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Other How often do you feel the need to buy a new iPhone model?

How often do you feel the need to replace your iPhone with a new model?

  • Every year

    Votes: 57 36.8%

  • Every 2 years

    Votes: 42 27.1%

  • Every 3 years

    Votes: 32 20.6%

  • Every 4+ years

    Votes: 17 11.0%

  • I must buy every new model that comes out!

    Votes: 7 4.5%
  • Total voters
    155
  • Poll closed .
Solomani

Solomani

macrumors 601
Original poster
Sep 25, 2012
4,785
10,477
Slapfish, North Carolina
Notice the wording of the poll. It's asking you how often do you feel the need. Not how often you actually replace/upgrade your phone.

Personally, I feel the need to replace mine about every 3 years, which I feel is approximately the age of borderline-obsolescence for these things. Likewise, I feel the need to replace my Mac (iMac) roughly every 5+ years, but that's another poll and another topic altogether.

But I realize that many people could be tempted to buy one much sooner (including myself).
 
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There hasn’t been enough development and must have features to really compel me to upgrade.

I was still using my iPhone 5 (16 GB) until this last January (Which I purchased new).

I felt it did everything I wanted it to do. And still more than I needed.

My iPod Classic (160 GB) was stolen in December. I missed my huge music library in the car. And a new iPod of similar capacity put me in the same price range as a new phone.

So I purchased a used iPhone 7 with 256 GB of RAM. Solely upgrading for the storage capacity that my iPhone 5 lacked.

Honestly, if it hadn’t been for my iPod being stolen, I’d still be happy with my iPhone 5.

Having been using the iPhone 7 since January, I still don’t feel it adds any significant value or function over my iPhone 5. Other than capacity, it serves the same needs and not really significantly better.

Granted, Apple abandoned (blocked) continued 32-BIT app development for my old iPhone 5. But in truth, by that point, I really actually had all the apps I needed. And they still did everything I needed. And, actually, my favorite app hadn’t been updated to 64-BIT, so I had to settle for a significantly inferior replacement app when I upgraded.

From where I am now, I have no desire for an iPhone 8 (hardly any significant change from the 7). The iPhone X, is honestly a complete repulsion for me (I prefer the home button method - and have actually grown to like the fingerprint method).

So I guess I have adopted the fingerprint since updating to the 7. It’s useful. I wouldn’t have updated to get it, but I like it. I absolutely do not like the face recognition concept. It’s got a lot of potential weaknesses in concept if it became a problem of privacy with people who have access to you. And likewise with people who are nearly identical in appearance to you (some families have practically twin like resemblance - like mine)
 
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Every 3 years since my first iPhone (3GS).

The 6S to X upgrade was my first 2 year gap, only because they're now apart of my work discount deal.

I'll most likely upgrade in another 2 models time due to the savings, but if I weren't able to purchase through work, it'd be every 3 years.
 
I have felt the urge every year. But this year may be different. I love the OLED.... have always wanted it in an iPhone. It’s the perfect size. Battery life is outstanding. iOS 12 is better on it than iOS 11 ever was. I’m guessing Apple will make minor changes to the current iP10 and make it out to be a big deal. Meh. I’m not really excited this year like I usually am.
 
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When there's a new phone I want. Can go some time. Had 4, 5 and now SE (only 2 yrs yet). So between 3-4 yrs actually I think. Not sure how long it was between 5 and SE. Didn't find any phone interesting until SE came. They where far too big for me :)
 
I don't so much feel a need as a want.

If I used only what I needed I'd still be using one of my ancient Samsung flip phones.

But I upgrade because I want to and that's usually every 2.5 to 3.5 years. I marked 4 though because with the exception of two phones in the last 3 years that's usually my time to upgrade.
 
Your poll is insufficient—I don’t feel the need after X number of days. I feel the need when my current phone stops adequately performing the tasks that I require of it.
 
You really can't put a time limit on a purchase and expect us to choose from 1 year or 4 years. It's up to Apple.

If they sell something that I want to buy, I'll buy it. It all depends on what they are offering. Their tactics of recent years to just update what is already out there does not make me want to upgrade as often. If they innovated and came out with something new I'd upgrade more often.

Instead they offer 4, 4s, 5, 5s, 6, 6s, and so on. They really do not have any new ideas do they? Just updates. Justify it if you will, but it tells me their design is far behind their technology. Design left the building with Steve Jobs. I wonder why Johnny Ives is still with Apple.
 
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Sackofnickels said:
You really can't put a time limit on a purchase and expect us to choose from 1 year or 4 years. It's up to Apple.

If they sell something that I want to buy, I'll buy it. It all depends on what they are offering. Their tactics of recent years to just update what is already out there does not make me want to upgrade as often. If they innovated and came out with something new I'd upgrade more often.

Instead they offer 4, 4s, 5, 5s, 6, 6s, and so on. They really do not have any new ideas do they? Just updates. Justify it if you will, but it tells me their design is far behind their technology. Design left the building with Steve Jobs. I wonder why Johnny Ives is still with Apple.
Click to expand...

Steve jobs didn’t design the products by the way. Just so you know. It was Ive throughout and 3, 3GS, 4, 4S was launched under Steve. That has always been their strategy.

You can’t completely redesign a device every year to add meaningful use case. It’s stupid to make changes for the sake of it.

All those devices technologically brought something new to the table. The form factor is only part of the equation.

Personally I upgraded every year until the 6. Then life changed and I got less interrelated in upgrading every year. After 6 I just for the 8 Plus last year. Not sure what I’ll do this year.
 
Depends on the phone I have and what's available. I feel the "need" when what's available seems like a significant upgrade over what I have. I upgraded from a 5s to a 6 in just one year because I felt that the larger display was worth it, but I kept my 6 for 3 years because nothing about the 6s or 7 made me feel like I needed to upgrade.
 
Sackofnickels said:
Instead they offer 4, 4s, 5, 5s, 6, 6s, and so on. They really do not have any new ideas do they? Just updates. Justify it if you will, but it tells me their design is far behind their technology. Design left the building with Steve Jobs. I wonder why Johnny Ives is still with Apple.
Click to expand...

How is that? The series you mention have 3 new designs. All 3 highly appreciated and with their own fanbase, designwise. The 4, 5 and 6 are all icons.
 
Every year. My iPhone is my main camera, and precious memories and moments deserve the best. I really don’t care about other features anymore, but I demand to have the best camera, life doesn’t wait.


I kept my 6 for about 2.5 years during that time one of my families dogs sadly passed away. Every time I look at the pictures of her that are just ok I get mad at myself, because I know I could have better pictures had I upgraded.
 
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I don’t really need to have an iPhone every year, but I prefer to take advantage of the latest offering, _only_ if the newest iPhone meets my expectations and appeals to me in terms of what it has to offer. (Any unexpected features like 3D Touch, Camera Upgrades, stereo speakers, ect).
 
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I upgrade every year. I have had the 4S, 5, 5S, 6, 6S, 7 Plus, and now the 8 Plus. Because of much I love my 8Plus my whole family has one. So we own 4 of them. All the Product Red. 256g. Now unless the next phones are earth shattering I plan on keeping these 2-3 years.
 
acorntoy said:
I kept my 6 for about 2.5 years during that time one of my families dogs sadly passed away. Every time I look at the pictures of her that are just ok I get mad at myself, because I know I could have better pictures had I upgraded.
Click to expand...

A very fair criticism of "older phones with older camera technology". Pictures we take these days with modern iPhones look stunningly better compared to pictures we took with older phones just 3-4 years ago. And this is assuming the average user using the same camera-shooting techniques, not some photo professional.
 
Every two years.

I give my old one to my kid who upgrades from my previous 2 yr old phone. I get 4 years total on one phone. My wife does same, we have two kids.

Handing down phones to my kids doesn’t work well with android for three reasons, they slow incredibly bad after two years, 8 months from major updates if any with little to no support and they don’t hold thier value at all.
 
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Solomani said:
A very fair criticism of "older phones with older camera technology". Pictures we take these days with modern iPhones look stunningly better compared to pictures we took with older phones just 3-4 years ago. And this is assuming the average user using the same camera-shooting techniques, not some photo professional.
Click to expand...

From the 3G to the 8+ every year I’ve made a calendar of all our dogs as a Christmas present using photos from the phones (after not upgrading the 6+ for 2.5 year I went to a 6S/7/8+ within a couple months :confused:). They’ve gone from cute novelty gifts to high quality calendars that look like they were bought from a high end store. It’s really affirmed my belief it’s right to upgrade every year as you can actually see the difference and it is astounding. I’m super excited for this year as I can already tell the 8+ is edging out the 7+ In its pictures.
 
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No option for me to select. I change it out when Apple makes the iPhone design noticeably different. That’s why I went from the iPhone 6+ to the iPhone X. Knowing Apple, it will be 2-3 more years before I need to change again.
 
Solomani said:
A very fair criticism of "older phones with older camera technology". Pictures we take these days with modern iPhones look stunningly better compared to pictures we took with older phones just 3-4 years ago. And this is assuming the average user using the same camera-shooting techniques, not some photo professional.
Click to expand...

I don’t know that pictures look ‘stunningly better’ compared to 3 to 4 years ago ( And Yes, I have used every iPhone), where iPhone 6 pictures that look still amazing for that time frame during 2014 when it launched. For the record, There are even comparisons out where the average consumer can’t even tell the difference between an iPhone 6 photo and an iPhone X, but that would depend on the individual experience and understanding of Camera tech. I think smart phone cameras have progressively improved year after year, but I don’t know if it’s ‘stunningly better’ in the respect that Camera tech is not that drastic in Camera advances, aside from features like Portrait mode/Portrait Lighting, etc.

Now, if you want to compare camera technology I would say 5/6 years ago compared to a BlackBerry compared to the iPhone, that would be stunningly better in today’s applications and more of an appropriate example.
 
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