iPhone XS Has anybody noticed how many people don't upgrade nowadays?

[Hernan4651]

It’s arguably more important to get the best new phone than ever before, because now people are willing to pay upto $1,449 for an Xs Max 512GB. There is a healthy market for very expensive bigscreen phones. The general smartphone market is saturated. Mere computing performance isn’t doubling anymore each year. The iPhone SE was the last phone which sold only because it had a faster processor. Now you have to have all kinds of extras, a nice screen, more colors and camera effects. Those big OLED screens alone increase the price, dual cameras cost more than single cameras, etc. It‘s no wonder the XR is $250 cheaper, because it cuts down on all the fancy stuff people came to expect from their newest flagship phones.

You're wrong like a lot of people. Technology BECOMES CHEAPER . Not more expensive.
For example a 7nm processor is cheaper to produce than a 10nm processor. And Samsung is going to use a new technology that cut the cost more for his 7nm processor.
Another example: Nvme today are By Far cheaper than an old SSD.
And you can't justify the price. How could they charge you 400 plus for a 512gb phone if i, a common consumer, could walk out with a $180 512gb Samsung 960 pro nvme.
Screens too, you think Apple only changing some components could made the Xr "cheaper". No, it's not. The problem is that the Xs is so expensive that they could sell the Xr $250 cheaper. If you get the bill of materials between Xs and Xr you will see maybe 30 or 40 dol difference.

 

[Packers1958]

As another poster said, Apple is focusing more on services than the phone itself. And I think they are broadening their product base with AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, HomePod. I also think this is why they are separating the keynotes now.

This was the first year they didn't introduce the iPhone saying "Oh yea, one more thing" after introducing all their other updates. This year they introduced the iPhone, and then talked about other products afterwards. It's no longer the main attraction, as they have switched focus to their ecosystem as the main attraction.

 

[NoBoMac]

Guessing it all comes down to the crowd one runs with. I know noone that was a regular upgrader, even in the days of subsidized phones. As others mentioned, phone works, gets done what needs to be done, why upgrade? Everyone I know is not a spec chaser, so, it takes good enough pictures, display is good enough for reading text and the occasional video/pic viewing, cpu is fast enough, and so on, why waste $700-1000 every year or two?

 

[Gudi]

You're wrong like a lot of people. Technology BECOMES CHEAPER. Not more expensive.

But the demand in technology shifts to bigger more expensive phones. Apple can produce an iPhone 5-like phone for a lot less, but the demand for the SE is filled now. And the demand for 6/6+ style phones is seriously drying out. What people want is an X-style phone and that’s bigger and more expensive.

The problem is that the Xs is so expensive that they could sell the Xr $250 cheaper. If you get the bill of materials between Xs and Xr you will see maybe 30 or 40 dol difference.

Not the materials make OLED phones more expensive, but the patents Samsung holds. The XR is even a little bigger than the XS, but cheaper because it’s LCD. Both XS and XR are a lot bigger than iPhone 4/5. Apple always takes ~40% profit margin. If an iPhone is more expensive, it’s also more expensive to make.

 

[dazz87]

Prices are just beyond ridiculous at this point. Pick up a mint condition 8plus for $550.00 with 11 months of warranty left. No way a X max is worth twice what I pay for my 8plus. I try to hold on to my phone for a good 2-3 years.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

But the demand in technology shifts to bigger more expensive phones. Apple can produce an iPhone 5-like phone for a lot less, but the demand for the SE is filled now. And the demand for 6/6+ style phones is seriously drying out. What people want is an X-style phone and that’s bigger and more expensive.

I don’t get that impression at all. I think people care less about phones than they did 4 years ago and the older looking iPhones are more popular in certain countries since prices have exceeded £1k. In countries like America where supposedly 45% of the overall global iPhone X sales occurred I think it’s perhaps a different picture. In Western Europe I’ve seen a dramatic shift in the need for the latest phones and people are generally keeping phones longer or buying older cheaper models. In the UK since September 2017 the most popular iPhone sold has been the 7 and 8.

Prices have gone up and I think many feel this is a reaction to shrinking demand with reports suggesting the upgrade market has shrunk by as much as 25%. Companies want to maintain profits therefore prices have to increase.

 

[gurase]

Most people I know only upgrade if they break their phone or switch carriers, not because the new phones have some "must-have" feature.

 

[Gudi]

Prices are just beyond ridiculous at this point. Pick up a mint condition 8plus for $550.00 with 11 months of warranty left. No way a X max is worth twice what I pay for my 8plus.

Of course not. And yet two years ago people on this forum claimed OLED was all the rage and Apple must have it or they are switching to Android. So naturally Samsung (the component supplier) believed, they could ask a premium for OLED displays. Apple payed the price and put its own profit margin on top of it. And for an entire year iPhone X prices started at $999. If customers pay it, the price isn’t too high.

With Liquid Retina for the first time we have a separation of edge-to-edge design and display technology. Now people can choose between 8+ $699, XR $749 and XS $999 and we will see what they really want.

 

[zorinlynx]

I've heard Face-ID is a blocker for some (a lot)

This was a big one for me.

Last year they changed the phone quite drastically with the X, but at least they brought out the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus to continue to serve those who liked TouchID, the home button, and the classic iPhone design.

Now they've shown they're going forward with the notch and FaceID, and are killing TouchID and the home button. If they had released an "iPhone 8S" this year with the new CPU and cameras, I would have been all over that with a pre-order and all. I wish they had done that instead of the XR.

I'm probably going to bite the bullet eventually and upgrade to a FaceID phone, but my 7 Plus still has a lot of life in it. What I want most is the camera features. The camera has been the main driving force in my phone upgrades.

 

[Absrnd]

Most of my friends have 1-4 year old phones usually. plenty of 7 and 6s people I know still not caring to upgrade. Same with androids not many people have the latest and greatest.

So,this whole thread is based in some friends of you not upgrading ?

Give me a break

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

So,this whole thread is based in some friends of you not upgrading ?

Give me a break

To be fair it’s highlighted that an awful lot of users here have the same experience as the OP in terms of people they know with their upgrade habits.

 

[The Game 161]

Dunno about this as sales are still great and with more annual upgrade options...

 

[Renho]

He's currently using a 6, so it's a bit of an upgrade.

Lol, kids they don’t know either way they are just happy they got one.
[doublepost=1540065698][/doublepost]

if you're okay with losing 600$ a year then thats ok. The resale value on iPhones is pretty crap now since the 1000$ phones. Selling the X I have has been the biggest headache ever. Never had an issue before with selling iPhones for a reasonable value.

Basically I rent it for $500 a year. But ya reselling the X this year was harder then any other. The damn XS..

 

[Gudi]

I don’t get that impression at all. I think people care less about phones than they did 4 years ago and the older looking iPhones are more popular in certain countries since prices have exceeded £1k.

The iPhone X Is Winning the Phone War (And It’s Not Even Close)

The keyword here is “older looking”. iPhone 8, 8+, X have the exact same age and same A11 Bionic chip. Those three models reaped almost the entire profit in the smartphone market. Most people still buy one of the new phones introduced this year and by far the biggest share went to iPhone X.

People appalled by $1k prices are not buying a lot of older models like iPhone 7, instead most of them keep using the phones they already have a year longer. The market is waiting for the iPhone XR, which doesn’t look old and isn’t old inside and even the price is where it used to be.

Despite the existence of the XR a certain percentage will still buy XS and XS Max. This development makes OLED and Super Retina technologies in a extra-premium market, even above a new iPhone with the newest A-series chip and best camera.

So while most of us (including me) are shocked about four-digit phone prices, some of us are clearly not. You’re a Brit, you’ve certainly heard about rich people who never work and shout at their wealth managers. Those buy phones too.

 

[nrvna76]

I don’t know anybody besides myself that upgrades every year. I think Apple used to try to provide some reason to compel a small amount of last years purchasers to upgrade. That doesn’t seem to be the strategy anymore, but I don’t imagine it’s costing them very many sales. I still think the Xr is going to sell like crazy through the holidays.

 

[TrickyTreeRed]

A couple of things.

One. Improvements/enhancements in mobile phone technology are so incremental that splashing out for the latest phone is less appealing to the pocketbooks of the masses. An four or five year-old phone camera still takes very good pictures for Facebook or Instagram.

Two. Face ID. It’s not such much an improvement over Touch ID, but it’s just a different method to unlock your phone.

I’m really happy with my SE and am not planning on replacing it until at least 2020. It’s still lightening fast, has a camera that more than meets my needs, smoothly runs all the applications I use, and - most importantly - its the right size for my active lifestyle.

 

[dogslobber]

For many people, $1000+ a year for a new phone is ridiculous. More and more people just can't justify paying for minor updates. Millennials are also not as enthused about tech like previous generations. So the money window for these companies is shrinking.

There's also the immoral and unethical situation of Apple gouging 1000 bucks from people. Regardless of whether I can/can't pay a grand for a silly phone, I wouldn't. It felt like a punch to my gut spending 400 bucks on a reburb 6S. That 400$ investment will last 5 years at least.

 

[neteng101]

I truly have no idea what more Apple can do after this year. USB-C instead of Lightning finally seems to be one little feature they've omitted this year. And Apple Pencil support - but honestly, few people really have a need for a stylus for their phone. Some more camera improvements are an almost given but that's just more software magic mostly.

 

[44267547]

There's also the immoral and unethical situation of Apple gouging 1000 bucks from people.

Any manufacture can charge what they want for their product, that doesn’t make it on ‘unethical or immoral’, I think you are severely taking those terms out of context.

Example:

What would be unethical or immoral, is if Apple were to force the consumer to purchase something they didn’t want to, which no tech manufacturer does this.

Apple products are expensive yes, we know that. But they also have a wide range of phones that would suit everybody differently, not everybody has to purchase the most expensive iPhone.

 

[bembol]

Overpriced IMO.

Incremental upgrades is and will continue, it makes sense (and understandable) as why would any company (as the old saying goes) put all their eggs in one basket.

The only difference is Processor and Camera. Let's be honest, I doubt majority can even tell the difference from last year's X. People who upgrade, do it for BRAGGING RIGHTS.

I drew the line to $1k+ CAN flagships. Sort of, if I do upgrade, there is usually INCENTIVES like...

Samsung sells the 128GB Note 9 for $1,299 CAN. Which is ridiculous but they offered, $200 trade-in credit for ANY phone and threw in their IconX wireless buds (retails for $299 CAN) for pre-ordering. Do the math and I'm only spent $800 plus taxes for my Blue 9.

I also bought the 64GB XS Gold for only $929 CAN. My friend basically hooked me up since he switched to Freedom Mobile that is offering the iPhone, $419 less retail.

In all honestly, this should be the STARTING price for the XS 64GB, other than greed I don't know why justifies the $1,349 retail price.

 

[Zaft]

Ive had every iPhone since the 3g upgrading every two years till the 6+ then got put on the yearly plan and I've had the X for a year(just returned my Xs max).
Seems like With everyone I know upgrading seems completely different then it did a few years ago. Most of my friends have 1-4 year old phones usually. plenty of 7 and 6s people I know still not caring to upgrade. Same with androids not many people have the latest and greatest.
Who else thinks that the rise of phone prices has gone up just because of this reason? Less upgrading means higher prices phones to keep manufactures happy but it definitely feels like less and less people are caring to have the latest phones because phones. Phones have gotten so good that most people dont feel a huge upgrade year after year anymore. Its not like 2010 anymore and things loaded slow, apps took a few seconds to open ect... The 3g was pretty bad. Using safari was horrible most things would crack and things just wouldn't work or very slowly. What will manufacturers come up with to keep people upgrading every year or two? Technology has definitely tapered off.

Phones have matured to the point where an iPhone 6s is still efficient. Plus higher prices.

 

[neteng101]

You're wrong like a lot of people. Technology BECOMES CHEAPER . Not more expensive.

Not always - premium Windows laptops have gone up in price, at one point they were on fire sales. Adjustments got made and prices went up - now the Surface laptops are premium priced when once upon a time they were giving away laptops for dirt.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

The iPhone X Is Winning the Phone War (And It’s Not Even Close)

The keyword here is “older looking”. iPhone 8, 8+, X have the exact same age and same A11 Bionic chip. Those three models reaped almost the entire profit in the smartphone market. Most people still buy one of the new phones introduced this year and by far the biggest share went to iPhone X.

People appalled by $1k prices are not buying a lot of older models like iPhone 7, instead most of them keep using the phones they already have a year longer. The market is waiting for the iPhone XR, which doesn’t look old and isn’t old inside and even the price is where it used to be.

Despite the existence of the XR a certain percentage will still buy XS and XS Max. This development makes OLED and Super Retina technologies in a extra-premium market, even above a new iPhone with the newest A-series chip and best camera.

So while most of us (including me) are shocked about four-digit phone prices, some of us are clearly not. You’re a Brit, you’ve certainly heard about rich people who never work and shout at their wealth managers. Those buy phones too.

That may be the case in the US and overall but where I live the iPhone X was the 8th most popular iPhone in the last year. The older handsets especially the iPhone 7 have sold very very well and that ties in with my personal experience of what I see out and about. There isn’t a single XS or even X where I work in an office of 45+ people and to me it feels like having the latest iPhone has become less of a demand in recent years. It doesn’t help that UK pricing is extortionate either. Even the 6S supposedly outsold the X here in the early part of this year and that says something! lol

 

[Renho]

I truly have no idea what more Apple can do after this year. USB-C instead of Lightning finally seems to be one little feature they've omitted this year. And Apple Pencil support - but honestly, few people really have a need for a stylus for their phone. Some more camera improvements are an almost given but that's just more software magic mostly.

There is a lot, and will always be more to do.

Face ID and camera hidden under display between pixels.
Fingerprint in display
Battery that last weeks not days
Cooling system
Non touch navigation
Stun gun in phone
Foldable display
Contactless charging(can be ** feet away charging base)

And that is just our generation stuff, imagine what will come to light next 10 years.

 

[zorinlynx]

Basically I rent it for $500 a year. But ya reselling the X this year was harder then any other. The damn XS..

Isn't that a horrible deal when you think about it? You're spending half the value of the phone to "rent" it for only a year.