Other Why Aren't we Keeping our iPhones for Years?

[ElPaso]

OP Here! So I've said in this thread that I'm going to try to keep my lil' 16e for 5 years. Well, with recent price increases at Apple I may be forced to keep it for 5 years! 😎

 

[Macdctr]

or buy the current 17 series iPhone and then keep that for five years going forward . . .

 

[skywalkerr69]

I upgrade about every 3-4 years or so. Buying it is not a worry but there's really no value to the cost that Apple offers. Every phone is a better camera and "faster chip" but thats about it. You really don't need a faster chip or more ram or anything like that for what most people use the phone for. I have a 16pro max. Maybe I will look at the anniversary phone next year if it's a major redesign but probably not.

 

[DouglasCarroll]

Been using an iPhone 11 Pro Max since launch. Battery isn't great but its fine enough, it's on its last version of iOS and I get slow downs especially when it's trying to manage storage space in the background.

Past few years I've been trying to use my phone less and less since it's more of a nuisance than a benefit or luxury. In that time I just didn't care about spending the money to upgrade. However this fall I'll get new iPhone 18 (probably Pro Max) just because I want to keep the OS up to date.

IPhone 11 will get iOS 27 so you don’t need to buy a new phone to stay up to date yet.

 

[DouglasCarroll]

IPhone 11 will get iOS 27 so you don’t need to buy a new phone to stay up to date yet.

Plus iOS 27 is supposedly much faster than iOS 26 on the iPhone 11…..

 

[iStorm]

I upgrade/trade-in every two or three years when my carrier (Verizon) offers me a free upgrade. Normally, they require you to upgrade your plan as well, but I found that if I wait long enough (typically a few months after the new phones launch), they'll eventually give me an offer that doesn't require changing my plan. I can't even remember the last time I actually paid for a phone/upgrade. Yes, I know it's subsidized into the cost of the plan, but the old plan I'm on is actually cheaper than the plans they have now.

If you're loyal to your carrier and have no plans of switching or bouncing around, and don't care to have a new phone every year...then take advantage of those offers. Sometimes you have to log into your account and check your personal offers yourself; they don't always advertise them or let you know.

 

[ElPaso]

I upgrade/trade-in every two or three years when my carrier (Verizon) offers me a free upgrade. Normally, they require you to upgrade your plan as well, but I found that if I wait long enough (typically a few months after the new phones launch), they'll eventually give me an offer that doesn't require changing my plan. I can't even remember the last time I actually paid for a phone/upgrade. Yes, I know it's subsidized into the cost of the plan, but the old plan I'm on is actually cheaper than the plans they have now.

If you're loyal to your carrier and have no plans of switching or bouncing around, and don't care to have a new phone every year...then take advantage of those offers. Sometimes you have to log into your account and check your personal offers yourself; they don't always advertise them or let you know.

This sounds like good information. I'll log in to my carrier's site (Patriot Mobile) and see if there's something similar, although it makes sense that only the big carriers would be willing & able to make this type of offer.

 

[headlessmike]

Plus iOS 27 is supposedly much faster than iOS 26 on the iPhone 11…..

iOS 26 was faster than iOS 18 on my iPhone 11, so iOS 27 being even smoother is making me less and less interested in buying a new phone this year.

 

[ghostface147]

I just like the new colors.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

iOS 26 was faster than iOS 18 on my iPhone 11, so iOS 27 being even smoother is making me less and less interested in buying a new phone this year.

My experience on my 13 Mini has been the opposite. What's changed vs iOS 18 for me:

1. Much hotter during tethered charging.
2. Watching reels on FB phone gets very warm
3. Even Netflix suddenly runs very warm.
4. Runs even hotter with 5G vs WiFi.
5. Abysmal battery life dropping 2% at a time behaving like a countdown timer in fron of your eyes.

I haven't seen much improvement with iOS 26.6 so I for one am quite looking forward to iOS 27 at this stage.

 

[headlessmike]

My experience on my 13 Mini has been the opposite. What's changed vs iOS 18 for me:

1. Much hotter during tethered charging.
2. Watching reels on FB phone gets very warm
3. Even Netflix suddenly runs very warm.
4. Runs even hotter with 5G vs WiFi.
5. Abysmal battery life dropping 2% at a time behaving like a countdown timer in fron of your eyes.

I haven't seen much improvement with iOS 26.6 so I for one am quite looking forward to iOS 27 at this stage.

I think the iPhone 11 was saved by having few other features than the new design and thus little to go wrong. In the early versions, my iPhone 11 felt more responsive than my friend’s iPhone 14 on iOS 26.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

I think the iPhone 11 was saved by having few other features than the new design and thus little to go wrong. In the early versions, my iPhone 11 felt more responsive than my friend’s iPhone 14 on iOS 26.

That's quite surprising to hear about the iPhone 14. Specs show that the iPhone 11 and 13 Mini both have 4 GB RAM so I would have expected at least somewhat similar behaviour with iOS 26.

Allegedly iOS 27 was tested with the iPhone 11 also, so I'm hoping that mine will improve. Thus far the feedback of 13 Mini owners on the beta have been quite positive.

 

[headlessmike]

That's quite surprising to hear about the iPhone 14. Specs show that the iPhone 11 and 13 Mini both have 4 GB RAM so I would have expected at least somewhat similar behaviour with iOS 26.

Allegedly iOS 27 was tested with the iPhone 11 also, so I'm hoping that mine will improve. Thus far the feedback of 13 Mini owners on the beta have been quite positive.

My wife has an iPhone 12 mini and it's quite obvious when using the devices side by side that the iPhone 12 has more visual effects than the iPhone 11 in iOS 26. The version of iOS 26 on the iPhone 11 is really a scaled back version in many ways, but it does work well even on a soon-to-be seven year old phone.

 

[FeliApple]

My experience on my 13 Mini has been the opposite. What's changed vs iOS 18 for me:

1. Much hotter during tethered charging.
2. Watching reels on FB phone gets very warm
3. Even Netflix suddenly runs very warm.
4. Runs even hotter with 5G vs WiFi.
5. Abysmal battery life dropping 2% at a time behaving like a countdown timer in fron of your eyes.

I haven't seen much improvement with iOS 26.6 so I for one am quite looking forward to iOS 27 at this stage.

Updates are ridiculous when it comes to this. The title can be answered by your reply.

iPhone 6s on iOS 13, same issue, dropping several percentage points at a time, battery life collapsing, the device is unusable. Standby battery life is awful. You might say “well, replace the battery, newer iOS versions are more power-hungry”. Come on. On an iPhone 6s that I barely use? Not worth it. Especially considering that I literally have 4-5 better iPhones to use for that. It either works as-is or I don’t need it.

iPhone 6s on iOS 10. Purchased on the same day, far worse battery health. Original battery too. Like-new. No odd battery life drops. Standby battery life is fine. The device works perfectly for music.

Apple just won’t let you keep the device for years if you update. It’ll destroy it sooner than that.

 

[Homme]

Very big battery along with good specs.

Oh indeed. The 16e is only good for the fact that it has the same CPU and amount of RAM as even the 16 Pro lineup. The 16e is “less of a scam” compared to the 16 and 16 Pro lineup by not only having the same CPU but that 4005 mah battery….. definitely better than the iPhone Air ( which is partily modeled after the 16e in a few good areas), the 16e and even the 6.3 inch iPhone Pro, heck back then before the 17 lineup got revealed it had the best battery performance of any 6.1/6.3 inch iPhone until the 17 Pro came out

As of myself, I am actually going to keep my 16e I got since it launched especially since USB C makes iPhones go long term ( for everyone) since they are cheaper than lightning, break down way less than a lightning cable and is way more common everywhere than lightning these days😁

 

[Sosab123]

Oh indeed. The 16e is only good for the fact that it has the same CPU and amount of RAM as even the 16 Pro lineup. The 16e is “less of a scam” compared to the 16 and 16 Pro lineup by not only having the same CPU but that 4005 mah battery….. definitely better than the iPhone Air ( which is partily modeled after the 16e in a few good areas), the 16e and even the 6.3 inch iPhone Pro, heck back then before the 17 lineup got revealed it had the best battery performance of any 6.1/6.3 inch iPhone until the 17 Pro came out

As of myself, I am actually going to keep my 16e I got since it launched especially since USB C makes iPhones go long term ( for everyone) since they are cheaper than lightning, break down way less than a lightning cable and is way more common everywhere than lightning these days😁

Fun fact, I was "weight maxing" briefly, and almost bought the 16e over the 17e just because the 17e weight difference is carrying twice the additional weight over the Air that the 16e does which is 4 g vs 2 g of the 16e. I was really aiming to get as close to the weight of the Air without the form factor. I have bruised myself a few times in the face from using the phone in bed with my phone hovering over me.

I ended up with the 17e any ways cause the screen scratch resistance was increased. I really don't like using screen protectors since they rarely can do the "smooth edges" like Zagg did with the elite edge for Xr, they also crack over time and you can feel them.

Its a real "phone" person phone.. I really just need a phone to make calls and stay connected. Everything else is extra. For everything else, theres iPad Mini.

 

[alfonsog]

If you have a legacy carrier plan and not a MVNO the upgrade deals make it worthwhile to upgrade a 1 or 2 year old phone and get the newest for a relatively small cost or free but you're paying for it in the monthly service. Once I sold my business I dropped AT&T plan and went to a cheap monthly MVNO plan (like Mint, Visible, Helium, or even cheaper pay as you go ones) I started keeping my phone way longer (15 Pro) as I used to upgrade yearly; but it was a tax write-off for my business.

 

[Homme]

Fun fact, I was "weight maxing" briefly, and almost bought the 16e over the 17e just because the 17e weight difference is carrying twice the additional weight over the Air that the 16e does which is 4 g vs 2 g of the 16e. I was really aiming to get as close to the weight of the Air without the form factor. I have bruised myself a few times in the face from using the phone in bed with my phone hovering over me.

I ended up with the 17e any ways cause the screen scratch resistance was increased. I really don't like using screen protectors since they rarely can do the "smooth edges" like Zagg did with the elite edge for Xr, they also crack over time and you can feel them.

Its a real "phone" person phone.. I really just need a phone to make calls and stay connected. Everything else is extra. For everything else, theres iPad Mini.

You made the absolute correct decision in ordering the 17e especially for its pretty good upgrades over the 16e especially 256GB as starting and Ceramic Shield 2 with anti reflective coating for the 17e. Those two things alone for the 17e ( and even the 16e) makes this way better than the 14 Pro ( terrible buy then and now) but the 15 Pro is where no e model can truly beat overall

Regarding form factor the iPhone Airs form factor is partially based on the 16e (probably close to half). The key factors are the C1/C1X Modems and only having one camera on the back) but then even the 16e has much better speakers, significantly better USB C and the fact that the Air wouldn’t exist with out the 16e largely because of the C1 modem because the Air obviously needed it

Once the Air 2 comes out with 2 cameras the non pro 18 will be the closest iPhone like the 16e was to the OG Air

 

[33355]

Still rocking my 13 mini after 4.5 years. I usually upgrade when the phone breaks and is completely unusable.

Upgrading every year is not very rewarding. If you skip a few generations, you get surprised at how much the technology has improved

 

[paranoidgraylady]

I'm preaching to myself I guess, but with the high quality of iPhones both in physical build and OS, I'm curious why we move on to a new iPhone after only a year or two of use? With a couple of my old devices, I replaced them after only a year or so of use - the iPhone SE (1st gen) and the 13. But on the other hand, I kept my iPhone 8 Plus for four years, and I was extremely happy with it from day one all the way to the end of its 48 month tenure. I figure I could have squeezed another couple of years out of it, but the thought of a shiny new device (the 13) was too much to take lol. At the end of the 8 Plus' time with me, it seemed just as capable and fast as when I first got it.

With my iPhone 8 Plus experience under my belt, I've decided to keep my 16e, which I've had for only 3-1/2 months, for 5 years. Or at least try for 5 years. Since I'm retired and have limited income, it seems the smart thing to do - especially with the high quality of iDevices I've experienced, and specifically my experience with the 8 Plus.

Who else wants to keep their iPhones for a looooooong time?

I have a 14+ and a 2016 Jeep Compass that acts like Larry David in a 3-hr full mass… in Latin. I might have to update the MacBook I never use and carry it around for scheduling and checking messages if my phone goes! I getcha!!
I need an oligarch to give me a wad of cash, their financial accounts and personal information and I’ll tell THEM what they can /can’t do for 2 years while I sell xeroxes of their junk to anybody who’s buying. 😂 Maybe I’ll have embraced the Robots by then.

 

[paranoidgraylady]

My 15 Pro is my last iPhone. Everything new now appears to be optimized as a disease vector for the AI contagion, and I’m completely uninterested in participating in that abysmal boondoggle. My next phone, if there even is one, will be a dumb phone- one that just places, and perhaps even receives, (wait for it) telephone calls. I do not need texts, apps, blinkylights, or flashycolors: it is a goddamned telephone. I miss my old Nokia.

I absolutely regret the 15 being involuntarily updated to 26 dot whatever, due to my inaction. I didn’t see it coming, and when I realized what had happened, it was already too late to downgrade. If the damned thing updates itself again to something even worse, I’ll just let the battery run down to zero, and then back over it a couple of times with my car. I do not want what is now being sold as The Wave Of The Future, and I do not consent to having it done to me.

I realize that puts me in the minority. So be it. Your mileage may vary- no doubt lots of people actually want that dreck. However, and speaking strictly for myself: time has stopped for my Macs at Sequoia, and there will be no further updating of anything Apple. For me, the current fetishization of AI by Apple stops right here, and right now.

Jinx you owe me a Coke! That’s definitely how I feel about AI and upgrading perpetually. I still have my Nokia. Verizon has laughed at me more than once when I broke my phone and said reactivate the Nokia! It still works fine and has my relatives numbers in it. T9 texting, what’s not to love?

 

[Alpha Centauri]

Still rocking my 13 mini after 4.5 years. I usually upgrade when the phone breaks and is completely unusable.

Upgrading every year is not very rewarding. If you skip a few generations, you get surprised at how much the technology has improved

Then don't make the mistake I did upgrading to iOS 26. I'm just hoping at this stage that iOS 27 will save the day.

 

[CC91UK]

Still rocking my 13 mini after 4.5 years. I usually upgrade when the phone breaks and is completely unusable.

Upgrading every year is not very rewarding. If you skip a few generations, you get surprised at how much the technology has improved

I'm on a 13 Mini too, but I bought it second-hand only 17 months ago. Battery health hasn't budged at 94%! This is my second iPhone, having had an 8 for 3 and a half years before that with one battery change.

I'm hoping to keep the Mini for at least another 2-2.5 years.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

Updates are ridiculous when it comes to this. The title can be answered by your reply.

iPhone 6s on iOS 13, same issue, dropping several percentage points at a time, battery life collapsing, the device is unusable. Standby battery life is awful. You might say “well, replace the battery, newer iOS versions are more power-hungry”. Come on. On an iPhone 6s that I barely use? Not worth it. Especially considering that I literally have 4-5 better iPhones to use for that. It either works as-is or I don’t need it.

iPhone 6s on iOS 10. Purchased on the same day, far worse battery health. Original battery too. Like-new. No odd battery life drops. Standby battery life is fine. The device works perfectly for music.

Apple just won’t let you keep the device for years if you update. It’ll destroy it sooner than that.

You know the experience you had with your 6s? This sounds pretty much what happened to me with my OG SE and no amount of battery replacement helped it any.

 

[paranoidgraylady]

This sounds like good information. I'll log in to my carrier's site (Patriot Mobile) and see if there's something similar, although it makes sense that only the big carriers would be willing & able to make this type of offer.

Also look at their website and see what they’re offering strangers to join up. It’s like hotels and SWA seats, you want to know about all the 46 prices before you tell them what you want to pay from now on to keep writing them checks for zero interest in customer service or satisfaction (whoopsie doodle, my opinion from 20 years experience fell out of my head, sorry!)