Survey Explores Why iPhone Owners Haven't Upgraded to iPhone X

[QCassidy352]

TouchID is not coming back. You need to let that go.

At some point, those of us who prefer Touch ID will have to get Face ID phones. But it’s sure as hell going to prolong how long I keep my 7.

To the original survey: it’s a combination. My existing phone works great, but a really compelling new option at a good price might get me to upgrade early. The X is neither compelling in terms of features nor compellingly priced.

 

[tesseracts]

This is silly as others have pointed out.

I've stayed away because it's too expensive, I don't think OLED is a big deal (waiting for MicroLED without PWM, probably 2020), and the chassis is too wide. It's noticeably wider than the 8, and thus not comfortable to me in one hand.

I'd love to see the next generation give us a chassis narrower than the 8 but with a taller screen and no camera bump.

/wishful thinking

 

[Grey Area]

Reason #1: Too f'n expensive. Seriously folks, $1149 for a phone? Give me a break.

Saying it's "a phone" ignores everything else it can do. It's really a computer which has the ability to make phone calls.

I would argue that this is what people think of nowadays when they say "phone", i.e. a smartphone, a little computer that can also make calls and so on. And there are such phones available at a fraction of the iPhone X price, so yes, the iPhone X is very expensive for a phone.

 

[bingeciren]

Let go of what? Only one device Apple sells has Face ID and EVERY other device has Touch ID lol.

Wait for another year and there will be no Touch ID left on any of the Apple devices, save the SE perhaps.

 

[jecowa]

Yes and No.
Perceptions vs. square inch vs. height vs. width
View attachment 753417
X vs. 7+

One on the right has a much better aspect ratio. It makes better use of its screen area.

 

[Ralfi]

Really wished the price was the number 1 reason. Gotto send that message to Apple (ie. the industry) that we aren't happy with ridiculous increased costs for mobiles phones...

Hopefully Samsung's lesser priced Galaxy S9 also sends that message to Apple.

Paid ~AU$1200 for the iPhone 6s. The X is AU$1800....

 

[thekeyring]

I guess I'm in the "it's too expensive category" but that's my choice, not a failing by Apple. I simply didn't want to spend anything on a new smartphone this year. So the iPhone 8, 7... the Galaxy S8, etc. All "too expensive"!
[doublepost=1520319739][/doublepost]

It's almost the exact same size as the iPhone 7.

That's a good point, but there are some people who would pay a reasonable amount for the edge-to-edge iPhone X design in the a phone the size of an iPhone SE.

 

[Jesse Waugh]

Yes, I too would like the iPhone SEX. (The "SE" size model with the high end "X" hardware added.)

Was LOLing.

 

[bingeciren]

Well, I upgraded to X from 6.

1) The notch: doesn’t bother me one bit. I’d like to know how many X owners really complain about the notch.
2) I was skeptical about the Face ID but it turned out to be the best feature of the X. Finger ID was finicky, it didn’t like wet fingers, dirty fingers, chapped fingers you name it. Face ID hasn’t failed once since day one. It even reads my face on an angle while I sit in my driver’s seat while the phone is mounted at the center of the console.
3) No home button? It took me less than a minute to adjust and now I don’t miss not having it one bit. The new interface is clearly much better.
4) But... the phone is larger than the 6. It is thicker and heavier as well. I don’t like large phones because I carry my phone in the front pocket of my pants and 6 was already stretching the limits and X is being slightly larger made it just a little bit more uncomfortable. When I hold the 6 after using the X for a while, it feels noticeably smaller and lighter.
5) I wasn’t impressed with the speed of the phone. Loading times of large apps still take time to load and my 6 does not feel like a snail in comparison. Okay it’s fast but not like a Toyota vs Ferrari kind of difference.

In retrospect, however, if I wouldn’t have upgraded, I would be in the 44% category. My old phone works just fine.

I kept my 6 for 4 years. I intend to keep this one even longer before I upgrade again.

 

[iGobbleoff]

Once I got a new battery in my 6S+ I don't see the need to upgrade. The only thing that will get me to upgrade is if the next version gets 5G capability. They're trialling down here at the moment so fingers crossed.

 

[IJ Reilly]

While it may be a bit speculative, I think the interpretation by MacRumors is mostly right. If someone buys an iPhone X despite his or her old iPhone still working fine, then there must have been some compelling reason for this person. What reason could that be if not perceived standout features?

That wasn't the question asked. Owners of older iPhones were asked why they had not upgraded, with one of the choices being "because my iPhone works fine." It wasn't much of a question but that doesn't mean the answers are open for interpretation. If they wanted to find out if it was because the new features weren't sufficiently compelling, then that would have been the question to ask.

 

[apolloa]

I would put price as the top reason too, it’s not surprising others have too. I’ve seen it permanently discounted in places the usually never discount iPhones.

 

[BaltimoreMediaBlog]

There's already a Macrumors thread about car accidents with FACE ID.
I think that settles it. Touch ID is simply safer to unlock a phone in a car while driving.
You can rant on and on about that not being a good thing to do, but MOST people do it regardless.

Anyone who does this even occasionally finds it an inconvenience. People who do it often, find an iPhone X UNUSABLE.

That will never change. People will just move to other phones. Tim Cook is not Steve Jobs. The Reality Distortion Field no longer works.

I would put price as the top reason too, it’s not surprising others have too. I’ve seen it permanently discounted in places the usually never discount iPhones.

That's because sales didn't meet expectations regardless of what Tim Cook says! He's said a lot of things that turned out to be totally untrue. He doesn't wow people like Steve Jobs. People find out much sooner!

 

[D-a-a-n]

Where is the "because I prefer a smaller screen" reason?

Also, this companies must know that a big number of consumers want to purchase a good, powerful, long lasting smartphone in order to keep using it for years. Thats why people with iPhones like the 6S or 7 don't upgrade. It just works, and have no need of a new smartphone. And this will become the normal situation as years passes by and smartphones become each time more powerful. There will be a point where it will make no sense to replace your smartphone until it gets broken. Companies like Apple should be prepared for that moment, because it will come, eventually.

And yes, aside from all that, the X is now just too expensive.

By then, we won't be buying or smartphones but leasing them from Apple.

 

[Someirishguy]

Replaced the battery in my 6s and it works fine. The iPhone X is nice but I personally would go towards the 8 since the internals are almost identical to the X, personally prefer finger bio-metrics, and the cost of the X is a bit too prohibitive even if it's impressive hardware.

I don’t think it’s a very good survey to ask people who were probably not planning on upgrading, why they didn’t upgrade to the iPhone X. The assumption that ‘my phone works fine’ = ‘iPhone X lacks compelling fearures’, is silly (at best). A better sample would have been people that did upgrade, but chose the iPhone 8 over the iPhone X.

 

[AzureCoast]

Seems to me all the push to having a huge phone to carry is missing many people that do not have a bag or jacket. Living in a warm climate often means the iPhone hardly fits in my jeans or shorts. Big enough to lug around.

I am also very disappointed to see Apple trademarks that are good be scewered like apple fans hate them or something. Makes me think Apple has infiltrators in PM influencing chaos. TouchID is great for certain transactions vs scanning the face. The home button is far better to me for navigation especially when fumbling around for a ringing phone or when in the dark to know which side is up.

Unrelated to the iPhone but similar self mutilation is MagSafe. Can you imagine the meetings with PMs saying kill it? Just look at the charge cord and brick. Ridiculous.

 

[Ries]

X is too expensive, not paying that. The iPhone 8 is still expensive, but older tech, so now im not buying that either. Keeping my iPhone 7 which I only upgraded from a 6 due to OIS. Keeping the 7 also has the added benefit that i'm not feeling im carrying a faberge egg and stopped caring about it getting scratches or other people holding it.

 

[2ilent8cho]

I'm sure MacRumors could get more than 1500 replies to a better survey in a fraction of the time.

 

[Bacillus]

How about “I haven’t upgraded to iPhone X because I’m waiting for a new iPhone SE.”?

yes to all of those reasons on why i haven't.

those reasons are not mutually exclusive

Where is the "because I prefer a smaller screen" reason?

Classical example of a poor survey with those not mutually exclusive choices.
Most people are very well interested in (real) innovation if that is worth the price. Which apparently wasn't, but that opinion wasn't tested.
The survey should have offered insight in the main issues of the X:
FaceID is great technology waiting for a problem - which was already (disputedly better) solved by TouchID. Leaving animoji as the main trigger...
And, as a blind squirrel could have expected, the notch isn't a positive discriminator.
And a glass backside, while customers paid zillions to get better materials patented and implemented.
So it would be interesting to learn if those were the disappointments that had pulled people off, or others.

 

[44267547]

This is my own personal measurement with the more expensive purchases:

I think if someone is seeking justification to upgrade to the Phone the X, they just need to ask themselves the following:

1.) Debt to income ratio. Can the consumer justify the iPhone X price point based on monthly income?

2.) Why do you want the iPhone X? What entices you about it?

I think if somebody can afford the iPhone X and it generally interests them with the new technology, then I say why not enjoy the iPhone X for what it is. And if somebody was not happy with the iPhone X, that’s why there are 14 day return policies.

 

[0924487]

those reasons are not mutually exclusive

 

[iau]

I would have updated had it kept finger ID log in.. Not interested face ID.

 

[WatchFromAfar]

My 7 Plus worked fine, too. My X is amazing.

If I chose not to upgrade tech because my current hardware ‘worked fine’, I’d be running 12 year old gear everywhere and probably still be using a Treo.

Presumably your X works fine too so will you be off-loading that the moment the new shiny comes along?

 

[[AUT] Thomas]

I can has Touch ID on the back? Skip the expensive FaceID.
Sell it for a normal price. Everything above 800 for a phone is way too much. It's not that people can't afford it, just that 999 with tax puts 4 digits on your invoice. In the EU the phone's list price is 1150€ (>1400$)...

Also launch an X with dimensions of the SE - probably even the same outer shell to fit existing cases. I predict sales will be through the roof. For real.

 

[Mashurrab]

Animating poop.

This doesn't answer my question. What can I do with an iPhone