Yes, but compare the top of the line iPhone these days vs. A decade ago… the price has increased 88%. There is a reason why people also doubled the time to upgrade the phone.
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Apple Users Are Keeping Their Devices for Longer as Upgrades Slow
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I used to get the new iPhone every year until Apple decided to get stupid with prices so I kept my 8 Plus and only upgraded to the 15 last year. And to be honest, I kinda wish I hadn't upgraded. The 8 was still serving me fine.
And my wife is still using her 6 Plus!
And my wife is still using her 6 Plus!
Wow - what I find surprising is that until recently 60% of respondents were replacing their PC every couple of years. Why would you do that?!
I'd have said the opposite. If it turned out people were keeping their devices for shorter periods of time then Apple would have an excuse to shorten the support period, since fewer people would be using it. They might now have an incentive to shorten it, but not an excuse.
I am using 2015 macbook. Operates as good as new.Also the screen is not chipped with magic island or whatever its called.
Real innovation in software stability and ease of use as far as I am concerned. Just try to use linux apps to see the difference. Steve Jobs was a genius to turn software into appliance for the average person.
Real innovation in software stability and ease of use as far as I am concerned. Just try to use linux apps to see the difference. Steve Jobs was a genius to turn software into appliance for the average person.
The fact that people can last longer between upgrades is also a sign that Apples products are good enough to last for years and years.
I’ve still got a late 2014 i7 iMac. That machine is an absolute classic.
I’ve still got a late 2014 i7 iMac. That machine is an absolute classic.
The biggest competitor to Gibson and Fender, is a used Gibson or Fender. They don't get better, or faster, like computers. Guitars don't change much over time, in fact people prefer older guitars. People don't need to replace a guitar, if ever. Once you've found 'the one' you're good for life. Apple are now at a point where the M series are very good, they will never be in the position of being their own biggest competitor like guitar manufacturers but the incentive to upgrade is diminishing.
Hahahah! No way! I hated toolbars back then and still do. But in more than one occasion I have found clients with browsers loaded with toolbars, several of them considered malware or browser hijackers.
Those who don't recycle usually will give them away to family members, friends or those in need.
You don't get to find old Macs or iPhones in a dumpster somewhere. But I have seen lots of PCs in the dumpster or on the curb waiting for the garbage truck.
I still don't understand why it isn't good for the planet, when many people trade-in their old Apple devices when buying new ones.
Answer: Those not struggling can afford it. People struggling to pay the bills have existed for centuries.
Could it be that he was unprofitable and got fire? 😂
Actually, SJ was very focused on product excellence.
Not necessarily a fair comparison as a "top of the line" iPhone is much better today than a decade ago. Apple broadened the iPhone lineup to include more feature rich "Pro" phones in addition to regular versions but that doesn't mean customers have to buy the new higher tier models. 10 years ago (2014), the 16GB iPhone 6 started at $649 which is around $860 in today's dollars and the 16GB 6 Plus started at $749 or around $990 in today's dollars. Today's iPhone 15 at $829 and 15 Plus at $929 are cheaper than the 6 and 6 Plus were (inflation adjusted) and have eight times the storage (128GB). "Pro" level phones simply weren’t a thing ten years ago.
If pricing was the major factor, Apple likely wouldn't have seen such strong global sales in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Sales in those years were around 36% to 43% higher than in 2014.
To me this shows that we landed in a end-user best case scenario.
Three key advantages are met:
1) Quality of the Apple devices has reached a very high level. They fulfill very well current user needs and are plenty powerful for almost everybody.
2) The planet breathes a little with a touch less throwawaism.
3) If Apple at this point wants to sell as before or more is forced to throw around even better and very innovative products or drop prices.
What else can we ask for?
Three key advantages are met:
1) Quality of the Apple devices has reached a very high level. They fulfill very well current user needs and are plenty powerful for almost everybody.
2) The planet breathes a little with a touch less throwawaism.
3) If Apple at this point wants to sell as before or more is forced to throw around even better and very innovative products or drop prices.
What else can we ask for?
I'm probably about to be part of this shift. I've had a two-year iPhone upgrade cycle for a while, but nothing rumored about the next one seems particularly compelling to me. I therefore probably will wait an extra year for the first time. I imagine Apple will see quite a bit of this with the next iPhone introduction, unless it has something surprising.
Spot on -- Right there with you on the laptop
Mine is a 2015 15" MBP with a newer NVMe stick I put in there
Runs like a dream
If I could put my iPhone SE1 fleet onto lower iOS versions (closer to what it shipped with) that are FAR less bloated, I'd still be using those as daily drivers
It's incredible what a fat pig iOS has turned into
That's true but you also have to account for inflation. If general price increases would average at about 5%, then over decade you look at about 60-70% price increase from inflation alone. iPhone doesn't seem too much off from that for me I'll be honest. I think price increases due to slower turnaround are yet to come. Probably in form of new iPhone versions like ultra which you have to get to get all the features.
One of the reasons they locked down the RAM + SSDs!
We can't have folks getting too much longevity out of these things with aftermarket updates well after it was sold by Apple.
I kept my iPhone 12 Pro Max until recently before upgrading to 15 Pro Max. My Galaxy Note 20 Pro was with me for 4+ years, Gear S3 Watch for 8+ years before upgrading to Watch 6 Classic (& Ultra 2). As far as iPhones go, they all look similar from 11 Pro Max. iPad will get upgraded only after it fails to work which might happen only after 7-8 years. I have stopped looking at Mac and moved to Windows world long back.Prices also contributing to this since people cannot upgrade every other year at $1800-$2200 range for a decent configuration. With the economic situations and too many lay offs, I only see this trend further strengthened. People are also tired of changing their mobiles and resetting everything after getting used to it for years, especially people above 50s!
Apple CarPlay is not a failure. It’s still a solid feature even if it’s limited. I use it daily and even if it didn’t get future updates I’d still use it.
My guess is Apples original fan base of gen 1 iPhone is now much older and cares less about updating annually. Also **** is expensive these days for many struggling to buy groceries.
Apple users are holding onto their devices for increasingly long periods of time as upgrade cycles slow, data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) suggests.
In recent years, a shift has occurred in the behavior of Apple customers, who are increasingly opting to retain their iPhones, iPads, and Macs for extended periods before upgrading. In the most recent 12-month period, 71% of iPhone owners and 68% of Mac owners reported that their previous device was over two years old, up from 63% and 59%, respectively, in 2020.
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. This trend has led to a decline in shorter lifecycle lengths, with fewer users keeping their Macs for less than three years. CIRP's research suggests that the transition to Apple Silicon, which began in 2020 with the introduction of the M1 chip, has played a crucial role in this shift. Apple Silicon has delivered significant performance and energy efficiency improvements, making Macs more capable of handling demanding tasks for several years.
Age of previous Mac for Apple customers buying a new Mac (12 months ending March of each year)
The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic also likely influenced consumer behavior. During the early stages of the pandemic, there was a surge in demand for technology to support remote work and online education, but economic uncertainy followed and many consumers became more cautious with their spending, opting to maximize the lifespan of their existing devices rather than investing in new ones. Battery life improvements in MacBooks have also reached a satisfactory threshold for many users, further reducing the incentive to upgrade frequently.
This phenomenon has similarly been noted by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who recently said that the percentage of iPhone and Mac users whose previous device was older than two years has risen sharply. He attributed the shift to several factors, including fewer significant features in new models, improved durability and reliability of devices, and changing user needs. 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. As a result, the traditional motivations for frequent upgrades, such as the need for better cameras, more storage, or faster processing speeds, have diminished.
Article Link: Apple Users Are Keeping Their Devices for Longer as Upgrades Slow
