iPhone Upgrade Program & Rumored Early Launch

[bevsb2]

Why not just wait the 9 days and get the phone when you fully eligible? it is just a cell phone after all

To not be able to order at 12-3 am at launch may mean waiting much longer than 9 days to get the model you want and to not participate in all the pre launch excitement that goes on at MacRumors.

 

[nrvna76]

Yep, great point. /thread.

I was actually worried about them releasing later than last year. Then it would be 13 payments and wouldn't be any better than AT&T next.

 

[Applejuiced]

If history is any indicator, your 9 days will end up being 2-3 months because of limited supply.

Obviously it's not the end of the world, but why should someone have to wait after they paid a premium to be in the program?

I dont know, seems like iphone sales have been dropping a lot lately.
I doubt it will be the same like other years. Apple will have plenty of stock and the days that people used to be able to upgrade yearly or every 18-20 months by signing a contract or adding a line and paying $199 for the phone are over.
Making monthly payments on your phone is not the same and the great revolutionary features that we use to see are pretty much over.
Removing the antenna bands, force touch or water resistance is not really going to draw a huge upgrade crowd.

 

[chabig]

Removing the antenna bands, force touch or water resistance is not really going to draw a huge upgrade crowd.

But A10, more storage, faster LTE...

 

[Applejuiced]

But A10, more storage, faster LTE...

Out of those the sound of extra storage is what would pursue me the most. Like the base model to get a boost from 16 to 32GB's.
Don't really care about what chip it might have. Whatever chip it will be slightly faster/snappy
I already get up to 80-100mb's of LTE speeds in certain locations. Why would I need faster LTE than that and what real difference would it make in average day to day use?

 

[baypharm]

I dont know, seems like iphone sales have been dropping a lot lately.
I doubt it will be the same like other years. Apple will have plenty of stock and the days that people used to be able to upgrade yearly or every 18-20 months by signing a contract or adding a line and paying $199 for the phone are over.
Making monthly payments on your phone is not the same and the great revolutionary features that we use to see are pretty much over.
Removing the antenna bands, force touch or water resistance is not really going to draw a huge upgrade crowd.

Well said.

 

[BeeGood]

I dont know, seems like iphone sales have been dropping a lot lately.
I doubt it will be the same like other years. Apple will have plenty of stock and the days that people used to be able to upgrade yearly or every 18-20 months by signing a contract or adding a line and paying $199 for the phone are over.
Making monthly payments on your phone is not the same and the great revolutionary features that we use to see are pretty much over.
Removing the antenna bands, force touch or water resistance is not really going to draw a huge upgrade crowd.

You could be right, but I'm not going to bet against Apple. They're pretty good at cranking the hype machine at the right time. People were skeptical about the SE and it was pretty tough to get for weeks.

Also keep in mind that even though fewer people are on contracts, most of those people entered into 24 month installment plans in 2014 when they became a thing. They'll be ready for new phones this year.

 

[Applejuiced]

You could be right, but I'm not going to bet against Apple. They're pretty good at cranking the hype machine at the right time. People were skeptical about the SE and it was pretty tough to get for weeks.

Also keep in mind that even though fewer people are on contracts, most of those people entered into 24 month installment plans in 2014 when they became a thing. They'll be ready for new phones this year.

I hear you, the Apple hype and marketing and of course loyal followers is not something to bet against.
Not sure if Apple themselves create the shortages on purpose to raise public perception with long lines and a product that is hard to get unless you camp outside their stores or wait in long lines for hours and project to the public many videos and images with people really wanting to buy the newest Apple creation. That in return makes for a huge public exposure and advertisement that no other company can match its size or volume of sales.
I dont get why an iphone SE with parts that have been readily around before and Apple with plenty of time to prepare since it wasn't during a major iphone release time still couldn't get good supply for a while.

 

[Mlrollin91]

I don't remember, wasn't the first payment in September '15? Doesn't that mean payment 12 was in August?

I was waiting and hoping this was posted. Hit the nail on the head.

 

[GrandeLatte]

I hear you, the Apple hype and marketing and of course loyal followers is not something to bet against.
Not sure if Apple themselves create the shortages on purpose to raise public perception with long lines and a product that is hard to get unless you camp outside their stores or wait in long lines for hours and project to the public many videos and images with people really wanting to buy the newest Apple creation. That in return makes for a huge public exposure and advertisement that no other company can match its size or volume of sales.
I dont get why an iphone SE with parts that have been readily around before and Apple with plenty of time to prepare since it wasn't during a major iphone release time still couldn't get good supply for a while.

I'm guessing, just guessing it's because they crammed the 6+ components into the 5 chassis and they didn't know if this weird combination of the old with the new would with fly well with the public. Also, they've never even attempted the low-priced phones market. Hence they did a limited number of SEs. Unbeknownst to Apple, the phone got good reviews and people seem to love them, that's when they started churning out more SEs.

Because really, if SE was a super flop, they'd have to dissemble the new components from the 5 cases and use them somewhere else. That alone would be a major undertaking.