My 12 year old has a launch edition 8+. It’s down to 89% battery, and she’s itching for a new phone with Face ID. I was thinking about getting her a mint xs max for $580 or so off swappa, but I wonder if the value of the 11 pro max will drop like a stone this fall once 5G phones are available. The 2020 iPhone is supposed to be the biggest upgrade in several years, also. I know most people will reply “5G is several years away, so it’s not necessary yet.” That’s true, but people who buy a phone to last 3+ years will definitely want 5G in order to maximize the length of time they can use their phone. I’m wondering if a ton of people will dump their 11 pros and we may be able to get a decent discount on them this fall. A mint 8+ still goes for $350+, so iPhones definitely hold their value. I’d hate to buy an xs max and then see a killer deal on a pro this fall, because the pro is a massive upgrade. But I’m not looking to spend $900+ on a phone right now.
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iPhone 11 Pro Will 5G compatible iPhones cause 4G phones to plummet in value?
- Thread starter tonybarnaby
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Despite all the media bombardment, 5G is still not everywhere, certainly not the same coverage level as 4G in the next year or two, so those 4G devices will likely not drop their value anytime soon.
As for 5G, early adopter means great speed but poor service. There will also be major hiccups down the road. It is ok to go for 5G device released this year (hopefully), but I’d suggest making purchase decisions based on factors other than 5G network support.
As for 5G, early adopter means great speed but poor service. There will also be major hiccups down the road. It is ok to go for 5G device released this year (hopefully), but I’d suggest making purchase decisions based on factors other than 5G network support.
I stated that. But people who buy a phone for the long haul will definitely require it to be 5G compatible. Who knows, maybe the 2020 iPhones will sell poorly and a lot of people will hold onto their phones for another year.
The 2020 5G phones will only be faster in a few select locations that have line of sight clearance to a 5G tower.
At this point, (2020) a 5G phone mostly offers bragging rights.
And remember, this is V1.0 of a new technology. It's going to have bugs.
I wouldn't be concerned with a rapid resale drop in used old iPhones. They might be better than the new model in some ways
At this point, (2020) a 5G phone mostly offers bragging rights.
And remember, this is V1.0 of a new technology. It's going to have bugs.
I wouldn't be concerned with a rapid resale drop in used old iPhones. They might be better than the new model in some ways
Oh, I’m sorry as I just notice that part.
Yeah, lots of people will hold until 5G device comes up. I just don’t like the idea of purchasing a new device just for the sake of 5G. Time will tell.
It’s not that hard to imagine. Times are moving very fast these days. Most of us who are 30+ remember our first flip phone or Nokia brick. I see nothing wrong with a kid wanting Face ID.12 years old wants face id phone. Buy her a mirror!
any previous gen iphone will drop value like a stone, most folks aren't interested in xs when you can get a 11 for only 200 bucks more. xs msrp was 1000, now you can pick one up used for 500ish. same will happen when 12 comes out and the 11 pro will drop to around what xs sells for today. 5g might have a bit of influence in that regard but imo not a major concern since this 5g roll out is alot slower then expected.
Yes but my parents didn’t buy me a Nokia Communicator costing tripple the price of a nokia brick...
so its about setting a standard and expectations.
I’m not here to debate my parenting style, but I find it funny how people imply an expensive phone is “bad”, but if I got her an iPhone 6, that is acceptable because it’s cheap.
The iPhone 5 introduced 4G/LTE. When it launched, the iPhone 4S dropped in value... but only as much as any iPhone does, which honestly isn't by much in the re-sell market. And it continued to hold good value after the 5S launched and beyond. Today, you still have to pay about $50+ for an iPhone 4S.
Every iPhone has held an unbelievable re-sell value for longer than any other consumer smartphone in the US.
Even if 5G was as amazing as some people want to believe, the 8+ would still maintain value at about the same rate as the iPhones that came before it. Yes. Every time a new iPhone launches, there is a drop in re-sell value. It won't have anything to do with 5G.
The general consensus is buy what you need when you need it. There will always be sales and price drops and new devices that bring along a little buyers remorse, but it's rarely a real reason not to do what's best for you at the time. If you want to get an 11/11 Pro, then make the kid wait for fall when you know sales and price drops will happen in order to clear shelves of "old" product. But IMO, finding any sale right now and making the jump isn't a bad decision. The 11 lineup is going to hold up for a while.
Every iPhone has held an unbelievable re-sell value for longer than any other consumer smartphone in the US.
Even if 5G was as amazing as some people want to believe, the 8+ would still maintain value at about the same rate as the iPhones that came before it. Yes. Every time a new iPhone launches, there is a drop in re-sell value. It won't have anything to do with 5G.
The general consensus is buy what you need when you need it. There will always be sales and price drops and new devices that bring along a little buyers remorse, but it's rarely a real reason not to do what's best for you at the time. If you want to get an 11/11 Pro, then make the kid wait for fall when you know sales and price drops will happen in order to clear shelves of "old" product. But IMO, finding any sale right now and making the jump isn't a bad decision. The 11 lineup is going to hold up for a while.
I received an email from Xfinity Mobile talking about 5G. If you want 5G, you have to upgrade your plan to their more expensive new plans. If I got a new 5G phone, I'd run it on LTE. I don't use any data as it is as I have WiFi everywhere. So 3G, 4G, 5G - it's all the same to me. You have limits on data or data at speed so I don't know that getting it faster matters that much.
It's really only helpful in areas that are super congested that you get below 10 or even 5 Mbps on LTE.
In congested areas, quality of service can suffer and you get timeouts just browsing websites or checking email. Watching YouTube? Forget it unless you're okay with endless buffering even when video quality is at lowest setting practically showing just macroblocks with color.