iPhone replacement cycles slowing down to four years, pose threat to services, analyst say...

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  • Reply 81 of 166
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,821member

    avon b7 said:
    clarker99 said:
    One thing I see is that people do not realize how much value a used iPhone has in grey market. Getting $200-$250 for a 6s is really good value for a 3 1/2 yr old device. Why dont more people leverage this?  

    For whatever reasons, it seems iPhone customers want to use the phone until it has zero value and then complain about the price of a new one. Trade-in/selling on Craiglist 1-2 yrs earlier (and considering time-value of money/inflation) you provide yourself better value. Especially, if your carrier or Apple provide zero cost financing. 
    People complain because prices have gone up. That's reasonable. Zero cost financing still means paying that increased price so the complaint remains valid.

    As a result, some people will hold onto their phones longer. Others will opt to stay on older second hand phones. Both actions impact the sales of the newer, higher priced models.

    Selling your phone to leverage the purchase of a new phone actually happens but clearly not enough to move the needle by any significant amount on sales of the new models.

    It is reasonable to think Apple's current pricing (the price end users actually pay) is simply hitting users' price ceilings and as a result, they aren't biting.

    Couple that with no compelling reason to upgrade and intense competition and you can see and understand (at least to a large degree) why things are like they are.
    LOL, I love how in your bizarro world the “intense competition” doesn’t also have increasing flagship prices and the same lack of compelling reason to upgrade problem. Nope, the maturing product category only affects Apple! And we will ignore the multiple tiers of iPhone and pretend there is only the top-tier price! (My friend just bought a brand new 7 since that tier met his budget.) And we won’t even get into how Apple sucks up the majority of the profits in this...intense completion.
    radarthekatwatto_cobra
  • Reply 82 of 166
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,821member

    According to 9to5Mac Apple is now sending push notifications to users who either had an Apple Music subscription and canceled or never signed up after their trial period was over. The notification is offering them another 3 month free trial. Bloomberg had a story last week about the new head of Apple retail and in it they said Apple store employees told to push people with out of warranty devices into a new device over fixing their existing one. And we know stores had signage as you walked in promoting the trade-in promotional deal (which is still the first thing you see on apple.com). I get the sense Apple execs really are panicked about iPhone sales. And also that there’s no new exciting hardware product coming for a while. I just hope these new original content and news/magazine services don’t get released half baked because Apple is in a rush to be offering more things they can charge people for.
    Bloomberg, you say? The media outlet that made up a hit piece about Apple and refuses to retract it even after their ONLY named source said they got it wrong? Bloomberg, where pro-troll and axe-grinder Gurman pushes trash as often as he can? That’s who you’re citing?

    Yeah no. You seem to like to accuse Apple and AI’s DED as being “panicked”, but not seeing it. The only thing I see is a repeated pattern of pearl clutching. 
    radarthekatfastasleepwatto_cobra
  • Reply 83 of 166
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,821member

    jaiello said:
    Could it be that the cellular companies no longer offer a discounted price for the phone?  In the old days I could get a new iPhone every two years for $200.  Now I have to pay full price.  Makes me keep my iPhone longer.  They had to see that coming?   
    You never paid $200, you paid full price spread out over 24 months rolled into your plan. You can do the exact same thing now — I put down about 1/3 of my iPhone X and am paying the rest off interest free over 24 months on T-Mobile. It's the exact same thing.
    It  IS the same thing.   You are totally correct.   But, it doesn't look that way -- because the carriers hide it. 
    First, they do not list the cost of the phone and instead bury it in the cost of cell plan.  And, if you ask if its there, they deny it.
    Second, when you get a new phone and pay for it yourself, the cost of your plan (if you roll it over) does not go down.

    So, most people believe that they got a new phone every second year for $200 -- because that's what the carriers wanted them to believe.
    If I go to AT&T or Verizon’s website they show the monthly cost of the phone (and the full MSRP in small print). How is that buried in the cost of the plan? I’m on the iPhone upgrade program so I don’t get my phone through the carriers. Is the monthly installment amount a separate line item on the phone bill or is it just lumped in with the rest of your bill?
    Read the quote history of the post you’re replying to. They were referring to how carriers used to charge people, not today. The OP made the incorrect claim that the phones used to be only $200 and now they’re full-price, and it was being explained that this was never the case, as the carriers hid the true cost of the phone over the course of the contract and beyond.
    GeorgeBMacbeowulfschmidtfastasleepwatto_cobra
  • Reply 84 of 166
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,821member

    avon b7 said:
    clarker99 said:
    avon b7 said:
    clarker99 said:
    One thing I see is that people do not realize how much value a used iPhone has in grey market. Getting $200-$250 for a 6s is really good value for a 3 1/2 yr old device. Why dont more people leverage this?  

    For whatever reasons, it seems iPhone customers want to use the phone until it has zero value and then complain about the price of a new one. Trade-in/selling on Craiglist 1-2 yrs earlier (and considering time-value of money/inflation) you provide yourself better value. Especially, if your carrier or Apple provide zero cost financing. 
    People complain because prices have gone up. That's reasonable. Zero cost financing still means paying that increased price so the complaint remains valid.

    As a result, some people will hold onto their phones longer. Others will opt to stay on older second hand phones. Both actions impact the sales of the newer, higher priced models.

    Selling your phone to leverage the purchase of a new phone actually happens but clearly not enough to move the needle by any significant amount on sales of the new models.

    It is reasonable to think Apple's current pricing (the price end users actually pay) is simply hitting users' price ceilings and as a result, they aren't biting.

    Couple that with no compelling reason to upgrade and intense competition and you can see and understand (at least to a large degree) why things are like they are.


    I am not even sure why I am answering you but Going from a 5s/SE6/6s to a current gen iPhone is a significant jump in tech. Using your existing device to leverage a better price every 2-3 yrs is just smart.  Or run your device till it dies and pay the going price in 2020 or 2021. Your not saving anything bc a dollar today is not worth a dollar tommorrow and your old phone is worth nothing. Unless you think Apple will cut the price of iPhones down $200-$300... and good chance that is not happening.
    A significant jump in tech but not compelling and if the price is too high, everything is moot.

    Don't take my word for it. Look at the iPhone market and how it flattened for three years and just contracted - right on its historic blowout quarter.

    You can wish people to do what you say - and some do do that - but it isn't turning things around.

    It not what I think. I believe the market is speaking for itself. Now it is up to Apple to take action if it feels it is necessary to do so.
    Has anyone ever explained the difference of correlation and causation to you? You’re attempting to claim the reason for flattening sales is what you want it to be, when that is not a given nor proven. Everyone has said for years that the iPhone growth could obviously never be sustained indefinitely, as there is only one shift from feature phone to smartphone. It happened. Most of the world that needs a smartphone, has one. That level of growth would never be sustained. And it didn’t need to... If Apple can put out a product that people want to buy, and do so profitably, that’s what matters. So far there is no indication that this isn’t happening. Profitability remains good. Profit is the air corporations breathe. 

    The sun will also burn out one day. Not because of price either. 
    cornchipradarthekatfastasleepwatto_cobra
  • Reply 85 of 166
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,821member

    k2kw said:
    jungmark said:
    k2kw said:
    rfrmac said:
    This should be no surprise to anyone.  This should show that Apple need to be more inventive with the introductions of NEW products.  When you come out with new phones every year, the changes in them are going to be smaller.  Spend more time on updating other products you have.  How long have we waited for the real Pro Mac?  Apple needs to be more than a phone company in the future when it comes to hardware.  Apple really needs "The next big thing".
    Does Coke need a next big thing? Google? Netflix? They all have their established product lines and the world is OK with that. Apple has iPhone, Macs, iPad, etc and each of these is as big or bigger than other entire corporations. They’re fine. They don’t “need” the things most armchair CEOs think they do. 
    You're comparing Apples to oranges.    Companies that make physical products like cars and electric appliances do need need new products every year.    Netflix relies on subscriptions (but doesn't make much money yet).   Google makes billions from advertising.   Its just the nature of Technology that what's new is worth more than what's old. It's pretty useless to whine about it.   rfrmac is right.   Apple needs "The next big thing"  and they know it.   They've been partially successful with the iPad and watch.    Not so with the HomePod.   That's also why they have flirted with automotive technology via Project Titan.
    Cars get redesigned every 4-5 years, not every year. My 2013 Altima looks like the 2017 Altima with minor changes on the inside.  The iPad and watch have been very successful BTW. 
    And the 8Plus looks the same as the 6Plus but they do model refreshes every year.   iPad and watch are succesful but no iPhone.   
    Huh? No, cars come out every single year. Major design changes less often. iPhone, iPad, and Watch are all successful product lines. You’re high. 
    GeorgeBMacmacplusplusradarthekatfastasleepwatto_cobra
  • Reply 86 of 166
    Without more units there may be a cap on how far subscribers will expand, and second-hand buyers are believed to be less likely to spring for extra services.”

    Believed by whom? How many sources have reported this? Where’s the data? Have Apple ever indicated this in their guidance? Has anyone, anywhere, got anything to back this line up? 

    Amazes me how Apple Insider makes very meticulous deconstructions of poorly judged articles and analyst notes, and then also publishes this article very matter-of-factly with no journalistic interrogation at all. 
    cornchipwatto_cobra
  • Reply 87 of 166
    YP101YP101 Posts: 158member
    This is simple fix for Apple. Next iOS 13 update, drop all hardware below A11 cpu. Also remove all code for older CPU support.
    Force developer to update their apps.
    Update all AppleTV, iPad, iPhone minimum A11 and above. Rest of previous model, flash sale before lunch.
  • Reply 88 of 166
    I know I'm in that boat. I would have considered an upgrade at 3 years if prices were the same, but they aren't so I'm keeping my 6S+. Also with the news that 5g is around the corner in 2020, I might as well wait 5 years assuming it continues to run smooth.
    This is True for me as well. My iPhone 8 works perfectly, it’s got a great camera, still gets upgrades, and current prices for iPhones are prohibitive with the  exchange rate.  I just got a new battery, giving the phone a new lease on life. 5G is just around the corner. I’m not sure why anybody would buy a new iPhone right now unless you have money to burn. Not that the new iPhones aren’t very nice, but there’s no compelling reason to buy one. Diminishing returns.
    The 8 is 1.5yrs old... no one is expecting you to upgrade to one of latest models every year. We know the upgrade cycle is pushing out 3 or more years. The interesting thing would be how much you could sell or trade-in your 8 for and put toward a newer phone in year 2 or 3 vs year 5. 
    radarthekatwatto_cobra
  • Reply 89 of 166
    YP101 said:
    This is simple fix for Apple. Next iOS 13 update, drop all hardware below A11 cpu. Also remove all code for older CPU support.
    Force developer to update their apps.
    Update all AppleTV, iPad, iPhone minimum A11 and above. Rest of previous model, flash sale before lunch.

    Apple would never do that. I think it’s highly likely they will drop all devices prior to the A9 6S. The A9 was a huge jump from the A8 and also doubled the RAM to 2GB. A9 also introduced NVMe storage. This makes the A9 far more capable of running the latest version of iOS compared to the A7/A8. The A9 seems like the perfect “cut-off” point for iOS 13
    muthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
  • Reply 90 of 166
    YP101YP101 Posts: 158member
    YP101 said:
    This is simple fix for Apple. Next iOS 13 update, drop all hardware below A11 cpu. Also remove all code for older CPU support.
    Force developer to update their apps.
    Update all AppleTV, iPad, iPhone minimum A11 and above. Rest of previous model, flash sale before lunch.

    Apple would never do that. I think it’s highly likely they will drop all devices prior to the A9 6S. The A9 was a huge jump from the A8 and also doubled the RAM to 2GB. A9 also introduced NVMe storage. This makes the A9 far more capable of running the latest version of iOS compared to the A7/A8. The A9 seems like the perfect “cut-off” point for iOS 13
    You never know. All Android phone never support by manufacturer this long for OS. Typically 2 years are max for high end model.
    If Apple keep able to sell record breaking iPhone year after year but with recent price hike and saturate market no longer guarantee that.
    So Apple needs drastic meager on next release. Anyway next iPhone will have A13. A10-A13 is 4 years support.  A11-13 as 3 year support should be much easier.

  • Reply 91 of 166
    YP101 said:
    YP101 said:
    This is simple fix for Apple. Next iOS 13 update, drop all hardware below A11 cpu. Also remove all code for older CPU support.
    Force developer to update their apps.
    Update all AppleTV, iPad, iPhone minimum A11 and above. Rest of previous model, flash sale before lunch.

    Apple would never do that. I think it’s highly likely they will drop all devices prior to the A9 6S. The A9 was a huge jump from the A8 and also doubled the RAM to 2GB. A9 also introduced NVMe storage. This makes the A9 far more capable of running the latest version of iOS compared to the A7/A8. The A9 seems like the perfect “cut-off” point for iOS 13
    You never know. All Android phone never support by manufacturer this long for OS. Typically 2 years are max for high end model.
    If Apple keep able to sell record breaking iPhone year after year but with recent price hike and saturate market no longer guarantee that.
    So Apple needs drastic meager on next release. Anyway next iPhone will have A13. A10-A13 is 4 years support.  A11-13 as 3 year support should be much easier.


    Who cares about lousy Android support for devices? Apple sure doesn't. In case you forgot, iOS 12 brought significant performance improvements to older iPhones. It makes no sense for Apple to extend the life of older iPhones with iOS 12 and then turn around and cut them all off with iOS 13. A9-A13 stays with Apples 5 years of support without having to make any concessions in iOS 13 to get it to run on older 1GB RAM processors (A7/A8).

    Apple doesn't need to do anything drastic - they're fine. All I expect them to do is a slight price adjustment (perhaps new iPhones will drop by $100 this year).
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 92 of 166
    bitmodbitmod Posts: 267member
    wood1208 said:
    4 years replacement cycle sounds unreasonable. People go at most 2 1/2 to 3 years most.

    Had an X - hated the .42 cent speaker they put in it so I went back to the far superior sounding iPhone 6. I miss the screen, camera and responsiveness of the X - but my 6 has higher quality audio and is fast enough for average use. Replaced the battery and now I’ll wait for Apple to get their heads out of their ass and release another quality phone at a reasonable price. I paid $200 for my 6. Paid $1800 for the X. I can’t stress enough how not worth the money the X is. Maybe at $600... but $1800... lol, never again.
    kitatit
  • Reply 93 of 166
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    jaiello said:
    Could it be that the cellular companies no longer offer a discounted price for the phone?  In the old days I could get a new iPhone every two years for $200.  Now I have to pay full price.  Makes me keep my iPhone longer.  They had to see that coming?   
    You never paid $200, you paid full price spread out over 24 months rolled into your plan. You can do the exact same thing now — I put down about 1/3 of my iPhone X and am paying the rest off interest free over 24 months on T-Mobile. It's the exact same thing.
    It  IS the same thing.   You are totally correct.   But, it doesn't look that way -- because the carriers hide it. 
    First, they do not list the cost of the phone and instead bury it in the cost of cell plan.  And, if you ask if its there, they deny it.
    Second, when you get a new phone and pay for it yourself, the cost of your plan (if you roll it over) does not go down.

    So, most people believe that they got a new phone every second year for $200 -- because that's what the carriers wanted them to believe.
    If I go to AT&T or Verizon’s website they show the monthly cost of the phone (and the full MSRP in small print). How is that buried in the cost of the plan? I’m on the iPhone upgrade program so I don’t get my phone through the carriers. Is the monthly installment amount a separate line item on the phone bill or is it just lumped in with the rest of your bill?

    During the days of the so-called subsidy Apple would always show the $199/$299/$399 price on stage during keynotes. Then around iPhone 7 or so they switched to showing the full price (instead of a monthly installment price). So people went from seeing $199 or $299 to $649 or now $749 and $999. I think it was a marketing mistake on Apple’s part considering the keynote really is geared towards the US and most people in the US aren’t buying their phone outright but paying if off in monthly installments.
    They obviously are not offering the old style plan where you "Got a new phone for free every two years".  But, if you continue to grandfather / roll over the plan you got with your iPhone 5, you are STILL paying for that phone -- even though there isn't and never was a sign of it on the bill.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 94 of 166
    YP101 said:
    YP101 said:
    This is simple fix for Apple. Next iOS 13 update, drop all hardware below A11 cpu. Also remove all code for older CPU support.
    Force developer to update their apps.
    Update all AppleTV, iPad, iPhone minimum A11 and above. Rest of previous model, flash sale before lunch.

    Apple would never do that. I think it’s highly likely they will drop all devices prior to the A9 6S. The A9 was a huge jump from the A8 and also doubled the RAM to 2GB. A9 also introduced NVMe storage. This makes the A9 far more capable of running the latest version of iOS compared to the A7/A8. The A9 seems like the perfect “cut-off” point for iOS 13
    You never know. All Android phone never support by manufacturer this long for OS. Typically 2 years are max for high end model.
    If Apple keep able to sell record breaking iPhone year after year but with recent price hike and saturate market no longer guarantee that.
    So Apple needs drastic meager on next release. Anyway next iPhone will have A13. A10-A13 is 4 years support.  A11-13 as 3 year support should be much easier.


    Who cares about lousy Android support for devices? Apple sure doesn't. In case you forgot, iOS 12 brought significant performance improvements to older iPhones. It makes no sense for Apple to extend the life of older iPhones with iOS 12 and then turn around and cut them all off with iOS 13. A9-A13 stays with Apples 5 years of support without having to make any concessions in iOS 13 to get it to run on older 1GB RAM processors (A7/A8).

    Apple doesn't need to do anything drastic - they're fine. All I expect them to do is a slight price adjustment (perhaps new iPhones will drop by $100 this year).
    I think the price will stay the same in USA. Maybe less other markets where FX drive prices way up.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 95 of 166
    Almost of these comments buy to Sacconaghi’s premise to begin with.  He’s been spewing this theory that iphone uogrades are dead.  He then  twists it into the perverse angle that this will mean a slowdown in services revenue.  Big mistake:  yes, the market in cell phones (not just iPhones) is more staurated. But, does anyone truly beelive that people are finished upgrading their phones except every four years.  Not true; people are addicted to the phones and their software. You don have to be a fortune teller to to recognize that 2018 was a very, very bumpy year economically, not just for USA, but the whole world.  That sort of stuff makes people edgy, and nervous financially.  But, if anyone truly believs that people will stop upgrading their phones, they are  dead dead wrong. Even though I am a big Apple user, i recognize addiction when i see it. Just go into any restaurant, subway line or simply stroll down the street.  Everyone is hooked in.  Apple’s approach to the iphone upgrade program is phenomenal and it makes upgrades extreemly affordable.  And the services business, despite what Sacconagh says is only going one way:UP.  Just read Morgan Stanley’s Kate Huberty analysis. Dead on correct.  Remember folks, if we allow the pundits to pontificate and predict Apple’s demise, we are simply falling into the perennial trap. It’s happened before and will continue to happen.  For those still walking around with older iphones, upgrade now and see how much beter the experience is with face ID, faster chips and easier navigation.

    i follow the Buffet philosopy: look at the company, not the stock price.  There is not a single company in the world that would not like to have the finacial and performance fundamentals that Apple has.
    cornchipradarthekatwatto_cobra
  • Reply 96 of 166
    bitmod said:
    wood1208 said:
    4 years replacement cycle sounds unreasonable. People go at most 2 1/2 to 3 years most.

    Had an X - hated the .42 cent speaker they put in it so I went back to the far superior sounding iPhone 6. I miss the screen, camera and responsiveness of the X - but my 6 has higher quality audio and is fast enough for average use. Replaced the battery and now I’ll wait for Apple to get their heads out of their ass and release another quality phone at a reasonable price. I paid $200 for my 6. Paid $1800 for the X. I can’t stress enough how not worth the money the X is. Maybe at $600... but $1800... lol, never again.
    Lol... this is BS. The X audio speaker’s (plural) crush the 6. And your pricing conparison makes zero sense. 
    cornchipradarthekatraybowatto_cobra
  • Reply 97 of 166
    bageljoeybageljoey Posts: 2,004member

    DAalseth said:
    wood1208 said:
    4 years replacement cycle sounds unreasonable. People go at most 2 1/2 to 3 years most.
    The thing is, for me at least, there's no compelling reason to upgrade. Yes the screen is nicer, but it has reached the point of diminishing return. Yes the cameras are better, but my almost three year old SE still takes great shots. My SE still runs the latest iOS and gets all the features. I look at the iPhone XS and it is lovely, but I keep asking myself what it would give me that my SE doesn't. So far the hole in my bank account doesn't outweigh the improvements. Until the SE stops working, or at least won't do something I want it to do, I have no compelling reason to upgrade.
    The SE's camera is pretty mediocre compared to what comes in the latest iPhones. OSS is amazing for video on my X. Screen real estate is certainly a big plus for me as well, I can't image having to read stuff on a 5" screen anymore.
    Yes, but for someone who is used to the SE and has not used an X, they don’t s ee or feel the difference. 

    I remember looking at the retina screen before I upgraded back when that was new. I remember thinking “it’s not that different.” Then after using my new phone (with Retina) for a while trying to use my son’s old non-retina phone was aweful!

    I have no doubt I will love my next phone and my 6S will seem like a stone-age tool to me then, but now it’s still science fiction for me!
    GeorgeBMacmuthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
  • Reply 98 of 166
    jcs2305jcs2305 Posts: 1,336member
    jaiello said:
    Could it be that the cellular companies no longer offer a discounted price for the phone?  In the old days I could get a new iPhone every two years for $200.  Now I have to pay full price.  Makes me keep my iPhone longer.  They had to see that coming?   
    You never paid $200, you paid full price spread out over 24 months rolled into your plan. You can do the exact same thing now — I put down about 1/3 of my iPhone X and am paying the rest off interest free over 24 months on T-Mobile. It's the exact same thing.
    Exactly.  I think a lot of folks are of this same thinking. Yes you came out of your pocket $200.00, but the carrier didn’t eat the rest? That would be crazy. It was wrapped up in the over priced monthly service charge. 

    Honestly the carriers loved if you kept your device longer than 2 years if you think about it. They continue to charge the same monthly price for service even after the device is technically paid off. Pure profit for them and the reinforced idea that you only paid 199.00 for the phone to begin with. 
    GeorgeBMacfastasleepwatto_cobra
  • Reply 99 of 166
    YP101YP101 Posts: 158member
    YP101 said:
    YP101 said:
    This is simple fix for Apple. Next iOS 13 update, drop all hardware below A11 cpu. Also remove all code for older CPU support.
    Force developer to update their apps.
    Update all AppleTV, iPad, iPhone minimum A11 and above. Rest of previous model, flash sale before lunch.

    Apple would never do that. I think it’s highly likely they will drop all devices prior to the A9 6S. The A9 was a huge jump from the A8 and also doubled the RAM to 2GB. A9 also introduced NVMe storage. This makes the A9 far more capable of running the latest version of iOS compared to the A7/A8. The A9 seems like the perfect “cut-off” point for iOS 13
    You never know. All Android phone never support by manufacturer this long for OS. Typically 2 years are max for high end model.
    If Apple keep able to sell record breaking iPhone year after year but with recent price hike and saturate market no longer guarantee that.
    So Apple needs drastic meager on next release. Anyway next iPhone will have A13. A10-A13 is 4 years support.  A11-13 as 3 year support should be much easier.


    Who cares about lousy Android support for devices? Apple sure doesn't. In case you forgot, iOS 12 brought significant performance improvements to older iPhones. It makes no sense for Apple to extend the life of older iPhones with iOS 12 and then turn around and cut them all off with iOS 13. A9-A13 stays with Apples 5 years of support without having to make any concessions in iOS 13 to get it to run on older 1GB RAM processors (A7/A8).

    Apple doesn't need to do anything drastic - they're fine. All I expect them to do is a slight price adjustment (perhaps new iPhones will drop by $100 this year).
    iOS12 supports all older hardware due to Apple messed up battery and lousy speed iOS11. Nothing more.
    Don't ever think Apple does something for consumer.
    They even charge over $1,000 XS without include faster charger.

    You should care how Android phone support. Because Apple does something other manufacturer does not, that does not mean Apple always does that.
    All the analyst and people know smartphone market is over blown. There is much cheaper Android phone that function not that bad.. All hardware's performance is level up and average out these days.
    How much feels difference between 7+ and XR?  Not that much. The CPU speeds up and other technical advance, that does not mean much for day to day usage. Only sales peach.

    Apple would drop old model support on iOS 12 if they did not caught on battery speed issue.
    Look at this way. All Android high end phone has more than 4GB RAM. Yes, thanks to Apple controls OS and hardware so they can manage lower RAM capacity but still if they charge over $1,000 should have 6 GB RAM. more RAM means faster reload, lunch and background app update.
    There is no excuse for Apple. They just want make more money due to they are monopoly on iOS.

    Why would Apple gives you support for A9,A10 with iOS13, it leads to more sales for new iPhone?
    I don't think so. Even Tim Cook admitted battery replacement program cause lower sales for new iPhone.
    Only way Apple boost sale for new iPhone is drop support for old hardware.
    And you can't do anything about that. Other then jump to Android, if you want to use newer iOS then you have to buy newer model end of story.

    And most of people will buy newer iPhone this year if iOS 13 drop support their 6S, 7. Apple will lunch another trade in program to feel less painful.
    However the consumer feels they should trade in last year 6S to XR. Because this year trade in price will be lower because 6S is now 4 years old.

    Since I jumped 3 years old 6S+ to XR with trade in price $250 off. That ended up XR 256GB model include tax cheaper than XR 64GB model price.
    I can trade in 2 years later with newer iPhone at that time. There is not much reason these days hold iPhone for more than 2-3 years.
    edited February 2019
  • Reply 100 of 166
    zoetmbzoetmb Posts: 2,653member
    jaiello said:
    Could it be that the cellular companies no longer offer a discounted price for the phone?  In the old days I could get a new iPhone every two years for $200.  Now I have to pay full price.  Makes me keep my iPhone longer.  They had to see that coming?   
    EXACTLY.   The iPhone did not actually sell well when first released.   It took the subsidized phone deals in the U.S. to make it the unbelievable success that it was.   Personally, I'm still using my iPhone 6 (with a new $29 battery), which will be 4 years old in a few weeks.   If I could have picked up a new phone for $300 (which is what I paid for the 6 with higher than base memory), I would have bought it.  As it is, as long as the 6 continues to operate well, I'll wait until the Fall when the new models come out and either buy one of the current models (presumably at a discount) if there's only incremental changes or buy the new model if it seems worth it.

    Even if phones were still subsidized, all product lines mature and sales slow and in addition, there's far more pretty good competition.   

    And maybe Apple should stop removing features that alienate long term users like removing the headphone jack.  And I still would prefer Touch ID to Face ID.  Touch ID works fine when I'm driving because I don't have to look at the phone.   Face ID would take my eyes from the road.    

    Apple also needs to understand just who the buyers are who purchase $800 to $1000 phones.  I would argue that they're not the people who care about stupid cartoon GIFs to add to text messages and maybe they should stop pushing that in their marketing.   We're not junior high school girls.    Apple needs to add features and functions that matter, especially those that would matter to working people.   And they need to make Siri more than a sad joke.   The fact that I can ask Siri to find a pizza place and it finds me pizza places 2000 miles away demonstrates that either Apple doesn't give a crap or that the Siri team is woefully incompetent.   I also find that Apple Pay is woefully inconsistent and the transactions almost always take longer than simply swiping a credit card.   And I don't know whether it's Apple's fault or my bank's fault, but Apple Pay has stopped working at my bank's ATM machines.   
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