I upgraded from an iPhone 11Pro - Initially I wasn't going to bother again this year, but I did so that I could pass my 11 to my wife and her X to my mother (who is limping along on an iPhone 6). Anyway. Its a fantastic phone, beautifully made and powerful but when all is said and done, not too different from my 11 Pro. Yearly upgrades are over for me, even though I now have more disposable income than ever. It just seems such a waste dropping 1K for incremental changes.
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Other Why spend $1K every year on a phone?
- Thread starter MyOikos
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Not if you take advantage of carrier promos and trade in deals. Verizon is giving $800 for an old Galaxy S9. Bought one on ebay for $100, traded it in towards a 13 Pro. Cost after two years once the bill credits finish is $300. Cost for a regular 13 would have been $100. Either phone will be still be easily worth that, and likely eligible to be traded in for a similar inflated value.
Given that I will be paying for cell service regardless, my device cost per year is theoretically $0 or less.
Life is too short, if tech makes your life easier or more happy, why not to treat yourself (if you can afford it)?
I used to upgrade annually but have stopped at the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Previously I would upgrade then my old handset would be passed to a family member. But we all have iPhone X or newer and the upgrades are so slight now there's not much point. And I really like the blue colour of my iPhone 12 Pro Max.
I upgrade my iPhone every year, yes I upgraded from a 12promax to a 13promax. I use my phone for an average of 9hours a day (screen time) for work related purposes so i definitely get my moneys worth every year. I also trade in my phone every year which pays off a large amount off my new one 😁
I'm not that type of person who would love to upgrade yearly, I move from X to 13 Pro Max which is lovely big change - that's just me (I always think before spending money)
I have no desire to follow what my family, friend, people or youtube who rave about latest techie, I'm just happy for them that's all really.
I have no desire to follow what my family, friend, people or youtube who rave about latest techie, I'm just happy for them that's all really.
Idk about y’all but I got $1,000 off my 13 Pro Max because I had the 12 pro max, because I upgrade every year. So idk what y’all are talking about spending that much each year. I’m paying $200 plus tax for my 256 GB 13 Pro Max. Waived upgrade fee too because I ordered online.
Apple certainly don’t offer good trade in prices. My launch day iPhone 12 cost £799 just 11 months ago, and Apple’s trade in estimate for it was just £400. That’s utterly dismal to be honest. As it happens I choose to keep my iPhone for 2 years anyway otherwise I’d find upgrading boring. I like to feel a significant jump in performance and annual upgrades seem to be too incremental in recent years.
Thank you for posting this; I've been wrestling with the same decision. I do want the better optical zoom on the 13, but, is it worth a grand?? I can buy a DSLR for that money. :-D
I do the same exact thing, idk why ppl complicate things, nobody is spending $1k+ lol
I don’t think anyone would spend $1k every year. Most people including me would just trade in or sell the previous iPhone that will significantly reduce the cost for the new iPhone whether through Apple or carrier deals
this x1000. It’s definitely not necessary to buy yearly. Hell, people have asked me what’s really new this year. I just say, “cameras are a bit better, screen upgraded.. but you probably wouldn’t notice”. I do it because I like having the new phone yearly. And because I purchased outright many years ago, and iPhones hold such great value. I reap the benefits every year when it comes to upgrade.
I don’t spend much money on other stuff, maybe some power tools haha. But this kind of tech stuff is what I enjoy
Hyperbole.
Carrier “deals” also require you to pay a higher monthly bill, than owning the phone outright and having prepaid service. Do the overall math.
The iPhone Upgrade Program is essentially an endless lease with payments every month forever.
How much are the monthly payments on IUP this year? Depends on the iPhone model of course
How much are the monthly payments on IUP this year? Depends on the iPhone model of course
I usually go 2 years between phones but the deals are too good this year. $134 to upgrade from a 12 PM to a 13 PM and own it outright with no credits?! Yup I had to.
I typically upgrade every 2-3 years, from a 7 to a 10s PM to 12 PM. This year the trade-in plus the carrier credit seemed like a really good deal and the new camera functions were enough that I upgraded again. I figure it will cost me about $300 so much less than $1000. Last year I paid full price for my 12PM and handed down my 10s to my son. Who knows what next year will bring but I am enjoying my new 13 PM.
used my son's iPhone 12 Mini 64gb to upgrade to the 13 Pro Max 256gb! his phone (12 mini) WAS paid off. I paid $699 before tax. But yeah... I hopped on that special AT&T deal. I'll be getting $1000 over 36 months for the 12 mini 64gb. not bad! switched sims with him and now he's using my old 12 Pro 256gb while I use my new 13 Pro Max 256gb. I plan to use this for the next 3 years (36 months) so i'll be getting $1000 divided by 36 = $27.77. Crazy how att giving $1000 in credits in a span of 36 months for a $699 phone.
Because I can (if I wanted to). Any other answer comes 2nd to that.
I'm a cheapskate, so I can't imagine spending $1,000 a phone, period, let alone once a year!
But I can imagine that some feel it's well worth it. And it can be argued that a lot of people spend far more than a $1,000 a year on, say, a daily Starbucks visit.
But I can imagine that some feel it's well worth it. And it can be argued that a lot of people spend far more than a $1,000 a year on, say, a daily Starbucks visit.