Other What are your future plans (upgrading)?

[Azathoth123]

Oops, that is 2007 not 1997 @Ffosse - you reminded me to double check! Mea culpa, that’s $730 in 2018 dollars or about the price of an XR. Or more like $25-26/y over 11 years. Given the feature differences, I’d still have to say current devices are worth it.

 

[1rottenapple]

With Apple's back-to-back years of bumping up pricing for their iPhones, will you continue to upgrade every year, or reassess & hold onto your iPhone for longer?

I don't care what allegiance you hold, they're only material devices that happen to be the most used of any generation, but when it comes to corporations taking their consumer base for granted, as I feel Apple have for the past 2 years, I feel we now have the upper hand (& numbers) in determining how they gauge us in future.

Will you continue to encourage Apple's dominance via exorbitant price hikes, or will you be a part of a generation that, at bare minimum, slaps a plateau on their ridiculous profit-making campaign that they appear to be hellbent on executing since the iPhone X?

Don't get me wrong, I love their products, but feel we need to discourage their blatent gauging & not continually becoming apart of their quarterly profit estimates.

I’ve upgraded every year and each year it’s less and less noticeable what the benefits are. The max is a good jump from my 8 plus. I want to stay with this current model since it’s oaid off and I no longer want to buy iPhones when they’re $1200k each!!
The benefits are subtle and I will keep this phone for 3-4 yrs. it’s a personal challenge.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

There are some higher storage tiers but those are in no way compulsory. Is the X/XS/XS Max more expensive than the 8? Sure but they’re next gen phones with next gen features, and if they’re too expensive you can still buy the 8/8+ right?

Well yeah, that’s why the 8 and 8+ are popular alternatives. The problem a lot of us are seeing is this ‘next gen’ era doesn’t really feel any more advanced than what we are used to with the last gen. The fact the iPhone 8 uses the same internals as the X and this years XS is only slightly faster makes it even less of a priority to upgrade as often.

 

[44267547]

I buy all my phones outright and ticked the 2 year option. But I've never held on to a phone for 2 years before. However, the A12 Bionic seems pretty bullet proof. I've resolved, though, to never get another android.

I used to purchase my iPhones out right for years, and then I found I really don’t feel like spending that much money on a smart phone on a year-to-year basis, which now I’m to the point where I think my Max will likely serve me through the next year or so, unless something compels me otherwise. But with the influx pricing of the iPhone, In which I appreciate the technology, customer service and of course the build quality, but I would rather spend my extra money on other tech items like the Apple Watch, iPad, Airpods, etc.

 

[rillrill]

I told my wife, who isn’t interested in tech at all, that we are not upgrading for years - 4-5 at least. Not sure if I can hold out that long, but with our XS’s, they’ll be good enough for a while. I am worried about the battery degradation- not sure if I should upgrade the os, how do you know apple isn’t going to **** with the performance like they did the 6 series?

 

[1rottenapple]

I told my wife, who isn’t interested in tech at all, that we are not upgrading for years - 4-5 at least. Not sure if I can hold out that long, but with our XS’s, they’ll be good enough for a while. I am worried about the battery degradation- not sure if I should upgrade the os, how do you know apple isn’t going to **** with the performance like they did the 6 series?

It’s only when battery degrade does the speed get affected. Otherwise it’s full speed. Just get a new battery installed. I think it’s $49 after the $29 deal ends.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

It’s only when battery degrade does the speed get affected. Otherwise it’s full speed. Just get a new battery installed. I think it’s $49 after the $29 deal ends.

To add to that, you shouldn’t have to replace a battery at your cost in under two years of purchase either. You’re paying an exorbitant amount of money for a phone and two years is a reasonable amount of time for the device to last without defect. In the UK or Europe if you need a battery replacement in under 24 months seek advice from the ombudsman as this surely would contravene the sale of goods act.

 

[Ralfi]

1. 
   1 year
   17 vote(s)
   25.0%
2. 
   2 years
   21 vote(s)
   30.9%
3. 
   3+ years
   30 vote(s)
   44.1%

Good to see the numbers increase from 1 to 3+ years imo.

In the UK or Europe if you need a battery replacement in under 24 months seek advice from the ombudsman as this surely would contravene the sale of goods act.

Australia is similar, thanks to Consumer Law, (I also had my Airpods replaced free of charge due to their batteries failing after 20 months).

USA residents however, aren't so fortunate apparently.

 

[DJ_Smith]

1. 
   1 year
   17 vote(s)
   25.0%
2. 
   2 years
   21 vote(s)
   30.9%
3. 
   3+ years
   30 vote(s)
   44.1%

Good to see the numbers increase from 1 to 3+ years imo.


Australia is similar, thanks to Consumer Law, (I also had my Airpods replaced free of charge due to their batteries failing after 20 months).

USA residents however, aren't so fortunate apparently.

Also you should have added “display vote publicly”

 

[1rottenapple]

To add to that, you shouldn’t have to replace a battery at your cost in under two years of purchase either. You’re paying an exorbitant amount of money for a phone and two years is a reasonable amount of time for the device to last without defect. In the UK or Europe if you need a battery replacement in under 24 months seek advice from the ombudsman as this surely would contravene the sale of goods act.

No of course not. But I notice a small difference when a phone is 1 yr old with battery life. It’s a small difference. 2 yrs old and I’m like I need to change the battery!!! It’s perfectly fine of course the phone performs 100% great but I’m a bit of a perfectionist.
[doublepost=1541574810][/doublepost]

1. 
   1 year
   17 vote(s)
   25.0%
2. 
   2 years
   21 vote(s)
   30.9%
3. 
   3+ years
   30 vote(s)
   44.1%

Good to see the numbers increase from 1 to 3+ years imo.


Australia is similar, thanks to Consumer Law, (I also had my Airpods replaced free of charge due to their batteries failing after 20 months).

USA residents however, aren't so fortunate apparently.

Oh man I got affected by this my battery died on my AirPods but admittedly I left my AirPods in the super hot car like 300x the last year and a half. It died. Got another pair.

 

[Ralfi]

Also you should have added “display vote publicly”

Isn't there a "View Results" button for others?

Indeed, there is...Just to the right of ‘Cast your vote.’

Thanks. Wasn't sure if it was there just for the thread starter.

But I take it on board for future polls to make them visible at all times.

 

[44267547]

Isn't there a "View Results" button for others?

Indeed, there is...Just to the right of ‘Cast your vote.’

 

[alFR]

Given the feature differences, I’d still have to say current devices are worth it.

The mainstream iPhone (XR) isn't actually any more expensive at all, as I noted above:

The new baseline is the XR, which isn't really any more expensive than iPhones past. John Gruber dealt with this on Daring Fireball recently in his iPhone XR review roundup:
"On a related note, I would argue that iPhone prices aren’t really going up. Last year’s X and this year’s XS models are a new premium tier. The iPhone XR is the phone at the previous “regular” top-of-the-line tier. New top-tier iPhones used to cost $600-650, yes, and the iPhone XR starts at $750. But when you account for inflation that starting price is about the same. The iPhone 4 was introduced in June 2010 starting at $600. $600 in June 2010 dollars is about $700 today. That $600 got you a 16 GB iPhone in 2010. The 32 GB model cost $700. That’s about $810 in today’s dollars — $10 more than the price of a 128 GB iPhone XR, which I think is the sweet spot in the lineup for most people. Inflation adjusted, the iPhone XR is right in line with the iPhone 4 prices from 2010."

So, the whole premise of this thread (that Apple has been bumping up prices year-on-year) is basically invalid.

 

[Ralfi]

So, the whole premise of this thread (that Apple has been bumping up prices year-on-year) is basically invalid.

So I've been imagining the record high asking prices of Apple's flagship devices in 2017 & 2018?

The XR is gimped compared to the lower tier models of the past imo. & therefore less value for money compared to say the 6S/7/8.

 

[Royksöpp]

If the 2019 iPhone looks like the new iPad I will preorder as fast as I could. I absolutely LOATHE the X/XR designs.

 

[44267547]

The XR is gimped compared to the lower tier models of the past imo

Definitely not. The XR almost directly competes against the XS aside from the price point difference, OLED and telephoto lens.

I think ‘Gimped’ is not a fair statement, not when the XR includes Face ID, wireless charging, True tone, water resistance and the same A12 processor as the XS. Apple packed to XR to sell and at a *fairly* decent price for what its offering.

 

[alFR]

So I've been imagining the record high asking prices of Apple's flagship devices in 2017 & 2018?

Did you even read what I wrote? The XS is a new, premium tier above the mainstream iPhone (the XR) so is irrelevant when you're comparing prices with a few years ago.

The XR is gimped compared to the lower tier models of the past imo. & therefore less value for money compared to say the 6S/7/8.

But previously you said:

With Apple's back-to-back years of bumping up pricing for their iPhones, will you continue to upgrade every year, or reassess & hold onto your iPhone for longer?

No mention of specs in your OP. So is it about price per se, or value for money? Out of interest, in what way do you feel the XR is "gimped", as you so eloquently put it, compared to, say, an iPhone 4?

 

[Ralfi]

No mention of specs in your OP. So is it about price per se, or value for money? Out of interest, in what way do you feel the XR is "gimped", as you so eloquently put it, compared to, say, an iPhone 4?

Clearly our opinions differ. I'm not here to one-upmanship my view over yours.

I feel the pricing tier has been boosted across the board, resulting in less value for money, from the XR to the XS/Max.

You don't.

Fair enough.

 

[orangepeel2014]

The fact Apple want you to spend a months wages for a lot of people on a phone shows how deluded the brand has become.

I love my iPhone 8+ and I plan to keep it until it dies a death. Prices will only keep going up yearly as people are not upgrading like they were so Apple have to do something to balance the books and that means selling less phones at a higher cost.


For the last 5 years I have always brought my phones outright and even though I can afford £1000 for a phone i think it’s a ludicrous price and that’s why I got a iPhone 8+ and not the X.

 

[Ralfi]

Prices will only keep going up yearly as people are not upgrading like they were so Apple have to do something to balance the books and that means selling less phones at a higher cost.

It's interesting. Will they do that, or lower the cost after sales fall?

 

[x34]

i'm gonna upgrade again when the notch is gone, so i'd say in 2 to 3 years.

 

[orangepeel2014]

It's interesting. Will they do that, or lower the cost after sales fall?

I guess we can only wait and see, let’s be honest they have a lot of fans who will upgrade no matter what as it’s apple.

I have always said I will stick with Apple as I have a MacBook Pro, Apple Watch, iPad and a iPhone but if prices continue to go up then I just won’t replace them. I wonder how many more people will do the same?!

 

[Azathoth123]

Well that’s the first time I’ve seen the A12 SOC described as ‘gimped’. Same horsepower in the XR as the XS etc, and blows any competitor away. Of course, you could get a Pixel 3 starting at $800 with half the performance, multiple notches, crashing apps from bad memory management, and failing to save photos. If you’re going by price alone, it’s a bargain! Not.

 

[1rottenapple]

If the 2019 iPhone looks like the new iPad I will preorder as fast as I could. I absolutely LOATHE the X/XR designs.

I bet the iPhone will take design cues from the iPod, including the Face ID upgrades.

 

[rillrill]

I think “gimped” is the wrong word for the XR. BUT I think it does have the sigma of being a lesser phone which might hurt the resale value down the line.