Only 10% iPhone owners plan upgrade to 'iPhone 13,' poll finds

AppleInsider

An informal poll conducted last week suggests one in ten iPhone owners plan to upgrade to "iPhone 13" this fall, though fence-sitters could be swayed by surprise features.

In a survey of 1,500 iPhone users, Savings.com found only 10% are committed to purchasing Apple's next-generation iPhone at launch, with 64% saying they have no plans to upgrade. Another 26% are undecided, though new features could push this group to the buy category.

Among this year's rumored enhancements, customers are most interested in satellite communications, camera improvements and more capacious batteries, the study found. Some 27% of existing iPhone owners who plan to upgrade are excited about low-earth orbit satellite connectivity, while 22% are most interested in camera and video features. A larger battery and faster processor also rank at the top of owners' wish lists, with a respective 15% and 14% of users looking forward to such improvements.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was first to tip low-earth orbit satellite communications for iPhone in a note to investors last month, with follow-up reports claiming the feature will be restricted to emergency use in select markets. Whether the rumored function will debut with "iPhone 13" is unclear, though Apple is thought to be working on the technology.

For 2021, iPhone camera enhancements are predicted to include larger lenses, improved sensors, a new ultra-wide module with autofocus on "Pro" models and a host of software upgrades like support for ProRes video.

Battery capacity is also expected to see a bump this year, though the operational run time of Pro models might not increase significantly from current models due to the rumored inclusion of 120Hz ProMotion displays.

Earlier this week, a study of 2,000 iPhone owners conducted in the UK saw 19% of respondents say that they intended to upgrade to a new model within the next year. Many customer wants were identical to those voiced in today's published survey.

Apple is widely expected to unveil "iPhone 13" and "Apple Watch Series 7" at a recently announced "California Streaming" event on Sept. 14. AppleInsider will be covering the keynote live from 10 a.m. Pacific.

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jfc_pa

So with over a billion iPhones in use that’s “only” 100 million definite  iPhone 13 purchases “this fall” with another 260 million undecided. 

Hmmm…

in any event I’m one of the decided: buying a 13 pro max at the first opportunity. Of course being enrolled in the Apple Upgrade program makes it a no brainer: my monthly cost remains virtually  the same and I get to enjoy the latest iPhone. Love that program. 

edited September 2021

scampercom

I’m on the iPhone Upgrade Program, and it’s been two years (I have an 11) so I’m “due” for an upgrade. But I’m actually on the fence, because I hardly go anywhere due to the restrictions, so I could sit another round out till—maybe—travel becomes a thing again.

Bet I’m not the only one.

itguyinsd

I'll be swayed to get an iPhone 13 PRO MAX when AT&T gives me a ridiculous amount of money for my iPhone 11 PRO MAX and a promise of 24 more months of service!

bakerzdosen

I was fine with my iPhone X. I figured I'd upgrade to a 13 or 14.

But then AT&T offered me a ridiculous amount for a trade-in on my X. So I have a 12 Pro now. That decision took maybe an hour to make. My parents did the same with their iPhone 7's (now 12's).

Point being: sure, no one is planning on it unless they need a new phone. Carriers can (and will) sometimes surprise you with deals and THAT will be more of a deciding factor to upgrade than current plans.

peterhart

Love how a poll of only 1,500 people speaks for the masses. <eye roll>

bushman4

 10% seems low.   Then again some people might not be impressed by the iPhone 13.  Larger battery will NOT
give you extra battery life if the iPhone 13 has 120hz scrolling and am always on display

helibum

My iPhone XS Max is getting long in the tooth (and short in the battery capacity: 84% of original capacity), so I'll likely be ordering an iPhone 13 Pro Max on announcement day.

applezulu

“Informal poll” = statistically meaningless. 

Still, the headline reports the sensationally slim “only 10%” number, while the article says that could swell to 36% after people aren’t deciding on a pig in a poke. 

edited September 2021

soundsinmotion

I’ve got the 12 pro Max that I paid in full for. Definitely don’t see myself getting the 13 as I don’t think it will be that much of an upgrade for me.

daalseth

So a slightly better camera and a larger battery that quite possibly will have no net effect on the battery life. It's just not a year with any big "must have " feature. I'm going to stay on my 11. This is an iPad year fo me anyway. 

EDIT: A sign of how little this years model is bringing to the table, witness all the articles out about the iPhone 14 that is over a year away. That's a sign that there;'s not much excitement for the 13.

edited September 2021

indieshack

"Some 27% of existing iPhone owners who plan to upgrade are excited about low-earth orbit satellite connectivity"

lol... wasn't this a complete misunderstanding about Apple's probable use of GlobalStars TERRESTRIAL frequencies?

djames4242

JFC_PA said:

Of course being enrolled in the Apple Upgrade program makes it a no brainer: my monthly cost remains virtually  the same and I get to enjoy the latest iPhone. Love that program. 

Of course, you’re also paying 100% of the sales tax every year for 50% of the lifespan of the phone, considering that after two years you’d be able to keep the phone and even resell it. Unless, of course, you’re in one of the few states that doesn’t charge sales tax.

Honestly I’m not judging; I’m not the target for this program and only upgrade every 3-4 years. But if you like always having the latest device, then the premium is undoubtedly worth it to you. I just think it sucks that Apple (or the carriers, if you use one of their upgrade programs) charges the full sales tax when they’re going to turn around in a year and sell it as a used device charging its new owner sales tax again.

muthuk_vanalingam

DAalseth said:

So a slightly better camera and a larger battery that quite possibly will have no net effect on the battery life. It's just not a year with any big "must have " feature. I'm going to stay on my 11. This is an iPad year fo me anyway. 

EDIT: A sign of how little this years model is bringing to the table, witness all the articles out about the iPhone 14 that is over a year away. That's a sign that there;'s not much excitement for the 13.

Oh, you fell for that CRAP??? It was purely about stock manipulation and nothing else. It has NOTHING to do with iPhones 13 or 14.

edited September 2021

roderikus

That’s a significant survey with a sample 0.000007.5 % that is so representative of the population of 2 billion

davgreg

I have a 12 Pro and a series 6 Watch. To be honest I would be more interested in an improved Apple Watch unless there is a marked improvement in 5G performance for the phone. I use my iPad Pro far more than I do the iPhone, so it really is not that important.

The idea of satellite communication for emergency use is an interesting concept.

dewme

djames4242 said:

JFC_PA said:

Of course being enrolled in the Apple Upgrade program makes it a no brainer: my monthly cost remains virtually  the same and I get to enjoy the latest iPhone. Love that program. 

Of course, you’re also paying 100% of the sales tax every year for 50% of the lifespan of the phone, considering that after two years you’d be able to keep the phone and even resell it. Unless, of course, you’re in one of the few states that doesn’t charge sales tax.

Honestly I’m not judging; I’m not the target for this program and only upgrade every 3-4 years. But if you like always having the latest device, then the premium is undoubtedly worth it to you. I just think it sucks that Apple (or the carriers, if you use one of their upgrade programs) charges the full sales tax when they’re going to turn around in a year and sell it as a used device charging its new owner sales tax again.

Retailers including Apple, carriers, stores, and sales people get absolutely no benefit at all from charging their customers sales tax. It all gets remitted to the tax jurisdictions. They don’t get to “take a cut” so in effect they are doing work for the tax man and receiving no compensation. It’s a cost of doing business for retailers and a cost of living in a society that provides public benefits for its citizens. Nothing judgmental, just a certainty. 

sdw2001

JFC_PA said:

So with over a billion iPhones in use that’s “only” 100 million definite  iPhone 13 purchases “this fall” with another 260 million undecided. 

Hmmm…

in any event I’m one of the decided: buying a 13 pro max at the first opportunity. Of course being enrolled in the Apple Upgrade program makes it a no brainer: my monthly cost remains virtually  the same and I get to enjoy the latest iPhone. Love that program. 

Yeah, I'm in the AT&T program and I may do the same.  I'm going to pay anyway...might as well have a new device.  And if I wait to pay off my 12 Pro Max, I'll upgrade then anyway.  Without that program, I doubt I'd upgrade.  

sdw2001

The number one feature I want?  Solve the screen dimming issue on the 12 Pro Max.  It occurs despite any brightness settings tried.  It is a protection "feature."  If you charge your phone while using certain apps, the screen can dim as much as 50%.  Ditto on warm temperatures or direct sunlight.  This has been an issue going back to iPhone 6 for me, and it is infuriating.  What is the point of having such a fast and powerful processor if I can't use it because of heat?  

beowulfschmidt

Count me in the "fence sitters" category, though it's going to take a fair bit to get me to upgrade.  So far I haven't seen any compelling features from which I would actually benefit.  I figure I have at least another year's use out of my 11.

But as always, next week's reveal might change my mind.

daalseth

muthuk_vanalingam said:

DAalseth said:

So a slightly better camera and a larger battery that quite possibly will have no net effect on the battery life. It's just not a year with any big "must have " feature. I'm going to stay on my 11. This is an iPad year fo me anyway. 

EDIT: A sign of how little this years model is bringing to the table, witness all the articles out about the iPhone 14 that is over a year away. That's a sign that there;'s not much excitement for the 13.

Oh, you fell for that CRAP??? It was purely about stock manipulation and nothing else. It has NOTHING to do with iPhones 13 or 14.

Oh I don't believe any of the stuff I've read about the 14. It's all speculation and hopeful renderings of designers. But the degree to which buzz about next years model has really eclipsed this years is significant. I've seen stories about the following years phone come out in previous years but they usually are a footnote. People are excited about what is about to be released. This year I just don't see that much excitement about the 13. There's more buzz about the hypothetical 14.I find that significant.