New iPhone/Apple Watch?

[Katsmeow]

Anyone getting a new iPhone or Apple Watch? I had thought this would be a year when I didn't get a phone and thought I would not even consider upgrading my Series 4 Apple Watch.

But, I have upgrade program approval to preorder a iPhone 11 Pro, 64 GB, Midnight Green. And, I decided not to upgrade the Watch but thought hard about it.

First - the phone. I didn't think I would upgrade because I have an XS Max and I felt this would be an incremental year. Supposedly 2020 is going to have a major revamp of the phone so I am almost certain to upgrade then. So, I thought to skip it this year. But, changed my mind.

One factor is that I am on the apple upgrade program. I am actually downgrading size of phone and going from 256 GB to 64 GB so my payment will go down almost $11 a month. That will be enough to pay for the sales tax and Verizon activation fee with a little left over.

Part of it though is that when you upgrade using the program everything is seemless. You know you will trade in your phone and won't owe anything and will just start a new 2 year contract. If my current phone was at the end of the 2 year cycle I would probably keep it for a year then upgrade next year. But I am at the end of year one. If I don't buy this year, then next year I will own my phone outright and will have to either sell it or hope Apple offers a good trade in. This year the trade in on a two year top of the line phone is $400. If it stayed the same next year that would be OKish. But I would still have to go deal with the trade and getting a credit and then applying that to the new upgrade program loan. Just, not seamless. So I think it is better to upgrade this year, trade in next year and if the new phone is good keep that one for a full cycle or longer.

It helps in making this decision that the new phone does have 2 features I really want. First, I really, really like the telephoto lens. I realized the other day that while I have a nice DSLR, I mostly end up taking pics with my phone. So improving the iPhone camera is highly desirable. I really want that revamped camera. The other nice feature is the vastly increased battery life.

I decided to downgrade storage to 256 gb as I am only using 60 GB and I could offload some of that if I needed to. And, I decided to go for the smaller size. I loved my iPhone X when I had it. The XS Max was nice but much less comfortable to hold. I visited a friend today who has an X and I placed a You Tube video side by side on her X and my XS Max and the different in video screen size was just not compelling.

In some years only the largest phone gets all the new upgrades but this year the Pro and the Pro Max are very similar (the Max gets an hour more upgrade to the battery life). The cameras are the same. So I decided to go back to the smaller size.

Apple Watch - I had no intention of even really considering an upgrade. The changes between the Series 4 and 5 are minimal. The titanium and white ceramic are nice. Especially the ceramic. But, that is $1299 and I just won't spend that.

And, yet....I was tempted. The big new thing is always on display which is a feature I have often wanted (particularly when doing certain things at the gym). I just love the idea of the always on display particularly when they say it won't affect battery life. (And, yes, you can turn off the display if you don't want it always on). That is a feature I really want.

Last year they let people trade in their series 3 watch for a $250 credit which pays half the cost of an aluminum cellular watch. So, I figured they would offer the same for the series 4 cellular watch (especially since it is far closer to the series 5 than the 3 was to the 4). But, no. The offer is $100 credit (only $110 for those who paid $200 more for stainless steel). That is just ridiculous. I guess it is because they are discontinuing the series 4. Still, I didn't want to have to hassle with selling the series 4. So I will just keep it another year.

 

[upset264]

Wow, they've got you hooked. But if that's what makes you happy go for it.

I bought an 8 when the battery on my 6 failed and there was a wait for replacements. Eventually got the 6 repaired. I can't see any difference either in appearence or function between the two.

 

[Midpack]

We both still have iPhone 6 Plus and think they’re great, but we’ll keep them until they’re no longer functional at all - so far so good but we know they won’t last indefinitely. To Apple’s credit, I’m surprised the 6 Plus is still usable after 5 years. When the 6 Plus expires, we’ll gladly buy new iPhones - if it was now (it’s not) we’d buy the iPhone 11 non-Pro model for $699.

DW has a Garmin fitness watch that connects to her iPhone for texts, email etc., neither of us have or want Apple watches. We both have iPad Airs too, use them hours/day, wouldn’t be without an iPad.

Love Apple products, but not their prices. Even for a flagship Pro smartphone, $999 to $1449 seems outrageous to me, and I generally enjoy tech gadgets.

Sorry.

 

[braumeister]

We're still very happy with our Series 2 watches, so no interest in an upgrade.

My phone is fine, but DW not only loves to use her phone to take photos, she is an incredibly prolific photographer. Took over 3,000 photos with it during our 3.5 weeks in Ireland, and ended up with well over 1,000 she's keeping. Not only a lot, but I think her photos are amazingly good, since she works hard at composing her shots. So the new Pro with three lenses is very tempting for her, and I think we'll get her one.

 

[audreyh1]

I’m waiting for the next small iPhone. These are usually announced in in the spring.

In the meantime, I’m very happy with my full-featured Series 3 watch and feel no need to change.

 

[donheff]

I upgraded to the 10XR this year from the 6 because my battery was lousy and I already had a new battery. The 10 has much better battery life and a bigger screen with not much bigger phone. I plan to stay put for a long time.

 

[Montecfo]

I happily own the stock (bought at $20) but use no Apple products. Oh, except the i-Touch I bought for my wife years ago and recently dug out. It now holds a bunch of my favorite music I ripped to it for my travels.

But the products obviously are compelling to customers, which is a part of the investment case.

 

[tulak]

The updates this year weren’t that great. I’m still considering upgrading though, from an X to an 11 Pro Max. The camera is always nice, since I gave up carrying a separate camera years ago, but what I really want is the dual SIM feature. Right now I use an old Motorola flip phone for a non-US bank account which requires a local phone number. It’d be nice if I could consolidate to one phone and ditch the flip phone.

 

[steelyman]

Although it’s seemed to fly under the radar as far as press coverage goes, I ordered the new iPad along with a keyboard and pencil. Delivery of the three is supposed to be done by mid-October with the iPad itself coming last.

Apparently I’ll be getting a free year of Apple TV+ with the purchase. That’ll be new to me.

No new iPhone for me (yet).

 

[Chuckanut]

My iPhone 7 needs a new battery. I think I will have it installed after IOS 13 is released. From what I have heard the new iOS has some battery saving tech built into it that will keep my iPhone 7 going strong for several more years.

iPhones are not cheap, but my first Android phone, a state of the art phone at the time, barely lasted two years. Lack of updates and fixes caused me to many problems. If I get another Android phone it will be a pure Google phone or a $100 cheapie that I don't mind tossing after two or three years of use.

 

[dixonge]

I recently decided that we needed to re-consolidate to an all-Apple world. The combination of headache on my part, always fighting with Linux and Android to make things work, and tech frustration on my wife's part will hopefully be resolved by going all-in on the Apple ecosystem. And since iOS 13 won't run on my iPhone 5S it's the first casualty. I will most likely upgrade to an iPhone 8, then my wife gets her old iPhone SE back. The generic mini-PC will be upgraded to a Mac Mini, my $200 Lenovo laptop will be upgraded to a MacBook Air. I've also become convinced of the need for an Apple Watch, and surprisingly the wife wants one as well (for her birthday) so two Series 3 will do.

I also bought a set of AirPods. Talk about a price that seems *way* out of line w/ the product - I mean, it's just bluetooth mini-speakers in your ears! And yet - in just 24 hours I am amazed at how much I love them. The easy switching back and forth between devices, the intuitiveness, the tap-to-skip or play-pause. The 'hey Siri' functionality. I walk four miles a day and just not having to deal with cables is surprisingly beneficial.

All of these purchases using the Apple Card and 3% cash-back, of course.

One month until we're back in the states to pick up our purchases, maybe grab a few accessories. Can't wait!

 

[steelyman]

Here’s a recent (I think) NYT article about extending the life of your smartphone. Might be restricted if you’re not a subscriber but the excerpt below addresses the biggest bang for the buck.

Replacing your phone’s battery will get you more mileage than any other repair. “Most manufacturers’ batteries last about two years before serious degradation,” Ms. Clapp said. “Think of it like tires. Even if you don’t run over a kitchen knife on the highway, you’re going to have to replace them. They’re consumable.”

If you’ve held onto a phone for a couple of years, it may not hold a charge the way it used to. As Apple’s “Batterygate” controversy revealed, this can also lead to your phone slowing down or shutting off randomly. The more you charge and deplete batteries, the more they degrade.

“An iPhone retains up to 80 percent of its original capacity after 500 complete cycles,” Ms. Clapp said. “So if you charge your phone every night, and drain it during the day, that’s a complete cycle. So you’re basically looking at 80 percent of your new battery a year and a half to two years in.” Replacing the battery gives you another 500 cycles or so, which can extend the life of your phone another couple of years. Apple will replace an out-of-warranty battery for $50 to $70, which is considerably less than the cost of replacing your phone.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/10/smarter-living/how-to-make-your-phone-last-longer.html

 

[aja8888]

DW has an Iphone 6S + and won't give it up. She also has an IPad. No wishes to upgrade since everything is working just fine!

Me: Samsung 7 and a Fitbit Versa to monitor exercise, etc.

Staying pat!

 

[Go-NoGo]

Iphone 6 here, I replaced the battery at Apple's expense a year ago which gave it a new lease on life. I cannot see 5G infrastructure being in place for another 2 years at least and then the software to take advantage of that will lag behind a year or 2.

I will probably upgrade to the Iphone 8 (and only because ios 13 will not support Iphone 6 or less) which will buy me about 5 years at which point 5G will be deployed and actually be useful. Also waiting for Apple to substantially upgrade the iphone instead of the marginal stuff they are putting out now.

 

[Bestwifeever]

I have a 7 and I love it. I’ll get the battery replaced before I trade it in. DH has an older phone that he will likely upgrade, maybe to the 11, but AFTER the 2020 upgrades (12?). We’re good with our series 3 watches, iPads, MacBooks (DH has a 10 year old MB that he uses every day for designing and really sees no need to replace—the people at the Apple store call each other over to look at it when he takes it in with a question about something).

Good thing Apple has others to drive income—not getting much from us this year!

 

[RetireBy90]

Currently have Samsung android about 4 years old and will move to iPhone 11 with 128GB. Samsung is getting slow at times and I cracked screen couple years ago. I was going to wait to get a 5G but after reading about rollout and pundits reviews seems it won't be all that for a couple years. at $750 11 seems best option over XR at $650. Figured the latest chipset would be worth something.

 

[COcheesehead]

I love my Apple watch, but I have a 2 and see no reason to upgrade until it stops running. The software upgrades along the way have kept it fresh. When it does come time to buy a new one, I will buy the previous generation at Costco.

 

[Midpack]

Iphone 6 here, I replaced the battery at Apple's expense a year ago which gave it a new lease on life. I cannot see 5G infrastructure being in place for another 2 years at least and then the software to take advantage of that will lag behind a year or 2.

I will probably upgrade to the Iphone 8 (and only because ios 13 will not support Iphone 6 or less) which will buy me about 5 years at which point 5G will be deployed and actually be useful. Also waiting for Apple to substantially upgrade the iphone instead of the marginal stuff they are putting out now.

While the iPhone 6 and older won't use IOS 13, you can continue using IOS 12 - the iPhone 6 won't become obsolete right away. So we'll see how that goes, and decide then. A lot of the new gee whiz features are nice, but mostly novelties - we don't care about talking emojis, haptic touch, and having a better display when we can't see the difference unless you hold them side by side. As I noted above we'll gladly buy new iPhones, when we have no other Apple choice. YMMV

 

[Teacher Terry]

I bought a 7 2 years ago and will use it until it’s dead.

 

[copyright1997reloaded]

Disclaimer: Apple is my largest single stock holding, all from an under $2000 purchase in Oct 2000.

Thank you all for your continued purchases! Everyone should upgrade. The Air Pods and watch are awesome! Don't forget to sign up for unlimited music streaming, and now gaming and TV. Do it with your Apple credit card.

Me? I have both Apple and Android (because I like to play with them). Child has 7 plus, I have 7. Child has Air Pods (and absolutely loves them), I have cheapo Monoprice blue-tooth buds. We have three iPads between us, along with a family plan for music streaming and 50GB storage plan. I have the series 3 watch and like it very much.

I haven't really looked at the new announcements, but it appears the market is happy (stock has moved up) and the movement towards a services revenue stream continues.
Eventually 5G will be here and then we will maybe have a gigantic upgrade cycle.

 

[Go-NoGo]

While the iPhone 6 and older won't use IOS 13, you can continue using IOS 12 - the iPhone 6y won't become obsolete right away. So we'll see how that goes, and decide then. A lot of the new gee whiz features are nice, but mostly novelties - we don't care about talking emojis, haptic touch, and having a better display when we can't see the difference unless you hold them side by side. As I noted above we'll gladly buy new iPhones, when we have no other Apple choice. YMMV

Yes I know that I can continue to use ios 12, the new feature of ios 13 that interests me is the "dark mode" - being able to look at the screen when my eyes are dark adapted without losing night vision is a huge plus. Don't care for the new emoji, slomoji's or whatever they else they are touting.

 

[bloom2708]

Save a bunch. Spend the rest. On what you want.

I too have an XS Max. I likely won't upgrade. I can already go 2+ days on a single charge. So better battery life isn't too big a deal.

I like the lineup for the 11. I used to stay 2-3 versions back, but we save a bunch and I want to spend the rest on things I use.

 

[Nature Lover]

For me it's the IOS 13 push coming. I have an iPhone 6, original iPad air and original apple watch, all of which I'm happily using, but none of which will be supported by IOS 13. For security reasons primarily, but also for an improvement in the watch, and battery/chipset update in all 3, I'll likely decide to replace the whole set. Full replacement buys me likely 5-6 years compatibility, just like the last time.

 

[FIYes]

The only Apple product that I use is my original iPad Air. Eventually security concerns will push me to an upgrade. Prices on current iPads are certainly more reasonable than when I bought my iPad Air.

Other than the iPad, I am an Android user for phone and watch and I have a Windows laptop. Clearly I am not loyal to a particular operating system. When I was looking for a Smartwatch I got good information from this forum. The discussion helped me to see I was being unnecessarily frugal. I could afford to upgrade my phone and watch and it is worth it to me to do so. Those frugal habits die hard!

 

[steelyman]

My pencil (1st gen) arrived today. It’s still in the box while I ponder what to do with it without an iPad.

Maybe a tiny baton? Like Robert Preston in The Music Man?

“Think, men.... THINK”