In general I agree with the OP, but I use my phone for work. Not for just talking, but passing pictures and data to my customers along with various applications. It helps me generate income well over $1,500 year. Could I do that with an iPhone 8 with a new battery? Yes, but it would be slower for what I need it to do. I upgrade phones every 2-3 years and ideally I would like to wait another year, but my iPhone Pro 12 battery life is short. I will sell my iPhone 12 Pro for at least $300 or trade it in. I've budgeted $800 after trade in.
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Other iPhone 14: Just say no
- Thread starter janeauburn
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I have an iPhone XR that has been very good to me and on which I am typing this message on right now. It does the job and I just recently purchased an Apple battery case to keep it charged during the day. I might even spend the money to give it a new battery and see if I can get 2-3 more years out of it. But that’s me. You answered your own questions for you, you can’t answer them for me or anyone else here in these forums. My personal opinion is that chasing a new iPhone every year is a waste of time and effort, but it’s not my time and effort to judge, so I don’t. If someone wants to be on that hamster wheel, it’s their freedom of choice to do so. I’m not sure what you’re trying to do with this thread, but in the end your opinion and my opinion don’t really matter. I can make my case, too, but does it really have merit? It does to me and that’s all that matters. You seem to be moralizing to people buying a tech gadget when there are bigger fish to fry.It's that time of year again, when Apple and its legions of followers will make you think you need to separate yourself from $1,500 of hard-earned money to get a new phone.
Here's a checklist I use when thinking about acquiring a new phone.
1. Will the phone do anything I need? No.
2. With the new phone, will I end up doing exactly the same things I'm doing with my present phone? Yes.
3. Will the phone make me happier? No.
4. Will the phone make me poorer? Yes, in several ways.
Food for thought...
So today I got a new battery for my 8 Plus. Totally happy, and probably good for another 2 years.
I’m that guy, but I have enough money not to care about it. I’ll be getting 2!
It’s a tradition and a hobby.
I have 120,000 photos for example.
I wore out a leather case for iPhone 13 pro max. Same for the 12 pro max.
I’m hooked on something I enjoy. Plus I like to keep a pulse on AAPL stock.
Can’t wait to play with the new toy.
Why not? I spend $1500 a year or more for cellular phone plans. Why not have the latest? I hand down or sell the old phones.
Lots of thinking going on there.
I just go get the latest iPhone and Apple Watch. Done. I’d rather think about UFOs or my aquarium or artificial intelligence stuff or fitness stuff or the one chip challenge or my garden.
To each it's own but...
Look, I own an iPhone 8 plus and I will be splurging to get an iPhone 14 pro max.
Before you assume that I'm this Apple fanboi that feels the need to have always the greatest and bestest, lemme tell you about my history with iPhones:
My first smartphone ever was an iPhone 3G. My next one was an iPhone 5 ( yep, I didn't buy in the hype for 3Gs, 4 or 4s) . After my 5? An iPhone 8 Plus till present.
So nope, I'm no hipster that will feel inferior to everyone if I don't have the latest and greatest. It's not even a money issue... I'm not rich but I could have changed iPhones more frequently if I wanted, with a little bit of effort, no big deal.
Sure, I could do what the OP is gonna do an change of the battery of my 8 plus, it will definitely give a couple or more years of usage cuz as of now I basically need to carry a portable battery with me always.
However, if I do so, where I live, I would need to pay about 90-100 usd to change it. If I buy a new iPhone though, I can get around 130-140 usd cashback if I turn in my 8 plus. If I turn it in a couple of years instead, u get less of a cashback... by the looks of how much cashback u would get for an iPhone 6bow, my 8plus might get 30-40 usd IF lucky, or maybe even 0 money back.
Thus, on the economics of it alone, I SAVE MORE BY CHANGING MY PHONE NOW THAN TWO-THREE YEARS LATER. Not only cuz u need to factor in the money u spend on the new battery plus the diminishing cashback by turning in the phone, but also because inflation dictates that if an iPhone 14 Pro Max costs 1500 now, an equivalent iPhone 17 pro Max might cost 1700 then.
But let's leave the economics out of the equation and talk bout the REAL
reasons why I'm gonna change:
If I were to answer the same questions that the OP answered in its post, I actually would answer pretty much the same, but the problem is that my answers would be nuanced, there wouldn't be straight "Yes" or " No"... instead they would all be " Yes, but..." or " No, but..."
Let me illustrate this by giving specific examples on the three most important things (after phone calls and checking internet/emails/msgs, listening to music) that I use my phone for: taking photos, streaming and gaming.
Let's start with the least important one: Watching Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney + on my iPhone. Look, most my streaming is done at home in my nice 4k Dolby Vision Atmos 65 inch OLED tv. More often than not though, during my long two-hour train commute I feel the itch to watch the latest episode of wahtever show I'm hooked up on... but I don't and it's not because of the screen SIZE of my 8 Plus... but because of the screen SPECS/QUALITY. Most streaming shows are Dolby Vision/HDR 10 ready, and once you're used to watching stuff with those vibrant and crisp colors and the moody cinematography they bring, you just can't go back. Those extra nits of luminosity a phone screen can or cannot output do matter to me. So can my 8 plus stream the same shows a 14 Pro Max would? Yes BUT its outdated LCD screen makes it that I wont enjoy them the same, to the point that I dont even wanna watch them on my 8 plus at all.
Gaming: Yes, my 8 plusstill can play the games I usually play. But as years have gone by, these games keep improving its visuals and adding things that require extra processing power. They are still playable but they run much clunkier than they did 5 years ago, even if playing them right under the air conditioner, at 100% battery and plugged in. A few of them are even borderline playable , actually. I can change the battery now but if things keep going as they are, said games might be flat out unplayable on my 8 plus in 2 or 3 years, or even before.
But now let's get into the MAIN reason why I feel I need to change the phone. I was so happy in 2016 when I got my 8 plus because it was the first phone that made me feel that I could skip carrying my nice DSLR camera and my collection of high-end lenses with me. Before, the iPhone 5 camera was for sure ahead of its time but it still didn't cut it. The 8 plus, never really matched the amount of headroom my DSLR set gave me in terms of post processing the pic, but it was "good enough" in terms of the compromise of not having to lug around my hefty photo equipment. Fast forward 6 years and this still remains true, but I have to admit that I still miss what my DSLR would get me if I would have carried it with me for that particular pic. I can't count how many borderline unsalvageable birthday cake candle blowing pics or other low light pics I've got, for example. This are the memories of my family, this is important stuff for me. The older you get , the more valuable these kind of things become. Not only that, the TIME you need to spend fixing the pic in post processing is also valuable. Dunno if the 14 pro max will get me this yearned DSLR quality, but if it get considerably nearer then its worth it. It would mean more headroom in post processing, and specially , LESS TIME sitting in front of a computer fixing that precious memory of mu family.
And here's where whomever is reading this would go : Ok, I get it, but you could get most of that with an 13 max, u dont need the 14 pro max! True.... if I would be the kind of person that is inclined to change iPhones every three years. But I am not, I hope to change it in at the minimum 6 years, so in the long run it makes sense to get the one with the better camera, better energy management, etc.
The OP and some other thread post also bring up the environmental concerns ... this attitude we humans have of wanting to change stuff even if what we have is perfectly usable. True, but correct me if I'm wrong ( and somebody please do confirm cuz what I'm about to write is one of the reasons why I stick with Apple) trading your old phone to Apple when getting a new one makes it so that Apple reuses wahtever can be reused from it ( rare earths, mostly I believe) and responsibly discards what cannot be salvaged. Of course, doing this just minimizes the problem, doesnt erase it but we do what we can, that is why I aim to change phones and computers at least 6 years apart.
So, in short:
TL;DR
The OP's logic is flawed in the sense that it is assuming a black and white attitude towards answering those questions.. and reality is rarely black or white, it rather tends to come in shades of grey.
The only valid "Yes" or "No" answer is the money related one: if you have an 8 plus and simply cannot afford a new phone cuz you have other important stuff to use money on, then of course the most sensible course of action is to change the battery, obviously.
But if money is less of an issue (specially because as I said,in certain scenarios , from the economic standpoint, if u do have the money it might make sense to change now than later) then all other questions are not hard yesses or nosses ( did i just make up a word?)... depending in your situation, they are shades of grey.
Having said this, for those of you who own 12 and 13 pro maxxes.... sorry to break it down to you but there's no way your shades of grey would tilt towards upgrading to 14 pro max ...unless you are a person that equalizes self-worth with having the latest and greatest.Consumerism as its best. 10, 10s, 11... I could understand.
Look, I own an iPhone 8 plus and I will be splurging to get an iPhone 14 pro max.
Before you assume that I'm this Apple fanboi that feels the need to have always the greatest and bestest, lemme tell you about my history with iPhones:
My first smartphone ever was an iPhone 3G. My next one was an iPhone 5 ( yep, I didn't buy in the hype for 3Gs, 4 or 4s) . After my 5? An iPhone 8 Plus till present.
So nope, I'm no hipster that will feel inferior to everyone if I don't have the latest and greatest. It's not even a money issue... I'm not rich but I could have changed iPhones more frequently if I wanted, with a little bit of effort, no big deal.
Sure, I could do what the OP is gonna do an change of the battery of my 8 plus, it will definitely give a couple or more years of usage cuz as of now I basically need to carry a portable battery with me always.
However, if I do so, where I live, I would need to pay about 90-100 usd to change it. If I buy a new iPhone though, I can get around 130-140 usd cashback if I turn in my 8 plus. If I turn it in a couple of years instead, u get less of a cashback... by the looks of how much cashback u would get for an iPhone 6bow, my 8plus might get 30-40 usd IF lucky, or maybe even 0 money back.
Thus, on the economics of it alone, I SAVE MORE BY CHANGING MY PHONE NOW THAN TWO-THREE YEARS LATER. Not only cuz u need to factor in the money u spend on the new battery plus the diminishing cashback by turning in the phone, but also because inflation dictates that if an iPhone 14 Pro Max costs 1500 now, an equivalent iPhone 17 pro Max might cost 1700 then.
But let's leave the economics out of the equation and talk bout the REAL
reasons why I'm gonna change:
If I were to answer the same questions that the OP answered in its post, I actually would answer pretty much the same, but the problem is that my answers would be nuanced, there wouldn't be straight "Yes" or " No"... instead they would all be " Yes, but..." or " No, but..."
Let me illustrate this by giving specific examples on the three most important things (after phone calls and checking internet/emails/msgs, listening to music) that I use my phone for: taking photos, streaming and gaming.
Let's start with the least important one: Watching Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney + on my iPhone. Look, most my streaming is done at home in my nice 4k Dolby Vision Atmos 65 inch OLED tv. More often than not though, during my long two-hour train commute I feel the itch to watch the latest episode of wahtever show I'm hooked up on... but I don't and it's not because of the screen SIZE of my 8 Plus... but because of the screen SPECS/QUALITY. Most streaming shows are Dolby Vision/HDR 10 ready, and once you're used to watching stuff with those vibrant and crisp colors and the moody cinematography they bring, you just can't go back. Those extra nits of luminosity a phone screen can or cannot output do matter to me. So can my 8 plus stream the same shows a 14 Pro Max would? Yes BUT its outdated LCD screen makes it that I wont enjoy them the same, to the point that I dont even wanna watch them on my 8 plus at all.
Gaming: Yes, my 8 plusstill can play the games I usually play. But as years have gone by, these games keep improving its visuals and adding things that require extra processing power. They are still playable but they run much clunkier than they did 5 years ago, even if playing them right under the air conditioner, at 100% battery and plugged in. A few of them are even borderline playable , actually. I can change the battery now but if things keep going as they are, said games might be flat out unplayable on my 8 plus in 2 or 3 years, or even before.
But now let's get into the MAIN reason why I feel I need to change the phone. I was so happy in 2016 when I got my 8 plus because it was the first phone that made me feel that I could skip carrying my nice DSLR camera and my collection of high-end lenses with me. Before, the iPhone 5 camera was for sure ahead of its time but it still didn't cut it. The 8 plus, never really matched the amount of headroom my DSLR set gave me in terms of post processing the pic, but it was "good enough" in terms of the compromise of not having to lug around my hefty photo equipment. Fast forward 6 years and this still remains true, but I have to admit that I still miss what my DSLR would get me if I would have carried it with me for that particular pic. I can't count how many borderline unsalvageable birthday cake candle blowing pics or other low light pics I've got, for example. This are the memories of my family, this is important stuff for me. The older you get , the more valuable these kind of things become. Not only that, the TIME you need to spend fixing the pic in post processing is also valuable. Dunno if the 14 pro max will get me this yearned DSLR quality, but if it get considerably nearer then its worth it. It would mean more headroom in post processing, and specially , LESS TIME sitting in front of a computer fixing that precious memory of mu family.
And here's where whomever is reading this would go : Ok, I get it, but you could get most of that with an 13 max, u dont need the 14 pro max! True.... if I would be the kind of person that is inclined to change iPhones every three years. But I am not, I hope to change it in at the minimum 6 years, so in the long run it makes sense to get the one with the better camera, better energy management, etc.
The OP and some other thread post also bring up the environmental concerns ... this attitude we humans have of wanting to change stuff even if what we have is perfectly usable. True, but correct me if I'm wrong ( and somebody please do confirm cuz what I'm about to write is one of the reasons why I stick with Apple) trading your old phone to Apple when getting a new one makes it so that Apple reuses wahtever can be reused from it ( rare earths, mostly I believe) and responsibly discards what cannot be salvaged. Of course, doing this just minimizes the problem, doesnt erase it but we do what we can, that is why I aim to change phones and computers at least 6 years apart.
So, in short:
TL;DR
The OP's logic is flawed in the sense that it is assuming a black and white attitude towards answering those questions.. and reality is rarely black or white, it rather tends to come in shades of grey.
The only valid "Yes" or "No" answer is the money related one: if you have an 8 plus and simply cannot afford a new phone cuz you have other important stuff to use money on, then of course the most sensible course of action is to change the battery, obviously.
But if money is less of an issue (specially because as I said,in certain scenarios , from the economic standpoint, if u do have the money it might make sense to change now than later) then all other questions are not hard yesses or nosses ( did i just make up a word?)... depending in your situation, they are shades of grey.
Having said this, for those of you who own 12 and 13 pro maxxes.... sorry to break it down to you but there's no way your shades of grey would tilt towards upgrading to 14 pro max ...unless you are a person that equalizes self-worth with having the latest and greatest.Consumerism as its best. 10, 10s, 11... I could understand.
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Here I am rocking my iPhone 7, I actually was thinking on changing the battery, but only after the eventIt's that time of year again, when Apple and its legions of followers will make you think you need to separate yourself from $1,500 of hard-earned money to get a new phone.
Here's a checklist I use when thinking about acquiring a new phone.
1. Will the phone do anything I need? No.
2. With the new phone, will I end up doing exactly the same things I'm doing with my present phone? Yes.
3. Will the phone make me happier? No.
4. Will the phone make me poorer? Yes, in several ways.
Food for thought...
So today I got a new battery for my 8 Plus. Totally happy, and probably good for another 2 years.
. The only thing that would make me THINK to buy the new iPhone if it’s comes with usb C.
Right. But the phone you trade in or sell for the new phone isn’t going to waste. Someone like you will be enjoying it for years to come. I’m just the yearly upgrader who starts the ball rolling
I like how after that long exposition you start your final paragraphs with, “So, in short“
No buddy. Not after what you put me through…
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It’s true that any iPhone from the past few years will do 99% of the things that 99% of users need. But it’s also true that people waste way money on stuff that’s way dumber than iPhone upgrades.
That said, I have a 12 mini that I’ll be keeping. Would probably upgrade if they had a new mini, but I value the form factor more than whatever new tech they have.
That said, I have a 12 mini that I’ll be keeping. Would probably upgrade if they had a new mini, but I value the form factor more than whatever new tech they have.
Here’s my hope. It’s a long shot, that this year‘s lightning connector cable supports USB 3.0/3.1 speeds Which would nullify USB-C’s data transfer advantage. That would be a win-win for Apple because people would get the data transfer speeds that they want and Apple can keep the lightning proprietary making tons of money off of it. And as a concession they can continue making every other Apple product USB-C with only the iPhone being the hold out. But again the main issue with lightning would be absolved
🙉 Got this on 7" vinyl. Won it a junior school disco for best dancing when I was younger (much younger) 😛
I like your outlook on life. I have a 12 ProMax, the 13 didn't interest me, too little updates and new problems. Not sure this year, although last year I upgraded my aWatch. The new Airpods Pro if rumors are true sound good.
Thinking about true life enhancers, the last time this happened with an iPhone to me was the addition of NFC back in 2014 in the iPhone 6, so I could use it to pay! And before that, the App Store in 2008.
To be fair, all the great stuff one can do on any phone becomes more pleasant and faster with a modern processor, which is probably a good reason for people to buy the latest and greatest.
To be fair, all the great stuff one can do on any phone becomes more pleasant and faster with a modern processor, which is probably a good reason for people to buy the latest and greatest.
I sympathise with the OP’s sentiments in the desire to reduce wastefulness. I have an 11PM that I’ve really liked, and frankly I prefer the form to the new squared design. But my phone stopped working for calls and messages about a year ago. I kept it because I do a lot else - studying, browsing, gaming, music, video, and most importantly *a lot* of writing. Now it’s not working well for those things either. And the upgrades are things I really want, so I hope to upgrade this year.
ETA My old phone won't go to waste if I upgrade either - I have a friend for whose needs it will still be useful, even without the things that no longer work. I imagine few phones these days actually get trashed.
ETA My old phone won't go to waste if I upgrade either - I have a friend for whose needs it will still be useful, even without the things that no longer work. I imagine few phones these days actually get trashed.
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One of the best troll threads in a while. Just drop the grenade telling Apple fans they don't need to buy the new gadget and leave the thread without ever engaging with it beyond the original post. Brilliant, I think I'll make this same thread next year unless someone beats me to it.
I think, OP is trying simply differentiate between want and needs, but (unfortunately) in poor tone. As few others here, I agree with OP in general, but also considering iPhone compatibility with the new (version) of apps (that I need) - old device will run slowly using recent iOS version). Also, some useful features that “force” me to upgrade, like faceid using mask, or high risk security vulnerability.
I'm going to politely ignore the demand that I not purchase this phone. I need to dump my present phone as it is a piece of junk and I will implore anybody to avoid Google phones for the rest of my existence as they are nothing but buggy failures of what could've been a good phone brand. I'm seriously hoping the 14 Pro Max will be the phone that I can say in 6-7 years time is my version of what you've had going on with your phone for quite some time now.
Yep, and not many of those things have the kind of resale value and linear depreciation curve of the iPhone.
I will be checking out the new phones. But in the back of my mind, if they do increase prices, will be the 13 Pro on the Apple return store.. and saving potentially £300. I would look at the 12 Max but it has the Intel modem which if I recall people said doesn't work as well as the Qualcomm modems. Which is a shame as I love the blue colour they phone comes in.
