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Other What’s the real reason for upgrading?

WarmWinterHat said:
I think most people upgrade their phones because their carrier tells them "You're eligible for an upgrade!". That's why I often upgraded back several generations ago, and why people do that I talk to.
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I hear this same thing a lot on the T-Mobile subreddit. The thing is that T-Mobile stopped two year subsidized contracts before I even joined up in 2015. They also had two versions of JUMP at that time which allowed you to upgrade a phone either every month or when half the old phone was paid off. It depended on which version of JUMP you were on. In both cases, you lost any money you'd already paid into the old device.

What's interesting to me is that people still bring up 'eligible for an upgrade'. There are no more subsidized contracts, so as a customer you can upgrade any freaking time you feel like it. You don't have to wait. Either just add another EIP (Equipment Installment Plan) up to your credit limit or pay the old device off and get a new one. Heck you can even 'upgrade' outside of T-Mob by getting your own device elsewhere and putting your T-Mob simcard (or ESIM) in to it. You don't have to wait to be 'eligible'.

So…I think what people REALLY mean by this is that they are eligible for a PROMO. And that's the difference. If you can upgrade any time you like as I just mentioned then the only thing you're actually waiting for is to be 'eligible for a promo deal. Not an upgrade.

Just very interesting to me how people phrase things. It makes it seem like they think they're trapped or something.
 
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I upgrade when I wake up one day and realize I'm tired of making-do with an old phone when I could be doing-well with something newer.

My first iPhone (original 16GB SE) turned out to be a little too small in both screen size and capacity. I made it work for three years before deciding I had gotten my money out and could afford better.

My current iPhone 8(64GB) is now 4.5 years old works great on wi-fi, but something has gone wrong with cell service. I don't know if the 8's in particular are unusually vulnerable to interference from the now common 5G or 802.11ax devices, if I dropped my 8 one time too many and internally damaged the antenna in a way that isn't externally obvious, or something else. All I know is that for the last two years I've consistently had 1-2 fewer bars than everybody else and sometimes have been stuck with SOS only coverage. Changing cell phone providers twice and networks once hasn't fixed the issue so I'm now ready to just join the 5G bandwagon myself. Just trying to decide between new SE(3rd-gen), new iPhone 12, or an Amazon refurbished iPhone 12 mini with 128GB.
 
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I have no interest in buying the same phone I had before to have the latest and the greatest.

I prefer to upgrade upon a major design change, I used to upgrade with minor changes like the iPhone 5 to 6.

But the cost of phones have gone up, and I no longer see no point. The iphone 17 Slim may be my next reason to upgrade.
 
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Cirillo Gherardo said:
This entire post is just one long projection on OP's part about not being able to afford upgrades.
They're relatively cheap if you know what you're doing.

And no, we don't have to justify or explain upgrading to someone who is trying to convince themselves not to.
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Please don’t make assumptions if you’ve only read the first couple of paragraphs of my post.
 
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Cirillo Gherardo said:
This entire post is just one long projection on OP's part about not being able to afford upgrades.
They're relatively cheap if you know what you're doing.

And no, we don't have to justify or explain upgrading to someone who is trying to convince themselves not to.
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This is very true. People often seek out confirmation for their choices. Often but not always a result of low self esteem, and make assumptions on why people may or may not upgrade. I don’t upgrade regularly but I am not gonna justify it by bringing why some one upgrades or not.
 
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Cirillo Gherardo said:
This entire post is just one long projection on OP's part about not being able to afford upgrades.
They're relatively cheap if you know what you're doing.

And no, we don't have to justify or explain upgrading to someone who is trying to convince themselves not to.
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IMG_4036.gif
 
Cirillo Gherardo said:
This entire post is just one long projection on OP's part about not being able to afford upgrades.
They're relatively cheap if you know what you're doing.

And no, we don't have to justify or explain upgrading to someone who is trying to convince themselves not to.
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Ah yes! The old trade or sell the OLD device and use the proceeds to pay for the NEW device trick. Right?

Except that doesn't work when you're the type of person (like me) that doesn't want to trade in my old device.
 
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eyoungren said:
Except that doesn't work when you're the type of person (like me) that doesn't want to trade in my old device.
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Then don’t trade in your old device. I’m confused lmao. Nobodysays you have to.
eyoungren said:
Ah yes! The old trade or sell the OLD device and use the proceeds to pay for the NEW device trick. Right?
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With apple upgrades I don’t have to sell anything. I literally can just upgrade every single year after 12 payments.
 
scorpio vega said:
Be inferior when September rolls around.
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The MacRumors iPhone forum used to be full of this attitude. I found that those with this attitude often just bought the base model storage.

So sure, go on being superior. And if you buy the max storage offered then you're really showing all of us. But if you're like the others, don't lord your base model iPhone over me - because I'm one of those that gets the max when I upgrade.
 
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turbineseaplane said:
I very much respect this honesty 🫡

I think way more people are like this than care to admit it
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I think that's more of a high-school or early 20s mindset. No one I know older than that cares at all. A new phone simply isn't a status symbol anymore, and hasn't been for a while now.

Plus, they are almost universally in a case. No one can tell what phone you have other than a rough idea based on the number of cameras.
 
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Klae17 said:
I do because I want people to know I have the latest one. Status symbol.
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Question…do you stick your iPhone in a case?

I ask, because it's more of a status symbol if people can actually SEE what you're carrying.

Just sayin'.
 
WarmWinterHat said:
Plus, they are almost universally in a case. No one can tell what phone you have other than a rough idea based on the number of cameras.
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This is why I always laugh at this attitude. Apple stopped printing the capacity of iPhones on the back with the iPhone 4. Even before that, with a case you couldn't tell.

So, you have people who think this is a status symbol but either can't or won't spring for the max capacity. And they think they're superior - until you start asking questions about what capacity they sprung for. They rely on the fact that no one can tell.

It's all very ridiculous.

PS. I had a friend once whose ego ballooned because he bought a Mustang. This is back in 1993. Yeah. You got a 1994 Mustang friend. V6 low output base model with the plastic hubcaps and the CD controller that couldn't stop falling off the dashboard. Oh. And manual windows.

SMFH!!!!!
 
eyoungren said:
Question…do you stick your iPhone in a case?

I ask, because it's more of a status symbol if people can actually SEE what you're carrying.

Just sayin'.
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It doesn’t have to be seen by others. I know some one who buys nice stuff for himself. It’s his own status symbol, and I admire him for being a self made man who overcame lot in life. Be proud of what you are, doesn’t have to be about others. It’s not just phones, but cars, houses and so on.
 
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I usually upgrade for one of the following:

1. I’m being offered a new phone for free with my carrier. Why would I turn down something that is free?

2. When I want a different size phone.
 
TechnoMonk said:
It doesn’t have to be seen by others. I know some one who buys nice stuff for himself. It’s his own status symbol, and I admire him for being a self made man who overcame lot in life. Be proud of what you are, doesn’t have to be about others. It’s not just phones, but cars, houses and so on.
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Sounds like the person you speak of is confident in themselves and owns these things not because of ego but because of the value it holds to them.

What I am speaking to is those who conflate status symbol with their own self-worth.
 
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ab2c4 said:
I usually upgrade for one of the following:

1. I’m being offered a new phone for free with my carrier. Why would I turn down something that is free?

2. When I want a different size phone.
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I need to join YOUR cell carrier! :D

Mine (T-Mobile) only offers free to new customers or requires old customers to move off their current plan. I stick with my current plan (2015 vintage) because I'm not interested in paying more for my service just to get a free device.
 
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