Other I believe Apple future proof their iPhones

[trevpimp]

You know I see lots of people still holding onto their previous generation phones insisting that they don’t need to upgrade (iPhone 6, 6+, 7+, SE)

I believe myself that the current iPhone 11 Pro Max really isn’t that much of a insisted upgrade coming from an 6s and 6s+ user

I mean better hardware and specs but for the casual consumer it’s far too high of value to make a change

 

[C DM]

Mobile technology has been maturing. Similar things have mostly happened with computers (and realistically many other technologies).

 

[akash.nu]

Mobile technology has been maturing. Similar things have mostly happened with computers (and realistically many other technologies).

Let’s start with music systems and TVs.

 

[lkalliance]

Mobile technology (or, really, technology in any area) always advances, but the truly big, game-changing advances happen early in the lifespan of a product. The added value of going from an iPhone XS to an iPhone 11 was probably much less than the added value of going from a 3GS to a 4. Lots of low-hanging fruit to grab, things that benefit a large section, a majority, or almost all users. That's no longer the case: your iPhone [version] may very well be good enough.

I agree that Apple does a good job designing hardware (and supporting it) that I don't feel like it's necessary to upgrade all the time, and I appreciate that.

 

[tranceking26]

Yes my 6s is proof of that. Even my old 4 on iOS 6 still basically works!

 

[robertosh]

Well I’m still using the 6 and I don’t consider myself a casual customer. I really love technology, and after every iPhone releases I go to the Apple store to check them in real. And yes, they are good looking, really fast but I don’t have that feeling of “I need to have this” that I miss a lot from recent Apple products in general.

 

[44267547]

It’s not the technology that is Stifled, it’s the pricing of Apple has increased since the iPhone X in 2017. Consumers just aren’t willing to spend that type of money on a ‘smart phone‘, I don’t care if they upgrade every two, maybe three years, it’s just unnecessary to do that, given we use our phones for the most basic functions for communication and social out reach primarily. For those who really care about things like LiDAR, tri-lens camera, Promotion displays, etc. are enthusiasts on sites like this, the average consumer probably doesn’t even know how to invoke some of the simple Task, like 3D Touch when it was supported or even ‘Live Photos‘ that has been completely forgotten about.

 

[ian87w]

You know I see lots of people still holding onto their previous generation phones insisting that they don’t need to upgrade (iPhone 6, 6+, 7+, SE)

I believe myself that the current iPhone 11 Pro Max really isn’t that much of a insisted upgrade coming from an 6s and 6s+ user

I mean better hardware and specs but for the casual consumer it’s far too high of value to make a change

Regular people will replace their electronics when they broke (or presumed to be broken). This has been the case with TVs, computers, and now also smartphones. And it also speaks the usage scenarios of regular people. For most, the 6/6s already covers their basic smartphone needs. And for people that only use their phones for calls and texts, there's even less reason to upgrade.

Thus Apple focusing on accessories (Apple watch, Airpods) and services (Apple music, Apple TV+) to augment their business model and adapt to the market trends, and doing pricing disruption once in a while to nudge the market (eg. the original iPhone SE and the 2020 iPhone SE).

 

[Six0Four]

I got the xr over the 7 or 8 only because of the more modern design not really for the internals. If the 7 or 8 had bezels like the xr, 11, etc i wouldn't mind grabbing one.

 

[now i see it]

it’s far too high of value to make a change

 has got you covered. In about 6 years they'll insure that the fancy expensive iPhone you've got now will be dreadful to use on both the Internet, their software and with current apps in the App Store.

The time to buy a new iPhone is when you just can't take it any longer

 

[TGM85]

I’m still using my iPhone 7 Plus and don’t really see any good reason to go out and spend €500 on an iPhone SE 2 or €1500 on an iPhone 11 Pro Max.

The A10 CPU in the 7 Plus is still being sold in the iPad, so it will probably last a few more years support-wise.

 

[marty1980]

The long iPhone support cycles allows Apple to meet a variety of needs.

• If someone is waiting on a hand-me-down phone (eg: from a parent), they don't need to worry as much about it being supported or if it will be fast enough (it's a free phone - anything is fast enough at free 😁).
  
  
• Last I looked, Walmart had iPhone 6s, new for $130. That's a great starting point for people who don't need the latest and/or who are on a tight budget.
  
  
• Don't need the best, but want fairly recent hardware? iPhone SE (2020) $400
  
  
• Want fairly new, but (potentially) more feature-rich than the current "budget" iPhone? Get a previous year model at great discount.
  
  
• Want the latest iPhone? That's currently served by the iPhone 11.
  
  
• Want the most prestigious, feature-packed iPhone? Want it "normal" or "Max"? Price is no concern.
  
  
• many more scenarios...

It'll be 3 years, this winter, with my iPhone X. At this point, my plan is to replace the battery in the fall and wait until iPhone 13 to upgrade. For a while I upgraded every 2 years when my phones were paid off. My last iPhone I decided to wait longer. I went from a 6+ to an X. The difference was huge for me and I'm still happy with the X. I am confident that, if my X continues to work for me, that the Fall 2021 models will be improvements of everything that's come before and the upgrade will feel significant for me again. If something happens and I need to replace my phone, there's a long list of options.