That was a fast 5 years! It seems like last month or so to me that the X, 8 and 8 Plus came out. Time flies!!
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iPhone 13 A Five Year Keeper?
- Thread starter Mark Stone
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Yes..and no. It's all I'm used to. Ideally the Mini 12/13 but finances have killed that dream. It's painful to stream media but fine for all else I suppose. Large TV and MBP (15#mid 2009) offset the other needs. Actually having flirted with the Mini briefly I decided an upgrade criteria would definitely entail a bezel free phone. So for now I'm quite surprised that this old SE manages 15.4 and its muchly grown OS size quite well.
I am currently running a XS Max which will be 4 in October time. Only upgraded from my X as it was stolen.
I think I’ll be on this phone till the 14 or 15 - and even then may upgrade to a gen or two old 2nd hand device.
I am most tempted by an 11 PM as it is 1. Cheap and 2. Has the 2nd best battery life of an iPhone after the 13 PM.
I’m probably gonna hold out another year or so and then upgrade. I’d like 5G but it’s not that widely available where I am, and I would like better battery life. That’s my two, and only two complaints with my XS Max.
I think I’ll be on this phone till the 14 or 15 - and even then may upgrade to a gen or two old 2nd hand device.
I am most tempted by an 11 PM as it is 1. Cheap and 2. Has the 2nd best battery life of an iPhone after the 13 PM.
I’m probably gonna hold out another year or so and then upgrade. I’d like 5G but it’s not that widely available where I am, and I would like better battery life. That’s my two, and only two complaints with my XS Max.
Love that for you two. Wish I’d held onto my original SE but I was foolishly tempted by an 8 Plus, then an 11, then 12, and now finally a 13 mini—to which I am committing myself. Its comfy build is directly reminiscent of the SE while incorporating some of the “sexy” new features of its successors. And the new dark green shade is really lovely as someone who only buys neutrals (Space Gray/black/silver—beside beautiful purple 11 which also holds special place in my heart).
I have learned my lesson and glad there are apparently many much wiser than me. Hold onto that baby, even if you switch to something else! The OG SE is a priceless little work of Apple craft.
Holy balls, the 13 pro max gets like more than double my current battery life ? maybe I should get a 14 or a second hand 13.
Historically, I haven't kept a phone for more than 2 years max. For several years I leased phones through T-Mobile's Jump on Demand program and would get new phones every 6 month to year (Android, iPhone- gotta try all the newest flagships!). But as the smartphone market has matured to the point where year-over-year upgrades have been mostly incremental for the past few years, I'm planning on hanging onto my 12 Pro that I got last August for 3-4 years. By that point, 5G will have stabilized and matured and there is likely to be improvements worth upgrading for.
Totally, was/is my first iPhone/ Smartphone. If some $$ appear, and before the Mini 13 disappears, the SE will be the backup. Neutral colours..yer..same. New battery means not tethered at work, car, home and once again 1/3 capacity at days end left. The old partially destroyed black leather Apple bumper case, now replaced with the now rare red variant..wild stuff. So kinda feels like a new phone
My XR will be three years old when the iPhone 14 comes out in the fall. It does everything I need a phone to do, so I expect to hang onto it at least until the iPhone 16 comes out. Among the primary devices that i own (iPhone, iPadPro 12.9, iPad mini6) I use my iPhone the least, so I upgrade my iPads much more frequently than my iPhone.
I still use a 6S, and no intention on upgrading anytime soon. Probably need to get a battery replacement soon, though... but it does still hold up a day or two
I kept my 3GS for 3.5 years. That’s the longest I’ve had any phone that I can remember.
I upgraded whenever the mood stuck me with the iPhone. When Apple released the 12 and 13 mini's, I decided to stay with that phone for as long as possible. And instead of upgrading the phone every year or two, I decided to focus on the watch, because that is the Apple device I use more than the phone (a lot of the time).
I could see myself getting an iPhone 13 Mini or a 2022 SE & keeping that for a long time. I went from a 4S to a 5S, to a 6, then back to a 5S (preferred the smaller screen). Then I got an amazing deal on a 7, which I used for several years. Then in 2019, Sprint had refurbed 8's that they were selling for $99, so I got one of those. Then in 2021, Sprint had a deal where you got a free 12 if you traded in an 8, so I got the 12. Truthfully I don't care for the 12 & wish I had gone with a 12 mini instead. The 7/8/ 2022 SE is about the limit for my for a pocketable useable phone. The 12 is just a hair too big. But I will keep it at least until my contract runs out, and then probably get a smaller phone which I will keep for a long time. I still use an original SE for my work phone & it's such a nice phone. I still prefer to carry that over my 12.
If I didn't get the initial deal on the 7, I'd likely still be using that as my daily driver today. The one nice thing about the newer phones (at least the 8 & the 12, not sure about the 7 any longer) was the inclusion of additional cellular bands. When I got the 8 (it added band 66), I could tell right away that I was getting a better signal in areas where I had trouble before, and when I got the 12 I got even better reception (the 12 added band 71 and 5G capability).
It seems like new bands have slowed down quite a bit now, so I don't anticipate that type of issue cropping up as much in the future. Now, if we could get an Apple Watch that included bangs 66 & 71, I'd jump to that in a heartbeat.
If I didn't get the initial deal on the 7, I'd likely still be using that as my daily driver today. The one nice thing about the newer phones (at least the 8 & the 12, not sure about the 7 any longer) was the inclusion of additional cellular bands. When I got the 8 (it added band 66), I could tell right away that I was getting a better signal in areas where I had trouble before, and when I got the 12 I got even better reception (the 12 added band 71 and 5G capability).
It seems like new bands have slowed down quite a bit now, so I don't anticipate that type of issue cropping up as much in the future. Now, if we could get an Apple Watch that included bangs 66 & 71, I'd jump to that in a heartbeat.
the first real phone i stuck with for more than 2 years was my 6S Plus. Got that in 2016 when my parents moved from Sprint over to AT&T. Loved my 6 before that, except when I found out I was suffering from “bend gate” (I could literally slide a piece of paper through the top corner of the display).
Had my 6S Plus for a few years after that, then balled out on a 256GB XS. I just couldn’t do the big phones anymore. Got my XS in 2019, and I’m probably going to hold on to this as long as possible.
The new phones just don’t excite me anymore. They’re all just iPhones. They do more or less the same things that iPhones all do, just maybe shinier, more squared, bigger or smaller, or some other gimmick. There’s just no reason to upgrade anymore unless the price to repair > cost of a new device. Idk
Had my 6S Plus for a few years after that, then balled out on a 256GB XS. I just couldn’t do the big phones anymore. Got my XS in 2019, and I’m probably going to hold on to this as long as possible.
The new phones just don’t excite me anymore. They’re all just iPhones. They do more or less the same things that iPhones all do, just maybe shinier, more squared, bigger or smaller, or some other gimmick. There’s just no reason to upgrade anymore unless the price to repair > cost of a new device. Idk
I usually say to myself that I won't be upgrading for a while. Well that was short lived as I looked past and seems like I upgrade every year. I'll say that this time with 13 pro max, and what do you know when iPhone 14 comes out, I might end up getting that one too.
I think it is not that hard to use an iPhone 5 years at this point. The 2017 iPhones were 8/8+ and X with A11. Those phones are totally usable today (although I'd certainly recommend a battery swap to anyone still on their original)and frankly will do almost everything almost as well as a newer iPhone - probably the biggest jump will be the camera, but those phones still take nice pictures today.
That said, I (a) enjoy new technology, and (b) use my iPhone probably as much as another other single thing I own. So upgrading more like 2-3 years is worth it for me.
That said, I (a) enjoy new technology, and (b) use my iPhone probably as much as another other single thing I own. So upgrading more like 2-3 years is worth it for me.
The longest I have had a smartphone is 8 months with the original Google Pixel since my entry in to the smartphone era with the Nokia N95 8GB. However this hasn’t stopped me trying to beat this record with every new handset I get.
One day I will make it to a full year!?
One day I will make it to a full year!?
I've never kept ANY phone in service for more than a couple of years. Life is too short and tech change is too fast, dead men enjoy no shiny new toys.
The longest I have had a smartphone is 8 months with the original Google Pixel since my entry in to the smartphone era with the Nokia N95 8GB. However this hasn’t stopped me trying to beat this record with every new handset I get.
One day I will make it to a full year!?
#metoo - I had one of those, I remember it as a piece of junk with a really poor camera.
I bought my iPhone 6s in November of 2015, but upgraded to the iPhone X in March of 2018. So, about 3 to 4 years between those two. Have not seen anything significant enough to push me to upgrade to anything since the X. I have scheduled my upgrade year to fall 2023, but thats not a guarantee if the X continues to work fine. Its likely to still receive iOS updates too. When I do eventually upgrade though I plan to go Pro Max since I just want to have the bigger screen.
Last year i wanted to upgrade from my iPhone 6s + which i bought at release to the iPhone 12 Pro Max. But i was disappointed regarding the 60Hz Display, so i bought an iPhone 11 (refurbished, pretty good deal).
So, the iPhone 6s+ came out in 2015, the iPhone 11 in 2019 but i bought it in 2020. So yes, i am on a 5 year cycle.
But last year finaly a high-refresh Display appeared, so i bought the 13 pro max and gifted my girlfriend the 11.
But this is an exception since the 11 was just a purchase because apple didnt deliver with the 12 pro max.
I am again planning to use the 13 pro max as long as possible.
So, the iPhone 6s+ came out in 2015, the iPhone 11 in 2019 but i bought it in 2020. So yes, i am on a 5 year cycle.
But last year finaly a high-refresh Display appeared, so i bought the 13 pro max and gifted my girlfriend the 11.
But this is an exception since the 11 was just a purchase because apple didnt deliver with the 12 pro max.
I am again planning to use the 13 pro max as long as possible.
My father still has an iPhone 4 running iOS 4 (4.3.something) that he uses for work. Since it just lives on his desk it's still in pristine condition. It's like a modern museum piece.im actually bargaining for my dads pristine 3GS... gonna be awesome to put into an acrylic display box
owh my...dont let me see it xD or ill start offering a price lmao. im so into "classic" phones.
My 8 Plus was my longest-lasting iPhone, did four years. Battery was becoming a problem after that and I got a bit sick of the size. on a 13 mini now, which I hope to make last four years as well. Seems like a sweet spot, I think five is too ambitious for my tastes
My other thought on the topic is that, as a few people here already mentioned, the newer smartphones are holding up so well over time. My iPhone 6 got super slow after 2,5 years and with loaded memory, while my launch day iPhone X is still running as a gem today (I use it as my spare phone from time to time). In addition, I just think changing a phone after a year or so is a pure waste. Money is one thing, everyone can spend their money they way it pleases them, but I also think about the environmental impact of such frequent changes if we all were to upgrade annually or so.