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Feelings on Paid iOS Updates

C

chocboy

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 17, 2010
29
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If I recall correctly, when I purchased my iPod touch 2G a few years ago, Apple required owners to pay 10$ to upgrade to iOS 3.0? For those of you who don't remember, 3.0 was a big clincher for complete wirelessness of the iPod/iPhone- especially downloading videos and renting them directly on the device.

Do you think Apple will charge money for updates in the future? Such as when iOS 5.0 comes out- I mean, I don't see what could possibly be improved without modifying the hardware, but if there is such a big improvement, will Apple justify requiring money to update? Or will it cause too much of a stir?

We'll see when 4.0 comes out imminiently, but it's something to keep in mind.
 
chocboy said:
If I recall correctly, when I purchased my iPod touch 2G a few years ago, Apple required owners to pay 10$ to upgrade to iOS 3.0? For those of you who don't remember, 3.0 was a big clincher for complete wirelessness of the iPod/iPhone- especially downloading videos and renting them directly on the device.

Do you think Apple will charge money for updates in the future? Such as when iOS 5.0 comes out- I mean, I don't see what could possibly be improved without modifying the hardware, but if there is such a big improvement, will Apple justify requiring money to update? Or will it cause too much of a stir?

We'll see when 4.0 comes out imminiently, but it's something to keep in mind.
Click to expand...

4.0 is already out.......
 
Doubt it. With the new features they (presumably) will keep adding to their iOS updates, one would need to have a recent gen device in order for you to use it. So, similar to what they're doing with the iPhone 3G, if you want to take advantage of the new features in upcoming iOS releases, you'll need to get a newer device, i.e. buy more of their stuff.
 
I don't feel bad for people with older devices getting left out. If you want to the new features you have to pay. If you don't need them that's another story. By the way we're on 4.1, and 4.2 is right around the corner.
 
I'm pretty sure they dropped this.

They claimed they had to do it for tax reasons, but I think that 4.0 was free for iPod owners this year so apparently they figured out a way around it.
 
They dropped it for the most part. But Apple has said that "the first major iOS update for the iPad will be free. After that it may be a paid update." or something along those lines. So it means that 1G iPad will get 4.2 for free but may have to pay for 5.0+ and 2G iPad people will get 6.0 free and may have to pay for 6.0+.
 
Intell said:
They dropped it for the most part. But Apple has said that "the first major iOS update for the iPad will be free. After that it may be a paid update." or something along those lines. So it means that 1G iPad will get 4.2 for free but may have to pay for 5.0+ and 2G iPad people will get 6.0 free and may have to pay for 6.0+.
Click to expand...

where was that said? i've never seen it...
 
With iPhone, I'd like to see them clearly commit to the pattern they appear to have started.

iPhone Model Comes out (iPhone 4)
One year later that model is relegated to the bottom end of the lineup (iPhone 3GS)
One year later that model gets its last major update and is no longer sold (iPhone 3G)
One year later that model is no longer supported (iPhone)

If you start a 24 month contract when an iPhone is still being sold by Apple, you should get updates for the duration of the contract.

IMO iOS needs a lot of work still, so I wouldn't be happy about paying for updates.
 
People will simply make costum ipsw firmwares with paid ipsw and this will make them free for everybody..... What you think.
________
Amc Gremlin History
 
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Small White Car said:
I'm pretty sure they dropped this.

They claimed they had to do it for tax reasons, but I think that 4.0 was free for iPod owners this year so apparently they figured out a way around it.
Click to expand...

Tax reasons = profit reasons. The only reason they gave 4.0 away for free is to bring everyone up to speed as far as iAd.
 
My Bad- 4.2 coming out, not 4.0.

In response- I'd highly doubt that Apple would charge for updates that don't even change whole numbers. 4.2 is essentially an upgraded version of 4.0, with some bug fixes, etc.

However, if 5.0 ever comes out, there's got to be some major features in that. I could see 6.0 being a paid update- perhaps it's every 3? (3.0, 6.0, 9.0, etc.)
 
I remember having to pay like $10 or something to update my 1st gen iPod Touch. I thought it was kinda annoying, but it was a huge update that included the app store and such. I doubt that Apple will make people pay in the future.
 
The only way I can see consumers going for this would be if there wasn't a new hardware model released. I'd be willing to pay $10 to update my OS if that was the only "upgrade" that was out there to be had. But if Apple is gonna keep brining out a new phone every year I can't see making people pay to upgrade their OS because they dont want to spend 400 or 500 bucks on the newest phone (because of the contract)
 
In the massive confusion surrounding the release of iOS 2.0, I managed to snag it for my iPod touch without paying for it. Since then, I've always found alternative sources for iOS updates, and have never paid.
 
Daveoc64 said:
If you start a 24 month contract when an iPhone is still being sold by Apple, you should get updates for the duration of the contract.
Click to expand...

The 24 month contract is with your airtime provider and not with Apple themselves, they will happily sell you an iPhone at full price without any contract.
 
pauliphone said:
The 24 month contract is with your airtime provider and not with Apple themselves, they will happily sell you an iPhone at full price without any contract.
Click to expand...

I don't think you understood what I wrote:

Daveoc64 said:
iPhone Model Comes out (iPhone 4)
One year later that model is relegated to the bottom end of the lineup (iPhone 3GS)
One year later that model gets its last major update and is no longer sold (iPhone 3G)
One year later that model is no longer supported (iPhone)

If you start a 24 month contract when an iPhone is still being sold by Apple, you should get updates for the duration of the contract.
Click to expand...

I was saying that if you buy an iPhone model that is "current" (the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 are the "current" models in most markets), it is likely to get iOS upgrades for two more years (i.e. the duration of a contract) based on Apple's current support lifecycle.

I wasn't saying that there is a contractual obligation for Apple to provide updates.
 
Apple's updates for the iPhone have thus far been free of charge, and I don't see that changing. Even the iPod Touch's $10 fee is a minuscule profit for Apple.

They are a hardware company first, (at least in terms of profits) and so even the software and services they sell, while not loss-leading, aren't meant to be hugely profitable by themselves, but are designed and structured to lead you back to the part of their business that absolutely is. (more Apple hardware)

As for free updates, I think it's meant to be more of a value proposition. "Buy our hardware and we'll give you updates and new features."

"Buy someone else's hardware and who knows?"
 
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It would be a public relations mistake for Apple to charge for security updates that resulted from their own errors.
 
Small White Car said:
I'm pretty sure they dropped this.

They claimed they had to do it for tax reasons, but I think that 4.0 was free for iPod owners this year so apparently they figured out a way around it.
Click to expand...

No, there's no legal grounds to stand on for charging for OS upgrades. That's just purely Apple greed.

Look at the PSP and all the updates it got, for example. All for free.
 
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