iPhone Sales Decline 2016: Not Happy With iPhone 6s Purchase

[cardfan]

We know that Apple's iPhone sales are in decline. In light of this, I decided to update the community as an expression of my distaste with the product I'm holding.

This is one of the first times I bought an iPhone that I really didn't like.

iOS 9 Gracelessly Deployed

Initial release was in unfinished state, and bricked many iPhones old and new. To this day, bugs still linger; with the last of the bugs still currently being hammered out all the way up to iOS 9.3. I've already lost track of the amount of updates between then and now.


Battery Became Smaller

If Apple asked all their customers if they would've liked to have less battery life they would've said no.

So why then, is that exactly what they delivered in the new iPhone 6s? The design, seemingly larger, the battery was sacrificed. It's not a good design. Apple releases iPhones made with seeming cheap materials that scratch on the first iteration, only to go back and make the phone thicker and add in a smaller battery to it.

It doesn't matter what they say about the processor. A smaller battery equals less battery no matter what. It's not like they're increasing battery life because they're not. The decreased it. And I can notice the difference. End of story.

3D Touch Has Not Worked

When someone is using your new iPhone and saying, "The old iPhone worked so much better than this one." Your phone, has problems.

I'm just writing this because I've had the phone for too long now and I can't return it. Sure, I would've liked to have kept my iPhone 6. But Apple usually demands switching up to the new iOS. Which makes the phone worse. I don't know when this company is going to get their act together but it needs to start some time because right now. I don't meant to cause an alarm, but what if Apple is heading the way of HP?

I don't need to mention the advantages and disadvantages of the competition. We've known other phones have better specs. We've known other phones have better performance. We've known other phones have better quality.

However, I still feel obligated to stick to Apple because there's nowhere else to turn, but the only thing I'm thinking of the whole time is waiting for the right moment to make a move.

I sold my Apple Watch. I can't bring myself to purchase a Mac, and I want to go back to the iPhone 6 because the 6s is beleaguered with questionable design choices that were at first scoffed at but returned to prove my suffering.

And before the first person says, just leave. I'm eager to jump off of the Apple bandwagon. I'm ready. No one told me to go out and purchase an iPhone 6s. You're right.

That's why Apple's iPhone sales are in decline.

I would say the average user or majority of buyers don't care about anything you mentioned there. Sales growth is slowing but don't be so quick to attribute that to things that are so insignificant. Growth would be slowing regardless.

The awesome thing about an iphone is that you CAN use other services in place of Apple's if you choose to do so. With windows or android, you can't use Apple's. If you want to imessage someone, you need an iphone (or ios device). Same with facetime.

With a Mac, I can use windows as well. The reverse isn't true.

Add in support, consistent updates, easy resell, best mobile apps, and not having to deal with carriers to the equation.

I thought about Sony's latest android phone. 4k sounds great to me. But with an android phone, I'm too limited. I give up way too much compared to what an iphone can do or offers. And windows mobile? That's a joke.

The funny part is that many android users think they're able to do more with their devices. These people remain clueless.

 

[Mildredop]

Yes, it is getting harder and harder to "WOW" the phone buyer until technology advances. Sounds like, from the rumors, Apple is going to try very hard with the iPhone 7.
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All the phone makers are trying to have "the killer" feature, problem is what to try next. Getting harder and harder to WOW the phone buyers.

What baffles me is that no phone seems to have it all, and to me, that would be the 'killer feature'.

 

[maflynn]

What baffles me is that no phone seems to have it all

I think the issue is, how you define "all". What you consider all, is not what I may. Additionally I think Apple is working with constraints, some self imposed others because of the components. For instance, the 6s battery is worse because of they had to shrink the battery to fit the force touch components.

 

[Sketchr]

With every phone I've owned there have been features I'd like to tweek in a certain way to be "perfect" But the fact is that if a phone was built to those exact specs at that moment in time, it would not be "perfect" for a lot of others.

Is the iPhone 6s perfect? Nope. But for me, I wouldn't trade it for any other phone out there right now. And I've handled many.

 

[Radon87000]

They deserve the low sales.Ever since SJ died they have been taking customers for granted and even deploying strategies like planned obsolescence and bricking phones for not paying repair fees to Apple.its time the market taught Apple it's place

 

[I7guy]

The sales are so bad they just had a record breaking quarter. They sure have been "humbled" and have been begging the world for forgiveness.

 

[aristobrat]

You know it gets old very fast, when you bring up iPhone sales numbers every time a user criticizes Apple products. Like you have no better argument than that?

Seems bizarre to make that point (regarding a response to the OP) when the first four words of this thread's title are "iPhone Sales Decline 2016"?! lol

1. It takes 25 steps to copy music from your PC to your iPhone, including dragging files to iTunes choosing which songs to sync and etc. Why not just let us drag and drop just like any other phone? Oh right, Apple wants you to pay $9.99 for Apple Music.

Do you really manually drag 'n drop all of your music to your devices?

You don't use different smart playlists to automatically update your device with your newest music, your highest rated songs, favorite songs that you haven't played in the last three months, songs in your library that you haven't rated (or listened to yet), ... automatically remove songs that you give a low-rating, or have a habit of skipping before finishing, etc?

 

[CEmajr]

Here are my issues:

1. iCloud Photo Library is a buggy and unreliable mess and no way to make Google Photos as default.
2. Mail app on my mac doesn't work with Gmail, just not receiving new messages, even tried restoring mac
3. Siri is a joke and there's no way to make Google now the default voice assistant.
4. No way to copy files from your PC to your iPhone.
5. It takes 25 steps to copy music from your PC to your iPhone, including dragging files to iTunes choosing which songs to sync and etc. Why not just let us drag and drop just like any other phone? Oh right, Apple wants you to pay $9.99 for Apple Music.
6. With the release of Apple Music, your own music library feels like a second class citizen inside iOS music app. AND Apple doesn't let you use an alternative music app as default.
7. iOS 9 made all my Apple gear obsolete, to the point where it lags like an Android. The only exception is the iPhone 6S, and that's by design because Apple wants you to buy their latest tech.

My issue with Apple is this: Apple is horrible at services, at least let us use services which are decent, but they don't let you. Apple wants you to use their buggy software and won't let you set any app as default instead of it's own.

Interesting about the drag and drop music thing. Apple has been doing that since the iPod even when Steve was alive. Was it because they wanted us to buy Apple Music back then as well? Same with number 4. They're in decline for doing what they've always done?

When I had a 6 plus iOS 9 finally made that underpowered phone a little more tolerable. It was a great performance update.

Even so there is no sales decline like the OP mentioned and they're still taking almost all of the industry's profits so it would seem that most customers are quite satisfied with their iPhones. The 6s Plus in my opinion is the best they've ever released relative to its era. I can't really find anything wrong with this phone.

 

[dark_knight177]

Do you really manually drag 'n drop all of your music to your devices?

Do you manually sync all of your music to one single computer? What if you want to sync with another PC? iTunes allows syncing with only one PC and ERASES music synced from your previous PC. And not only that, it also erases all photos and books synced from another PC.

So do you manually maintain 2 iTunes libraries and make sure when you drag and drop music into one iTunes library, you also drag and drop into the other? What a horrible nightmare life that is.
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Interesting about the drag and drop music thing. Apple has been doing that since the iPod even when Steve was alive. Was it because they wanted us to buy Apple Music back then as well?

Just because they did it 2001 doesn't mean they should still be doing it now. Do you realize that 15 freaking years have passed since they introduced this iTunes syncing?

No mobile device should be requiring iTunes or any desktop software in 2016

 

[freepomme]

I would say the average user or majority of buyers don't care about anything you mentioned there. Sales growth is slowing but don't be so quick to attribute that to things that are so insignificant. Growth would be slowing regardless.

The awesome thing about an iphone is that you CAN use other services in place of Apple's if you choose to do so. With windows or android, you can't use Apple's. If you want to imessage someone, you need an iphone (or ios device). Same with facetime.

With a Mac, I can use windows as well. The reverse isn't true.

Add in support, consistent updates, easy resell, best mobile apps, and not having to deal with carriers to the equation.

I thought about Sony's latest android phone. 4k sounds great to me. But with an android phone, I'm too limited. I give up way too much compared to what an iphone can do or offers. And windows mobile? That's a joke.

The funny part is that many android users think they're able to do more with their devices. These people remain clueless.

You're right. While it might not be perfect, it remains the best we've got. Which is why I stick to Apple currently.

I may not use all their services, but overall the phone does most of what it says it does.

However, I will say that as an S version is supposed to be a refinement of the previous model of the phone, I think that it's debatable that the phone was a complete improvement.

 

[minimo3]

I wouldn't be surprised if iPhone sales declined YoY in 2016. I got a 6s last fall and while I am not unhappy with it, I feel absolutely no excitement or passion about it. If not the fact that I got it for $125 with a contract renewal subsidy I would have stuck with my 5s. When it arrived the box sat in my drawer for a week before I even bothered to set it up. A number of factors are conspiring to make this a weak sales year: (in no particular order)
1. Weakening global economy including in previously high growth areas like China. If you're worried about your job you don't go out making discretionary purchases on expensive electronic baubles
2. Rumored similar design (flat rounded slab) means the status conscious are not buying one to show off
3. Phones are good enough for most of the tasks that most people do (emphasis on 'most') - surfing the web, checking mail, messaging, facebook, taking pictures, social media, casual gaming, maps, taking notes, managing their calendar, listening to music, watching video. The hardware is more than capable to handle all these tasks very well. There is no absolute must-have hardware feature anymore that would compel the average 'someone' to run out and buy a new phone
4. The main feature that a large majority wanted (big screens) is already here
5. With 1 Billion active iOS devices they are running out of people to sell iPhones to. 4B people live on less than $1500/year so I don't think they can afford an iPhone. The 300MM who make more than $20,000/year probably already own an iPhone. Its the 1.7B who earn between $1500-20,000 year who are the only addressable market for growth, but even if every single one of them bought an iPhone, sales could double and then hit the ceiling

 

[I7guy]

That sounds like a post I would have written. After I bought my 6s mine sat around for a week also, as I had no time to do the transfer.

I enjoy the 6s it's a great device. However that's where it ends, it's not an extension of me.

 

[aristobrat]

Do you manually sync all of your music to one single computer? What if you want to sync with another PC?

No, I have a music library on a computer. I don't try to maintain separate libraries on various computers. If I want to listen to my music when I'm away from my computer, that's what I use my iPhone for, and I don't have to maintain that. Smart Playlists in iTunes automatically sync new stuff/remove old stuff/etc from my iPhone.

So do you manually maintain 2 iTunes libraries and make sure when you drag and drop music into one iTunes library, you also drag and drop into the other? What a horrible nightmare life that is.

Where is this horrible nightmare you're speaking of?

How to drag 'n drop songs without iTunes:

1. Open Finder/Windows Explorer
2. Find the songs.
3. Drag them to a USB drive.
4. Connect USB drive to new computer.
5. Find the songs.
6. Drag them to a folder on the new computer.

How to drag 'n drop songs with iTunes:

1. Open iTunes
2. Find the songs.
3. Drag them to a USB drive.
4. Connect USB drive to a new computer.
5. Find the songs.
6. Drag them to the iTunes window on the new computer.
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I wouldn't be surprised if iPhone sales declined YoY in 2016.

No surprise, Apple publicly said that they expect that to happen.

 

[dark_knight177]

How to drag 'n drop songs without iTunes:

How to drag 'n drop songs without iTunes:

1. Open Finder/Windows Explorer
2. Find the songs.
3. Drag them to a USB drive.
4. Connect USB drive to new computer.
5. Find the songs.
6. Drag them to a folder on the new computer.

How to drag 'n drop songs with iTunes:

1. Open iTunes
2. Find the songs.
3. Drag them to a USB drive.
4. Connect USB drive to a new computer.
5. Find the songs.
6. Drag them to the iTunes window on the new computer.

Let me correct that for you:

How to drag 'n drop songs with iTunes:

1. Install iTunes
2. Open iTunes
3. Authorize this PC
4. If 5 PCs are authorized, then reset in Apple's support page.
5. Enter apple id and password
6. Enter the security code from your credit card
7. Drag and drop files into iTunes
8. Connect iPhone to PC
9. "Update is available for your iPhone", click "Cancel"
10. Tap "Trust this Computer" on iPhone's screen
11. In iTunes, Click on "iPhone" icon
12. Click on "Music"
13. Check "Sync Music"
14. Select "Sync selected Playlists, Artists, Albums"
15. Select the actual Playlists or Albums to sync
16. Click Apply
17. Click "Sync"
18. When you are prompted to authorize purchases on this iPhone, enter your apple_id and password
19. Wait for purchases to transfer to PC
20. Wait for songs to sync

Now, try explaining all the steps above to my parents or to my wife.

How to drag'n drop songs without iTunes:

1. Find the songs.
2. Drag them to a Music folder on your device.

Do you really believe that iTunes just works? Sure it does, but with 18 more extra steps! Is this the simplicity that Apple users always tout?

 

[lchlch]

Let me correct that for you:

How to drag 'n drop songs with iTunes:

1. Install iTunes
2. Open iTunes
3. Authorize this PC
4. If 5 PCs are authorized, then reset in Apple's support page.
5. Enter apple id and password
6. Enter the security code from your credit card
7. Drag and drop files into iTunes
8. Connect iPhone to PC
9. "Update is available for your iPhone", click "Cancel"
10. Tap "Trust this Computer" on iPhone's screen
11. In iTunes, Click on "iPhone" icon
12. Click on "Music"
13. Check "Sync Music"
14. Select "Sync selected Playlists, Artists, Albums"
15. Select the actual Playlists or Albums to sync
16. Click Apply
17. Click "Sync"
18. When you are prompted to authorize purchases on this iPhone, enter your apple_id and password
19. Wait for purchases to transfer to PC
20. Wait for songs to sync

Now, try explaining all the steps above to my parents or to my wife.

How to drag'n drop songs without iTunes:

1. Find the songs.
2. Drag them to a Music folder on your device.

Do you really believe that iTunes just works? Sure it does, but with 18 more extra steps! Is this the simplicity that Apple users always tout?

I didn't know that you had to install iTunes, authorize the pc, and select what you wanted to sync everytime you needed to sync.

Btw y is 19 and 20, different item?

 

[dark_knight177]

Btw y is 19 and 20, different item?

Yes it's different, because you have to wait for purchased songs/apps from your iPhone to transfer to iTunes first, then it goes to 20.

 

[lchlch]

Yes it's different, because you have to wait for purchased songs/apps from your iPhone to transfer to iTunes first, then it goes to 20.

But your not really doing anything. So personally I wouldn't include either of them in that list.

 

[dark_knight177]

But your not really doing anything. So personally I wouldn't include either of them in that list.

Even if you exclude those, it's still 16 more extra steps.

 

[lchlch]

Even if you exclude those, it's still 16 more extra steps.

Lol

 

[RadioGaGa1984]

If I was as unhappy as some seem in this thread I wouldn't be using the iPhone.
I would sell it/return it and move on.

 

[Number-Six]

...

I don't need to mention the advantages and disadvantages of the competition. We've known other phones have better specs. We've known other phones have better performance. We've known other phones have better quality.

However, I still feel obligated to stick to Apple because there's nowhere else to turn, but the only thing I'm thinking of the whole time is waiting for the right moment to make a move.

...

Aren't you contradicting yourself with these two sentences?

I mean if you know there are better phones out there, why stick to Apple? Are you being held at gunpoint or something?

 

[aristobrat]

Let me correct that for you:

How to drag 'n drop songs with iTunes:

1. Install iTunes
2. Open iTunes
3. Authorize this PC
4. If 5 PCs are authorized, then reset in Apple's support page.
5. Enter apple id and password
6. Enter the security code from your credit card
7. Drag and drop files into iTunes
8. Connect iPhone to PC
9. "Update is available for your iPhone", click "Cancel"
10. Tap "Trust this Computer" on iPhone's screen
11. In iTunes, Click on "iPhone" icon
12. Click on "Music"
13. Check "Sync Music"
14. Select "Sync selected Playlists, Artists, Albums"
15. Select the actual Playlists or Albums to sync
16. Click Apply
17. Click "Sync"
18. When you are prompted to authorize purchases on this iPhone, enter your apple_id and password
19. Wait for purchases to transfer to PC
20. Wait for songs to sync

Now, try explaining all the steps above to my parents or to my wife.

How to drag'n drop songs without iTunes:

1. Find the songs.
2. Drag them to a Music folder on your device.

Do you really believe that iTunes just works? Sure it does, but with 18 more extra steps! Is this the simplicity that Apple users always tout?

I don't get your workflow. First off, an iDevice in the wrong tool to use for sneaker netting music files between various computers. It was the wrong tool in 2001 when the iPod came out, and 15 years later, it's still the wrong tool.

Second off, your workflow above can only be used to sneaker net iTunes Store music between your various computers. Doesn't give you the ability to transfer songs you rip yourself, or get from other stores. Wrong tool. That's why I specifically mentioned "USB drive" in my reply to you. That allows you to move any song from iTunes to another computer, not just stuff you've purchased from Apple.

Lastly, if your workflow is to only move iTunes Store music manually between computers, since you've gone through the painstaking process of authorizing the destination computer, why bother with the whole sync process instead of just going into iTunes, clicking on iTunes Store, then click on the Purchased tab, and redownloading whatever it is you want straight to that particular computer from the iTunes Store?

 

[Fernandez21]

I don't get your workflow. First off, an iDevice in the wrong tool to use for sneaker netting music files between various computers. It was the wrong tool in 2001 when the iPod came out, and 15 years later, it's still the wrong tool.

Second off, your workflow above can only be used to sneaker net iTunes Store music between your various computers. Doesn't give you the ability to transfer songs you rip yourself, or get from other stores. Wrong tool. That's why I specifically mentioned "USB drive" in my reply to you. That allows you to move any song from iTunes to another computer, not just stuff you've purchased from Apple.

Lastly, if your workflow is to only move iTunes Store music manually between computers, since you've gone through the painstaking process of authorizing the destination computer, why bother with the whole sync process instead of just going into iTunes, clicking on iTunes Store, then click on the Purchased tab, and redownloading whatever it is you want straight to that particular computer from the iTunes Store?

Because he's purposefully making it more difficult than it seems to prove his point. Duh.

 

[coolbass]

You're right. While it might not be perfect, it remains the best we've got. Which is why I stick to Apple currently.

I may not use all their services, but overall the phone does most of what it says it does.

However, I will say that as an S version is supposed to be a refinement of the previous model of the phone, I think that it's debatable that the phone was a complete improvement.

I have a 6S plus, the best phone I have ever had.

 

[Kimmie92592]

I just got a 6s. I held off getting one. I heard so many people complaining about it. I love this phone. So much more responsive than my 5s. Much better battery life. I can't think of one thing I don't like about it.