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Survey: Nearly 70% of Users Plan to Upgrade to iPhone 17

Upgrade is not going to happen for me. I first have finish paying for my wife’s replacement phone after she dropped and damaged her 13 Mini with a 16E so I just sit tight for at least another couple years.
 
I upgrade yearly, but… as someone who aced research statistics in undergrad… this “survey” makes me cry.
 
klasma said:
By the way, here are the past length-of-iPhone-ownership numbers from CIRP:

how-long-users-keep-iphone.png
Click to expand...
Even these are surprising numbers. Approx. 75% with less than 3 year-old iPhones. But I'm not in the younger demographic.

I am going from a 15 to 18. Battery dying and want satellite messaging since I am frequently off the grid mountain biking and other outdoor activities. Cheaper and easier than an inReach. Other upgrades—camera and better/faster will be nice, but can live without.
 
Jeeve Stubbs said:
Impulsive buying at its worst. In my opinion, most of these upgrades aren't necessary. You have a very fine iPhone 15 or 16, and just for a few incremental features that you don't really need, you're going to spend 1,000 to 2,000 dollars again? No wonder Americans are so heavily indebted.
Click to expand...
Can’t tell people how to spend their money.
 
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What type of phone do the 2,000 have? I can't see a high percentage who have the 15 or 16 doing getting one.
 
With a 15 Pro, I wouldn’t mind grabbing a 17 Pro to lock in the last iPhone with a Qualcomm modem.

I’m honestly surprised anybody cares about Apple Intelligence. Only difference I’ve seen from it is whether I get a Siri orb or glowing borders. No difference in actual capabilities as far as I’ve seen. I certainly couldn’t imagine spending any money to “upgrade” to a model that supports it.

But other than the modem and a better telephoto lens, I really don’t see anything compelling with this year’s rumors. Thinner phone (17 Air) isn’t interesting if it’s still too large like the current iPhones. A 17 mini/mini Pro would be an instant buy, no price too high. But no expectation that it’s going to happen.
 
iFishishh said:
Out of 10 friends not one was even aware of the new phone let alone plan to upgrade… Apple has fell from grace and the disparity gets wider each year. Siri is a joke and prices are expected to rise with Trump in office. Let’s face it Apple has lost is appeal. Only thing keeping it up is the monolithic hold it has from legacy products and brand loyalty. Newer customers are less likely to join as competition ups the ante
Click to expand...

Suuuure.

That you managed to find 10 people that already own an iPhone and aren’t aware a new iPhone comes out this September (like it has for countless years) is rather amazing.

So amazing as to be pretty much unbelievable.
 
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A poll of MacRumors users shows that not only are 0% planning on upgrading, but many will actually switch to an Android phone this year because Apple has “lost its way” resulting in a negative number of upgrades. 🙄
 
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Bad upgrade, if you plan to get a 17 get a 16 pro, the iPhone air has a bad battery and not as good cam… Better get 16 pro too…

Plan to get 17 pro? Wait, there is no revolution, yes better performances BUT it’s not a computer, it’s a phone… I think that everyone can deal with performances on A18, A17 Pro… So keep you curent phone, and wait for the 18 !! I know most of you have iPhone 14 Pro, A16 is pretty fine… No need of AI, not even that useful…

So yeah wait or get 16 Pro !
 
MacRumors said:


A new survey has found that nearly seven in ten iPhone owners in the United States plan to upgrade to an iPhone 17 model, signaling strong demand ahead of Apple's expected unveiling of the devices at its September 9 keynote.

iPhone-17-Pro-on-Desk-Centered-1.jpg

Smartphone price comparison platform SellCell surveyed over 2,000 U.S.-based iPhone users in August to assess upgrade interest and brand loyalty before Apple's event. According to the data, 68.3% of current iPhone users intend to purchase an iPhone 17 model at launch, marking an increase from 61.9% recorded ahead of the iPhone 16 launch in 2024.

The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models are expected to dominate early sales, accounting for 38.1% of planned upgrades. The standard iPhone 17 is the choice for 16.7% of respondents, while 13.5% expressed interest in the all-new iPhone 17 Air, which is expected to feature an ultra-thin design. Only 3.3% of respondents indicated they are holding out specifically for a foldable iPhone, which Apple has yet to release.

The survey highlights that 72.9% of users feel more satisfied with their iPhone today than in previous years, but 27.1% said they believe Apple has "lost its edge" compared to rival smartphone makers.

Battery life emerged as the most important upgrade driver, with 53.% of respondents citing it as their top reason for upgrading. Other motivating factors included new designs and features (36.2%), display improvements (34.3%), camera upgrades (28.1%), and AI and software enhancements (7.1%).

Price remains the primary deterrent, with 68.9% of users listing cost as the main reason for not upgrading. Satisfaction with existing devices is also a significant factor, with 71.7% stating they are content with their current iPhone. A smaller share of users cited interest in foldables (7.5%), discomfort with eSIM (6.6%), or interest in switching to Android (5.3%) as reasons for holding off.
Click to expand...

MacRumors said:
...primary deterrent...discomfort with eSIM (6.6%)
Click to expand...
"Discomfort with eSIM"...

Sory for them.
 
Not me. I am driving my 15PM and AWU1 into the ground.

After that we’ll see if I stick with CuperTimo.
 
Happily in the 30% who will be continuing to use my functional iPhone 15 Pro Max waiting for this rumored foldable iPhone and if it doesn’t come out maybe I’ll get the iPhone 19 or 20.
 
Sorry, all these negative comments make me think about a famous expression in my native language, whose meaning I didn't fully understand until late in my life. :)

Forgive the Perplexity link.

www.perplexity.ai

what's the meaning of "chi disprezza compra"

The Italian proverb "chi disprezza compra" means those who criticize or scorn something often end up wanting or buying it themselves. This saying is used to...
www.perplexity.ai

The Italian proverb "chi disprezza compra" means those who criticize or scorn something often end up wanting or buying it themselves.

Origin and Usage​

This saying is used to describe the ironic situation where a person expresses disdain or contempt for an object, idea, or person, but later ends up acquiring it for themselves, revealing underlying desire or attraction. It points to a common human behavior seen in social and transactional situations—sometimes, negative comments mask genuine interest.wordreference

English Equivalents​

Similar expressions in English include:
  • Sour grapes (pretending to dislike what one cannot have).siciliamuseculture.blogspot
  • He who blames would buy
  • What you dislike, someday you’ll wantlingq
    While no single phrase is a direct match, the sentiment may also be captured by saying “hidden attraction” or “if you criticize, you’ll buy.”

Practical Example​

If someone criticizes a type of fashion or a gadget, yet is later seen purchasing it, this proverb might be wryly invoked to suggest their initial contempt masked their actual interest.lingq
Add to follow-up
  1. https://www.lingq.com/en/learn-italian-online/translate/it/14179518/chi-disprezza-compra/
  2. http://siciliamuseculture.blogspot.com/2019/10/zocu-si-schifia-if-you-criticize-youll.html
  3. https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/chi-disprezza-compra.178673/
  4. https://www.lingq.com/en/learn-italian-online/translate/it/disprezza/
  5. https://www.1lo.gorzow.pl/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/proverbs-and-sayings-italy.pdf
 
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Happy_John said:
I'd want to know more about how SellCell selected these 2,000 U.S.-based iPhone users, and exactly what questions they were asked in the survey.

Were they self-selecting? Did they enter the survey by clicking on a link from, say, sites advertising or promoting iPhone 17 or accessories? Did the survey ad / link / pop up say something like "Are you going to upgrade to an iPhone 17? If so, please take part in our survey....."
Click to expand...

I read that page with the research results fleetingly. The survey indeed fails to clarify how respondents were recruited—whether online, through mobile carrier lists, or via social channels—leaving ambiguity about selection bias. Enthusiasts and early adopters are typically over-represented in such surveys. Since nearly seven in ten plan to upgrade, this could well reflect a skew toward tech-savvy or less financially limited users rather than average or older owners (say +28y).
There is no segmentation by age group, income, usage habits etc.

Besides all that, Sellcell seems to cover only a few percent of the estimated trade-ins in the US in 2023.
 
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