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Apple Users Are Keeping Their Devices for Longer as Upgrades Slow

Never thought it would come to this but I actually don't like whipping out a super expensive phone anymore in this society.

Before you would notice when someone had the newest iPhone and you would want it & it was fun to get the latest and greatest Apple device. Now it just doesn't make any sense.
 
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I know this article is mainly about the Mac, but most everyone I know with a Mac kept their devices for several years and have since back in the G4 days.

As for the iPhone, people on here just can't seem to fathom that smartphones, as a product category, just aren't in the popular zeitgeist anymore. The've become boring commodity items, across the board. No one I know cares enough to show off their phone anymore, or take an interest in what phone a person has.

Apple knows this and has started shifting to services revenue.
 
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Lately a 5 year cycle is enough for me. Just upgraded my iPhone 11Pro to a 15 Pro. A tangible difference but not game-changing. Couldn’t see upgrading even every two years - and every year? Not for me. Just also upgraded my 2018 iPad Pro to a new 13 inch M4 with Magic Keyboard. Solid upgrade, but here again - that’s 6 years. Mac? Still using my 2017 MacBook Pro - does nearly everything I want/need. Maybe move to a new MacBook Air this year? Could never justify these annual cycles, not enough time to show real innovation beyond Tim Cooks sales pitch. YMMV, of course.
 
WarmWinterHat said:
I know this article is mainly about the Mac, but most everyone I know with a Mac kept their devices for several years and have since back in the G4 days.

As for the iPhone, people on here just can't seem to fathom that smartphones, as a product category, just aren't in the popular zeitgeist anymore. The've become boring commodity items, across the board. No one I know cares enough to show off their phone anymore, or take an interest in what phone a person has.

Apple knows this and has started shifting to services revenue.
Click to expand...
People are still blown away by my foldable phone to this day, and I've had one for three years now, starting with the Z Fold 3 (Now the OnePlus Open). I realize they are not for everyone, but if Apple would just release a foldable iPhone, they would probably sell more foldable iPhones year one than all other foldable phones put together since their inception. I realize foldables have already been done, but I am sure Apple could do them one better.
 
Nice that this is gaining in popularity.
Apple's stuff is some of the best built out there (if you don't drop it).
There's never been a need for me to upgrade my gear until its useful life is expired.
Why make more trash, waste resources, or my money otherwise?
I'll usually keep an iPhone 3-4yrs, when battery life becomes unusable. I typically keep my Macs 9-10yrs!
I just got a new Mac Mini to go back to the desktop world because my 2015 MBP couldn't really play any of my games anymore. And if the Apple silicon Mac Mini is just as durable, I won't need another computer till .... 2033? Haha, that's wild to think of.
 
"In the specific case of the Mac, CIRP indicates a substantial increase in the length of time users keep their devices. Currently, 56% of Mac customers hold onto their laptops or desktops for three years or more, a significant rise from 40% in 2020"

Clearly PROOF that many people buying 8GB Macs (or 256GB SSD Macs, or whatever today's whine is about) are suffering immensely... /s
 
In my opinion this might not have to do as much with the devices themselves. As much as it does with Carriers Payment plans and "Trade in offers" Customers definitely have an advantage waiting until their device is paid off and able to trade it in for a bill credit towards their new monthly phone payment. The days of getting a new phone every year are over because frankly carriers Cannot feasibly afford to take that loss and the avg consumer cannot afford to fork out close to 2k for a cell phone every year because a lot of their "fun money" has been eaten up rising costs elsewhere in budget.
 
I upgrade when there's a paradigm shift.
Like advent of FaceID, full-face screen, significant camera changes - sensor and lenses, USB-C etc on iPhone or chip tech change (Intel->M series), display tech (MiniLED, 120Hz) or port changes on MacBooks.
Processor increments, GPU increments, camera increments, notch->Dynamic Island, they're all great to have but not fundamental and will get picked up on the next major change up.
I pass old models down through the family to maximise the sizeable investment. I think we still have a 2011 11.6" MacBook Air in occasional use.
 
nt5672 said:
Devices are a commodity these days, no reason to upgrade. Innovation is dead at Apple. We don't need more emoji. We certainly don't need AI, which is all Apple is focusing on for the next couple of years.

Apple failed with the car, failed with Carplay 2, failed with Siri. Just imagine where we would be if Apple had applied the car investment into Siri. Apple increases bugs with every new release, and never seems to reduce them.

We need tech leadership at Apple, not a supply chain guy.

It is time for Cook to be replaced.
Click to expand...
Absolutely agree, I would really like to break the chains of Apple’s ecosystem …
 
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Yeah, thats me, I used to be on a two year cycle for most of my apple products. Now I'm 3+, my iPhone 13 Pro was replaced by apple care just as the 15's were coming out. I don't think it was a refurb but even if it was, it was perfect with 100% battery capacity. So why would I upgrade? I was going to go ahead and jump from my Apple Watch 7 to an Ultra 2 last year but the black Ultra didn't materialize and I wasn't sure about the silver. I'll probably go ahead and get the upcoming Ultra this year or possibly find last year's at a discount. I may even look into doing the same for replacing my iPhone 13 Pro, pick up a new 15 Pro at a discount after 16 announcement. These devices have gotten too expensive and I can't justify upgrading every two years anymore.
 
I have long gone to a two or three year iPhone refresh, the camera package is really my driver. My M1 iPad Pro was fine but the Landscape camera and M4 chip finally pushed me to an upgrade. Still have a personal 2019 i9 maxed out MacBook Pro. Work gave me an M1 Ultra that is maxed out. I may jump on an M4 MB depending on cores and performance but I host a bunch of VMs on my i9 MBP so that will live on a while longer.
 
"The increased reliance on streaming services and web-based applications means that for many users, their current devices remain sufficiently powerful and capable for everyday tasks."

And this is why 8Gb of RAM and 128/256 Gb of SSD has been good enough for a large number of users.
 
I have a MacBook Pro 15 2018. I plan to update to a MacBook Pro 16 M5 Max. Before that, I had a MacBook Pro 15 2012 Retina.

I also have an iPhone 15 Pro Max. I updated from an iPhone X. I plan to update to an iPhone 17.
 
nt5672 said:
Devices are a commodity these days, no reason to upgrade. Innovation is dead at Apple. We don't need more emoji. We certainly don't need AI, which is all Apple is focusing on for the next couple of years.

Apple failed with the car, failed with Carplay 2, failed with Siri. Just imagine where we would be if Apple had applied the car investment into Siri. Apple increases bugs with every new release, and never seems to reduce them.

We need tech leadership at Apple, not a supply chain guy.

It is time for Cook to be replaced.
Click to expand...

"Apple is believed to have seen a significant 21% increase in Mac shipments for the second quarter of 2024, "
www.macrumors.com

Apple Leads Global PC Growth With 21% Shipment Increase

Apple is believed to have seen a significant 21% increase in Mac shipments for the second quarter of 2024, the largest growth among global PC...
www.macrumors.com www.macrumors.com
 
The upgrade cycle phenomenon changed significantly when wireless companies stopped subsidizing phones. You don't get a deal anymore by buying another two year contract. You just pay for the phone over 3 years. The extension to 3 years from 2 and not getting anything in exchange (a deal) anymore has made people rethink things.
 
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I would keep my iPhone 12 for one more year but since the iPhone 16 models support many new features, especially full Apple Intelligence by Spring 2025, I'm upgrading to an iPhone 16 Plus 512 GB. :)
 
TallGuyGT said:
Most people don't need to update phones, tablets and laptops every year. The incremental advances are minimal for users of the current model, but add up for users whose devices are 3-4 years old. I never get why people with current devices deride the next one as "just a spec bump". That's what most mature product categories are. I assume most people don't upgrade their TVs or cars every year because of some slight improvements.

I have always gotten the newest iPhone and Apple Watch each year, because the incremental improvement is worth the trade in price for me. Definitely not for most of my friends and family. Probably will upgrade to the M4 MBPs this year if they prove to have a substantial speed increase with the Neural Engine / Apple Intelligence. Time will tell ...
Click to expand...

Nobody needs to update their phone, watch, tablet or computer every year. Nobody at all. Some people still do it because they want to, because they can afford it and because they want to show off, and Apple actively encourages that behavior, but it’s not a necessity for anyone at all. No device ever becomes completely useless in less than 4-5 years.
 
That's only a good thing in my opinion.
I won't upgrade my Apple Watch SE even though the support will end.
 
If we choose the average to to be the midpoint and "3 years or more" to be 4 years on average, we get:

2024: 2.9 years
2020: 2.5 years

If the "3 years or more" are 5 years on average:

2024: 3.5 years
2020: 2.9 years

In the first it's an increase of 16% and in the second it's 20%.

I don't think people having Macs which on average is 3 to 3.5 years is bad at all, neither for customers or Apple.
 
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