Two-thirds of US iPhone owners have a 2+ year old device, are prime for upgrades

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 57
    mj webmj web Posts: 918member
    seankill said:
    My iPhone 6+ will be turning 2 but I will hold out for the 2017 iPhone. This year's iPhone might be a nice upgrade but I don't anticipate anything being a must-have to the point its worth 850$. Smartphones are maturing much like the PC market did years ago, its most an evolutionary process except every 5-6 years.
    Tim Cook has really dropped the ball, not just on iPhone but on Apple! The S&P is at an all time high and AAPL is down 30% from last year's high. Now, because of Cook's ineptitude as a CEO, a majority of people who upgrade by rote, will not upgrade for the first time. Including me!
  • Reply 22 of 57
    If there's no headphone jack there will be no sale to me. You can do all the mental gymnastics you want and make whatever decision you want. For me and millions like me, a new phone without a headphone jack is less useful than an old phone with one.
    baconstang
  • Reply 23 of 57
    indiekidukindiekiduk Posts: 381member
    Yeh and 2 thirds also have 3 year old MacBook Pros or Airs. All this says is next year 2 thirds will have 3 year old iPhones. No one is going to by a pointless upgrade, just like they haven't bought the pointless laptops.
  • Reply 24 of 57
    If there's no headphone jack there will be no sale to me. You can do all the mental gymnastics you want and make whatever decision you want. For me and millions like me, a new phone without a headphone jack is less useful than an old phone with one.
    You make calls on a wireless cell network, use wireless data, probably use a wireless remote to get in your car, use a wireless TV remote, likely use wireless with your laptop, but by golly if they take away a fifty year old headphone jack, you're going to put your foot down.
    radarthekatnolamacguyfastasleeppropod
  • Reply 25 of 57
    jdgazjdgaz Posts: 404member
    Used to have to upgrade to chase better battery life. Got the 6+ and battery life is just fine. Of course I have learned to not stare at it all day long. So, for me it will be which features from 6S and 7 might push me over the edge and make me want to upgrade. We will see what is actually announced.
  • Reply 26 of 57
    thrangthrang Posts: 1,009member
    eightzero said:
    I don't need a new iPhone. My 5s works just fine, does everything I need or want.
    Call Herman Munster and let him know so he can update his numbers...
    fastasleep
  • Reply 27 of 57
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,286member
    This is unknown territory as there are no more "free" phones from any of the carriers. Many will hang on a little longer because of that. Looking at September's sales could be misleading. When the 6/6S were introduced, I had to wait until November to get mine. Combination of the contract on my 5 not being up until early October and the fact that the configuration I wanted was back-ordered. If I am going to upgrade my 6 (don't know if I will yet), it wouldn't be before November.
  • Reply 28 of 57
    NY1822NY1822 Posts: 621member
    400 people is hardly a large sample size...an inter office email was probably sent out posing the question. I'm interested to see how the 5SE sales will affect the upgrades of the 7. Originally I viewed the iPhone upgrade program as a positive way to shorten the upgrade cycle, but the more people I talk to and the more comments I read from people, the more it seems having your phone fully paid off is lengthening the cycle...
  • Reply 29 of 57
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    I don't understand this headline ... 66.66% of all iPhone owners are still using a 5s or older? How is that possible? The 6 is not yet two years old, and goes without saying that the 6s and SE aren't even close. 

    So the last two years of new iPhone sales only account for 33.33% of all the iPhones in the US? Are they including sales of the 5c & 5s in that estimate? Or because they were new two years ago, the survey assumes a customer will want to upgrade them in Septemeber, even if they just bought it less than a year ago.

    The headline is completely wrong though, even the article contradicts it in the first paragraph. Totally misleading.
    jvmb
  • Reply 30 of 57
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    apple ][ said:
    lkrupp said:
    For the same reason we all do. To spout bullshit.
    I come here mainly to battle Fandroids and to make fun of disgusting liberals. :#
    Apple itself is a liberal. so was Jebus. 
    baconstangfastasleeppropod
  • Reply 31 of 57
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    I just got back from the Apple store, and finally got my new SE. It's about damn time.

    I even got the Apple store to give me a free SIM card, which is sort of hit or miss from what I've been reading, but I have a charming personality, so that must've done the trick. :#
  • Reply 32 of 57
    TurboPGTTurboPGT Posts: 355member
    Only thing keeping me from upgrading my iPhone is the ATT Next Plan. I want to keep my unlimited Data - and frankly don't want to pay monthly for a Phone. Currently 2 lines unlimited Data - $130 - if I switch to Next Plan it bumps to $150+ and I lose my unlimited data
    You're doing that math wrong, and you're not gaining anything by keeping "unlimited" data, I assure you.
  • Reply 33 of 57
    levilevi Posts: 344member
    eightzero said:
    I don't need a new iPhone. My 5s works just fine, does everything I need or want.
    Neither do I, but it's nice to have the latest and greatest features/design - I.e thinner body, new color, and most importantly (to me) a better camera. 
  • Reply 34 of 57
    toddzrxtoddzrx Posts: 254member
    If there's no headphone jack there will be no sale to me. You can do all the mental gymnastics you want and make whatever decision you want. For me and millions like me, a new phone without a headphone jack is less useful than an old phone with one.
    I don't think it's the removal of the headphone jack alone that might make this fall's release a disappointment, but it'll certainly be a contributing factor.

    There are several things that are different this year compared to the last several.  First, most of the carriers don't do the legacy 2-year contract anymore and instead have separated the phone purchase from the monthly service charge.  Second, Apple released a "budget phone" that basically packs in the same capabilities of the 6S, just in a smaller package, and it's selling well.  Third, the "iPhone 7" is supposed to look just like the 6 and 6S.  Fourth, what's the killer feature?

    I think when the typical smart phone customer sees the iPhone 7, and compares it to what they already have, the motivation to upgrade just won't be there.  When you combine the absence of a headphone jack, it'll be one more reason to not renew.

    Knowing what we know right now, I'm baffled that Apple is deleting the headphone jack this fall, on a legacy chassis, instead of waiting until next year when they release a whole new chassis.  It seems to me it would be much easier to "sell" the headphone jack absence on that than on a phone that looks just like the ones Apple's been selling the last 2 years.
    baconstang
  • Reply 35 of 57
    g-newsg-news Posts: 1,107member
    Been trying to upgrade from 5 to SE for nearly two months now, still no stock here. At this rate, Apple isn't going to have any kind of record sales if their manufacturing isn't being ramped up properly.
    baconstang
  • Reply 36 of 57
    qwweraqwwera Posts: 281member
    I was hoping to wait out the 6 cycle but I'm getting 5.5 iPhone 7. I was looking into getting an iPad, but I think the 5.5 with the updated camera is a better option. That, and I have an SE ordered that will take the place of the 5S.

    And it would probably be a good time to try out the yearly update plan when I get the 7
  • Reply 37 of 57
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member

    Obsolete bad survey, people can still buy a 6 or 6+ even after the 6S came out long with the 5S which was just recently replaced by the 5se. Asking people which phone they have does not say how old the phone is. There is definitely a large group of people who like the smaller phone of the 5. Those people are going to stay with the smaller phone.

    All the available data say about 60 of the world likes the smaller form factor phones like the 5se thus the reason Apple is still having problem keeping up with demand. I personally do not see people jumping from an 6 or 6S to the 7 model. Apple phones have arrived at the same place as the Mac have been for the last 10 yrs, they will last you a good 5 ot 7 yrs without the need to upgrade hardware as long as software keeps evolving people will keep the hardware they have as long as they do not drop it in the toilet.

    jvmb
  • Reply 38 of 57
    rogifan_newrogifan_new Posts: 4,297member
    If there's no headphone jack there will be no sale to me. You can do all the mental gymnastics you want and make whatever decision you want. For me and millions like me, a new phone without a headphone jack is less useful than an old phone with one.
    You make calls on a wireless cell network, use wireless data, probably use a wireless remote to get in your car, use a wireless TV remote, likely use wireless with your laptop, but by golly if they take away a fifty year old headphone jack, you're going to put your foot down.
    I have both wired and wireless headphones. The sound quality of my wired ones is so much better. But I'm sure Apple will make a $30 adapter for people's existing headphones. Anytime Phil can get people to spend additional money (like I did with the 29W adapter for my iPad Pro which stupidly doesn't come in the box) Tim's a happy camper. 
  • Reply 39 of 57
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    I have both wired and wireless headphones. The sound quality of my wired ones is so much better. 
    I don't have much experience with wireless headphones, but I own a small collection of very nice wired headphones.

    I am a complete stickler when it comes to latency, and my ears can tell the difference between 5 milliseconds and 10 milliseconds, let alone something horrible like 100 milliseconds or more. Wireless needs to get their act together, if it is ever to convince me.
  • Reply 40 of 57
    brucemcbrucemc Posts: 1,541member
    toddzrx said:
    If there's no headphone jack there will be no sale to me. You can do all the mental gymnastics you want and make whatever decision you want. For me and millions like me, a new phone without a headphone jack is less useful than an old phone with one.
    I don't think it's the removal of the headphone jack alone that might make this fall's release a disappointment, but it'll certainly be a contributing factor.

    There are several things that are different this year compared to the last several.  First, most of the carriers don't do the legacy 2-year contract anymore and instead have separated the phone purchase from the monthly service charge.  Second, Apple released a "budget phone" that basically packs in the same capabilities of the 6S, just in a smaller package, and it's selling well.  Third, the "iPhone 7" is supposed to look just like the 6 and 6S.  Fourth, what's the killer feature?

    I think when the typical smart phone customer sees the iPhone 7, and compares it to what they already have, the motivation to upgrade just won't be there.  When you combine the absence of a headphone jack, it'll be one more reason to not renew.

    Knowing what we know right now, I'm baffled that Apple is deleting the headphone jack this fall, on a legacy chassis, instead of waiting until next year when they release a whole new chassis.  It seems to me it would be much easier to "sell" the headphone jack absence on that than on a phone that looks just like the ones Apple's been selling the last 2 years.
    Well, I agree with you, that if the only change from the 6s series to the iPhone 7 is the removal of the headphone jack, that sales will indeed not be great.

    On the other hand, an iPhone 7 just might have:
    - Great improvement in CPU/GPU, enabling new on-board/local learning functions as we saw introduced in iOS 10
    - Significantly improved camera.  Perhaps the OIS for photos and videos along lines of the 6s Plus, but not in the 4.7" 6s.
    - Dual camera with potential "wow features" on the 7 Plus.
    - 32GB as base model for storage, with 128GB next model.  Reason alone to upgrade for many.
    - Significantly improved screen - wide colour and True Tone, better daylight visibility, reduced reflection (all on the latest iPad Pro)

    All seem like pretty reasonable features to expect, and for someone on the iPhone 5s or earlier, getting all that + the 6s feature set, seems compelling to me (I am on 5s and will be upgrading for certain).
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