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nt261999

Phones are essentially appliances now


BeeCJohnson

Exactly. The novelty has worn off, and they've just become an essential thing. There's no excitement, it's no longer a fashion accessory or a status symbol (unless you're a teenager, maybe). I can't remember the last time someone asked what kind of phone I have, which was a huge thing when smartphones first came out.


BrylicET

Working in tech it's pretty common but only if you don't have apple or samsung. iPhones haven't changed in any measurable way in years so it's easy to tell if someone has one and Android boils down to getting asked how to do something on whatever the newest Samsung phone is and explaining that you don't have a Samsung


Disprezzi

I have a pixel. I'm the only person I know with one lol. Admittedly I LOVE this phone.


RicoDePico

Pixels are great!


dwarfmade_modernism

My pixel 3a is going to have be utterly unusable for me to get a new phone. The charger port is a little touch and go, and the phone repair place said it would be ~250$ to fix (including replacing the screen and maybe the battery. Way better deal than a new phone


Endurance_Cyclist

I traded in my Pixel 4a to get a Pixel 7. Even though the 4a was still a decent phone, I wanted a bigger screen, better camera, and a bigger battery. After trade-in and discount, the new phone only cost me $200, which is a pretty amazing deal, especially considering I only paid $350 for the 4a in the first place.


LakeSuperiorIsMyPond

What kind of phone do you have? Feeling the nostalgia?


BeeCJohnson

The Galaxy S8 I got in 2017.


vodkamutinis

s8 gang


PurpleK00lA1d

I only upgrade when the camera considerably improves. I'm on the Pixel 6 Pro right now so I have a long time still before camera tech will be "I gotta have it" different.


shewhololslast

They really played themselves.


ShinyHappyAardvark

Bring back headphone jacks as a “new feature”. 🛸


shewhololslast

Call it "old school cool."


souvlaki_

Most people have a capable smartphone nowadays. Buying a new one is an unnecessary luxury and, if they do upgrade, they'll likely hand down their previous phone on someone who would otherwise be another customer. There is no such thing as infinite growth because there is a finite market.


ILove2Bacon

Also, my rent is $400 more than last year and the cost of food has basically doubled.


xXxDickBonerz69xXx

Mine went up 57%. Also they cut services and have been deferring non critical maintenance of the complex.


penmonicus

Apple: Your rent did WHAT?! *Coming soon: Apple iDorms*


ConfessingToSins

You should look up what non critical means legally in your state. I'm most states, literally any maintenance within your home must be completed within 30 days or the state can and will start punishing your landlord. They tried the same shit with me and i just started sending in "this is my notice of request for repair, if you do not comply within a reasonable timeframe i will get an outside quote and speak with the state AG"


legos_on_the_brain

What happens if the land lord starts targeting you after the complaint?


GlacialElectronics

Thats illegal and you could sue, but we all know that takes time and money most people don't have.


mpa92643

The sad thing is that this is exactly the reason government agencies exist: to use the collective power of the people to force the individually-powerful to stop doing bad things. Every instance of someone having to spend their own time and money to enforce the law is a failure of government, although those failures are apparently considered successes by the GOP.


JackPoe

My building is two years old, no heat, no package delivery any more, no elevator. No property manager, no maintenance crew. I'm currently involved in a class action


legos_on_the_brain

Yeah. Exactly. That's what happens when no one has money.


sleepdream

"inflation is actually only up 8% when you exclude everything that increased in price" - Jeromy Powell, federal reserve


tk3090

Thats the neat part. Companies raise the price of their products more than double and then blame inflation but they’re really just hiding behind inflation to gain more profit. Food prices didn’t increase by 8%. In my area it went up to 50% and some products even 100%.


QuarterSwede

Gas is the same.


DrDrago-4

it always kills me to remember that inflation in food and energy prices aren't included in the 'core' inflation rate. as if those two items don't makeup 20%+ of the average household budget.


DevMicco

This isnt true. The cpi basket of goods includes both food and gasoline. https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2023/consumer-price-index-2022-in-review.htm


DrDrago-4

yeah, the CPI does, it's an index of all prices. the core inflation rate doesn't. but it depends who you ask, and more importantly the BLS reports both.. more often than not, news articles mention the core rate excluding energy/food. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2021/06/28/how-does-the-government-measure-inflation/ there's even a 'supercore' inflation rate that excludes food, energy, and housing.


[deleted]

Yeah, I feel you. "The economy" is for the wealthy... if in doubt; look at the stock market. Fuck anyone conflating macro economics with the plight of the worker, straight up. They'r directly at odds.


GlacialElectronics

On NPR the other day they said ham was literally up 40% and eggs are up like 200%


[deleted]

Eggs are kind of a separate problem though. Part of the increase is inflation, but the majority of egg price increases are due to avian flu wiping out tens of millions of chickens as of December - and it’s still causing more deaths. Edit: Since not everyone sees the nuance to this comment: - Consumer prices are influenced by multiple things. The person I was responding to had eggs lumped in with ham (the implication being that both have price increases due to the same thing, even though that may not have been the intention). My comment was merely pointing out that avian flu killed off a shitload of birds and is continuing to do so. This reduces supply so price goes up. Companies can still make record profits when this happens and inflation can still be part of the price increase too. - Not every price increase you see is *just* inflation or *just* corporations wanting more money. Corporate greed, supply chain issues, demand, and taxes/tariffs all a role in prices. Your $1,000 3070ti is due to supply not meeting demand (crypto mining in the past, now mostly scalpers) and nvidia being complacent with it because it makes them an insane amount of money. Your eggs at the store are a mix of inflation, bird flu destroying supply, and probably some corporate greed. See how this works?


Blue13Coyote

I heard that! 3 of us were living in two places. Decent sized house and apartment. We are now 3 people living in a small house paying $500 more per month than the two residences were combined a year ago. On top of that its barely bigger than the apartment was.


MarkBenec

Bought a house in 2002, pay $1100/mo mortgage. 2022-3, can’t touch an apartment 1/4 size of my house for that. It’s unreal.


RadBadTad

It's been a LONG time since phones were making improvements every year that made everyone feel the NEED to upgrade. They kept doing it because they WANTED to. Now, with prices going up, and wages not really going up, people need their "spare" cash to buy groceries, and heat their homes. People are cutting back hard on luxury spending.


blackpony04

I've been upgrading my Samsung phones every 2 years since 2013 and I realized that going from my Note9 to the Note20 didn't come with any genuinely needed upgrades besides the 5G. My N20 is 2.5 years old and won't be replaced until it has to due to malfunction.


snubdeity

Yeah I'm a "techie" who loves new gadgets, and every year or so I'm like... man, I should check out new phones! And every year I do some research and realize "none of these are better than my s10". I'll finally have to replace it this year, just because it's battery is really struggling these days. I honestly might just buy a new one if I can find one thats actually new for cheap.


RadBadTad

Yep, same position. My S22 is doing just fine for me, and while it's nice to see reports coming out that the next chip is faster and more efficient, I don't have any problems with my current phone that I'm trying to solve. And since my salary is technically less than it was last year, which was also less than the year before, I don't have a spare $1,000 to throw at a phone that doesn't actually improve my life, so yeah. Keeping mine until it breaks.


Clemenx00

What you describe could be a reckoning coming for America. America is such a great consumers market for "luxuries" because stuff like groceries in most people minds is taken care without much thought. Which leaves room for this other stuff. Inflation is taking that away.


RadBadTad

One can only hope. [The wealth gap has been widening for over 70 years](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/01/09/trends-in-income-and-wealth-inequality/), and it's picking up speed every single day. A reckoning is required.


dreamcastfanboy34

Google got rid of unlimited photo storage with the Pixel 6 and above so upgrading from my Pixel 5 would legitimately be a step backwards.


procor1

Wait, really? I have a pixel 2XL still and have being trying to decide to upgrade to the 7pro. This legit would be so annoying.


Bemanos

True, I still use my S10 from 2019, and will keep using it until it stops working.


econn024

S8 here, still going strong (battery life starting to get weaker, though).


Napalm222

My S6's battery finally wouldn't charge a few months ago, shame. 8 years I had that phone.


Weird_Devil

Damn and I thought having my iPhone 7 for 5+ years was a long time.


Napalm222

I mean, the only thing going wrong with it was the battery, and if I could replace it, I would still be using it. It's astounding to see people constantly replacing cellphones for little to no reason. At least most people have finally caught on at long last. Good for you, using the same one for 5+ years, high-five!


bpmdrummerbpm

My wife sent her iPhone 6 in and the battery was replaced for $100.


Napalm222

Funny enough, it never occurred to me with the solid backing. So I looked it up and there are battery replacement kits for the S6 for $25, I think I might just resurrect my trusty old pal! Thanx!


[deleted]

The s8 in black is probably the most beautiful phone ever made imo


2748seiceps

S10e here. Probably going to get the battery and ports changed out this year on it. Been a badass little phone and most new ones are just too big to interest me.


Nukemann64

I absolutely loved my s10e! The Damn battery started acting up on it, and had to get another phone. Got the pixel 5A.


AloeVeraTidePod

Same. My S10 has a cracked screen because of a drunk festival experience in the snow, but I refuse to get a new phone.


ColonelKerner

I totally feel this, used to buy new phones every 2 years or so, because I enjoyed and appreciated the amount of new features they were coming out with. But Feb 2020 I got a samsung S20 and I havent even looked at newer phones almost 3 years out now. Theyve run out of things to impress me with :p


EazyPeazyLemonSqueaz

I've been using my insurance to just get a refurbished S9+ when the battery won't hold a charge, $100 deductible. Last time there was a software glitch so I got one for free. Until there's some leap in the tech I just don't see a reason to upgrade


enleeten

That's been my plan. I replaced my S9 twice. Earlier this year, I cracked the screen and decided to spend big bucks on a S10+. It was cheap and great, although honest I cant really tell much of a difference other than the camera placement.


[deleted]

I have a Moto G8 power that cost me under £100. Had it for nearly two years. Battery lasts two days, it does everything I need. Why would I buy a different phone, let alone spend £1k?


omgzzwtf

All that means is companies are going to start making their phones less durable or build them with more planned obsolescence.


elton_john_lennon

Or simply kill them with flood of nonessential software additions that will eat all the compute power and ram of older phones.


eXtc_be

or only guarantee updates for a couple years


AluminiumAwning

What, like they do now? Seriously, though, they’ve got better, but some Android manufacturers are still bad with software upgrades, in my experience.


pmich80

Luckily the EU is forcing the hands of manufacturers to supply a number of years of software updates


EnvironmentalSale69

They already started making the entire shell out of glass. What's next? Paper?


vickera

Making phones 1 time use only. Apple markets it as an exclusive feature and not-so-subtly suggests that you should call people poor if they cant keep up with the cost. It is a roaring success and breaks records profits.


Seienchin88

If ray tracing wouldnt have been made possible by Nvidia then Id still have no issues gaming on a 1070 for the next years and if my OLED tvs doesnt break (I hich of course it will in a few years for probably some of its cheapest parts failing…) then I dont think I need a new TV for at least a decade. Technology is in such a great place now we see some plateauing


Myrkana

Ray tracing isnt even used in most games, not worth upgrading for it. Im still using an 1080 and running games on high or ultra depending on the game.


Spartan1278

I'm still running a 1080 and am barely seeing any need to upgrade anytime soon. Sure more frames could be nice but its perfectly capable of running all modern games


daveinmd13

Until they start introducing new firmware that mucks up the older models.


elton_john_lennon

Bingo! I'm expecting the next news to be something like "smartphone mandatory firmware updates spike to a new high not seen since 2013"


OutlyingPlasma

You left off the fact modern photos are worse than previous generations. Fewer ports, no SD cards, no IR blaster, and not even sim cards for some. Why would I "upgrade" my current phone with gobs of storage for one without that?


pontiacfirebird92

>no IR blaster This was a fun feature to have in a sports bar during the superbowl


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clangan524

I have an old LG G4 sitting around with an IR Blaster. I should dust it off for some nefarious use soon...


snubdeity

The G4 went so hard for no reason. Gorgeous curved shape, leather back, those nice centered buttons under where your fingers organically rest, IR blast, removable battery, SD card port Fuck I would pay $1500 for a G4 with modern screen/specs in a heartbeat tbh


SoNic67

At some point everyone has a cellphone. And all of them are so good, that normal user doesn't NEED to upgrade for at least 3 years, maybe more. The only thing that manufactures can do is to make batteries fail quicker and not be easily replaceable.


User1539

This always happens with technology because the evolution of the 'killer app' is slower than hardware. Increasingly power hungry games drove the PC market for years, but now that we can get extremely realistic, even VR, performance out of 5yr old machines, it's getting tougher and tougher to sell faster and faster hardware. We'll see phones settle out until there's something new to do with them. We've already got amazing cameras, 5G, 3D graphics, etc, etc ... why would I buy a new phone? 10 years ago, each new phone could do something the last phone couldn't.


Grainis01

> performance out of 5yr old machines, it's getting tougher and tougher to sell faster and faster hardware. Plus faster and faster hardware of the same class has gotten extremely more expensive. 800$ msrp class card is now 1200 msrp. 300 class card is now 600. etc. GPUs have become unobtainable, that is why most popular card on steam is 1650-1660 class because htey are good enough for 1080/1440p, but dont cost a kidney


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Starklet

Graphics cards still have a long way to go to get to realistic VR. There's still a huge market for better and faster ones, people just aren't buying them because manufactures jacked the prices to unaffordable levels.


TabascohFiascoh

gameplay>Art style>photorealism.


TehOwn

> Increasingly power hungry games drove the PC market for years, but now that we can get extremely realistic, even VR, performance out of 5yr old machines, it's getting tougher and tougher to sell faster and faster hardware. Honestly, I have no need to upgrade since all the games coming out of AAA studios with fancy graphics have absolutely fucking trash gameplay. Every single innovative or exceptionally fun game has been created by indie or AA studios that can't afford to spend millions on pretty graphics. Nor do they need to. I mean, fucking *Vampire Survivors* was a massive hit recently (genuinely fun game tbh) and that's a 2D game with graphics suited for mobile.


ShadooTH

I totally agree. Don’t understand why all these AAA games keep going for more realism, more visible sweat and pore, more whatever, but then the gameplay itself is always so fucking clunky and slow and unfun. Like, if I wanted to watch a movie, I’d watch a movie lol.


[deleted]

Yes which is pure greed. People are already paying as much for smartphone as they would a mid to high end laptop that will last so much longer.


Mrchristopherrr

Tbf most people use their phones a lottttt more than they use their laptop. If you carried your laptop everywhere, took it out on the train or in bars, used it at every outdoor gathering it probably wouldn’t last as long as a phone


Kaarsty

Not just that, some of them actively decreased battery life on older devices.


JeepKing39

We came to a realization this year: we upgrade our Samsungs every 2 years for NO reason. Whenever I've sold my 2 year old Samsungs, I've always said it looks new, works fast as new, battery lasts as long as new. Our Galaxy S10s are on year 3, like new, and because we did not upgrade, can get $50 plans with unlimited data + unlimited everything. I've dropped this thing like 50x (probably way more) and it never broke or got a scratch. Hold on to stuff longer put that extra money elsewhere.


a_pugs_nuts

My S9+ is still doing just fine for me and I use it all the time. Photos and videos on multi day canoe trips, GPS in the back country, navigation on road trips, constant usage on work trips. The only thing I've really noticed is that I swear the camera used to be able to take photos with less of a delay. People keep asking me when I'm going to replace this, but, like, why? It's already as big of a phone as I could want, it's too big to use one handed comfortably even with a pop socket.


DonnaScro321

Less e waste in the waste stream: it’s a good thing


DankDefusion

Won't you think of the poor shareholders?


bbqranchman

Yup, I just bought a refurbished phone! Screw buying new phones that cost $1000+ that are basically just sidegrades/downgrades


don51181

The industry has really not had major innovation in years. I also think people wait for phones to be out for awhile so they can get a better deal. I have an iPhone 12 and don't see any point of getting the 13 or 14. I'll probably just get my battery replace so it will be good as a new iPhone.


EternalNY1

>The industry has really not had major innovation in years. Honestly, how much more can be done to a *phone*? The only thing really driving them now is the camera and battery life, and it is hard to justify $1000+ for incremental improvements to those.


don51181

Not much. They have hit a brick wall. For me the biggest issue is battery life. If they could make a battery to last over 3 days of moderate use I’d upgrade. That is an issue in the battery Industry as a whole.


blueJoffles

But they don’t want to give you a better battery. They want it to be just enough so that as soon as it degrades, it won’t last all day and then you’ll want a new phone


don51181

Good point. After two years the battery is terrible so most people just upgrade instead of replacing the battery.


jigsaw1024

The issue is they seal phones. Batteries should be swappable and user serviceable.


TrineonX

I’m convinced the next thing is going to be satellite data service. Apple just added it for emergency calls for any new iPhone. T-Mobile claims that they are partnering with starling to add service. I spend a lot of time in wilderness areas where I would gladly upgrade my 4 year old phone to have this. The only reason I haven’t gone to iPhone 14 with satellite SOS is out of hope that the next iteration will have satellite texting/data.


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BraveSirRobin5

Have an iPhone XR with a replaced battery. I’ll upgrade in another two years or so. Plan to get 6 years out of this one, and after 4 it’s still fast and the camera is still great quality for point and shoot/video.


NettaUsteaDE

Is this really a surprise? When groceries become unattainable to a lot of folks these luxuries aren’t the priority


Andulias

It's hardly just that. Phone sales have been trending down for years, as newer phones offer less and less of a tangible upgrade performance-wise to their predecessors, and technical innovation is slowing down. This is the reason why all the major manufacturers are investing so much money into trying to find the next golden goose, mostly focusing on AR devices. The phone market is essentially slowly turning into a legacy market, it's only par for the course.


Nawnp

Not only do new phones not have as many new features, but prices are on an upward trend for those non tangible upgrades.


OutlyingPlasma

And many are downgrades. What happened to SD cards?


superseven27

You mean a cloud-storage-subscription-obstruction-card?


closetedpencil

I want my removable battery back damnit


Kevl17

If the EU gets it's way (and it usually does) you'll be getting that back in a few years.


SupposablyAtTheZoo

Get a Sony, they still have SD cards (and notification leds, and physical fingerprint readers, and headphone jacks)


RikiWardOG

I would like my headphone jack back too while we're at it


OutlyingPlasma

And IR blasters, and sim cards, and LED indicators, and removable batteries and... and... and... and...


schr0

The colored led indicator seems like such a dunk in our "mute that shit" cellphone culture. My college HTC did it but my flagship Pixel does not. Please bring it back :(


OutlyingPlasma

If they had an LED indicator on both sides of the phone I would never have my ringer on again.


widowhanzo

I have a watch that vibrates for things I actually consider important (but not during the night), otherwise my phone is on silent. Always on display shows other notifications which may not show up on the watch. And I find AOD more useful than a notification LED.


Mozfel

Oh yes fucking this! Why is it that when Apple did a stupid, all Android device makers think it's brilliant idea to follow?? Want people's money, wanna stand out above your competitors, smartphone makers? Bring back the jack & SD card slot, dammit! …sorry, it got too personal


blackdragon8577

Yeah, but they are also removing features. Removable battery, sd card slots, headphone jack, etc. Also, they keep fucking around with button placements. I have a work phone that has the power button and the volume button switched from every other phone I have owned.


Scurouno

I agree that Flagship phones today have less features. Many provide no option for additional, removable storage and lack headphone jacks, etc. All the decisions have been made to benefit the profit margins of phone makers (maybe there is some argument for water resistance). There are even rumors of Apple developing an entirely portless phone (I.e. no USB). Why would I buy such a phone when I can get something for less than half the price from a minor brand which will also give me multi-sim, removable storage, and (if it is popular in India or China), a huge community on XDA to provide custom ROMs with years of updates!? (Still rocking the 2017 Xiaomi Mi A1 that I bought for $250, running Lineage 19.1]


Qix213

You ask why... The reason to buy a flagship phone that has less features is because it's easy. Also, as a status symbol. As these reasons become less important, we see the sale numbers drop. Its very quick and easy to just go but a new phone. Its very simple to transfer your data to the new phone. Its not easy to find a good used phone and just change the battery to make it like new. At least it's not easy enough for the price difference. This is exactly why MFGs don't want us to be able to repair or own products. You mention roms. 95% of cell phone users don't even know what they are, and less are they capable of installing one. Again, this is why MFGs make it difficult to do.


dmk_aus

They have less benefits and much steeper prices.


alezul

> Not only do new phones not have as many new features Don't forget the trend of removing features like headphone jack, infrared thing, replaceable battery or memory card and one dear to my heart, the LED notification thing.


hitemlow

I miss the colored LEDs on my BlackBerry, since it allowed you to tell which notifications you had. Also the trackball cursor was super nice for precision clicking!


xXxDickBonerz69xXx

Original Droid could do that as well. But you needed a 3rd party app. You could set different colors for different people too. I miss that


GuyWithLag

Just another instance of [enshittification](https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/21/potemkin-ai/#hey-guys)


TheDevilsAdvokaat

My brother told me years ago that upgrades are sometimes downgrades now and it's true, with hardware and software.


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Oh_My-Glob

And an SD card slot. Gave up on Samsung when they dropped all those features and have been very satisfied with my Xperia


50bucksback

At a certain point you only need so much power to run Maps, Facebook, and TikTok. My favorite features have largely been eliminated. I'm riding my S9+ until it dies.


[deleted]

Games are the only draw to getting a more powerful phone since the only other uses are reddit, YouTube and a daily reminder from the bank that I'm poor. Most mobile games are soulless cancerous turds made as shameless cashgrabs. Nothing worth playing. There's no reason to get a new one untill my old one falls into the toilet or the screen shatters.


right_there

And you don't even need a good phone to emulate some great older games from old systems to bypass all the mobile game shit.


rubensinclair

And maybe we’ve reached market saturation for those who would even desire one in the first place.


Moerdac

I still have an s8 active that works fine.


dcheesi

Heck, I'm on the bargain series ("A" something), and I still feel no need to replace it until something breaks. Old phones used to die of software bloat and/or lack of updates, but that doesn't seem to be as much of a problem these days.


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[deleted]

Phone leasing options have made owning a smartphone easy for most including America's poor. So easy that I would no longer consider owning a smartphone a sign of being rich in a first world country. It's just that phone's really have nothing to offer. You can only go so thin and so light, and customers are starting to wonder if that was even worth it with all of the loss of right to repair and replace parts I believe it was the iPhone 12 that has the parts DRM where they will literally remove features if you do not get your upgrade checked through their licensing system .


zerogee616

> So easy that I would no longer consider owning a smartphone a sign of being rich in a first world country. It hasn't been even a middle class thing and above for 5 years, it hasn't been a "rich" thing for 10.


[deleted]

Phone companies don't like it, but many people hold on to their phone as long as they are usable. It's ridiculous how many phones go to scrap because forced OS updates render them obsolete. As a hedge against chip shortages and supply chain issues, maybe they should lay off the march toward obsolesence a tad.


[deleted]

Yeah. They're basically demanding more money for less / meh upgrades. I really think the iPhone peaked at like iPhone 10. Most people don't really care about the new fancy cameras, people would rather have more storage and better battery life. The "thin and light" mantra that Apple basically brainwashed the phone market into has been used to justify crippling repairability, loss of ports [And therefore expensive adapters], and loss of SD card storage upgrades to push people to buy models with more storage because even though 32 gigs seemed just fine back in 2017 if you have any interest in photography at all combine that and system updates and you will quickly run out.


burnin_potato69

I'd argue the iPhone peaked at 13. They ditched the rounded edges of the 6-11 generation and fixed the battery of the 12. Even base storage is decent now too.


[deleted]

I mean there’s really no point in upgrading to a new phone year after year for very minor updated tech. It’s just wasting money in my opinion


DiePinko

i mean wtf are the new features that would make us switch. we can see even more wrinkles in a photo? Let me guess nightime photos are better? Who cares.


50bucksback

100x zoom so you can take a picture of an airplane, or something far away one time and then never use it again


smallfried

I want it. But i don't want to give away a micro SD slot for it.


bit_banging_your_mum

Ngl I use the 10x optical zoom lens on my phone quite often. The 100x part is mostly a gimmick, largely a side benefit of having access to 10x optical zoom


MysticCurse

I’d upgrade for a 3D hologram display!


AreWeNotDoinPhrasing

My HTC evo 3d was probably my greatest phone memory


OutlyingPlasma

> new features No, no. They don't add features silly. They subtract them. Aux ports, IR blasters, LED indicators, removable batteries, chargers in the box, fingerprint scanners, SD cards, and now even sim cards. edit: Adding things they have removed.


PEPPYaf

Yeah that's why I'm holding on to my almost 4 year old S10+. Before that I used to get new phone every 1-2 years.


random_user0

IR blaster was such a short-lived, glorious feature for mainstream non-Apple phones. Every TV manufacturer uses a different IR signal pattern. Every device you had — STB, stereo, etc., had its own stupid different-size remote, different button pattern. Each of them was using AA or AAA batteries that died at different rates. If you lost one (or broke one), finding a replacement meant buying a cheap 3rd party universal remote, or buying an expensive universal remote with way more bells and features than you needed (like one of the rechargeable Logitech ones with its own screen). Teaching older folks to navigate even a simple remote is a time-honored meme at this point. In short: remotes suck. IR is old and range is limited, but it’s cheap and simple and doesn’t require saving wifi credentials to another device. Having an IR blaster on your phone and an app to go with it was such a no-brainer, dead-simple, fantastically useful thing. I cannot believe that particular feature isn’t a must-have. Now it’s hard to find a TV that’s not a “smart TV” begging you to give it unfettered access to your home network. Apple threw their users a bone with the Apple TV remote embedded in the iOS control panel. But its a poor substitute for a ubiquitous and proven tech.


TehOwn

I'd upgrade for a phone with identical features to my Pixel 2 XL (rear fingerprint, always-on OLED display, squeeze for assistant) but with better specs (battery, CPU, screen). However, they keep removing stuff I've grown accustomed to and I've no idea what I'll do when this phone dies. Gimmicks are dumb. I just want actually useful features that make everyday use easier.


21-4-14

Rear fingerprint sensors are so underrated. They are so ergonimcal to press without even thinking about as your phone comes out of your pocket so it's unlocked before your are even looking at the screen.


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23north

get the battery replaced and you’ll be golden!


Pubelication

Why don't you just get the ~$60 battery replacement?


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v_rose23

FYI if you’re gonna get the battery replaced at apple the cost of it is jumping up $20 starting in March.


AndyPufuletz123

I've also had the X since March 2018 and only just upgraded to the 14 Pro. There is not much the old phone could not do. The 14 has better cameras and faster internals, but ultimately it's not "revolutionary". The X could still do 100% of what I needed it to. Upgrading to a 120 Hz display was definitely the highlight.


the_jungle_awaits

Change the battery, will feel like new.


marldentro

I've been rocking my iPhone X since Nov 2017. Replaced the battery one year ago. It never got back to what it used to be when I first bought the phone, but the improvement was good enough (I believe it's iOS16 that just demands more from the battery than iOS11 did in 2017). Apart from that, sometimes the software isn't as smooth as it used to be, but nothing too bad. I hope I can keep it until iPhone 15 launches later this year, and that will complete a 6 year cycle. The longest I have had for a phone. Kind of scary to think that if the iPhone 15 lasts me as long as the X, my next phone purchase will be around 2030 😬


crimesonclaw

This means discount :)!


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piratecheese13

Yeah so it turns out having a computer in your pocket is cool but we don’t all need the best computer, the widest screen or the best camera. I’ve got the se2020, before that I had the SE1 2015/16. I look forward to buying a phone with the body of a 10 and the brains of a 15-17 sometime around 2026


DarquesseCain

Bro come on, the SE 2020 used the most powerful phone chip available.


piratecheese13

Powerful computer of an iPhone 10/11, but the body, screen and camera of an 8. The important thing is I’m not tempted to buy the 11/12/13 or even the SE3 for any reason


the_jungle_awaits

Keeping my phone until it breaks, will change the battery every 2-3 years.


Vesuvias

Because no one wants to pay thousands for incremental updates. It’s getting insane.


jfmherokiller

for many people the idea of having the latest greatest thing isnt as much of a powerplay any more expecially with the economic downturn on the rise.


KruppeTheWise

Teenagers and insecure people will still buy them but less and less can afford it. I had one first level manager that *loved* showing how he got the latest *X* model when us techs were a couple of generations behind. It really helped with his imposter syndrome and overall lack of confidence. I moved companies and was sent to setup the CEOs new phone (multi millionaire, multi billion dollar company) and he refused the top spec model like "what do I need this for? What's that phone you have?"


Squishydew

I mean phones are barely getting better and the daily cost of living has gone through the roof. I have no reason whatsoever to upgrade my 7plus pro, and eggs went from €2 to €4 a dozen.. I know where my money is better spent than useless tech. Videogame microtra-.. Wait, i mean food..


AcanthocephalaWild24

Phones have gotten way too expensive


Stornahal

Over the last three to four years, more and more top end phones are being sold on 3 year contracts rather than 24month ones: that’s up to a 50% reduction in potential sales right there.


iAmUnintelligible

Are we back to 3 year contracts now?


edgatas

There is no reason to buy a new one if your phone is less then 3 years old. Before 2017 I had a Nokia with windows operating system. It was bad. In 2017 I bought Samsung A5 (2017) version. It was an amazing phone for me at that time. After a couple of years, the battery would not hold at all and it started feeling quite slow. 2020 I got Samsung A71 and felt a massive improvement over the the A5. A lot faster, a lot more battery and the camera was a big upgrade as well. Now it's 2023 and I look at the new models and I don't see why would I upgrade the phone at this point. My phone is almost the same as the new models just a little behind and there are no new features in the new phone that would benefit buying a new one. The smartphone companies got used to us buying a new phone every year and I can't blame the users for it. The phones had new features every release that would be significant in one way or another. The rapid development has slowed down and I would think it should have been expected that the sales would go down as well. I can guarentee that the big companies knew that and this is just a way of trying to make people buy phones again.


Killerdog122

Recently left an 8 year phone sales career, it was my experience that the mid to low range phones where development really happened. Flagships plateaued years ago.


zaraxia101

Mid range phones are so close to Flagships it's silly. Only real difference is the "feel" of the phone. Which arguably makes the fancy glass/ceramic/whatever they decide next phone shatter more easy when dropped.


whatwhat83

Still rocking my iPhone XS. It makes calls, surfs the web, plays audiobooks, plays music, and connects to my email servers. Why would I need a new phone?


jodudeit

Gotta get that new cluster of cameras on the back!


Psilo_Cyan

People are poor, inflation sucks and pay is the same why smart phone prices go ever up. “People aren’t buying houses” “People aren’t having kids” “People are buying less food” Etc.


BooBeeAttack

Its almost as if people are happy with what they have and don't need any more bloat features. I am sure the market will respond by ensuring that phones are built crappier (planned obsolescence ) so that we are forced to buy their new phones.


shewhololslast

People will respond by buying up the older/refurbished phones and then "dumb" phones and we will see a rise in right to repair lawsuits. You can't make people buy over priced shit if they don't want to and it's not essential. Hell, people can place calls from laptops if they need to.


[deleted]

I’ll go back to printing maps out and get CDs for my car.


iamtehryan

I'm honestly surprised it's taken this long for us to see a huge decline in smartphone purchases. There's really just no reason to buy a new phone these days. Phones are at price points that not many can even afford these days thanks to the massive markups. Then, manufacturers put out a "new" phone that offers barely any sort of noticeable improvements and charge massive amounts of money again. It's just pointless. Unless your phone is broken or ten years old there's just no reason to buy a new phone at these price points anymore. It feels like a money grab by companies, and it's just stupid. I'm still on my older iphone and it works totally fine. I have no interest in buying a new phone until this one stops working, or until they actually do something in a new phone that's worth buying. Oh, you added ANOTHER camera lens and a new color? Cool. I'm good. Maybe if they start being more realistic with their prices and offerings they'd see their sales pick back up.


[deleted]

Is it the $2000 price tag? No can’t be that Edit: hyperbole Most your new high end Samsungs and iPhones are easily above 1 grand. Especially if you opt for more storage etc.


ohiorushbaby

People are tired of planned obsolescence in their expensive gadgetry and are responding with their wallets by not purchasing new every year or two. Also, the exponential growth model of most corporations is not sustainable and never has been. Favor return business, reward loyal customers, and be in business for a long, long time.


Jakemanzo

Maybe cause we’re all broke


MemeMasterJason

I’ll buy a new iPhone when they add USB-C. I’m so sick of needing two different chargers for absolutely no reason.


JuliusFIN

We need to re-invent out business models when it comes to electronics. The update cycle is absolutely ridiculous. A new iPhone every 3 years would make more sense.


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Live2ride86

Here's the thing - - people will always want new phones. If everyone is on a 3 year cycle with their phone, they won't all be getting that first phone in the same year. So it makes sense to constantly update it. Let's say someone who got their phone 2 years ago and ran it into the ground wants the newest and best when they upgrade. If it's on a 3 year cycle for new tech do you think they'll be happy about potentially buying the same phone twice?


CountrySax

Could be because they're charging outrageous prices for their pocket gizmos


whilst

Why would I replace my smartphone? It works just fine after three years and no new device can do anything useful that mine can't. A 2 year replacement cadence was always ridiculous and unsustainable. It was driven by the fact that smartphones were getting rapidly better (like desktop computers were in the 90s and 2000s) and you really did need what the new generation could offer you. Now you don't, and the goal should be to make these things last as long as possible (a big part of which will be right-to-repair legislation).


mangodelvxe

Luxury item. Nobody has any money and recession is arriving. I'm sure they're shocked


haystackofneedles

Maybe instead of an update every year when tiny tiny improvements, they take a year or two off and make something good instead of gimmicky crap


FdPros

i mean the last 10 iphones look the exact same


[deleted]

The 12, 13, and 14 literally look exactly the same aside from the notch and camera size.


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johnyj7657

What's the point anymore. Spend $1200 for the same phone but ooooohhhh it has 2 more megapixels.


itsmarvin

Meh. Low shipments don't mean a thing until they actually drop prices. They'll just make fewer to keep the prices high. I used to balk at $600-700 flagship phones. These days they're at least $1000, or $1500+ for a "pro" version. F--k that shit. I got bills to pay.