Majority of iPhone users unimpressed with iPhone 13 lineup, study finds

Posted:
in iPhone edited October 2021
A casual survey published this week found that some 64% of iPhone users were "not very" or "not at all" impressed with the company's new iPhone 13 lineup.

iPhone 13


According to a study conducted by SellCell, 64.1% of surveyed users did not find Apple's Sept. 14 iPhone 13 announcement enticing, with only 14.4% saying the new hardware is "extremely" or "very exciting."

The firm surveyed 5,000 iPhone users aged 18 or older between Sept. 23 and 30, and published its findings on Tuesday.

Purchase intent was down 20.5% when compared to a similar poll conducted prior to Apple's "California Streaming" event, with 23.2% of existing iPhone users saying that they intend to upgrade to iPhone 13. The remaining 76.8% of existing iPhone owners have no interest in buying the latest and greatest device.

Brand loyalty remains strong, with 36.8% of respondents who decided against upgrading saying they plan to wait for a next-generation "iPhone 14." Another 32.3% said they don't intend to upgrade in the next two years, 11.3% will buy an older iPhone model and 16.1% are making the switch to Android. Google is the most popular choice for switchers at 45.1%, followed by Samsung at 41.8%.

The iPhone 13 Pro proved to be the most popular model for upgraders with a 42.5% share, while iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini followed with 26.3%, 22% and 9.2%, respectively.

In terms of new features, iPhone 13 Pro's ProMotion display and the line's overall improved battery life led the pack for those considering an iPhone 13 purchase, with a respective 34.1% and 25.3% of users citing the capabilities as reasons to buy. Only 5.4% of users cited improved camera features like Cinematic mode and updated sensors as a main reason to upgrade, while more storage space, a faster processor, smaller TrueDepth "notch," new colors and dual eSIM support were all cited by less than 5% of respondents.

A 15.7% share of prospective buyers said they were due for an upgrade and 10.5% said they were in a yearly upgrade or trade-in program.

Interestingly, 29.3% of survey participants who have no plans to buy iPhone 13 said a lack of Touch ID was a deal breaker. Apple is said to be testing in-screen fingerprint technology for a future iPhone, but it is unclear when the feature will debut.

Other factors that went into a decision against purchasing iPhone 13 include a lack of an always-on display, inclusion of TrueDepth notch, no ProMotion on entry-level models and pricing.

SellCell also queried participants on the iPad and Apple Watch models announced last month, with 18.2% of respondents saying they intend to buy a new iPad or iPad mini. Apple's diminutive sixth-generation iPad mini, which received its first update in well over two years, gained the lion's share of interest with 72.6% saying they prefer the model over the ninth-generation iPad. A meager 7.5% of respondents plan to buy Apple Watch Series 7 after it goes on sale this Friday.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 43
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,911member
    I’m sure there are a lot of people like me. I have a Xs. A better camera would be nice, but I’m not making movies, I’m taking snapshots of family, pets, etc. smaller notch? Meh. Battery life? My current battery is still working fine. Processor speed? I’m sure I’d notice the difference, but I’m not unhappy with the speed of my Xs and I don’t play games or do anything else that taxes the processor. 5G might be nice now that they’re finally getting reasonable coverage, but my current speeds are fine. 

    In the end, is it worth it for me to shell out $1000? Not really. But that’s part of why I buy an iPhone and not an android - so it’s not obsolete and unusable in 6 months. 
    edited October 2021 baconstangviclauyycmuthuk_vanalingamdk49macapfelrayboelijahgmagman1979applguystevenoz
  • Reply 2 of 43
    bluefire1bluefire1 Posts: 1,301member
    My iPhone 13 Pro impresses me!
    baconstangredgeminipaikirmagman1979
  • Reply 3 of 43
    My 13 Pro is great. This survey sounds like a confused mess designed to illicit answers that are bad for Apple. Not buying it.  The numbers are ridiculous. Really 30% cited no fingerprint unlock. I call BS. 
    pichaelredgeminipaikirrayboiloveapplegearmagman1979tokyojimu
  • Reply 4 of 43
    Honestly compared to IP X and 12, the improvement on 13 over the previous generation is not that great. Especially if you are not going to makes a lot of video or a gamer. 
    elijahg
  • Reply 5 of 43
    haikushaikus Posts: 12member
    My 13 Pro is great. This survey sounds like a confused mess designed to illicit answers that are bad for Apple. Not buying it.  The numbers are ridiculous. Really 30% cited no fingerprint unlock. I call BS. 
    I recognize myself in the survey. I upgraded from 11pro to 13pro because I’m used to upgrade every two years, I finally wanted MagSafe (even if it’s a bit of a mess), and I love better cameras. But neither at the announcement nor now in real life I’m even remotely impressed. 
    Fingerprint unlock is a big deal tbh. We’re still wearing masks in many places and I find it ridiculous that I need an Apple Watch as a workaround to FaceID. Especially considering that there was a bug preventing that. My boyfriend upgraded from a SE and literally the first thing he complained about was the lack of TouchID.
    elijahg
  • Reply 6 of 43
    charlesncharlesn Posts: 820member
    While I don't doubt that there may be some truth in a "lack of excitement" about the iPhone 13, the specifics cited in this survey don't pass the smell test... and why should they, considering the survey was "conducted" by SellCell, which is just a shopping comparison site for buying and selling used tech of various types from many manufacturers. Their expertise in proper survey methodology is presumably as deep as the Cyber Ninjas expertise is handling election recounts, which is effectively zero. But hey, these "surveys" get the SellCell name out there in press publications that are willing to print anything, like Apple Insider, so I guess it's a good piece of marketing, especially around phone trade-in time. Most laughable was the stat that the #1 most exciting new feature for Apple users was the higher refresh rate display. 
    muthuk_vanalingamredgeminipamagman1979viclauyyc
  • Reply 7 of 43
    Personally? I’m not buying iPhone 13, because of upcoming ASi MBP 16” that will run me dry. After that I’d go for new Apple Watch. But I’d still name the lack of USBC as the reason for not upgrading o iPhone 13 now, just so they’d make one that has the port. I hope the EU law passes quickly.Also, I don’t think there will be a portless iPhone within the next 5 years at least, but I wouldn’t bet any money on it (need that for the RAM & storage upgrades).

    Edit: But I very much like the 13 offering over my 7, I’d go for mini if it’d be a bit wider. But my 7 still works and, MBP 16” will take all my tech spending budget for the whole year.
    edited October 2021 muthuk_vanalingamelijahg
  • Reply 8 of 43
    petripetri Posts: 118member
    I suspect the survey is asking the wrong questions of the wrong people, probably on purpose.  Nobody should be upgrading from last years phone or possibly even the one before that; Apple know full well that upgrade cycles are longer now as the technology plateaus.

    For me, I upgraded from an iPhone XR to a 13 Pro, and not only is it a very nice step up on almost every level (LCD to higher res OLED with pro motion, single camera to three lenses, 3gb ram to 6gb etc) but as someone who always used to pay extra for the 128gb it was also good value.
    muthuk_vanalingamFidonet127iloveapplegeartokyojimu
  • Reply 9 of 43
    nadriel said:
    Personally? I’m not buying iPhone 13, because of upcoming ASi MBP 16” that will run me dry. After that I’d go for new Apple Watch. But I’d still name the lack of USBC as the reason for not upgrading o iPhone 13 now, just so they’d make one that has the port. I hope the EU law passes quickly.Also, I don’t think there will be a portless iPhone within the next 5 years at least, but I wouldn’t bet any money on it (need that for the RAM & storage upgrades).

    Edit: But I very much like the 13 offering over my 7, I’d go for mini if it’d be a bit wider. But my 7 still works and, MBP 16” will take all my tech spending budget for the whole year.
    USB-C? People need to stop beating dead horses with this one. I'd almost wager the iPhone will go port-less before Apple takes it USB-C. With 5G expanding, and wireless in general getting much faster, cables will end up being a thing of the past within a few years. If you think the majority would be perfectly fine with the port changing again, they won't. MagSafe will be the next data transmission method. Also, if Apple is able to stop putting anything other than the phone in the box, that's the route they'd rather take. USB-C cables aren't all the same, and too many people end up buying cables that can't transfer data. Apple wants to avoid that with their best selling device. 

    I might plug in my iPhone twice per year, if that. I'm nearly 100% wireless already. 
  • Reply 10 of 43
    dk49dk49 Posts: 267member
    I suspect that people are going to feel the same for the Apple Watch Series 7. Probably worse. 
    GeorgeBMac
  • Reply 11 of 43
    ikirikir Posts: 127member
    viclauyyc said:
    Honestly compared to IP X and 12, the improvement on 13 over the previous generation is not that great. Especially if you are not going to makes a lot of video or a gamer. 
    This is users, non tech users, impression. Having better performance, with better battery life and less heat generation is  AWESOME for any user case.
    Using iPhone 13 mini since few days, never been exited this much by any smartphone, it is just INCREDIBLE in everything.
    raybostevenoz
  • Reply 12 of 43
    Fred257Fred257 Posts: 236member
    I bought my iPhone mini 12 to replace my first generation iPhone SE.  Besides the camera most software and Siri haven’t changed at all and run at the exact same speed.  Siri is still light years behind Google.  It’s so bad that it’s a complete joke in my opinion.  It’s a big, heavy and crappy phone in comparison to my SE.  As a matter of fact I’m extremely disappointed in my purchase and will be selling it when a new SE comes out next year.  Not having Touch ID during the pandemic (when it’s in the newest iPad mini) goes to show you just how moronic Apple has become.
  • Reply 13 of 43
    Fred257 said:
    I bought my iPhone mini 12 to replace my first generation iPhone SE.  Besides the camera most software and Siri haven’t changed at all and run at the exact same speed.  Siri is still light years behind Google.  It’s so bad that it’s a complete joke in my opinion.  It’s a big, heavy and crappy phone in comparison to my SE.  As a matter of fact I’m extremely disappointed in my purchase and will be selling it when a new SE comes out next year.  Not having Touch ID during the pandemic (when it’s in the newest iPad mini) goes to show you just how moronic Apple has become.
    It seems you made the wrong choice and should have bought an Android Phone.
    raybo
  • Reply 14 of 43

    MplsP said:
    I’m sure there are a lot of people like me. I have a Xs. A better camera would be nice, but I’m not making movies, I’m taking snapshots of family, pets, etc. smaller notch? Meh. Battery life? My current battery is still working fine. Processor speed? I’m sure I’d notice the difference, but I’m not unhappy with the speed of my Xs and I don’t play games or do anything else that taxes the processor. 5G might be nice now that they’re finally getting reasonable coverage, but my current speeds are fine. 

    In the end, is it worth it for me to shell out $1000? Not really. But that’s part of why I buy an iPhone and not an android - so it’s not obsolete and unusable in 6 months. 
    Same here – and couldn't agree more. I was excited for the Portrait-Mode on the XS, which is fantastic, but I don't use it a lot. I can't see any feature that would currently attract me to the 13 – nonetheless it is no doubt a great phone and better than its predecessors. Besides removing the notch – I can't see what more can be in store for the iPhone. It seems to have reached some level of sophistication that does not allow for much more real world development.

    I'd be really interested what people here think the iPhone (or any phone) might be missing, or what kind of development there might be for the iPhone. I would think: not a lot. The only real improvements might come from software and iOS developments.

    As for the AppleWatch – I believe it has potential for a long time, mostly towards health monitoring.
    elijahg
  • Reply 15 of 43
    Both my oldest child and I have upgraded to iPhone 13. In her case, from an XR, and in my own from a 2nd generation SE. My wife remains on her 12. I would like to see how the surveyor carried out participant selection and how the actual questions were phrased.
  • Reply 16 of 43
    nadriel said:
    Personally? I’m not buying iPhone 13, because of upcoming ASi MBP 16” that will run me dry. After that I’d go for new Apple Watch. But I’d still name the lack of USBC as the reason for not upgrading o iPhone 13 now, just so they’d make one that has the port. I hope the EU law passes quickly.Also, I don’t think there will be a portless iPhone within the next 5 years at least, but I wouldn’t bet any money on it (need that for the RAM & storage upgrades).

    Edit: But I very much like the 13 offering over my 7, I’d go for mini if it’d be a bit wider. But my 7 still works and, MBP 16” will take all my tech spending budget for the whole year.
    USB-C? People need to stop beating dead horses with this one. I'd almost wager the iPhone will go port-less before Apple takes it USB-C. With 5G expanding, and wireless in general getting much faster, cables will end up being a thing of the past within a few years. If you think the majority would be perfectly fine with the port changing again, they won't. MagSafe will be the next data transmission method. Also, if Apple is able to stop putting anything other than the phone in the box, that's the route they'd rather take. USB-C cables aren't all the same, and too many people end up buying cables that can't transfer data. Apple wants to avoid that with their best selling device. 

    I might plug in my iPhone twice per year, if that. I'm nearly 100% wireless already. 
    Yup there are different cables, but so there are for for other port standards. 5G is not the answer for local data transfer, but sure is quicker and better than older generations, as it should be.

    Have you seen any statistics on how many use MagSafe? I haven’t, are they really that widespread?

    Wireless data currently goes over three major protocols: cellular, Bluetooth and WiFi (and NFC but that doesn’t really count in this case). If you add wireless to MagSafe, would it use existing protocols or make a new one, will it function like NFC or Bluetooth? Arguably, it’s still wired since you need to plug MagSafe in the computer.

    USBC is not a dead horse.. If it’d be that why add it to new products like iPad mini now? Wireless charging is limited and not as efficient as wired, nor is it closely as fast as wired and wireless is prone to network congestion. So no, I’d wager that USBC is not going away anytime soon.

    The messed up standards for cords by USB-IF is a problem, but that’s much easier to solve than making up a new wireless data transfer protocol that can compete with USB4. That’s why I’d say no portless iPhones for the next 5 years. But I wouldn’t claim to be able to predict what Apple will do or what they think as an outsider, so I’d not risk my money on this. Nor should you claim that it as gospel that Apple will go portless rather than having USBC in their iPhones, we simply don’t know.

    Or is it you Tim?
    muthuk_vanalingamelijahg
  • Reply 17 of 43
    eriamjheriamjh Posts: 1,630member
    Oh, no!

    Anyway…

    These articles seem to come out every other cycle and, surprise, surprise, iPhone continues to sell in record numbers.   

    The phones are sold for 12 months and these surveys are forgotten because the latest phone is always the best phone.  
  • Reply 18 of 43
    It is entirly unrealistic to be impressed or excited with new devices every year. People complained about battery life and said they would rather have a thicker phone with more battery life. Apple delivered with the 13. People complained about the notch on the X, and yet every phone with notch on it has sold tons. The 13 will be no different.

    The 2nd gen SE is good enough for me and will be for many years to come, until it malfunctions. I wish it was bigger, but the selling point was the touchID and my old 6 wasn't cutting it anymore. 5G and USB-C are not selling points to me. My wife will probally get the 13 to replace her X. We like to get things paid off for a bit, before getting new devices.
    MplsP
  • Reply 19 of 43
    Never heard of them.

    I tend to buy a new iPhone every year if for no other reason than to have the best, latest camera - I no longer carry a APS-C DSLR around with me as I had done previously.

    If that were not my habit would I have bought the iPhone 13 Pro Max to replace my 12 Pro Max based on pre-release buzz? Maybe not.

    But the actual iPhone 13 Pro Max in hand is a big improvement over the 12 Pro Max, let alone any of the phones which came before it.

    The battery life is amazing, the cameras are impressive, and the LTPO ProMotion display is surprisingly efficient and more importantly brighter than the 12 Pro Max - a much better package.

    The 13PM is very fast and fluid, though I'm not sure how much of that is due to ProMotion. I think the display brightness and clarity is what I notice the most followed by the snappiness of the phone - I find myself lowering the brightness at night a lot out of reflex thinking I'm wasting battery. I normally run the display at less than a quarter and it still seems bright. I haven't had a lot of sunlight here in the midwest lately, though I'm sure the 1000 NIT max normal brightness will help a lot when used outdoors on a sunny day.

    The point is that the prerelease buzz doesn't do this phone justice. Although the rumors were pretty much dead on, they don't sound as impressive as the handset is when actually using it. Macro mode is a joy to use and gets you in close to see or photograph practically anything, and having deep fusion on all cameras lets you photograph and see information booklets printed in 2.5 point fonts designed for Lilliputians, or the specs printed atop ages old light bulbs which have faded with time.
    edited October 2021 stevenoz
  • Reply 20 of 43
    This “survey” sounds like something bought and paid for my one of the faceless Android phone mills. Me? I’d NEVER buy an Android anything or a Windows anything. The tight integration of ALL the Apple device OSes is the most compelling thing about them

    Right now I have an iPhone XS. The battery life has dropped a bit, otherwise it works just fine. 
    Although, lately running a few updates the thing hung and threatened to make me do a Restore, instead of update. So, it’s time.
    Do I need a new phone? I could probably squeeze another year out of my XS, but I won’t.

    One of the main reasons is that FINALLY Apple decided to bump the memory to 1TB. 
    The new cameras are pretty compelling, too.

    So, I pre-ordered an iPhone 13 Pro to replace the old one.
    I decided to go directly through AT&T, because Apple is only offering $240 for a trade-in. 
    AT&T said up to $800. Can’t beat that. 
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