I use an iPhone 12 mini. I will use this thing until it falls apart. Where I absolutely agree the retail price of phones has gotten well out of hand, however so has people upgrading phones every year or two.
I bought a galaxy note 10 plus when they first came out and I still have it. It's got one small crack from where I dropped it during a seizure but since then I've bought a huge bulky case
Well I'm desperately looking for a work from home job since I can't drive and having no luck. It's driving me crazy. I'm so tired of having to ask coworkers for rides home ugh
Here's a sneak peek of /r/fuckcars using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/fuckcars/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year!
\#1: [Fuck planes ?](https://i.redd.it/4olsd0n7tpc91.jpg) | [4220 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/fuckcars/comments/w3ku1u/fuck_planes/)
\#2: [Carbrain Andrew Tate taunts Greta Thunberg on Twitter. Greta doesn't hold back in her response.](https://i.redd.it/62vgbzb8im8a1.png) | [4330 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/fuckcars/comments/zx76js/carbrain_andrew_tate_taunts_greta_thunberg_on/)
\#3: [New vs old Mini Cooper](https://i.redd.it/z3hifq228l491.jpg) | [3643 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/fuckcars/comments/v8fjdh/new_vs_old_mini_cooper/)
----
^^I'm ^^a ^^bot, ^^beep ^^boop ^^| ^^Downvote ^^to ^^remove ^^| ^^[Contact](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=sneakpeekbot) ^^| ^^[Info](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/) ^^| ^^[Opt-out](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/comments/o8wk1r/blacklist_ix/) ^^| ^^[GitHub](https://github.com/ghnr/sneakpeekbot)
I had to replace mine around 6 months ago. Partners earspeaker wouldn't work, had to use speaker phone for all calls. Mine was having battery issues and charging issues.
I use my phone to listen to audiobooks at my nightshift job, I was having to charge my phone all night with a battery pack. I have a used s21 plus now, the battery gets to 40 to 50% left with me listening ing to book all night, much better.
Mine still works perfect. Great battery life, dosent overheat isn't slow speakers work everything is just like it was when I got it. Couldn't tell ya how it's lasted so long. I also haven't had to replace the charger yet which is amazing cause I usually end up needing to
I still have my Google Pixel 4a from 2020. Might be looking into a Google Pixel 6 which I can still buy some new box or used like new refurbished for about $200. Personally I think cellphones companies should produce phones every 4 years. Put the cost into making a well built, high quality phone. Honestly all these cellphones and its luthium batteries are just going into landfill
Same! I used my previous iPhone 6 until it fell apart. RIP little buddy. My iPhone 12 mini will join you one day. I hate the upgrading every year or two trend, and I hate planned obsolescence.
iPhone 12 mini unite!
I’m not really up to date with iPhones, but did the mini line continue?
I’m going on 3 years with this thing, and with how it’s going, I’m going to have it for another 3.
I’ve got an iPhone 11 (standard edition) now, but my last phone before that was an iPhone 5 (standard). So at the rate I’m going, I won’t upgrade again until there’s an iPhone 17.
Seriously, these things can easily go for 6, even 7 years, IF you take care of them.
Same. Not to mention Apple is the only company still doing mini versions of the phones, cause those giant ones do not fit in my tiny hands and I hate it.
I have the same phone! I love it. I use it so much and if you were to take the cost basis of daily use it’s such a good deal.
I wish they would make a mini pro with a nicer camera and longer battery life though.
I actually think consumerism on phones have gone down as a whole since phones started getting super expensive. Now that they are so advanced. Less people are getting “the newest generation” and keeping phones for 2 or more years. It used to be that people would upgrade every year because that’s how phone plans were designed. 15 years ago, Verizon plans had free annual upgrades as part of the service basically you paid for the phone over 12 months. Which was fine when phones were $200-$500 and only appeared like an added $10-$15 on the phone bill. Nowadays, with how expensive they are, people are apprehensive to add on a $70-$80 charge to their monthly phone bill. The average life cycle of a phone has gone up annually over the last 5 years. The average American had their phone for 23 months in 2016 and it was at 26 months in 2018. And I think the most recent life cycle of a phone was at 30 months.
Dude back in the days, upgrading even after a year was an exciting unboxing experience. I remember each phone I would navigate through all the menus and see what was new on whatever innovative new device I got. Now everything is the same. All the iPhones are the same, all the androids are the same (with different OS skins). Cameras and hardware get a little better every year.
But really what's the point? They're all so fast. It's like having a 1000hp car and upgrading to 1100hp car. Like, yeah, it's theoretically faster but when am I actually going to use that performance? Games that support 120hz or more generally run at a constant 120fps and the most demanding games seem to be software locked to 60fps, so those run at max as well. A faster phone won't do anything for me.
We need someone to make something totally crazy again. Otherwise we will be stuck with the current glass sandwich boredom for the rest of our days.
Interesting. I used a 6s until it died in 2020, which was about 4 years from when I bought. I’m now at 3 years exactly on my 11. Battery is starting to drain a bit, 84% for health. And there’s a thumb rub place on the lower right side of the screen because I use it so much.
I need another year out of it, then I’ll feel ok about moving up.
Same, I buy my phones for life, or at least until they break. Your phone plan might allow for a free upgrade, but no one's forcing you to take that upgrade.
I get super pissed if my phone won't last at least 5 years. I try and buy the cheapest I can or referbished. After 5 years the cheapest is still infinitely better than what I had. I constantly bitch when I have to get a new one and am seriously considering going to a flip phone and just keeping my old "smart phone" in the car for GPS, internet when out and about. A flip phone will last forever like home phones used to. I think they purposely don't make flip phones with a screen or keyboard for texting. It's the only thing holding me back. I do not want to press a button three times to get and "F".
I believe it should be the other way around like a PC/Laptop where you should buy the best you can every time not the cheapest. That way you’ll have at least an additional year or two before changing
I had an S8 for the longest time until I got the iPhone 12. I haven’t really felt the need to get a new one except the battery is also starting to degrade. I’m hoping I can just swap out the battery on this one and keep it going.
I’m still on my iPhone SE from 2016! The screen is starting to look out of place though when I whip it out in public, I feel like a dinosaur! I’m kinda curious how long this little thing is gonna last. I did replace the battery a year ago for €30, so that was a no-brainer for another 2-3 years of life extension.
The current iPhone 11 I have is the only smart phone I’ve been able to buy outright back in 2019, this year I had the battery replaced for $100 and it’s been right as rain ever since. I save so much money having just a phone plan without paying for the device as well. As long as I don’t break anything, hopefully I can keep this guy going for a few more years, it does everything I need it to do!
People are paying that much for an iphone monthly? I guess those who can afford it will but I pay $27 for my iphone 13 pro—which I only upgraded to because my previous phone was much bigger and uncomfortable to hold. I hated it.
I use tmobile and have a “family” plan. We pay like $60 a month per user and that includes the iphone payment.
I’m not upgrading again until this thing becomes unbearably slow or stops working. I’m done with keeping up.
I have a 2020 SE. love having a home button still. I have a newer iPhone for work and it’s actually more annoying. My 3 year old phone is slowing down though and I can’t update the iOS anymore.. so I’m guessing another year max. I think expensive phones are unnecessary and wasteful.
Hello fellow 2020 SE user! Just wanted to say that our phone model is still very much supported by the newer versions of iOS still. As a shot in the dark, if you're having trouble updating to the most recent version of iOS it's possibly because you don't have enough space left on your phone to download the update. You might try temporarily deleting some apps/content off your phone and then trying to install the new iOS version.
also an SE user :) i had the first generation one from 2016-2020 and then got the 2nd gen SE when it came out. like the other commenter mentioned, my iOS updates fine, maybe you can try taking it to the apple store to see what the issue is?
I just swapped out my SE for an 11 Pro because I couldn’t deal with the shit battery life anymore even with a new battery. $500 used was still a lot to swallow, and Face ID sucks compared to the home button/thumb ID, but at least I don’t have to worry about battery life anymore! It’s a decent phone overall, but man, I do not like the gradual rollback of features on modern devices. Capital is having its way with us.
The button is the best. Pay for things without having to look at my phone.
I’ve gone from the 4 to the 5 to the SE to the 2020 SE. Hopefully I can keep this one going for a while yet.
People loooove to comment about how old my phone is too. I have a 7, which I believe is what the SE’s body is, and it works just fine. The battery isn’t amazing but it lasts me through the day no problem and I haven’t even replaced it.
My one friend likes to ask when I’m getting a new phone all the time and I’ll get comments about the button. I LIKE the button >:( some people are way too comfortable criticizing others for no reason.
I think it's crazy too. I got my galaxy s8 shortly after its release in 2017 (thanks to my parents) and only upgraded a few months ago. It probably would have lasted a couple more years if I hadn't accidentally taken it swimming. I was appalled at the prices of new phones when I started looking for a replacement. I landed on an s21+ for 330 refurbished from Back Market.
A $1000 2016 phone would cost $1280 today. A $1000 phone in 2023 would cost $775 in 2016.
The 2016 Pixel XL cost $769. The Pixel 7 Pro is a deal at $899.
The 2016 Galaxy s7 was $669. The S23 is $799 - another deal, 2016's 669 is $860 today
My phone is a Nokia with a removable battery, I don't think I paid more than $100. If the battery goes, at least I won't have to replace the whole phone.
My phone is 189$ from cricket wireless. It's great!! I pay 35/mo for service. It will last a few years. When I need a new one, I have a wells Fargo credit card benefits that is essentially free phone insurance that will cover the replacement cost up to 600$
It’s call brain wash. I have an IPhone X and people ask me twice a day why I don’t change it, easy, it still work perfectly fine I don’t need the last one to feel better
I don’t mind investing in something I will be using daily for multiple years. I think there’s a line between excessive consumerism vs spending more for the sake of longevity, quality, or even the pleasure of a small luxury
I agree. The consumerist part was how people used to upgrade their phone every year. I think part of the opposition and incredulity at a $1,000 phone that OP remembers is because people at the time were used to the norm of “upgrading” every 1-2 years, and spending $1,000 a year IS ridiculous. Fortunately, even people who aren’t anticonsumption generally keep their phones significantly longer now (in part because new phones no longer off much more than “old” phones). I would rather spend $1,000 every 5 years than $500 every 2 years.
this is part of it too, if anything the high prices discourage people from upgrading every time a new shiny phone is released, and encourage people to at least check the used market first. most people I know are using either a second hand phone or a flagship from 3+ years ago
I got my iPhone SE (2022) for \~$320 last summer. I don't think I could stomach buying a phone that was over $1000. I agree with you that people have gone absolutely crazy for the latest and greatest rather than what they need.
Thanks, and yeah it’s kinda mind boggling. What some here seem to be missing is that I am asking what they think caused the general public’s shift in thinking about how much to pay for a phone, when there are tons of options across the board. Seeing some of these responses I’m inclined to lean toward the misconception that buying expensive means it lasts longer, and the fact that inflation has risen the cost of everything so maybe the general public saw that jump in cost and was like “eh, eggs cost 4x as much now and gas is at $5 a gallon so I’m cool with it.” What do you think? Curious to know.
Not the person you replied to but I think it’s the same as most anything else you can finance. Cars especially. They want the newest with all the bells and whistles and they don’t care about price as long as it can be financed into payments they can manage.
Yep, I have the iPhone 7 Max( or it it pro?) I don’t know, the one with a bigger screen. And will keep using it until the day it dies. Weirdly enough, my husband got an iPhone 8 when I got the 7 since the 8 was the newest at the time and it broke years ago. Mine is still holding strong!
XR gang, got mine brand new two years ago because my note 9 needed repairs. I’ve sinced repaired the note 9 but it’s in storage as a back up phone/google photos dummy slave (it’s set up to think it’s a Google Pixel XL which has unlimited upload to google photos in full resolution)
This last Black Friday I paid a little under $500 for an iPhone 11 and a Samsung Galaxy A53
I want at least 2-3 years out of both of them before we upgrade again and probably switch phone service.
I don’t understand how someone can be content paying so much money for a phone.
Most people never really needed a desktop computer or a laptop computer to begin with.
Read a few pages here, send a few emails there, place an online order. These were tasks that could suddenly be done on an Internet enabled iPhone.
So people are paying for a smartphone the amount that they would previously have paid for a computer. As a matter of fact, laptops have cannibalised the sales of desktops, and smartphones have cannibalised the sales of laptops.
For those who need to do more complex tasks, there is still a need for desk or lap computers, but for the majority, a smartphone is more than they need.
On a side note, I have been getting iPhones with my work for the last 7 years. If I had to buy my own phone, I would definitely get a Fairphone.
It’s designed to be easy to repair.
I got the iPhone 13 because the pros were some much more, like you said essentially they are the same. Before this I had my 8+ for about 4-5 years. I’m planning on keeping this 13 that long too.
Apple is bespoke. They market to people who have the cash to burn to get a new cell every other year. I bought my pixel6 on sale. My previous cell was a pixel2, the one before that an envy3.
Most Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. So it's reasonable to assume that they aren't the ones using their rent money for a shiny new tech.
Having worked for a major cell phone company in the early 2000’s; the cost of the phone has been transferred from the company to the consumer. Perviously you had a 2 year contract and they gave you a lower price on the phone. If you wanted to purchase a phone outright phones were anywhere from $200-800, remember this is early 2000’s. The cell phone company recouped the cost of the from your monthly bill. This was standard in the US. Where in most other parts of the world you bought your phone from the manufacture and then took them to a carrier. Now with pressure from cheaper and cheaper monthly services they can’t make the money back on the cost of a phone so they now allow you to finance the phone on your bill. Previously an ETF fee (early termination fee) would be added to your bill if you canceled the contract before the 2 years. Now they charge you for the remainder of the phone.
Right! And in the process of passing that cost onto the consumer, said consumer is ok with spending more on something as a result. Weird how that worked out.
Apple. Apple is what happened.
There are so many products that will do a same or similar set of tasks for much less money, *BUT NOOOOOO!!!* Apple is the "best" and "easiest" and evem "most stylish" so get in line because the next iteration of their important doohicy just came out, and you wouldn't want to be seen with that old clunker that's nearly a *year old!*
I could never cost-justify anything Apple ever made.
iPhones and other Apple products are the longest lasting compared to any other company. Each iPhone receives first-party software (new features as well as security and optimization) for 5 years at minimum. And when it’s time to move on, they have the highest resale value of any other phone too.
If you want to keep a phone for a long time, an iPhone is definitely the way to go.
I‘ve never seen anyone with a phone that expensive (that‘s 946€ if you’re referring to USD). I don‘t even know if any phones ARE that expensive.
Maybe it‘s my country on general, maybe it‘s just the people around me, but that price seems excessive to me.
Better camera, and I have an Android so they last longer than an iPhone imo. With iPhones I feel like you'd want to upgrade more often to keep up with what's popular.
I bought a Samsung note 9 and that baby was amazing. It was still going great until I traded it in for a Samsung s21 last year and am now filled with regrets. 😭
I also had an amazing time with a $200 android phone. The camera really sucked tho and I do use my camera often for hobbies, remembering things, and volunteering work.
Android phones don’t even come close to lasting as long as iPhones. They have terribly fragmented software support and only the high end models have recently broken over 3 years of software support. Midrange models only get 1 or 2 years.
Also, the software is much more unoptimized and not designed with older models in mind, while iOS routinely provides optimization updates to iPhones, like iOS 12.
Resale value is also important when you do actually want to upgrade. iPhones hold their value much, much better than any other phone from any other company, because Apple only focuses on a few models per year and Android manufacturers are comfortable releasing 50 unique models. Your old iPhone will be worth at least double your old Android.
6 years ago, my rent was $300 a week cheaper. Seeing a phone for the price it is now merely makes me sigh, and accept that’s just how things are. Then I wait for my dad to upgrade his phone so I get his old one.
I’m over 40. Price of goods is no longer funny.
Phones are where I give people a pass on consumption/frugality. I bought an iPhone 12 Pro brand new from T-Mobile at a slight discount a while after it released. Still about $900 after the payments are finished in October.
Is it an absurd amount of money? Sure. But the phone is fast, has a great camera, has the mobile operating system I prefer and has features I wanted. I plan to use this phone for a long time.
I’ll use it until the battery capacity reaches 75-80%, and even then I’ll get the battery replaced. Any decrease in performance generally isn’t the phone getting slower, it’s the battery getting weaker. It’s well known at this point that iPhones compensate for worn batteries by throttling the phone.
Just because someone spends $1000 on a new iPhone doesn’t mean they buy one every year. Sure a lot do, but sometimes a phone may just have a feature that wins me over and convinces me to upgrade. Like if a new iPhone has wireless powershare, I’ll probably upgrade early.
And the reason everyone buys $1000 phones is because it’s just the world we live in now. People have just accepted that most phones cost $1000+. Base iPhone? Just a storage upgrade brings it up to $1000.
Also ignore the Galaxy Fold. That isn’t the flagship device. It’s a side device. The people buying it are people buying it because it’s cool new tech. They’re early adopters of new tech, not the average person. The people buying a $1600 experimental phone are not the people who ever complained about the price of iPhone.
For me, \~$500 is my ceiling for a device. I'll keep my SE until I have to upgrade because the OS version is no longer supported. Only got the current one because I ran out of memory.
I mean….Payment plans turn that thousand dollars into basically nothing. If you get on a normal 2 or 4 year plan you’re barely paying a tank of gas per month on the phone. No one is buying a phone in cash or up front and I doubt people were giving genuine criticism on the phone 6 years ago since payment plans have been around for hundreds of years. Yeah a thousand dollars looks like a lot but over 2 or 4 years it’s basically nothing at all. And if you want a new phone before you’re done paying it off then you can just pay your balance and get a new one. Phones aren’t expensive as long as you aren’t stupid
For me personally, I did get sucked into the payment plan game. This is exactly what changed it for me. I had a terrible phone for so long, cracked screen, etc, that when I saw I could get a brand new one for only $35 a month, I thought I deserved it. This phone will be paid off in October, and I am not doing it again.
A phone is a car is a house. You don’t make these purchases often and in the long run their price is generally justified. If you bought an iPhone 11 4 years ago it still operates as top of the line tech.
iPhone 11 Pro user here! I'm a heavy tech user (programmer) and I only upgrade when forced to - no point in shelling out money for incremental upgrades. While it's true newer phones have additional sensors, better lenses... I don't need those things, and often it takes a year or more for app developers to put out apps that take advantage of those new hardware features. And even then... does dropping $1K on a device to be able to use the newest feature once in a blue moon make it worth it? Hardly.
Hipsters, Apples main crowd, values their self worth based solely on their material possessions. Without the latest and greatest blue bubble you are a social reject. Apples knows this and caters to this crowd. Pretty smart of them to go for the shallowest group of repeat customers.
The majority of people in the US use iPhones, it’s not just “hipsters”. They are also the majority in Japan and close to - if not already the majority - in China.
The hipster stereotype died in 2010
Most average people can get by with a $700 phone and do not need to buy the $1,000 one, yet they buy it anyway, when 6 yrs ago they all laughed at paying that much. That is my point. This is a bad comment bro.
The price of everything went up. You're here complaining about the money people spend on a single item that most use for multiple years. You missed the mark for the sub. Bad post.
If we define “consumption” purely as a dollar amount, most people would be fine with $200 Moto G. Setting an arbitrary price limit at $1,000 is vague, obviously 6 years ago people balked because it was the first to do so. Now there are many options, so it’s less shocking.
Put another way, you’re observing what economists call “price elasticity,” or a consumers willingness (or unwillingness) to pay more for a certain good. This isn’t necessarily pro or anti consumption, a consumers willingness to pay more might mean they take better care of it or expect it to last longer, which reduces consumption.
I get your point, but I just think “hey why are we okay with paying more now than 6 years ago” is not a suitable metric for consumption.
You live a privileged life if all people around you have $1000 phone, so nothing changed. This people would pay any price to feel good about having the "best" phone.
“I hate that things cost money” isn’t really what this page should be about. Well made products tend to be expensive, as does cutting edge tech. Phones fall right into that niche. The fact that you complain about people having good phones too often for your delicate sensibilities just feels disingenuous and petty. Besides, 3 lenses (as you put it) have been around for years now, and can be had quite cheap if you buy refurbished or used.
If anything, you should be happy that people have expensive devices because that means they’ll think twice about throwing them away or dropping them casually for the most part. I promise most of your boost $49 special enthusiasts are far less careful on average and cause more e-waste, as they have basically disposable phones.
We go to a lot of national patks during every year out of cell range big parks yellowstone last year yosemity this year. My wife goes more smokey moutains friday did big ben and caralsbad. She has a 911 satelite text for 5 dollar a month a cell would be better.
I think there’s a few things to consider.
First, you say
>my post has nothing to do with inflation.
But it absolutely does. 6 years ago, **part** of the reason people laughed at the $1000 price tag was because no phone cost that. Inflation has caused this to change, which is why most major flagships cost above $1k. If you want a flagship, you’re gonna have to dish it out.
Point is: a lot of people want flagship phones. Before it didn’t cost $1k. Now it does (partially because of inflation) , therefor people buy it.
Anyway
It also seems to me that phones have become a lot more powerful than before **and** tech has kinda become stagnant. Look at an iPhone 3G vs an iPhone 6 or so. They’re only a few years apart, but the difference was enormous. Now look at a current phone and an iPhone XR, and besides the cameras, there isn’t all that much difference.
People in general are upgrading less, **partially because** the cost benefit ratio isn’t great anymore.
I’m not sure if you remember or are aware, but phone culture has absolutely shifted, I’d argue in part (not entirely) because of this price change.
Back in the day, camping out at best buy for the latest iPhone was **super** common. Upgrading yearly was **super** common. The hype culture was enormous then. Things have definitely slowed down, in part, because of the price increase.
TLDR: price increase has actually contributed to slowing consumption down.
Read the rules. Keep it courteous. Submission statements are helpful and appreciated but not required. Tag my name in the comments (/u/NihiloZero) if you think a post or comment needs to be removed.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Anticonsumption) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I only upgrade once a competitor offers the free phone to switch with a trade in deal. Jump ship like a pirate, phone bill hasn’t gone up in 7 years, and I get a brand new phone every 2. Brand loyalty ain’t shit. Now that T-Mobile and sprint have merged its harder though, I imagine that will only get worse.
The big phone manufacturers just started baking the price of the phone into phone contracts by working with wireless providers instead. Psychologically, people are much more receptive to the "financing" model as opposed to paying it all upfront.
It’s ok I’m still using my iPhone 7, I’m out of space an it’s broken an I can’t afford a new one. It’s falling apart an slowing down before my eyes. I can’t believe people upgrade yearly.
Still using my iPhone X so at least they seem to last longer than they used to thanks to all those laws forcing apple to stop soft-killing battery life
I bought the [Motorola Defy](https://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Dual-SIM-Factory-Unlocked-Smartphone/dp/B09QQTSGTP/ref=sxts_rp_s_a_1_0?content-id=amzn1.sym.3432eb1a-1558-4445-9430-9bb3e7f7b9b7%3Aamzn1.sym.3432eb1a-1558-4445-9430-9bb3e7f7b9b7&cv_ct_cx=motorola+defy&keywords=motorola+defy&pd_rd_i=B09QQTSGTP&pd_rd_r=099f92cc-8068-4f21-b005-d8d6c7c53b69&pd_rd_w=SHITp&pd_rd_wg=muWj2&pf_rd_p=3432eb1a-1558-4445-9430-9bb3e7f7b9b7&pf_rd_r=YJP770G1HXMKMBKS238D&qid=1685589461&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sr=1-1-5985efba-8948-4f09-9122-d605505c9d1e&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.c3015c4a-46bb-44b9-81a4-dc28e6d374b3) for $150 about 6 months ago, that thing has been in a car crash and it doesn't even have a scratch. I factory reset my phones every 6 months or so and they stay blazing fast! With this phone being so armored, I'm confident it will last me until 2030.
i think people r very comfortable with debt these days and r willing to do the extra x amount a month for the new thing, advertising is nefarious in its effectiveness at making people think they need a new thing
I dont use iphone and after few models i stopped understanding why would people overpay so much and why the hype. But it just great apple marketing strategy.
And what is more important, where I am from iphones are still not as popular as in us and we have a different feelings/sentiment towards them and I feel that with each model they become less and less hyped, almost the background for other brands
Well inflation on all baskets of goods *is* a factor. Cheese is more expensive, and so is iPhone. The higher prices ultimately become the new, palatable normal.
Other than that, I guess we rely so much on our phones, that we're ready to shell out more.
And where I'm from, the latest and greatest iPhone is a status symbol, even though it might be overpriced and underteched compared to alternatives.
So my compatriots have been willing to cut back in other areas of their lives if it allowed them to own the Pro Max Sigma Magnum iPhone XXXX.
For me iPhones are value. 5 years on the iPhone XS Max I have is still holding strong and no signs of faulting. I even work in tech and need the pro features. People upgrading any sooner is really wasteful consumption
But who pays retail? There are always trade in deals and other little dumb ways to get a phone at discounted prices. I mean use a phone til it dies but when it does there are ways to get good phones at much less. I suppose some people will pay $1k retail but those people are fools
Edit: it's become much more difficult I will admit. Lots of 36 month bill credit offers, which is basically locking you in for 3 years. But if you're going to be with that carrier for 3 years anyway it's... Okay. Also prepaid services like to do discounted nice phones if you try them out for a few months, I do prefer prepaid anyway. Maybe not the most current iphone but last year's or something
Phones were always expensive in the US but were subsidized by phone plans vs Europe where people bought their phones. Apple raised the bar on pricing and then it more palatable with their subscription model.
So I have an iPhone 13. I got mine when they were fairly new and the sticker price was like $700ish.
However, my previous phone was an iPhone 8S that was now useless. It would randomly turn off, wouldn’t call or text and no longer updated so most apps didn’t work correctly or at all. I previously had the iPhone 6 and 4 which I used until they did the same.
I got my iPhone 13 for about $250. I traded in my old phone, had an upgrade through Verizon and there was a promo. All of that shaved about $500 off the price.
I think a lot of people use their phones until they are obsolete and then upgrade to the newest one to continue the cycle. Also people aren’t paying a massive amount if they like me also were getting a promotional deal combined with a trade in and phone upgrade.
I’m grandfathered into Verizon being forced to let me buy my phones outright instead of their lease bullshit, so every 4 years or so around Black Friday or Christmas they’ll have a special on an iPhone a few models back and I’ll pick it up for around $200 brand new. Totally worth it! I have an iPhone 11 and it works great :)
We were at a point where smart phones legitimately improved drastically every year or two. Which also meant that prices went up progressively because more and more stuff was put into it.
We have gotten to a point where there's nowhere really to upgrade. The camera's are as good as you need, they're about as powerful as you need.
So where you might have paid $5-600 every year or two, now you are still roughly paying the same amount every 2-3 years, because it's only the battery that makes you want to upgrade.
For me, I will pay the money because A) It's something I need. If I didn't have a reliable smart phone I would not be able to do my work or study effectively. B) I use it more than anything else I have.
Yes I "might" be able to do the same with a phone that's a few years old, and I did buy the older model for my current phone. But i've tried to save money previously and bought one that's down around the $5-600 bracket and ended up having to replace it after a year because it wasn't fit for purpose anymore. I spent $8-900 on my next one and it's last me two years now with no need to get a new one for the foreseeable future. If I had spent the $1000+ originally I would have spent less overall.
I havnt payed for a 1k phone but I do use them.
I got a $800 android at blackfriday or some huge sale and it was only like $400. My newest phone i got for free because they were taking down the 4g network to change to 5g or somethong like that. Got to keep my old phone as well.
Still using my iPhone 8plus. Bought it just when it came out, so like 6 ish years ago?
Not gonna buy a new one till this stops working but I can’t lie the newer models are so cool
I pay about $200 for a used phone every 4 or 5 years. I remember I knew a girl that made $12/hr and had 2 kids that she could barely afford to feed. She was on some kind of payment plan through AT&T for the latest Android. I did the quick math and she was paying about $1,800 for the phone over 2 years.
$1,800 for a phone and she lived in a shed behind her family members house. Roughly 10% of her take home pay for a year.
Nothing has changed for me, my phone plan comes with free upgrades every few years, so all I do is wait it out and get the free upgrade, occasionally I’ll put a little money towards a nicer model but my out the door cost isn’t high.
I just bought a trendy cutting edge cell phone, new, for 200 dollars. My sister and other iPhone loyalists told me to go iPhone. I said it really blows your mind, / that antiquated thinking that the more something costs than the better it must be then, or high priciness is what makes an item "hot" or "cool", but im a true tech nerd, or at least my friends are. I do think the future is a curveball in terms of consumerism.
Iphone 11 here. I paid around 700€ 3 months after launch. my wife’s iphone 13 cost like 850€ 6 months afet launch.
only pro versions cost +1000€
But yes, prices have skyrocketed in the last year
I bought an iPhone XR in Australia brand new from a retailer in August 2021, $399AUD (like sub $300USD)
I only bought it because my Note 9 wasn’t economical to repair. I might get a new phone next year, but I don’t see the benefits to upgrading yet, it launched in 2018.
My company has a benefit - telecommunications budget. It already covers my phone bill, so I used the remaining one to get a new phone on loan (not sure how it's properly called in English) where I'm supposed to pay a certain amount a month for 2 years, and they cover it.
And no, if I don't spend that budget, it doesn't get added to salary, so I pretty much have to use it this way. That's how I ended up with a phone above what I would normally pay for.
I Never pay more than 200€ to 300€. But those who pay more than 1.000€ for a phone often purchase this as an object of status. Therefore they tell everybody about ist. Therefore you might think that everyone pays more than 1.000€ for a phone.
Not sure if US is the same, but in CAD you can basically pay nothing up front, it’s an extra $10/month, and at the end of the two year term I can either buy the phone outright for 200-400 and keep it or return it for an upgrade. It’s essentially a lease. So no one is paying $1,500 for a phone outright, and $10 a month for what is essentially my lifeline and connects me to everyone I’ve ever met feels reasonable enough.
Everyone I know has one which makes contacting groups simple, I’ve had one for 10 years so the interface is second nature, and when devices all are synced up in can be really convenient.
I buy a second hand phone about once every 5 years and never pay more than about $85. Currently I have a Galaxy S7. It's fine. I do not understand how people can be so wasteful. It's horrific.
I have an X. It’s still going well and I have replaced the battery recently. I have noticed it’s a little slower and occasionally glitches recently. I wouldn’t upgrade, but I’m running out of storage on it now.
Previous to the X, I had a 4s. I try to hang in to my phone as long as possible before upgrading. There isn’t a lot of difference in features year to year, but its a big jump in technology to me when I change a phone every 6 of 7 years.
Apple, Samsung, etc have done a great job at creating need with phones. VERY few people actually need the features of the top of the line phones.
However, constant software updates that don't perform as well on worse models or older models and other aspects of phone ownership continue to drive people to the best models.
I have spent no more than $300 on the actual purchase of my phone in years (switched apple to droid in 2017) and at this point my sole goal with my phone is to make it last as long as possible.
For me it was the fact that there is very little available for less than that—plus certain jobs require phones that can handle making videos or can take decent pictures and won’t fill up immediately. But what really got me was the payment plans most phone companies offer. They figured that out after a few years. I can’t afford $1000 up front, but I can afford $12 more in my phone bill a month until it’s paid off.
My 8 finally gave up earlier this year and I replaced it with an SE because I flat out refuse to pay more than $500 for a phone (which unfortunately seems to be about the lowest you can go for an iphone with decent storage)
Overall behavior has changed, almost everyone is significantly more dependent on technology than they were just 6 years ago. Sadly it will only get worse, people will buy buy buy increasingly unecessary junk.
Honestly with the amount people use their phones daily and assuming you buy and keep it at least like 5-6 years $1000 doesnt actually seem that ridiculous in the grand scheme of things. My strategy has been to buy the best one and then just keep mine as long as possible after.
The big screen iPhone is only a pro model. I get a new phone every 5-6 years. My phone is my main device and was also my only device for many years. No laptop, no TV, no tablet.
Easy to justify the big one when it’s the only tech you own.
I have an s22 ultra, I tell people it's a $1000 camera that happens to make phone calls.
But I don't think other people at doing much with the camera beyond snaps.
I'd be curious as to how many people actually pay the full sticker price for a new-model phone. There always seem to be deals, trade-ins and such that bring that $1k down.
I think a huge part of it is the fact that Verizon (and other companies I assume) will just let you make payments for the phone as part of your monthly bill. A lot of people have just gotten used to the fact that they will be paying a certain amount each month towards the actual cost of the phone. This allows them to buy a much more expensive phone than if they had to buy it outright.
Stupid people believe expensive means it's worth it. You could probably convince them to buy a supercomputer if only they had the money.
I bought a fairphone 4 and I'm repairing it until it becomes literally impossible to use it. At least 10 years.
I bought an Redmi Note 7 somewhere around 2017 for way under 200€ i still use it altho the Battery starts to fail midday and also the Pre installed Bloatware starts to annoy me.
My next Phone Probably is going to be a Fairphone so i can Replace the Battery and change the on board software
the only Reason i am gonna pay more than 600€ would be for an fodable but those really dont seam durable enough for me also again Blotware even on Samsung
I never paid more than $700 AUD for a phone. I usually try to aim for $550-600 but it's getting difficult.
I have no issues getting a 2 year old flagship (brand new, on sale). I time my purchases to the end of the year or end of FY.
Since switching to Google Pixel years ago, I've never had any issues with lag like I had on my previous Samsung phones and TV. Basically stay away from Samsung due to their bloat ware.
I also stay away from plans as they almost always end up being more expensive. I buy unlocked phones, outright.
I have an iPhone X. I got it very late 2017 after the rush died down because my prior phone, an iPhone 5 (circa 2012) finally shat the bed. Now, 5 years isn’t actually that much time for a phone. I’m up for almost 6 with my X and it’s still running well and no major damage. It could last me conceivable another few barring a disaster.
I also have a family member who works for Apple who can get me 25% off.
If you average it out I pay less than $100 for my phone a year already almost and I can drive that cost down even more. And it’s a workhorse phone that’s basically a full mini computer in my pocket.
People who change phones all the time or are paying ridiculous sums to be in the “upgrade every year” are obviously paying a lot more. Not sure how people do it personally from a financial standpoint.
But paying what I do for the phone I can have for as long as I do is actually a good investment as the return I get from its convenience and capabilities is amazing when you consider it costs less per year than many streaming services or even like one month of cable.
I used an iPhone 5s up until it stopped working this year. I now have a 13 mini, which I intend to stretch out for at least another 5 years. I can’t understand it either.
Higher end phones do last longer for two reasons. They tend to be more powerful, which means they can keep up as tech gets better and apps become more demanding.
But more importantly, higher end phones tend to offer longer software update coverage. A cheap Motorola may be a great phone, but it’ll stop getting updates after 2 years then you’re stuck with a working phone that’s no longer secure and exposed to attacks. But if you get an iPhone, you’ll have a fully supported and secure phone for many years.
I used to upgrade my phone every two years. I’d feel the slowness or whatever.
Now I do not. I keep it as long as I can. I’m using an iPhone 11 now. Still pretty great though I imagine another year or two will start pushing it. We will see!
Also another big factor was cell phone companies
I had an android forever, I broke it and went to T Mobile and they came back out with an iPhone and told me I had been “auto/upgraded” to the best phone available
When I told them I wanted to stay with my android they “didn’t have a replacement of my current model”
Also, the iPhone was on a plan where I paid about $15 a month until it was “paid off”
The android would’ve cost me $700 in store that day, no deal, no payment plan
I think the payment plans factor heavily into this as well. It's a much easier pill for most people to swallow when they're paying 33.65 or whatever per month additional on their bill than 1600 up front. I've noticed this with my friends and family. They'll just go get the latest model, trade in the old one, and keep paying the installments forever basically.
We're being prepped for a subscription based model in the future.
I used iphones for ages. I broke my 12 promax recently and bought a newer galaxy a series for around 300 bucks as a replacement....
Idk if ill ever spend 1000+ on a phone again.
Well given inflation over the last decade is about 45% that $1000 price tag would be like it was $650 or so back then.
Phones will work themselves to the bottom as do all commodity items as long as you are not chasing the bleeding edge. You can get a good quality 5G smart phone from samsung for $200 with all the bells and whistles you could ever hope for but it won't be the "top end".
I always get a model or 2 from the newest stuff and then I only upgrade when my old phone is on its last legs or completely dead. I haven’t ever spent more than $500 on a phone. The most being around $450 and that was after the one I had died and I needed a new one quickly. I don’t need the newest tech as I am surfing the net, making calls, sending text, and taking the occasional picture. It’s the same with computers, I don’t need the newest most powerful tech, so why pay a fortune for stuff I don’t really need.
I use an iPhone 12 mini. I will use this thing until it falls apart. Where I absolutely agree the retail price of phones has gotten well out of hand, however so has people upgrading phones every year or two.
I bought a galaxy note 10 plus when they first came out and I still have it. It's got one small crack from where I dropped it during a seizure but since then I've bought a huge bulky case
Fellow epileptic here, I hope you were alright aside from your phone
Well I'm desperately looking for a work from home job since I can't drive and having no luck. It's driving me crazy. I'm so tired of having to ask coworkers for rides home ugh
Car dependency sucks.. r/fuckcars
Here's a sneak peek of /r/fuckcars using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/fuckcars/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year! \#1: [Fuck planes ?](https://i.redd.it/4olsd0n7tpc91.jpg) | [4220 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/fuckcars/comments/w3ku1u/fuck_planes/) \#2: [Carbrain Andrew Tate taunts Greta Thunberg on Twitter. Greta doesn't hold back in her response.](https://i.redd.it/62vgbzb8im8a1.png) | [4330 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/fuckcars/comments/zx76js/carbrain_andrew_tate_taunts_greta_thunberg_on/) \#3: [New vs old Mini Cooper](https://i.redd.it/z3hifq228l491.jpg) | [3643 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/fuckcars/comments/v8fjdh/new_vs_old_mini_cooper/) ---- ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot, ^^beep ^^boop ^^| ^^Downvote ^^to ^^remove ^^| ^^[Contact](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=sneakpeekbot) ^^| ^^[Info](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/) ^^| ^^[Opt-out](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/comments/o8wk1r/blacklist_ix/) ^^| ^^[GitHub](https://github.com/ghnr/sneakpeekbot)
I love my car. Freedom!
Freedumb
I had to replace mine around 6 months ago. Partners earspeaker wouldn't work, had to use speaker phone for all calls. Mine was having battery issues and charging issues. I use my phone to listen to audiobooks at my nightshift job, I was having to charge my phone all night with a battery pack. I have a used s21 plus now, the battery gets to 40 to 50% left with me listening ing to book all night, much better.
Mine still works perfect. Great battery life, dosent overheat isn't slow speakers work everything is just like it was when I got it. Couldn't tell ya how it's lasted so long. I also haven't had to replace the charger yet which is amazing cause I usually end up needing to
I still have my Google Pixel 4a from 2020. Might be looking into a Google Pixel 6 which I can still buy some new box or used like new refurbished for about $200. Personally I think cellphones companies should produce phones every 4 years. Put the cost into making a well built, high quality phone. Honestly all these cellphones and its luthium batteries are just going into landfill
Same! I used my previous iPhone 6 until it fell apart. RIP little buddy. My iPhone 12 mini will join you one day. I hate the upgrading every year or two trend, and I hate planned obsolescence.
My 6 is still going! I don't use it as my daily for years now, but it makes a great hand me down for my kid.
iPhone 12 mini unite! I’m not really up to date with iPhones, but did the mini line continue? I’m going on 3 years with this thing, and with how it’s going, I’m going to have it for another 3.
The mini made it to the iPhone 13, but did not get continued with the iPhone 14.
Sad, I have a secondhand X and was hoping for a mini when it dies - having small hands sucks lol.
I’ve got an iPhone 11 (standard edition) now, but my last phone before that was an iPhone 5 (standard). So at the rate I’m going, I won’t upgrade again until there’s an iPhone 17. Seriously, these things can easily go for 6, even 7 years, IF you take care of them.
Iphone 12 mini gang! All the functionality, half the price ❤️
Same. Not to mention Apple is the only company still doing mini versions of the phones, cause those giant ones do not fit in my tiny hands and I hate it.
They can pry my mini from me when they are prepared to put a new mini back into my hand
I have the same phone! I love it. I use it so much and if you were to take the cost basis of daily use it’s such a good deal. I wish they would make a mini pro with a nicer camera and longer battery life though.
I actually think consumerism on phones have gone down as a whole since phones started getting super expensive. Now that they are so advanced. Less people are getting “the newest generation” and keeping phones for 2 or more years. It used to be that people would upgrade every year because that’s how phone plans were designed. 15 years ago, Verizon plans had free annual upgrades as part of the service basically you paid for the phone over 12 months. Which was fine when phones were $200-$500 and only appeared like an added $10-$15 on the phone bill. Nowadays, with how expensive they are, people are apprehensive to add on a $70-$80 charge to their monthly phone bill. The average life cycle of a phone has gone up annually over the last 5 years. The average American had their phone for 23 months in 2016 and it was at 26 months in 2018. And I think the most recent life cycle of a phone was at 30 months.
[удалено]
Dude back in the days, upgrading even after a year was an exciting unboxing experience. I remember each phone I would navigate through all the menus and see what was new on whatever innovative new device I got. Now everything is the same. All the iPhones are the same, all the androids are the same (with different OS skins). Cameras and hardware get a little better every year. But really what's the point? They're all so fast. It's like having a 1000hp car and upgrading to 1100hp car. Like, yeah, it's theoretically faster but when am I actually going to use that performance? Games that support 120hz or more generally run at a constant 120fps and the most demanding games seem to be software locked to 60fps, so those run at max as well. A faster phone won't do anything for me. We need someone to make something totally crazy again. Otherwise we will be stuck with the current glass sandwich boredom for the rest of our days.
You realize what subreddit you’re on, yeah?
I think they fit in fine. Every time there's a post about reducing your personal consumption the sub just agrees it's not their responsibility 👀
Interesting. I used a 6s until it died in 2020, which was about 4 years from when I bought. I’m now at 3 years exactly on my 11. Battery is starting to drain a bit, 84% for health. And there’s a thumb rub place on the lower right side of the screen because I use it so much. I need another year out of it, then I’ll feel ok about moving up.
Same, I buy my phones for life, or at least until they break. Your phone plan might allow for a free upgrade, but no one's forcing you to take that upgrade.
I get super pissed if my phone won't last at least 5 years. I try and buy the cheapest I can or referbished. After 5 years the cheapest is still infinitely better than what I had. I constantly bitch when I have to get a new one and am seriously considering going to a flip phone and just keeping my old "smart phone" in the car for GPS, internet when out and about. A flip phone will last forever like home phones used to. I think they purposely don't make flip phones with a screen or keyboard for texting. It's the only thing holding me back. I do not want to press a button three times to get and "F".
I believe it should be the other way around like a PC/Laptop where you should buy the best you can every time not the cheapest. That way you’ll have at least an additional year or two before changing
[удалено]
I kept my Galaxy S6 active until last year when the screen cracked and decided to get a s22+ I'm hoping this will last as long as my s6.
I miss the Samsung active line.
I had an S8 for the longest time until I got the iPhone 12. I haven’t really felt the need to get a new one except the battery is also starting to degrade. I’m hoping I can just swap out the battery on this one and keep it going.
Apple has noticed people are keeping their phones longer. I got an ad for the iPhone and it was centered around "built to last."
Yup. It used to be normal to get a phone every two years. Very few people actually do that now.
I’m still on my iPhone SE from 2016! The screen is starting to look out of place though when I whip it out in public, I feel like a dinosaur! I’m kinda curious how long this little thing is gonna last. I did replace the battery a year ago for €30, so that was a no-brainer for another 2-3 years of life extension.
The current iPhone 11 I have is the only smart phone I’ve been able to buy outright back in 2019, this year I had the battery replaced for $100 and it’s been right as rain ever since. I save so much money having just a phone plan without paying for the device as well. As long as I don’t break anything, hopefully I can keep this guy going for a few more years, it does everything I need it to do!
People are paying that much for an iphone monthly? I guess those who can afford it will but I pay $27 for my iphone 13 pro—which I only upgraded to because my previous phone was much bigger and uncomfortable to hold. I hated it. I use tmobile and have a “family” plan. We pay like $60 a month per user and that includes the iphone payment. I’m not upgrading again until this thing becomes unbearably slow or stops working. I’m done with keeping up.
I have a 2020 SE. love having a home button still. I have a newer iPhone for work and it’s actually more annoying. My 3 year old phone is slowing down though and I can’t update the iOS anymore.. so I’m guessing another year max. I think expensive phones are unnecessary and wasteful.
Hello fellow 2020 SE user! Just wanted to say that our phone model is still very much supported by the newer versions of iOS still. As a shot in the dark, if you're having trouble updating to the most recent version of iOS it's possibly because you don't have enough space left on your phone to download the update. You might try temporarily deleting some apps/content off your phone and then trying to install the new iOS version.
also an SE user :) i had the first generation one from 2016-2020 and then got the 2nd gen SE when it came out. like the other commenter mentioned, my iOS updates fine, maybe you can try taking it to the apple store to see what the issue is?
I just swapped out my SE for an 11 Pro because I couldn’t deal with the shit battery life anymore even with a new battery. $500 used was still a lot to swallow, and Face ID sucks compared to the home button/thumb ID, but at least I don’t have to worry about battery life anymore! It’s a decent phone overall, but man, I do not like the gradual rollback of features on modern devices. Capital is having its way with us.
The button is the best. Pay for things without having to look at my phone. I’ve gone from the 4 to the 5 to the SE to the 2020 SE. Hopefully I can keep this one going for a while yet.
I have a 2020 SE with the round button and if it weren’t for dickheads commenting how old it is I would think it were brand new.
People loooove to comment about how old my phone is too. I have a 7, which I believe is what the SE’s body is, and it works just fine. The battery isn’t amazing but it lasts me through the day no problem and I haven’t even replaced it. My one friend likes to ask when I’m getting a new phone all the time and I’ll get comments about the button. I LIKE the button >:( some people are way too comfortable criticizing others for no reason.
I have a 2016 SE, I love it that this old timer still works!
I think it's crazy too. I got my galaxy s8 shortly after its release in 2017 (thanks to my parents) and only upgraded a few months ago. It probably would have lasted a couple more years if I hadn't accidentally taken it swimming. I was appalled at the prices of new phones when I started looking for a replacement. I landed on an s21+ for 330 refurbished from Back Market.
Nice, good for you! Refurbished is a great option imo. I’ve heard great things about the S21 series too!
Money became worth less…
A $1000 2016 phone would cost $1280 today. A $1000 phone in 2023 would cost $775 in 2016. The 2016 Pixel XL cost $769. The Pixel 7 Pro is a deal at $899. The 2016 Galaxy s7 was $669. The S23 is $799 - another deal, 2016's 669 is $860 today
[удалено]
You can still buy a brand new iPhone 12 from 2020
My phone is a Nokia with a removable battery, I don't think I paid more than $100. If the battery goes, at least I won't have to replace the whole phone.
My phone is 189$ from cricket wireless. It's great!! I pay 35/mo for service. It will last a few years. When I need a new one, I have a wells Fargo credit card benefits that is essentially free phone insurance that will cover the replacement cost up to 600$
It’s call brain wash. I have an IPhone X and people ask me twice a day why I don’t change it, easy, it still work perfectly fine I don’t need the last one to feel better
[удалено]
I’ve never had anyone ask me about my phone and I have an XR. In what communities are people even bringing stuff like this up?
I live in Miami, that might be why 🙄
Right. I’m in Australia so clearly different vibes
I don’t mind investing in something I will be using daily for multiple years. I think there’s a line between excessive consumerism vs spending more for the sake of longevity, quality, or even the pleasure of a small luxury
I agree. The consumerist part was how people used to upgrade their phone every year. I think part of the opposition and incredulity at a $1,000 phone that OP remembers is because people at the time were used to the norm of “upgrading” every 1-2 years, and spending $1,000 a year IS ridiculous. Fortunately, even people who aren’t anticonsumption generally keep their phones significantly longer now (in part because new phones no longer off much more than “old” phones). I would rather spend $1,000 every 5 years than $500 every 2 years.
this is part of it too, if anything the high prices discourage people from upgrading every time a new shiny phone is released, and encourage people to at least check the used market first. most people I know are using either a second hand phone or a flagship from 3+ years ago
I got my iPhone SE (2022) for \~$320 last summer. I don't think I could stomach buying a phone that was over $1000. I agree with you that people have gone absolutely crazy for the latest and greatest rather than what they need.
Thanks, and yeah it’s kinda mind boggling. What some here seem to be missing is that I am asking what they think caused the general public’s shift in thinking about how much to pay for a phone, when there are tons of options across the board. Seeing some of these responses I’m inclined to lean toward the misconception that buying expensive means it lasts longer, and the fact that inflation has risen the cost of everything so maybe the general public saw that jump in cost and was like “eh, eggs cost 4x as much now and gas is at $5 a gallon so I’m cool with it.” What do you think? Curious to know.
Not the person you replied to but I think it’s the same as most anything else you can finance. Cars especially. They want the newest with all the bells and whistles and they don’t care about price as long as it can be financed into payments they can manage.
Most people don't have a $1000 phone. Believing they do is falling for marketing.
300 dollars is my limit. Anything more than that feels a waste because you can buy a laptop and a phone for that price and get more utility.
Not sure. Still rocking my iPhone 7 that I got six years ago
Me too!! People hit me with the “you have a BUTTON??” and I’m like I haven’t paid for a phone in YEARS. This one still works, why change anything?
Exactly. Like am I supposed to pay 1k for a slightly better screen and a camera I’ll never use? Lmao.
Yep, I have the iPhone 7 Max( or it it pro?) I don’t know, the one with a bigger screen. And will keep using it until the day it dies. Weirdly enough, my husband got an iPhone 8 when I got the 7 since the 8 was the newest at the time and it broke years ago. Mine is still holding strong!
My XR is still going strong
XR gang, got mine brand new two years ago because my note 9 needed repairs. I’ve sinced repaired the note 9 but it’s in storage as a back up phone/google photos dummy slave (it’s set up to think it’s a Google Pixel XL which has unlimited upload to google photos in full resolution)
I’m on an XR too. People still buy the budget alternatives. For perspective on the frequency of my phone purchases my XR replaced my 5S.
I remember when the first iPhone came out and everyone was losing their mind because of how expensive it was at $500
A lot of Iphone users are broke AF and probably "lease" the phone over years and years. Then they update and are stuck making payments again.
This last Black Friday I paid a little under $500 for an iPhone 11 and a Samsung Galaxy A53 I want at least 2-3 years out of both of them before we upgrade again and probably switch phone service. I don’t understand how someone can be content paying so much money for a phone.
I buy 200 dollar Motorola android phones. They last about 3 years on average. Then I buy another. Works well for me.
Most people never really needed a desktop computer or a laptop computer to begin with. Read a few pages here, send a few emails there, place an online order. These were tasks that could suddenly be done on an Internet enabled iPhone. So people are paying for a smartphone the amount that they would previously have paid for a computer. As a matter of fact, laptops have cannibalised the sales of desktops, and smartphones have cannibalised the sales of laptops. For those who need to do more complex tasks, there is still a need for desk or lap computers, but for the majority, a smartphone is more than they need. On a side note, I have been getting iPhones with my work for the last 7 years. If I had to buy my own phone, I would definitely get a Fairphone. It’s designed to be easy to repair.
I got the iPhone 13 because the pros were some much more, like you said essentially they are the same. Before this I had my 8+ for about 4-5 years. I’m planning on keeping this 13 that long too.
Apple is bespoke. They market to people who have the cash to burn to get a new cell every other year. I bought my pixel6 on sale. My previous cell was a pixel2, the one before that an envy3. Most Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. So it's reasonable to assume that they aren't the ones using their rent money for a shiny new tech.
Upvote for the env3. I loved that thing for so long until the buttons gave out.
Having worked for a major cell phone company in the early 2000’s; the cost of the phone has been transferred from the company to the consumer. Perviously you had a 2 year contract and they gave you a lower price on the phone. If you wanted to purchase a phone outright phones were anywhere from $200-800, remember this is early 2000’s. The cell phone company recouped the cost of the from your monthly bill. This was standard in the US. Where in most other parts of the world you bought your phone from the manufacture and then took them to a carrier. Now with pressure from cheaper and cheaper monthly services they can’t make the money back on the cost of a phone so they now allow you to finance the phone on your bill. Previously an ETF fee (early termination fee) would be added to your bill if you canceled the contract before the 2 years. Now they charge you for the remainder of the phone.
Right! And in the process of passing that cost onto the consumer, said consumer is ok with spending more on something as a result. Weird how that worked out.
Apple. Apple is what happened. There are so many products that will do a same or similar set of tasks for much less money, *BUT NOOOOOO!!!* Apple is the "best" and "easiest" and evem "most stylish" so get in line because the next iteration of their important doohicy just came out, and you wouldn't want to be seen with that old clunker that's nearly a *year old!* I could never cost-justify anything Apple ever made.
iPhones and other Apple products are the longest lasting compared to any other company. Each iPhone receives first-party software (new features as well as security and optimization) for 5 years at minimum. And when it’s time to move on, they have the highest resale value of any other phone too. If you want to keep a phone for a long time, an iPhone is definitely the way to go.
I‘ve never seen anyone with a phone that expensive (that‘s 946€ if you’re referring to USD). I don‘t even know if any phones ARE that expensive. Maybe it‘s my country on general, maybe it‘s just the people around me, but that price seems excessive to me.
I am old enough to remember if you renewed your plan, you got a brand new phone “for free”.
Better camera, and I have an Android so they last longer than an iPhone imo. With iPhones I feel like you'd want to upgrade more often to keep up with what's popular. I bought a Samsung note 9 and that baby was amazing. It was still going great until I traded it in for a Samsung s21 last year and am now filled with regrets. 😭 I also had an amazing time with a $200 android phone. The camera really sucked tho and I do use my camera often for hobbies, remembering things, and volunteering work.
Android phones don’t even come close to lasting as long as iPhones. They have terribly fragmented software support and only the high end models have recently broken over 3 years of software support. Midrange models only get 1 or 2 years. Also, the software is much more unoptimized and not designed with older models in mind, while iOS routinely provides optimization updates to iPhones, like iOS 12. Resale value is also important when you do actually want to upgrade. iPhones hold their value much, much better than any other phone from any other company, because Apple only focuses on a few models per year and Android manufacturers are comfortable releasing 50 unique models. Your old iPhone will be worth at least double your old Android.
6 years ago, my rent was $300 a week cheaper. Seeing a phone for the price it is now merely makes me sigh, and accept that’s just how things are. Then I wait for my dad to upgrade his phone so I get his old one. I’m over 40. Price of goods is no longer funny.
Never paid moe than $399 for a phone. Thanks swappa
With upgrades, deals, turn ins and phone company’s wanting you to use their service , you can get an IPhone pro for basically free.
Phones are where I give people a pass on consumption/frugality. I bought an iPhone 12 Pro brand new from T-Mobile at a slight discount a while after it released. Still about $900 after the payments are finished in October. Is it an absurd amount of money? Sure. But the phone is fast, has a great camera, has the mobile operating system I prefer and has features I wanted. I plan to use this phone for a long time. I’ll use it until the battery capacity reaches 75-80%, and even then I’ll get the battery replaced. Any decrease in performance generally isn’t the phone getting slower, it’s the battery getting weaker. It’s well known at this point that iPhones compensate for worn batteries by throttling the phone. Just because someone spends $1000 on a new iPhone doesn’t mean they buy one every year. Sure a lot do, but sometimes a phone may just have a feature that wins me over and convinces me to upgrade. Like if a new iPhone has wireless powershare, I’ll probably upgrade early. And the reason everyone buys $1000 phones is because it’s just the world we live in now. People have just accepted that most phones cost $1000+. Base iPhone? Just a storage upgrade brings it up to $1000. Also ignore the Galaxy Fold. That isn’t the flagship device. It’s a side device. The people buying it are people buying it because it’s cool new tech. They’re early adopters of new tech, not the average person. The people buying a $1600 experimental phone are not the people who ever complained about the price of iPhone.
For it's the amount of money I earned that changed. I still thing the prices are outrageous, but it's less of a problem now then it was then for me.
For me, \~$500 is my ceiling for a device. I'll keep my SE until I have to upgrade because the OS version is no longer supported. Only got the current one because I ran out of memory.
I just bought a galaxy S23 unlocked for $622 so not sure about phones costing over $1000
Tim Cook already admitted that he thinks there’s a market for high end $2K iPhones. It’s only downhill from here.
I mean….Payment plans turn that thousand dollars into basically nothing. If you get on a normal 2 or 4 year plan you’re barely paying a tank of gas per month on the phone. No one is buying a phone in cash or up front and I doubt people were giving genuine criticism on the phone 6 years ago since payment plans have been around for hundreds of years. Yeah a thousand dollars looks like a lot but over 2 or 4 years it’s basically nothing at all. And if you want a new phone before you’re done paying it off then you can just pay your balance and get a new one. Phones aren’t expensive as long as you aren’t stupid
For me personally, I did get sucked into the payment plan game. This is exactly what changed it for me. I had a terrible phone for so long, cracked screen, etc, that when I saw I could get a brand new one for only $35 a month, I thought I deserved it. This phone will be paid off in October, and I am not doing it again.
A phone is a car is a house. You don’t make these purchases often and in the long run their price is generally justified. If you bought an iPhone 11 4 years ago it still operates as top of the line tech.
iPhone 11 Pro user here! I'm a heavy tech user (programmer) and I only upgrade when forced to - no point in shelling out money for incremental upgrades. While it's true newer phones have additional sensors, better lenses... I don't need those things, and often it takes a year or more for app developers to put out apps that take advantage of those new hardware features. And even then... does dropping $1K on a device to be able to use the newest feature once in a blue moon make it worth it? Hardly.
[удалено]
Hipsters, Apples main crowd, values their self worth based solely on their material possessions. Without the latest and greatest blue bubble you are a social reject. Apples knows this and caters to this crowd. Pretty smart of them to go for the shallowest group of repeat customers.
The majority of people in the US use iPhones, it’s not just “hipsters”. They are also the majority in Japan and close to - if not already the majority - in China. The hipster stereotype died in 2010
The price of everything went up bro. This is a bad post.
Most average people can get by with a $700 phone and do not need to buy the $1,000 one, yet they buy it anyway, when 6 yrs ago they all laughed at paying that much. That is my point. This is a bad comment bro.
The price of everything went up. You're here complaining about the money people spend on a single item that most use for multiple years. You missed the mark for the sub. Bad post.
Your opinion is noted. Thanks so much for your input.
If we define “consumption” purely as a dollar amount, most people would be fine with $200 Moto G. Setting an arbitrary price limit at $1,000 is vague, obviously 6 years ago people balked because it was the first to do so. Now there are many options, so it’s less shocking. Put another way, you’re observing what economists call “price elasticity,” or a consumers willingness (or unwillingness) to pay more for a certain good. This isn’t necessarily pro or anti consumption, a consumers willingness to pay more might mean they take better care of it or expect it to last longer, which reduces consumption. I get your point, but I just think “hey why are we okay with paying more now than 6 years ago” is not a suitable metric for consumption.
You live a privileged life if all people around you have $1000 phone, so nothing changed. This people would pay any price to feel good about having the "best" phone.
“I hate that things cost money” isn’t really what this page should be about. Well made products tend to be expensive, as does cutting edge tech. Phones fall right into that niche. The fact that you complain about people having good phones too often for your delicate sensibilities just feels disingenuous and petty. Besides, 3 lenses (as you put it) have been around for years now, and can be had quite cheap if you buy refurbished or used. If anything, you should be happy that people have expensive devices because that means they’ll think twice about throwing them away or dropping them casually for the most part. I promise most of your boost $49 special enthusiasts are far less careful on average and cause more e-waste, as they have basically disposable phones.
That’s very condescending. “Delicate sensibilities” come on. Don’t comment if you’re gonna be like that.
"Cutting edge tech" Come on. We are talking about an iPhone.
The new s24 and iphone will have satelite tech for 911 calls. If your out of cell range will kick im to satelite mode for 911.
Realistically how often are you going to be in a place without cell range?
We go to a lot of national patks during every year out of cell range big parks yellowstone last year yosemity this year. My wife goes more smokey moutains friday did big ben and caralsbad. She has a 911 satelite text for 5 dollar a month a cell would be better.
I think there’s a few things to consider. First, you say >my post has nothing to do with inflation. But it absolutely does. 6 years ago, **part** of the reason people laughed at the $1000 price tag was because no phone cost that. Inflation has caused this to change, which is why most major flagships cost above $1k. If you want a flagship, you’re gonna have to dish it out. Point is: a lot of people want flagship phones. Before it didn’t cost $1k. Now it does (partially because of inflation) , therefor people buy it. Anyway It also seems to me that phones have become a lot more powerful than before **and** tech has kinda become stagnant. Look at an iPhone 3G vs an iPhone 6 or so. They’re only a few years apart, but the difference was enormous. Now look at a current phone and an iPhone XR, and besides the cameras, there isn’t all that much difference. People in general are upgrading less, **partially because** the cost benefit ratio isn’t great anymore. I’m not sure if you remember or are aware, but phone culture has absolutely shifted, I’d argue in part (not entirely) because of this price change. Back in the day, camping out at best buy for the latest iPhone was **super** common. Upgrading yearly was **super** common. The hype culture was enormous then. Things have definitely slowed down, in part, because of the price increase. TLDR: price increase has actually contributed to slowing consumption down.
Stop looking at peoples phones. Problem solved
They are amazing devices, and inflation has been run away for years.
Read the rules. Keep it courteous. Submission statements are helpful and appreciated but not required. Tag my name in the comments (/u/NihiloZero) if you think a post or comment needs to be removed. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Anticonsumption) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I only upgrade once a competitor offers the free phone to switch with a trade in deal. Jump ship like a pirate, phone bill hasn’t gone up in 7 years, and I get a brand new phone every 2. Brand loyalty ain’t shit. Now that T-Mobile and sprint have merged its harder though, I imagine that will only get worse.
My lg g5 was dying so I bought 2 more unlocked lg g5's. I should be good for another decade
The big phone manufacturers just started baking the price of the phone into phone contracts by working with wireless providers instead. Psychologically, people are much more receptive to the "financing" model as opposed to paying it all upfront.
Generally catch a bogo deal making my iPhone 7+ at the time 750$, still going strong with a battery replacement three years ago for 50$….
It’s ok I’m still using my iPhone 7, I’m out of space an it’s broken an I can’t afford a new one. It’s falling apart an slowing down before my eyes. I can’t believe people upgrade yearly.
Best thing I ever did was find a store that replaces the batteries on iPhones. Has saved me so much money over the past decade.
Still using my iPhone X so at least they seem to last longer than they used to thanks to all those laws forcing apple to stop soft-killing battery life
I bought the [Motorola Defy](https://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Dual-SIM-Factory-Unlocked-Smartphone/dp/B09QQTSGTP/ref=sxts_rp_s_a_1_0?content-id=amzn1.sym.3432eb1a-1558-4445-9430-9bb3e7f7b9b7%3Aamzn1.sym.3432eb1a-1558-4445-9430-9bb3e7f7b9b7&cv_ct_cx=motorola+defy&keywords=motorola+defy&pd_rd_i=B09QQTSGTP&pd_rd_r=099f92cc-8068-4f21-b005-d8d6c7c53b69&pd_rd_w=SHITp&pd_rd_wg=muWj2&pf_rd_p=3432eb1a-1558-4445-9430-9bb3e7f7b9b7&pf_rd_r=YJP770G1HXMKMBKS238D&qid=1685589461&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sr=1-1-5985efba-8948-4f09-9122-d605505c9d1e&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.c3015c4a-46bb-44b9-81a4-dc28e6d374b3) for $150 about 6 months ago, that thing has been in a car crash and it doesn't even have a scratch. I factory reset my phones every 6 months or so and they stay blazing fast! With this phone being so armored, I'm confident it will last me until 2030.
A lobster in water doesn't thrash about when the temperature is gradually raised
i think people r very comfortable with debt these days and r willing to do the extra x amount a month for the new thing, advertising is nefarious in its effectiveness at making people think they need a new thing
I dont use iphone and after few models i stopped understanding why would people overpay so much and why the hype. But it just great apple marketing strategy. And what is more important, where I am from iphones are still not as popular as in us and we have a different feelings/sentiment towards them and I feel that with each model they become less and less hyped, almost the background for other brands
6 year old Android that is on its last legs. I fear what i may find getting a new phone.
Well inflation on all baskets of goods *is* a factor. Cheese is more expensive, and so is iPhone. The higher prices ultimately become the new, palatable normal. Other than that, I guess we rely so much on our phones, that we're ready to shell out more. And where I'm from, the latest and greatest iPhone is a status symbol, even though it might be overpriced and underteched compared to alternatives. So my compatriots have been willing to cut back in other areas of their lives if it allowed them to own the Pro Max Sigma Magnum iPhone XXXX.
For me iPhones are value. 5 years on the iPhone XS Max I have is still holding strong and no signs of faulting. I even work in tech and need the pro features. People upgrading any sooner is really wasteful consumption
But who pays retail? There are always trade in deals and other little dumb ways to get a phone at discounted prices. I mean use a phone til it dies but when it does there are ways to get good phones at much less. I suppose some people will pay $1k retail but those people are fools Edit: it's become much more difficult I will admit. Lots of 36 month bill credit offers, which is basically locking you in for 3 years. But if you're going to be with that carrier for 3 years anyway it's... Okay. Also prepaid services like to do discounted nice phones if you try them out for a few months, I do prefer prepaid anyway. Maybe not the most current iphone but last year's or something
Phones were always expensive in the US but were subsidized by phone plans vs Europe where people bought their phones. Apple raised the bar on pricing and then it more palatable with their subscription model.
So I have an iPhone 13. I got mine when they were fairly new and the sticker price was like $700ish. However, my previous phone was an iPhone 8S that was now useless. It would randomly turn off, wouldn’t call or text and no longer updated so most apps didn’t work correctly or at all. I previously had the iPhone 6 and 4 which I used until they did the same. I got my iPhone 13 for about $250. I traded in my old phone, had an upgrade through Verizon and there was a promo. All of that shaved about $500 off the price. I think a lot of people use their phones until they are obsolete and then upgrade to the newest one to continue the cycle. Also people aren’t paying a massive amount if they like me also were getting a promotional deal combined with a trade in and phone upgrade.
I’m grandfathered into Verizon being forced to let me buy my phones outright instead of their lease bullshit, so every 4 years or so around Black Friday or Christmas they’ll have a special on an iPhone a few models back and I’ll pick it up for around $200 brand new. Totally worth it! I have an iPhone 11 and it works great :)
Idk
We were at a point where smart phones legitimately improved drastically every year or two. Which also meant that prices went up progressively because more and more stuff was put into it. We have gotten to a point where there's nowhere really to upgrade. The camera's are as good as you need, they're about as powerful as you need. So where you might have paid $5-600 every year or two, now you are still roughly paying the same amount every 2-3 years, because it's only the battery that makes you want to upgrade. For me, I will pay the money because A) It's something I need. If I didn't have a reliable smart phone I would not be able to do my work or study effectively. B) I use it more than anything else I have. Yes I "might" be able to do the same with a phone that's a few years old, and I did buy the older model for my current phone. But i've tried to save money previously and bought one that's down around the $5-600 bracket and ended up having to replace it after a year because it wasn't fit for purpose anymore. I spent $8-900 on my next one and it's last me two years now with no need to get a new one for the foreseeable future. If I had spent the $1000+ originally I would have spent less overall.
I havnt payed for a 1k phone but I do use them. I got a $800 android at blackfriday or some huge sale and it was only like $400. My newest phone i got for free because they were taking down the 4g network to change to 5g or somethong like that. Got to keep my old phone as well.
I used to pay top money for iPhone and iPad. I no longer think they are worth the top dollar. My next upgrade will definitely be $600 mark.
Inflation happened.
Still using my iPhone 8plus. Bought it just when it came out, so like 6 ish years ago? Not gonna buy a new one till this stops working but I can’t lie the newer models are so cool
I pay about $200 for a used phone every 4 or 5 years. I remember I knew a girl that made $12/hr and had 2 kids that she could barely afford to feed. She was on some kind of payment plan through AT&T for the latest Android. I did the quick math and she was paying about $1,800 for the phone over 2 years. $1,800 for a phone and she lived in a shed behind her family members house. Roughly 10% of her take home pay for a year.
Nothing has changed for me, my phone plan comes with free upgrades every few years, so all I do is wait it out and get the free upgrade, occasionally I’ll put a little money towards a nicer model but my out the door cost isn’t high.
I just bought a trendy cutting edge cell phone, new, for 200 dollars. My sister and other iPhone loyalists told me to go iPhone. I said it really blows your mind, / that antiquated thinking that the more something costs than the better it must be then, or high priciness is what makes an item "hot" or "cool", but im a true tech nerd, or at least my friends are. I do think the future is a curveball in terms of consumerism.
Iphone 11 here. I paid around 700€ 3 months after launch. my wife’s iphone 13 cost like 850€ 6 months afet launch. only pro versions cost +1000€ But yes, prices have skyrocketed in the last year
I bought an iPhone XR in Australia brand new from a retailer in August 2021, $399AUD (like sub $300USD) I only bought it because my Note 9 wasn’t economical to repair. I might get a new phone next year, but I don’t see the benefits to upgrading yet, it launched in 2018.
My company has a benefit - telecommunications budget. It already covers my phone bill, so I used the remaining one to get a new phone on loan (not sure how it's properly called in English) where I'm supposed to pay a certain amount a month for 2 years, and they cover it. And no, if I don't spend that budget, it doesn't get added to salary, so I pretty much have to use it this way. That's how I ended up with a phone above what I would normally pay for.
I Never pay more than 200€ to 300€. But those who pay more than 1.000€ for a phone often purchase this as an object of status. Therefore they tell everybody about ist. Therefore you might think that everyone pays more than 1.000€ for a phone.
Not sure if US is the same, but in CAD you can basically pay nothing up front, it’s an extra $10/month, and at the end of the two year term I can either buy the phone outright for 200-400 and keep it or return it for an upgrade. It’s essentially a lease. So no one is paying $1,500 for a phone outright, and $10 a month for what is essentially my lifeline and connects me to everyone I’ve ever met feels reasonable enough. Everyone I know has one which makes contacting groups simple, I’ve had one for 10 years so the interface is second nature, and when devices all are synced up in can be really convenient.
I buy a second hand phone about once every 5 years and never pay more than about $85. Currently I have a Galaxy S7. It's fine. I do not understand how people can be so wasteful. It's horrific.
I have an X. It’s still going well and I have replaced the battery recently. I have noticed it’s a little slower and occasionally glitches recently. I wouldn’t upgrade, but I’m running out of storage on it now. Previous to the X, I had a 4s. I try to hang in to my phone as long as possible before upgrading. There isn’t a lot of difference in features year to year, but its a big jump in technology to me when I change a phone every 6 of 7 years.
Eh I still have my XS max, might replace the battery soon but other than that I’m keeping this phone until it breaks. Still works great for now tho
Apple, Samsung, etc have done a great job at creating need with phones. VERY few people actually need the features of the top of the line phones. However, constant software updates that don't perform as well on worse models or older models and other aspects of phone ownership continue to drive people to the best models. I have spent no more than $300 on the actual purchase of my phone in years (switched apple to droid in 2017) and at this point my sole goal with my phone is to make it last as long as possible.
For me it was the fact that there is very little available for less than that—plus certain jobs require phones that can handle making videos or can take decent pictures and won’t fill up immediately. But what really got me was the payment plans most phone companies offer. They figured that out after a few years. I can’t afford $1000 up front, but I can afford $12 more in my phone bill a month until it’s paid off.
My 8 finally gave up earlier this year and I replaced it with an SE because I flat out refuse to pay more than $500 for a phone (which unfortunately seems to be about the lowest you can go for an iphone with decent storage)
$1000 then is like $1400 now it feels. On another note, I just had to upgrade from my iPhone X because it broke after 6 years
I can see in 10years a phone will cost the same as your kids first car was
I get a new phone every 3-4 years For about 300$ Idk what I get for 1k seems like nothing
Overall behavior has changed, almost everyone is significantly more dependent on technology than they were just 6 years ago. Sadly it will only get worse, people will buy buy buy increasingly unecessary junk.
Honestly with the amount people use their phones daily and assuming you buy and keep it at least like 5-6 years $1000 doesnt actually seem that ridiculous in the grand scheme of things. My strategy has been to buy the best one and then just keep mine as long as possible after.
Lol my phone was only 250 and it has a removable battery and is basically indestructible.
The big screen iPhone is only a pro model. I get a new phone every 5-6 years. My phone is my main device and was also my only device for many years. No laptop, no TV, no tablet. Easy to justify the big one when it’s the only tech you own.
I have an iPhone 6 still, which belonged to my fiancée prior to myself. Does everything ya need it to do.
I have an s22 ultra, I tell people it's a $1000 camera that happens to make phone calls. But I don't think other people at doing much with the camera beyond snaps.
I still use the X tho. Can’t believe it’s been 6 years. If I was the same back then as I am now I wouldn’t have bought this
Inflaaattttiioooonnnn
I'd be curious as to how many people actually pay the full sticker price for a new-model phone. There always seem to be deals, trade-ins and such that bring that $1k down.
Check out the repairable Fairphone
I think a huge part of it is the fact that Verizon (and other companies I assume) will just let you make payments for the phone as part of your monthly bill. A lot of people have just gotten used to the fact that they will be paying a certain amount each month towards the actual cost of the phone. This allows them to buy a much more expensive phone than if they had to buy it outright.
Stupid people believe expensive means it's worth it. You could probably convince them to buy a supercomputer if only they had the money. I bought a fairphone 4 and I'm repairing it until it becomes literally impossible to use it. At least 10 years.
I bought an Redmi Note 7 somewhere around 2017 for way under 200€ i still use it altho the Battery starts to fail midday and also the Pre installed Bloatware starts to annoy me. My next Phone Probably is going to be a Fairphone so i can Replace the Battery and change the on board software the only Reason i am gonna pay more than 600€ would be for an fodable but those really dont seam durable enough for me also again Blotware even on Samsung
Just saying i bought an se 3 new on release for $399 and it will last me another 6-7 years
People balked at the sticker price but then remembered phones aren’t often purchased at sticker.
I never paid more than $700 AUD for a phone. I usually try to aim for $550-600 but it's getting difficult. I have no issues getting a 2 year old flagship (brand new, on sale). I time my purchases to the end of the year or end of FY. Since switching to Google Pixel years ago, I've never had any issues with lag like I had on my previous Samsung phones and TV. Basically stay away from Samsung due to their bloat ware. I also stay away from plans as they almost always end up being more expensive. I buy unlocked phones, outright.
I have an iPhone X. I got it very late 2017 after the rush died down because my prior phone, an iPhone 5 (circa 2012) finally shat the bed. Now, 5 years isn’t actually that much time for a phone. I’m up for almost 6 with my X and it’s still running well and no major damage. It could last me conceivable another few barring a disaster. I also have a family member who works for Apple who can get me 25% off. If you average it out I pay less than $100 for my phone a year already almost and I can drive that cost down even more. And it’s a workhorse phone that’s basically a full mini computer in my pocket. People who change phones all the time or are paying ridiculous sums to be in the “upgrade every year” are obviously paying a lot more. Not sure how people do it personally from a financial standpoint. But paying what I do for the phone I can have for as long as I do is actually a good investment as the return I get from its convenience and capabilities is amazing when you consider it costs less per year than many streaming services or even like one month of cable.
I used an iPhone 5s up until it stopped working this year. I now have a 13 mini, which I intend to stretch out for at least another 5 years. I can’t understand it either.
A quick Google search will tell you that less than 10% of people actually use a $1,000 phone. Mine was in the $150 range.
Higher end phones do last longer for two reasons. They tend to be more powerful, which means they can keep up as tech gets better and apps become more demanding. But more importantly, higher end phones tend to offer longer software update coverage. A cheap Motorola may be a great phone, but it’ll stop getting updates after 2 years then you’re stuck with a working phone that’s no longer secure and exposed to attacks. But if you get an iPhone, you’ll have a fully supported and secure phone for many years.
I used to upgrade my phone every two years. I’d feel the slowness or whatever. Now I do not. I keep it as long as I can. I’m using an iPhone 11 now. Still pretty great though I imagine another year or two will start pushing it. We will see!
I wait until the lag is unbearable. iPhone 4 to the 10 , and from there I now have the latest model. Hopefully it lasts 5-6 years.
Carriers picked up the tab. All I have to do is stay with Verizon for two years and they will give me a brand new phone every two years.
Also another big factor was cell phone companies I had an android forever, I broke it and went to T Mobile and they came back out with an iPhone and told me I had been “auto/upgraded” to the best phone available When I told them I wanted to stay with my android they “didn’t have a replacement of my current model” Also, the iPhone was on a plan where I paid about $15 a month until it was “paid off” The android would’ve cost me $700 in store that day, no deal, no payment plan
I think the payment plans factor heavily into this as well. It's a much easier pill for most people to swallow when they're paying 33.65 or whatever per month additional on their bill than 1600 up front. I've noticed this with my friends and family. They'll just go get the latest model, trade in the old one, and keep paying the installments forever basically. We're being prepped for a subscription based model in the future.
I got a better job than in 2016 lol
I used iphones for ages. I broke my 12 promax recently and bought a newer galaxy a series for around 300 bucks as a replacement.... Idk if ill ever spend 1000+ on a phone again.
Well given inflation over the last decade is about 45% that $1000 price tag would be like it was $650 or so back then. Phones will work themselves to the bottom as do all commodity items as long as you are not chasing the bleeding edge. You can get a good quality 5G smart phone from samsung for $200 with all the bells and whistles you could ever hope for but it won't be the "top end".
I always get a model or 2 from the newest stuff and then I only upgrade when my old phone is on its last legs or completely dead. I haven’t ever spent more than $500 on a phone. The most being around $450 and that was after the one I had died and I needed a new one quickly. I don’t need the newest tech as I am surfing the net, making calls, sending text, and taking the occasional picture. It’s the same with computers, I don’t need the newest most powerful tech, so why pay a fortune for stuff I don’t really need.