Other iPhones Aren't Worth More Than $600 (To Me)

[iPhysicist]

Would not have happened without the leather case - the dog incident I mean.

 

[blairh]

But that’s what you’re implying.

If you won’t pay more than $600 for a phone and you’re willing to pay up to $600 for the 8+...then you’d also be willingly pay up to $600 for the XS Max correct?




That’s a perfectly valid and reasonable thing to say. But that’s not what you seemed to be saying in your OP.

Perhaps I wasn't clear enough. For me, I would not pay more than $600 for an iPhone moving forward. That's the amount I'm comfortable paying for a smartphone in the future. Should the XS Max cost more than that? Well I'm assuming yes because it sells for essentially double that. But having used it for a year now, I certainly don't think it's worth $1100.
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If op wants to reduce risk too with lower repair costs for unit replacement or screen it makes some sense ...

And just if he prefers the older style iPhone pre-X form

I do look forward to having a battery percentage icon on my menu bar again. I'll tell you that much.

Lower repair costs and cheaper AC+ are bonuses too.

 

[thadoggfather]

Perhaps I wasn't clear enough. For me, I would not pay more than $600 for an iPhone moving forward. That's the amount I'm comfortable paying for a smartphone in the future. Should the XS Max cost more than that? Well I'm assuming yes because it sells for essentially double that. But having used it for a year now, I certainly don't think it's worth $1100.
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I do look forward to having a battery percentage icon on my menu bar again. I'll tell you that much.

Lower repair costs and cheaper AC+ are bonuses too.

Jailbreak fixes that up real nice for me on my xr (getting percentage on status bar)

...Such a dumb design decision to exclude it and require the user to check battery widget or control center. Flying blind all the time

Still boggles my mind they will be entering a third year like that (iOS 13)

 

[blairh]

Jailbreak fixes that up real nice for me on my xr (getting percentage on status bar)

...Such a dumb design decision to exclude it and require the user to check battery widget or control center. Flying blind all the time

Still boggles my mind they will be entering a third year like that (iOS 13)

I agree. I'm assuming the smaller notch (or notch-less) redesign of 2020 will fix that. In the meantime they should have allowed the option in iOS to display either the battery icon OR the percentage.

 

[eyoungren]

The phone will most certainly not stop functioning after two years. Physical damage can be avoided or reduced with a bumper.

I’ve shattered a 7+ screen w a leather case on and had my dog chew through the X screen laying on the couch w a leather case on. Things happen

And I've managed to get through nine years of using all my phones without a case and only shattering one screen.

 

[thadoggfather]

And I've managed to get through nine years of using all my phones without a case and only shattering one screen.

Are you still on that glorious untethered 6s plus iOS 9.0/9.1?

Or have you moved on? What’s your view of the perceived value / established price of iPhones in 2019

 

[turbineseaplane]

@blairh

I appreciate you sharing your opinion OP.

Those of you who can't do anything but denigrate the user for simply sharing her/his opinion, perhaps you could kindly move along and not post in this thread?

 

[BeeGood]

Perhaps I wasn't clear enough. For me, I would not pay more than $600 for an iPhone moving forward. That's the amount I'm comfortable paying for a smartphone in the future. Should the XS Max cost more than that? Well I'm assuming yes because it sells for essentially double that. But having used it for a year now, I certainly don't think it's worth $1100.

I can understand that, even as a XS Max owner. I think it’s fantastic, but it’s an expensive phone and I don’t go around telling everyone they should buy it.

 

[eyoungren]

Are you still on that glorious untethered 6s plus iOS 9.0/9.1?

Or have you moved on? What’s your view of the perceived value / established price of iPhones in 2019

Yes, it's sitting right in front of me. I believe I updated libcolorpicker from Cydia the other day. Still on 9.0.2. It's just my secondary phone now.

Personally, the price of the iPhone isn't something I can afford any more in the way I am used to. But others can afford it and still buy it. Until enough people collectively decide that it's not worth what they are paying or just don't wish to pay that Apple will charge what they think they can get.

I've always felt though that the quality of what I paid for was worth the price. To me, that's what I am paying for - not anything else. Just quality.

 

[blairh]

I can understand that, even as a XS Max owner. I think it’s fantastic, but it’s an expensive phone and I don’t go around telling everyone they should buy it.

I agree it's a fantastic phone. I just don't think it's worth the money (for me).

 

[rui no onna]

I think possibly there is an answer for that, but you may not like hearing it.

All four US carriers used to subsidize the phones they sold. They paid full price, they locked you into a 2 year contract where the cost of the plan was slightly elevated and told you that all you had to pay was (roughly) $600.

The carrier recouped the difference between the total price they paid and the slightly elevated cost of your plan.

If you continued to use that phone after two years they made money off the phone because that slight elevation of price was never reduced.

So, the total price was hidden from you by the carrier.

Now, with leasing, the carriers aren't doing this anymore, the price of plans (maybe not your plan) is reduced and the total price of the phone is evident.

In short, you weren't paying just $600 during those years.

Uh, not really. Yes, carriers subsidized iPhones but it was more like you paid $199 out of pocket and $400-480 (depending on the plans at the time) was built-in to the plan cost to cover the subsidy.

The iPhone 4 and earlier, you can actually buy out of contract for $599, iirc (e.g. lost/stolen device while still on 1st year of a 2-year contract). If you lose it after the 1st year, you can do an early upgrade for a $200 discount.

Ever since the iPhone 4S, you can buy unlocked in the US (it was always an option in Europe) and pricing increased a little to $649/16GB, $749/32GB and $849/64GB. When the 6 Plus released, that jumped to $749/16GB, $849/64GB and $949/128GB.

Apple released the X for the iPhone's 10th anniversary and I expect the resulting demand for that made them think they could push the pricing barrier even further, hence the XS Max capping out at $1449 for 512GB.

Sure, we now see full phone pricing but it's a fact that the upper limit of phone pricing increased as well and the mid-range (which used to be upper end) saw a milder increase to $749.

 

[blairh]

Your actions are illogical. You bought the most expensive phone and want to sell it to by a cheap phone with the money you get from the sale. Its called a stupid idea. Sorry.

Work on your reading comprehension skills. I clearly stated in my OP that I will be trading in the XS Max next month once it is 50% paid off.

 

[alpi123]

Of course they're quite overpriced in comparison to older models but you have some technology that no other phones have for now.

For example, the folded OLED. Apple is the only ones who fold the display at the bottom and escape the chin disease. They can even shrink their bezels to just a few mm and still not have a chin.

Taptic Engine? Tell me a phone that has a better vibration motor. One Plus tried to implement something similar, but that's almost 3-4 years after Apple and seems like Apple will improve it even more. Not a big innovation, but something that only they thought about improving.

I don't know how much more expensive this is, but have yall seen the insides of the flagship Androids? They look cheap compared to the looks of Apple. Not saying it's worse by performance, but Apple sure does pay more for better visuals.

Also, their CPU is still the leader among every other phone. We don't have to talk about that.

The longevity of iOS compared to Android is undeniable.


I'm not saying $1000 for example is an acceptable price, but for some, it never will be, for others - they don't care, it's Apple.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I just want a newer "small phone" - ugh

They can keep jamming fancy this/that/the next thing in there and charging up the wahoo for it...

I just want a bloody small phone again!

(still on and loving my SE for now - but it won't last forever of course)

 

[blairh]

I just want a newer "small phone" - ugh

They can keep jamming fancy this/that/the next thing in there and charging up the wahoo for it...

I just want a bloody small phone again!

(still on and loving my SE for now - but it won't last forever of course)

5.4” iPhone coming in 2020.

 

[LovingTeddy]

Of course they're quite overpriced in comparison to older models but you have some technology that no other phones have for now.

For example, the folded OLED. Apple is the only ones who fold the display at the bottom and escape the chin disease. They can even shrink their bezels to just a few mm and still not have a chin.

Taptic Engine? Tell me a phone that has a better vibration motor. One Plus tried to implement something similar, but that's almost 3-4 years after Apple and seems like Apple will improve it even more. Not a big innovation, but something that only they thought about improving.

I don't know how much more expensive this is, but have yall seen the insides of the flagship Androids? They look cheap compared to the looks of Apple. Not saying it's worse by performance, but Apple sure does pay more for better visuals.

Also, their CPU is still the leader among every other phone. We don't have to talk about that.

The longevity of iOS compared to Android is undeniable.


I'm not saying $1000 for example is an acceptable price, but for some, it never will be, for others - they don't care, it's Apple.

Why should any care about a vibration motor on their phone? I dislike Taptic Engine, it is not as loud as older one and I often miss phone calls.

I doubt anyone really cares about bottom chin. Apple can release a phone without the foldable OLED and make it cheaper.

It is all about prospective. All the things you list aren’t that important, I rather take cheaper iPhone with non-symmetrical bezels.

But it is me.

 

[aKansasKid]

I can't see why you'd waste your time arguing with someone as to what something is worth to him, and not you. The value derived from a product will always vary person to person. Cars and phones are perfect examples.

Here, let me pour a little gas on this: I've never paid more than $150 for any of my four iPhones when I bought them brand new. My current iPhone 6s is 4 months old and does all I need it to do. $150 brand new. Guess I can say that for now no iPhone is worth more than $150. To me.

 

[iPhysicist]

Work on your reading comprehension skills. I clearly stated in my OP that I will be trading in the XS Max next month once it is 50% paid off.

And THAT is the illogic I mean. You clearly don’t know that you trade for the inferior item. Are you Maya by heritage? Do what you want but by profession I have to react with confusion and questions. It may cost you nothing but you already have the phone. It’s not that you bought it last week and gave it back the next day to buy the 8.
But I wish you all the best with your choice. I still have a 6s and time will tell when I get a newer one.

 

[turbineseaplane]

5.4” iPhone coming in 2020.

I wish I considered that “small” (I don’t really)

Hopefully it’s really really edge to edge and as physically small as possible.
The physical size is the critical thing to me (weight also actually)

 

[smirking]

I'm planning on trading in my XS Max to AT&T once it's half paid off and getting an 8 Plus which I believe will be $550 post-keynote this year. I will then hold onto it until it no longer functions properly.

I'm gonna have to side with the likes of @iPhysicist here. I'm not sure what the point is in downgrading just so you can have a "sub $600" phone. If you sell your XS Max, you pretty much bought high and sold low and traded yourself into a phone that will be pushed out to pasture by lack of support before the phone you already owned. Cash wise, you might come out slightly ahead in the short term, but you're trading yourself into a worse long term position if your real goal is to hang onto the same phone to stretch out the total cost of ownership. Unless you hate the device, just stick with your XS Max, hang onto it until it crumbles, and then pick up something on the low end 4 or 5 years from now.

 

[1rottenapple]

I realize this is simply my opinion only. Having used many different iPhone's over the years, and currently using the XS Max, I personally feel no iPhone is worth more than $600 at retail. I understand others love their iPhone's and paid a lot more than that for them. But having used the XS Max for almost a year now, I'm simply done with pricey iPhone's. I simply don't think they are worth it at that price point. I'm planning on trading in my XS Max to AT&T once it's half paid off and getting an 8 Plus which I believe will be $550 post-keynote this year. I will then hold onto it until it no longer functions properly. With the exception of a potential future folding iPhone, I see no reason to ever spend more than $600 ever again for an iPhone. The innovation in smartphones is simply no longer there.

I agree with you given the maturity of the iPhone market. However I don’t believe dumping my iPhone XS Max for a cheaper iPhone is a smart move because it’s just more money. It makes sense to just keep the damn phone for a few years to get the value. It’s like buying a car that depreciates. You hold on to it pay it off and keep driving it.
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I'm gonna have to side with the likes of @iPhysicist here. I'm not sure what the point is in downgrading just so you can have a "sub $600" phone. If you sell your XS Max, you pretty much bought high and sold low and traded yourself into a phone that will be pushed out to pasture by lack of support before the phone you already owned. Cash wise, you might come out slightly ahead in the short term, but you're probably trading yourself into a worse long term position if your real goal is to hang onto the same phone to stretch out the total cost of ownership. Unless you hate the device, just stick with your XS Max, hang onto it until i crumbles, and then pick up something on the low end 4 or 5 years from now.

Exactly my point. I agree.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to buy used. You can save 70% off by waiting 2-3 months. I’m never gonna get a $1300 phone.

 

[smirking]

I just want a bloody small phone again!

A number of years ago, I found pants with a cell phone pocket that fit me perfectly and the pocket was just big enough to fit my aging iPhone 5s. I bought 4 pairs of those pants because I liked that cell phone pocket so much. A few months after refreshing my wardrobe, out comes the iPhone 7 and 8 and I knew... I'm gonna need to go shopping for pants again before long. Ugh.

I did end up buying a whole new set of pants with bigger cell phone pockets when I moved up to an iPhone 7, but the combination of bigger pocket and bigger phone means that the pants just don't fit as well anymore. I'm also accidentally "thigh dialing" people.

I'd like a phone that's comfortable to use with one hand again. Especially with the MBPs being so light and easier to carry around these days, I take mine with me far more often than I used. A larger phone isn't just inconvenient for me. It's mostly pointless.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Until you use a different OS...I’m sorry iPhones are very much worth higher than that for IOS, software updates and support alone no matter what the device does

You don’t necessarily need to spend more than 600 quid to get and iPhone or even an iPad with iOS though. My 8+ was actually only £640 so not much more than the OP’s limit. My iPad was only £400.

 

[44267547]

Value is subjective. But I find myself becoming less keen on wanting to have the latest features with the latest iPhones, maybe that’s because I find myself enjoying more the likes of my iPad/Apple Watch and other products. My phone is really just a tool, and I don’t need to have the most expensive tool to execute the _same_ tasks all these other phones can do, with the exception of different biometric security (Face ID v.s. Touch ID).

 

[ericwn]

That's mighty presumptive to put everyone in your "we". Your "we" is a lot smaller than you imagine it to be.

Sure let’s discuss choice of words rather than content. Especially since the market has obviously already spoken and shown that millions are indeed willing to pay 600 or more no problem.