User satisfaction, refurbished device prevalence may hurt future iPhone sales

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 46
    dachardachar Posts: 330member
    There is some obsolescence with older iPhones. My old iPhone 5 that I passed on in the family can’t he upgraded past iOS 10.3.3 to 11.
  • Reply 22 of 46
    brucemc said:
    airnerd said:
    this only makes sense.  As the phones become more reliable and the advances between iterations gets less, there is less reason to get a new one.  Nothing wrong with the old one.  Up until now there were huge changes for almost every non "S" version of the iPhone.  From better antennas to better screen, better camera, better security via touch ID, better durability due to fewer moving parts, etc.  Screen resolution can't get THAT much better, durability is high, 5G is around the corner but other than that the networking capabilities aren't leaps and bounds better.  There just hasn't been that next round of "wow, I can't do day to day tasks without that".  AR is cool but in its infancy.  FaceID is cool, but a gimmick at this point.  I'm not knocking the X, it's cool but there is no incentive to move up.  That's why I'm still on my 6, it is still too good of a phone to toss.  

    Maybe Apple should embrace the tinfoil hat-wearers and put in some planned obsolescence  :fearful: 
    I agree with most of your post, but the FaceID as gimmick comment seems odd.  From what I have read, and in speaking to X owners, it works quite well, and they find it better than TouchID overall.  It does exactly what it is supposed to do, well, and reliably.  Not sure how that makes it a gimmick.
    Sorry, I didn't mean to imply it doesn't work well.  I meant gimmick in that my finger print unlocked it just as well and just as fast IMO.  Essentially I had no issues with speed of unlocking my phone before, so this doesn't offer any sizeable advantage over what we had before.   As the technology grows and that camera that can map faces now is used for more things like perhaps more accurate 3D scanning, then it will become a useful function.
    baconstang
  • Reply 23 of 46
    avon b7avon b7 Posts: 7,622member
    airnerd said:
    brucemc said:
    airnerd said:
    this only makes sense.  As the phones become more reliable and the advances between iterations gets less, there is less reason to get a new one.  Nothing wrong with the old one.  Up until now there were huge changes for almost every non "S" version of the iPhone.  From better antennas to better screen, better camera, better security via touch ID, better durability due to fewer moving parts, etc.  Screen resolution can't get THAT much better, durability is high, 5G is around the corner but other than that the networking capabilities aren't leaps and bounds better.  There just hasn't been that next round of "wow, I can't do day to day tasks without that".  AR is cool but in its infancy.  FaceID is cool, but a gimmick at this point.  I'm not knocking the X, it's cool but there is no incentive to move up.  That's why I'm still on my 6, it is still too good of a phone to toss.  

    Maybe Apple should embrace the tinfoil hat-wearers and put in some planned obsolescence  :fearful: 
    I agree with most of your post, but the FaceID as gimmick comment seems odd.  From what I have read, and in speaking to X owners, it works quite well, and they find it better than TouchID overall.  It does exactly what it is supposed to do, well, and reliably.  Not sure how that makes it a gimmick.
    Sorry, I didn't mean to imply it doesn't work well.  I meant gimmick in that my finger print unlocked it just as well and just as fast IMO.  Essentially I had no issues with speed of unlocking my phone before, so this doesn't offer any sizeable advantage over what we had before.   As the technology grows and that camera that can map faces now is used for more things like perhaps more accurate 3D scanning, then it will become a useful function.
    It's a completely valid opinion. Anyone who is considering an X has to weigh up these options and decide if the extra cost is worth it. FaceID is one of the tent pole features but for most cases is just another biometric option and in that context isn't very different to touchID. It may have some advantages but also has disadvantages. Add on the other differences (OLED etc) and if you feel it's worth the asking price, and you can afford one, great, but I'm sure you're not alone in your opinion and, as you say, some will be saving their money for a future version.


    edited February 2018 muthuk_vanalingamairnerd
  • Reply 24 of 46
    mattinozmattinoz Posts: 2,299member
    dachar said:
    There is some obsolescence with older iPhones. My old iPhone 5 that I passed on in the family can’t he upgraded past iOS 10.3.3 to 11.
    Apple could be smart here and use the stickiness of their products to create more stickiness.
    Make a lighter OS that concentrates on speed and stability, has all the non-hardware related developer improvements. They could tie upgrades past the base support to having an iCloud or Music account as well as getting revenue from 3d party app sales. The lighter OS then becomes the core to the feature OS's released in the year with hardware.
  • Reply 25 of 46
    hexclockhexclock Posts: 1,243member
    paxman said:
    This happened with Macs, too. As the devices become more powerful the need to upgrade decreases. My previous laptop was an aluminum MacBook. I maxed out the RAM and replaced the DVD drive and HD with SSD's over the years and only replaced it when it got showered in coffee and stopped working. Even doing basic Photoshop work was fine. I am currently on an iPhone 6s and even if I would love a better model it works just fine (battery notwithstanding). I love my hardware but I also love the idea of buying less. Of anything. 
     
    You are right about the Macs. I squeezed 10 years out of my G5, with some upgrades, then bought a 2013 Mac Pro and plan on getting 10 years out of that, hopefully.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 26 of 46
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator
    There is precisely zero reason to turn this thread political in any way, shape or form, so, if you can't see your post, that's why.
    watto_cobraairnerd
  • Reply 27 of 46
    ...if trends continue.
    The only economic trend that is ever guaranteed to continue is the hyperinflation of fiat currency. If Apple doesn’t think about predictions for further than 5 years out, why should anyone make (read: listen to those who make) market statements regarding the technology industry further than 5 years out, either?

    As for me, I had a first-gen iPhone for 7 years and I’ll keep my iPhone 6 for 7 years (or longer). Apple isn’t even thinking about the phone I’ll own next.
    edited February 2018 muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 28 of 46
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    NY1822 said:
    just wait for that 5G Super Cycle
    And what, exactly, will you gain from waiting for 5G? A two hour movie takes TWO HOURS to watch no matter how fast you download it. Your carrier will LOVE how fast you reach your data cap too. On a mobile device speed is pretty much meaningless once you get to a certain point. That web page won’t load any faster because the bottleneck will be your browser and how fast it can render, javascript, etc. I can’t think of a single reason a cellphone would need gigabit bandwidth other than for bragging rights. 5G with a fixed antenna for home and business, now that would make sense.
    edited February 2018
  • Reply 29 of 46
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    airnerd said:
    brucemc said:
    airnerd said:
    this only makes sense.  As the phones become more reliable and the advances between iterations gets less, there is less reason to get a new one.  Nothing wrong with the old one.  Up until now there were huge changes for almost every non "S" version of the iPhone.  From better antennas to better screen, better camera, better security via touch ID, better durability due to fewer moving parts, etc.  Screen resolution can't get THAT much better, durability is high, 5G is around the corner but other than that the networking capabilities aren't leaps and bounds better.  There just hasn't been that next round of "wow, I can't do day to day tasks without that".  AR is cool but in its infancy.  FaceID is cool, but a gimmick at this point.  I'm not knocking the X, it's cool but there is no incentive to move up.  That's why I'm still on my 6, it is still too good of a phone to toss.  

    Maybe Apple should embrace the tinfoil hat-wearers and put in some planned obsolescence  :fearful: 
    I agree with most of your post, but the FaceID as gimmick comment seems odd.  From what I have read, and in speaking to X owners, it works quite well, and they find it better than TouchID overall.  It does exactly what it is supposed to do, well, and reliably.  Not sure how that makes it a gimmick.
    Sorry, I didn't mean to imply it doesn't work well.  I meant gimmick in that my finger print unlocked it just as well and just as fast IMO.  Essentially I had no issues with speed of unlocking my phone before, so this doesn't offer any sizeable advantage over what we had before.   As the technology grows and that camera that can map faces now is used for more things like perhaps more accurate 3D scanning, then it will become a useful function.
    It's already a useful function, not having the fingerprint sensor on the back and having a larger screen is useful and there are several other things too.
    It has a sizeable advantage in being even more a forget about it, it just happens, security than the fingerprint sensor.

    The reason for FaceID was never speed so not sure wth you are even arguing.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 30 of 46
    geekmeegeekmee Posts: 629member
    Wait for it... “Apple is Doomed.” 2.0
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 31 of 46
    geekmeegeekmee Posts: 629member
    I guarantee you this, Apple’s competitors would love to have this problem.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 32 of 46
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    Apple is doomed because people love it so much... Yup, that makes sense.

    The old Yogi Berra quip applies,
         Nobody goes at that restaurant anymore, it's always full.

    Well,
        Nobody buys from Iphone's anymore cause they're too busy buying something else from Apple...

    Apple will simply sell more of other linked products to the same people, they've already expanded quite a bit into that in the last 3 years.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 33 of 46
    racerhomie3racerhomie3 Posts: 1,264member
    Just like Tim Cook said , ‘The more people with iPhones in the world ,the better’
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 34 of 46
    mattinozmattinoz Posts: 2,299member
    geekmee said:
    Wait for it... “Apple is Doomed.” 2.0
    Wait for a timemachine to go back and re live the glory days of Apple is doomed 2.0.
    Surely we are up to at least "Apple is Doomed X"
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 35 of 46
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,273member
    Everyone in the savvy tech community of Apple users (so, not the WSJ) saw this coming a mile off ... it’s a perfectly logical and natural result of ending subsidies. You can’t triple the cost of a smartphone and expect buyers notice this, even if you try to hide it in an “installment plan.”

    The entire smartphone industry is in a mild slump (except for Apple). Gee, wonder why.
    edited February 2018
  • Reply 36 of 46
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    You know what else could cause a sudden and catastrophic slump in iPhone sales?

    Poorly-fitting dentures.
    Exploding kittens.
    People eating jaffa cakes chocolate-side up.

    A perfect storm that spells the end of Apple.

    Full report in the WSJ coming next week. Don't forget to subscribe.
    baconstangmuthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobramattinozchasm
  • Reply 37 of 46
    baconstangbaconstang Posts: 1,103member
    WSJ is the Baskin-Robbins 37 flavors of DOOM.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 38 of 46
    croprcropr Posts: 1,122member
    Owning an app development company, almost all my test devices (both Android and iPhones) are refurbished models with minimum capacity.  This reduces the cost of the test devices considerably.  

    But I do buy new phones for the developers.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 39 of 46
    avon b7avon b7 Posts: 7,622member
    lkrupp said:
    NY1822 said:
    just wait for that 5G Super Cycle
    And what, exactly, will you gain from waiting for 5G? A two hour movie takes TWO HOURS to watch no matter how fast you download it. Your carrier will LOVE how fast you reach your data cap too. On a mobile device speed is pretty much meaningless once you get to a certain point. That web page won’t load any faster because the bottleneck will be your browser and how fast it can render, javascript, etc. I can’t think of a single reason a cellphone would need gigabit bandwidth other than for bragging rights. 5G with a fixed antenna for home and business, now that would make sense.
    You are perhaps applying a 3G/4G mindset to 5G.

    Handsets will benefit from 5G in terms of speed and bandwidth which will be visible to the user if the correct infrastructure is in place but we should be looking beyond handsets and onto IoT and things like slicing:

    https://5g.co.uk/guides/what-is-network-slicing/

    Spanish telecoms giant Movistar announced at MWC plans to use slicing to improve telecommunications within the emergency services for example.
  • Reply 40 of 46
    frantisekfrantisek Posts: 756member
    There is nothing strange on that. That all new madness can not last forever when phone you have do all you need. With Apple quality phones last long. And now when big screen iphone 6 can be bought cheep there is no big reason to rush for anything newer till iOS will support it. Apple know that and pushing into new fields like watch an AR so it can drive sales when even iphone become comodity. I personaly use Apple HW 25 years and never bought anything new.
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