I upgrade an iPhone and an Android phone every single year, so I am to blame, folks.
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iPhone Upgrade Cycles Are Getting Shorter Again
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I’m sticking with my 12 mini as long as I can since there is no suitable replacement. I’d definitely like a new phone. We may not be an huge part of the market, but Apple is missing out on customers like me.
I've owned the following iPhones: 4S, 5S, 6, 6S, 7, 8, X, XS, 11 Pro, 12 Pro, 13 Pro, 14 Pro, 15 Pro, and 16 Pro. I didn't get the 5 because of 2-year contracts. 8 and X came out at the same time, but I had a job that required we have a company phone, so I got an 8 at the time. I had a X for personal. I love Apple's resell value 
I used to update every two years. That stopped almost 10 years ago when I bought the iPhone 6s Plus. I havent yet found a reason to buy a new phone. Though maybe the iphone 17 Pro Max will introduce my new 10 year upgrading cycle.
The next boost to upgrade cycles will be the AI aspect.
This makes perfect sense for Apple to implement a huge jump in RAM to support Apple intelligence. This also has the effect of pushing out a huge number of upgrades which is good for revenue the next couple of years.
This makes perfect sense for Apple to implement a huge jump in RAM to support Apple intelligence. This also has the effect of pushing out a huge number of upgrades which is good for revenue the next couple of years.
From https://www.statista.com/statistics...nts-of-leading-smartphone-vendors-since-2007/:
It basically peaked in the mid-2010s, and there is no clear trend going forward.
iPhone 12 Pro here. Had it replaced once due to the battery. the "dynamic island" is a gimmick. nothing else has been worth an upgrade. I would like to upgrade this year but nothing has wowed me at all.
My iPhone and (more rarely) my iPad mini are the only devices I carry around, both Lightning, so I never had that problem. It’s the iPad Pro that forced me to be more careful at home, but I charge them at different locations, so I don’t get them confused.
Actually the 11 was drastically different. It was the 12 that has remained basically unchanged.
According to "Business of Apps" data estimates (link below), iPhone had record sales in 2021.
Apple Statistics (2025)
Apple is one of the most influential and recognisable brands in the world, responsible for the rise of the smartphone with the iPhone. Valued at over $2 trillion in 2021, it is also the most valuable technology company in the world. Originally known for desktop computers, Apple was one of the...
www.businessofapps.com
I do not know anyone who upgraded that said AI was the deciding factor, not one.
Another cause for upgrades is the change in the political climate. Some folks may be getting new ones now because the future is, shall we say, cloudy for forecasting availability. One in hand is worth two still in China or wherever.......
“es. A major factor influencing upgrade behavior may also be the introduction of Apple Intelligence, the company's suite of AI-powered features.”
Who paid them to say this.
Not a single person is upgrading a phone because of this.
Who paid them to say this.
Not a single person is upgrading a phone because of this.
I upgraded from my 12 to the 15 Pro solely for USB-C.
Normal people like my wife, brother, mom? They haven't bothered with an upgrade yet. My mom is still on an 11, hell my brother is on an XS.
Normal people like my wife, brother, mom? They haven't bothered with an upgrade yet. My mom is still on an 11, hell my brother is on an XS.
Don’t get too hung up on lengthening upgrade cycles for smartphones. Sure, selling more iPhones is always nice, but Apple still has numerous ways of earning from their user base regardless, from accessories to apps to services.
I am currently still using a 13 pro max and either way, Apple wins.
I am currently still using a 13 pro max and either way, Apple wins.
Meanwhile I'm pretty sure that my iPhone 15 will be the first in a while that I hang onto for 3 years as new buttons and AI really doesn't interest me...
((((((((((((I upgraded from 14 to 15 Pro because my carrier offered a VERY tempting deal once the 16 models were introduced. I was like, USB-C would be great and also APPLE INTELLIGENCE!!!!111!! (I didn’t know yet what a fail central it would turn out to be…) So, seeing Visual Intelligence that actually looks vaguely useful not being supported by my obviously very ancient 15 Pro makes me feel quite bitter.
The carrier deal includes a buyback, i.e. I can pay them €200-ish to keep the 15 Pro or return it in exchange for a newer model. I’ll probably pay them the €200-ish, sell it for much more than that, and get a new one, joining the two-year upgrade cycle crowd.
Oh well. USB-C is very handy. Especially as I charge my iPad with Lightning and my MBP with MagSafe. So I actually have one more cable rather than one less. (Technically it’s a USB-C cable with a Lightning adapter, but I can’t say I am proud of my decision to upgrade…)
I’ve outright just bought my last phone, 15Pro, and the prior one, a 7. So, I guess I’m in that less than two year group, but wont upgrade again until I get six to seven years out of this one -just replace the battery when the time comes.
iPhone users are upgrading their devices at a slightly faster rate, reversing a long-term trend of increasingly long upgrade cycles, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) reports.
According to data from the quarter ending in December 2024, more iPhone buyers retired their devices at an earlier point compared to previous years. Specifically, 36% of those who purchased a new iPhone during the period had owned their previous device for two years or less. This marks an increase from the 31% reported in the same quarter a year earlier. Meanwhile, the percentage of users who kept their previous iPhone for three years or more declined slightly, falling to 33%.
This shift represents the first notable deviation in upgrade cycles since CIRP began tracking the data in 2014. While a long-term trend toward extended ownership remains, recent factors appear to be accelerating upgrades among a segment of users. CIRP says that the proportion of users upgrading after two years has returned to levels last seen in 2020.
The firm attributes this change to a variety of factors, including ongoing carrier promotions and incentives that encourage earlier upgrades. A major factor influencing upgrade behavior may also be the introduction of Apple Intelligence, the company's suite of AI-powered features.
The timing of this shift coincides with Apple's recent financial performance, which has indicated some weakness in iPhone sales. CIRP speculates that the composition of Apple's customer base could be influencing the trend.
If iPhone sales are slowing overall, those who are upgrading may be the most engaged segment of Apple's user base—individuals who are more likely to adopt new hardware sooner than more casual users. CIRP suggests that slower upgraders may be delaying their purchases even further, waiting for a more compelling reason to replace their current devices.
Article Link: iPhone Upgrade Cycles Are Getting Shorter Again
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Not everyone can afford to "upgrade" straight away though. They may have bought a new phone only a year before the USB-C update and couldn't justify it yet.
I’ve the 13 pro max and before this I’ve never owned an iPhone for more than 2 years. Money is not the issue I’m just bored by how little iPhones have progressed. The kids and wife use the 15 and 16 pro and pm and maybe the cam is a little nicer but that’s pretty much it. Judging from the rumors iPhone 17 isn’t going to shock the world either.
These days innovations in the mobile space are coming from Android. I’ve decided that this is the year I will switch back to Android after over a decade. Will probably get the oppo find n5. With that I will also have to retire the Apple Watch Ultra and AirPods Pro. I look forward to checking out Android watches with long battery life. And even one that measures blood pressure. The Sony xm5 or the new powerbeats seem ok as well.
These days innovations in the mobile space are coming from Android. I’ve decided that this is the year I will switch back to Android after over a decade. Will probably get the oppo find n5. With that I will also have to retire the Apple Watch Ultra and AirPods Pro. I look forward to checking out Android watches with long battery life. And even one that measures blood pressure. The Sony xm5 or the new powerbeats seem ok as well.