Which is why our family consider our iPhone purchase philosophy "time-shifting"... Make believe it's 2017 and "buy the latest" at a discounted price from either a reseller or our cellular provider.
It's because we're tired of being screwed. Even Apple loyalist aren't stupid - we can see Android phones getting better and cheaper and more polished every year and Apple is putting prices UP. I used to upgrade every 2 years but when the price of the phones are increasing and features I want are being taken away (Qualcomm modem, TouchID, headphone jack, home button) I'd be crazy to upgrade.
Why should I pay tons more than I did last time for features I don't want (Intel modem, Face ID, Animoji, Ugly notch, No battery status percentage) ? And then I have to go pay extra for a fast charger, wireless, airpods, case. You don't even include the headphone jack adapter in the box anymore! The XS Max with 256gb is $2399 in Australia! Are you kidding me?! Even wealthy educated people earning big 6 figure salaries don't want to pay that. Apple has shot up to becoming an elitist brand for snooty upper class douchebags, not middle class like it used to be. You're smoking crack, Tim. Put the pipe down.
"we can see Android phones getting better and cheaper"
Android phones are not getting cheaper. Have you seen the prices of premium Android phones lately? Cheapest one I've seen is around $600
My wife just upgraded her 6 to an 8 Plus. I wondered why she did upgrade to the XR, since it wasn't that much more. She said she just didn't like it as well after handling and using them both in the store, and the "better" screen isn't better enough.
I was thinking about upgrading, but my 7 is still going strong, and the XR has no features compelling enough to make me want to pay the comparatively modest upgrade price. And the XS, while a good phone, is even less compelling than the XR, given the not at all modest upgrade price and features in which I'm uninterested.
So yeah, I'm sticking with what I've got. We'll see what happens next year. If Apple continues on it's current course, maybe I'll do the same thing my wife did this year and upgrade to an 8. Or maybe I'll just stick with my 7 until iOS no longer updates, and then evaluate my options.
I think part of the "issue" (for those who believe it is an issue) here is related to the typical S-shaped adoption curve for new products and technologies. Early adopters are typically enthusiasts and tolerate products are suboptimal but they stay on the curve as the product evolves. These folks are also vocal. As the product matures the later adopters and laggards jump on board after the product is very stable and feature complete until it ends up in cash cow territory. The challenge for the product maker becomes one of how to continue to keep those vocal enthusiasts excited and engaged once the product is highly mature and feature complete when the cost of adding more and better stuff has a diminishing cost-vs-benefit ratio. They start getting into esoteric features and qualities that are very expensive to deliver for the few who care. All the while the bulk of adopters are quite happy with what they've already got in their hands because it has reached a "good enough" state. Unless something else comes along to disrupt the product/category and start a brand new adoption curve from the bottom, this is simply the way things are going to be when products/technologies mature.
This is a somewhat surprising admission. One would think that a company that has the size and sophistication of Apple would have had the market intelligence/marketing research to see something like this coming a mile away, especially given the size of the foot-traffic in Apple stores. Stuff like this doesn't happen overnight.
I truly hope -- and expect -- that some heads will roll in marketing.
Tim doesn’t seem to be getting ahead of a number of issues these days. Most importantly, the very obvious issue of US-China trade. Candidate Trump made a very big deal out of this and he’s been doing exactly what he promised. Tim should’ve seen how all of this would impact Apple coming a mile away, especially since he was on a presidential advisory group. Tim and the board at Apple should not be incapable of seeing and acting on real world information.
Apple needs to innovate a new business model. No not a bunch of cheap junk in a race to the bottom. However, if they wanted to increase their reliance on services from revenue that requires more devices in people's hands. In the US and Europe not a big deal add even older iPhones use services. In China and the like that's not the case. I don't know the answer, again I'm not advocating Apple making $300 phones. However, given than within the last 4 years their flagship was $700 they should be able to do something in that price range again.
while im a iphone user but i have to be honest the note series is miles ahead .i mean its 2019 and you still cant lock your photos or invidiual apps,apple is becoming boring and imessage is the only thing keeping the iphone relevant because if you purchased the iphone 6,7,8, you bought the same phone while on a note you can run dual snapchats ,facebook,etc come con apple its time to catch up ,stop selling yesterdays technology at tomorrows prices.
Well duh. I plunked down $1,000 for an iPhone X in November 2017 and there was really no need to upgrade to a iPhone XS -- there was simply not enough of an upgrade to warrant plunking down another $1,000.
So instead of giving my wife my old phone (like I usually) do, I got a $29 battery replacement to go in her iPhone 7 (80% health) and I had my iPhone X battery replaced as well (even at 88% for another $29). That should keep up going through 2019 and perhaps beyond. The phones work great, so really no need to upgrade unless Apple puts out something truly remarkable this year.
I did, however, upgrade my Apple Watch Series 2 SS to an Apple Watch Series 4 SS LTE -- now that was like a night and day difference -- WOW
Well, i can truly understand your approach. I also had an iPhone X, but upgraded to the XS Max. Since i am on the upgrade program, the difference was ony $4 per month. With iPhone X, i got hooked on face ID and the navigation speed on the phone. The XS max gave us a bit more screen without a super large S phone. I love it. People should really do the upgrade program. Its great.
“Cook said that some countries were affected by currency exchange fluctuations which meant Apple needed to "essentially absorb part or all of the foreign currency moves."”
Good idea Timmy. Now get to it. No one is buying $2000 phones in this part of the world.
With no explanation, Apple abruptly stopped making phones to focus exclusively on tablets. It’s no wonder they’re selling less—they abandoned a whole market segment!
This is a somewhat surprising admission. One would think that a company that has the size and sophistication of Apple would have had the market intelligence/marketing research to see something like this coming a mile away, especially given the size of the foot-traffic in Apple stores. Stuff like this doesn't happen overnight.
I truly hope -- and expect -- that some heads will roll in marketing.
while im a iphone user but i have to be honest the note series is miles ahead .i mean its 2019 and you still cant lock your photos or invidiual apps,apple is becoming boring and imessage is the only thing keeping the iphone relevant because if you purchased the iphone 6,7,8, you bought the same phone while on a note you can run dual snapchats ,facebook,etc come con apple its time to catch up ,stop selling yesterdays technology at tomorrows prices.
Nonsense. If you think the XS or the X is the same as a 6-8, you simply haven’t used the devices. The processor alone is generations apart.
You post boils oils down to “I like the way Android works!” but that’s a matter of preference and opinion. Locking photos has never been a concern here.
i mean to the average person they dont care about processors lol ,but come on its 2019 ,the iphone works better no doubt but with that price tagt it should be way more features .maybe sales are slumping because there are cheaper options with better features.
while im a iphone user but i have to be honest the note series is miles ahead .i mean its 2019 and you still cant lock your photos or invidiual apps,apple is becoming boring and imessage is the only thing keeping the iphone relevant because if you purchased the iphone 6,7,8, you bought the same phone while on a note you can run dual snapchats ,facebook,etc come con apple its time to catch up ,stop selling yesterdays technology at tomorrows prices.
You can absolutely lock apps. Screentime enables the ability to do that. I'm not certain that you're using a recent iPhone.
Upgrading also means giving up TouchID, which I greatly prefer over FaceID; giving up a simple audio jack with a headset that sports a great controller.
The AirPods can't do most of what is over-loaded into the EarPods' remote controller. If you use your phone for meetings hours a day, AirPods won't cut it. If you want a traditional analog EarPod, you must fill your lighting port with an adapter, but then you can't charge, unless you do wireless charging or buy a large sized dongle that can charge and take analog adapter too. Whichever way you look at it, it's more "stuff" to manage and take along with you when outside the home.
When an iPhone becomes managed by a company, it requires strong passcodes, making TouchID or FaceID necessary. If you're driving, or in bed, or your phone is in your pocket, do you really want to whip it out in front of your face? Hoping one day they have the TouchID behind the screen, having a physical button is becoming a luxury.
I've upgraded my iPhone a few times over the past few years, sometimes out of need, but mostly out of want. Now, I'm resolved to the fact that "if it's not broke, don't fix it." Why put down tons of money to upgrade from my 7+ to a X just because it's the latest model. Better to save what I would have spent on a new phone and invest in a new MacBook our iPad Pro. As long as I am able to continue to update my OS to the latest version, no sense in buying something new.
Comments
Android phones are not getting cheaper. Have you seen the prices of premium Android phones lately? Cheapest one I've seen is around $600
I was thinking about upgrading, but my 7 is still going strong, and the XR has no features compelling enough to make me want to pay the comparatively modest upgrade price. And the XS, while a good phone, is even less compelling than the XR, given the not at all modest upgrade price and features in which I'm uninterested.
So yeah, I'm sticking with what I've got. We'll see what happens next year. If Apple continues on it's current course, maybe I'll do the same thing my wife did this year and upgrade to an 8. Or maybe I'll just stick with my 7 until iOS no longer updates, and then evaluate my options.
Well, i can truly understand your approach. I also had an iPhone X, but upgraded to the XS Max. Since i am on the upgrade program, the difference was ony $4 per month. With iPhone X, i got hooked on face ID and the navigation speed on the phone. The XS max gave us a bit more screen without a super large S phone. I love it. People should really do the upgrade program. Its great.
Good idea Timmy. Now get to it. No one is buying $2000 phones in this part of the world.
You post boils oils down to “I like the way Android works!” but that’s a matter of preference and opinion. Locking photos has never been a concern here.
The AirPods can't do most of what is over-loaded into the EarPods' remote controller. If you use your phone for meetings hours a day, AirPods won't cut it. If you want a traditional analog EarPod, you must fill your lighting port with an adapter, but then you can't charge, unless you do wireless charging or buy a large sized dongle that can charge and take analog adapter too. Whichever way you look at it, it's more "stuff" to manage and take along with you when outside the home.
When an iPhone becomes managed by a company, it requires strong passcodes, making TouchID or FaceID necessary. If you're driving, or in bed, or your phone is in your pocket, do you really want to whip it out in front of your face? Hoping one day they have the TouchID behind the screen, having a physical button is becoming a luxury.