborhood
- sell off all old things as downpayment for current model & follow a scheduled replacement cycle of all home appliances, devices, cars, etc
- do not tell the local diner that I came into money
- invest money into stock in March 2020 & April 2020.

That sounds very boring and ultimately money is for enjoying, you can’t take it with you after all. Wealth for the sake of wealth is ridiculous

As for the 8 vs X, the reviews at the time of release spoke volumes and the difference between the two was using a handset that is essentially a few years in the past compared to one that ushered in the future. There was no rational case for purchasing or upgrading to an 8 instead of an X, as if you were going to just get the 8 then you may as well stay on the 6 or 7

 

[cubbie5150]

It's rather easy for me to"justify" spending top dollar on stuff....that I actually use heavily. Thus, I have gone through various stages in life spending $$$ on audio gear (IEMs, headphones, DACs, amps, etc.), video gear (giant, latest spec flatscreens, etc), so on, so forth. It just depends on what I'm into or needing at any moment in my life.

Likewise, I used to upgrade my mobile phone annually, sometimes even more frequently if the mood struck me (especially as a 20-something pre-iPhone days), and always to whatever was generally considered TOTL. For 5+ years now, I am an odd duck who uses his iPhone pretty much only for calling and texting, checking weather, playing Solitaire in waiting rooms. I just don't need or want the latest and greatest. I bought a iPhone 6 on launch day 2014 and kept that until July 2021 when I bought a iPhone SE (**2020** version). I'll likely keep it until the battery needs to be replaced, which for me likely means at least 2 more years.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

And yet people are still buying their products and they're still worth $2T USD.

So what? That doesn’t make any difference to my comment.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

As for the 8 vs X, the reviews at the time of release spoke volumes and the difference between the two was using a handset that is essentially a few years in the past compared to one that ushered in the future. There was no rational case for purchasing or upgrading to an 8 instead of an X, as if you were going to just get the 8 then you may as well stay on the 6 or 7

Yet that wasn’t the case at all. You can’t change history and the iPhone 8 sold and appealed widely.

 

[smirking]

That may be the case but to the consumer the price hiked £150 compared to the 13 Pro/13ProMax. Cost of living in general has skyrocketed and wages have remained the same in many cases. Sure Apple are only maintaining that profit, but they ultimately lose out as their products become less desirable for the price. I understand how it works, this is just the consequence.

I don't think it's @OneBar's comment is entirely true, but I think your comment is missing something too. Apple has expanded in both price directions.

For so many years, Apple was the company that couldn't make any computer that was under $1000(US). They now always have a one model that's under $1000 and retailers have some pricing freedom to offer discounts that they used to lack. Conversely, they also have units that are more expensive both relative to inflation and in absolute figures.

Early on in the iPhone history, we basically had the choice between an expensive mid-tier phone and a very expensive mid-tier phone no matter which end of the pricing tier you aimed for. Now the low end is lower and the high end is higher and there's a world of difference between them.

 

[KOTN91]

Yet that wasn’t the case at all. You can’t change history and the iPhone 8 sold and appealed widely.

Many of the reviews at the time lamented that the design was past its sell by date and that the X was the better buy. Following on from the 8 and X, all of the mainstream iPhones (ie not SE) from 2018 used the X based design and not the 8

 

[sam_dean]

That sounds very boring and ultimately money is for enjoying, you can’t take it with you after all. Wealth for the sake of wealth is ridiculous

As for the 8 vs X, the reviews at the time of release spoke volumes and the difference between the two was using a handset that is essentially a few years in the past compared to one that ushered in the future. There was no rational case for purchasing or upgrading to an 8 instead of an X, as if you were going to just get the 8 then you may as well stay on the 6 or 7

You don't live in a sh_thole nation as I do where more than 84% of adults live on less than US$5k/year. They so poo that our version of the IRS does not charge them individual income tax.

I know many of them and I rather win the Mister Dull title and blend into the crowd so little to none of them will go to my front door and ask for a handout.

Safety nets are non-existent not in the US sense but in a 3rd world sense.

Coming from a 2015 iPhone 6 Plus 20nm I had a choice of iPhone 8 Plus 10nm or iPhone X 10nm back in late 2017. I went with the 8 Plus because I dont want to deal with the potential design flaws an OLED screen may have.

Do not get me wrong... after that I went with the 2019 11 Pro Max 7nm and now currently on the 2021 13 Pro Max 5nm. Later this year will get the 2023 15 Pro Max 3nm.

Although I do somewhat regret getting the 11 Pro Max right before COVID lockdown as I did not go out of the house for 24 months. Would have been better to skip it and go from 8 Plus 10nm to 13 Pro Max 5nm or even 15 Pro Max 3nm.

I did live a little and got influenced by YouTubers to buy the crap below

- 2013 iPad Air 16GB WiFi 20nm
- 2014 Google Android One 28nm
- 2015 Google Nexus 6P 20nm
- 2016 LG B6 OLED 4K TV
- 2017 Essential PH-1 10nm
- 2017 Dell laptop 14nm
- 2018 iPad Pro 11" 256GB WiFi 7nm
- 2018 Macbook Air 14nm
- 2018 Dell U3818DW display
- 2019 Macbook Pro 16" 14nm

Although I wish I kept using these below

- 2011 iPad 2 16GB WiFi 45nm
- 2011 Macbook Pro 13" 32nm
- 2012 iMac 27" 22nm
- iPhone upgrade every 2 years

Then replaced them with

- 2019 iPad 10.2" 64GB WiFi 16nm
- 2021 Macbook Pro 16" M1 Pro 5nm
- 2023 iMac 27" replacement M2 Pro 5nm
- iPhone upgrade every 2 years

Why? Because my use case did not change since 2015 and it would have been better to replace after the final Security Update (patches) was released. This is different from a Software Update that pushes new features and possible patches.

Any computer or device works fine with whatever feature has been released in the last decade. What most should not do is run a computer on the Internet with known security holes.

Like say a Wireless N Gigabit Route released in 2007. If you are using one directly with your fiber modem and has not received a firmware updated since 2013 then it is high time to replace it.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I don't think it's @OneBar's comment is entirely true, but I think your comment is missing something too. Apple has expanded in both price directions.

For so many years, Apple was the company that couldn't make any computer that was under $1000(US). They now always have a one model that's under $1000 and retailers have some pricing freedom to offer discounts that they used to lack. Conversely, they also have units that are more expensive both relative to inflation and in absolute figures.

Early on in the iPhone history, we basically had the choice between an expensive mid-tier phone and a very expensive mid-tier phone no matter which end of the pricing tier you aimed for. Now the low end is lower and the high end is higher and there's a world of difference between them.

The problem is the ‘world of difference’ between them though. The high end has features found on many devices sub £1k and the mid tier devices, which are hardly mid tier prices at £849-£1279, are too expensive for what they offer. The iPhone 13 is still selling well because it’s that but cheaper again.

The smartphone market as a whole is shrinking due to the cost of living crisis worldwide and buying a mobile phone, especially a £1k+ device is less of a need. Apple’s response to this will probably be to hike the price again to maintain profit on fewer sales and that’s up to them. I certainly won’t be paying a grand for a mid tier phone going forwards let alone £1300+ for a Pro model and I’m lucky enough to be able to afford to. People are looking to save money, not spend more on unnecessary tech.

 

[Renamamiya]

But there are always deals with Samsung phones and their trade in programme is really good.

I agree with you.🥰🙇

 

[smirking]

The problem is the ‘world of difference’ between them though. The high end has features found on many devices sub £1k and the mid tier devices, which are hardly mid tier prices at £849-£1279, are too expensive for what they offer.

OK, I see what you're saying now. If revenue is increasing when sales are going down, it means someone's getting squeezed. You're in that demographic and you have a problem being in the group of people they're squeezing to keep the profit trend line moving.

I would probably be in the same demographic, but I don't feel the squeeze as much since my phone isn't as integral to my daily life right now.

I'm on an iPhone X that's going quite strong still. I planned to upgrade to a 14 Pro, but it wasn't in stock when I wanted to do so. I wasn't highly motivated to upgrade so it didn't take much to convince me to keep riding my iPhone X.

For me, it's ultimately more that I don't need it than the price putting me off, but perhaps I'd be more motivated to upgrade if it didn't cost as much.

On an annual basis in absolute numbers, I spend less on my tech devices than ever because everything I have is addressing not just my needs better than ever, but also my wife's lower end needs. Between us, we used to average at least one new mobile device or one new computer every year. We're waaay behind that pace now.

 

[The.316]

How I justify my purchase:

I had the 11 Pro Max, 64gb, and my fiance had the 8 Plus. A few months ago, I won a PS5 on Twitter, and since the person did not have one available, they Paypal'd me the money, so I had have the money for the phone. Plus, my cousin was coming to Greece (where I live) from NY, so I had the opportunity to get the 14 Pro Max 256gb, for less than what the 128gb cost here in Greece, and give my old 11 Pro Max to my fiance. Win win

 

[danb1979]

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.

^^^

This; absolutely this...

If you want it & can afford it, buy it...

If you can't afford it, keep saving or go without...

No need to justify the expenditure at all really!