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iPhone 14 Pro How would you justify paying well over 1000 dollars for a next-gen iPhone ?
- Thread starter rocknrollme
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You’re asking people on a primarily American website, and since the US is more than anything an individualist culture you’re getting a lot of responses from people who can’t conceive of having to justify spending money beyond “I want it”. However you are from a culture that has its own unique approach to individualism, different enough that you are considering justifications. I think it’d be more interesting to hear your thoughts on dropping that kind of money on a disposable toy in the face of everything else that $ could be spent on.Hey all,
I live in France and the cheapest iPhone 14 Pro model retails at 1329 euros, that's 1441 US Dollars.
Looking forward to all your thoughts
(I've got mine but am interrested into other people's take)
Here in the US, I have the 14 Pro Max. It has the functionality and form factor that I want in a phone and, having used Android phones for many years, I have no desire to go back to Android.
Hey, even in America a lot of us have to justify purchases like this to our spouses.
Hey, even in America a lot of us have to justify purchases like this to our spouses.
My wife and I worked stuff like that out years ago. We did a lot of talking before getting married.
In any case, when it comes to the 'tech' decisions all she has ever cared about is 'equal'. Whatever I choose to get, she wants the same (but in her choice of color).
That's changed slightly in the last couple of years as she really started to like the looks of Samsung devices. So the next time we upgrade we'll see what she decides. For the moment, she's still periodically asking me what kind of phone(s) she already has.
Both of us have the 11 Pro Max and the Pixel 3a XL.
I am a retired IT guy. Always had to have the latest and greatest. Not any more. The one-two year upgrades do not justify that more...That was back in my Microsoft days. I switched to a Mac and setup the dual boot and installed windows on one section and Apple on the other. Did this till I retired. Now I am all Apple Mac. Both Microsoft Office and Quicken have Mac application now. I am on my second iMac and have not looked back. Bought this one in 2019. Will run it for at least another couple years baring any hardware issues and then get another one. Might be a laptop this time around. Don't really need the big screen for accounting apps any more.
Semantics much?
To rephrase OP's question in a language all the wannabe billionaires in here can understand:
-What specs, features, finishes, etc., in the next iPhone would make you want it enough to buy it at $1441 for the base model?
I was quoting the thread title…my answer pertains directly to that.
Emphasis mine.
Perhaps OP's thread title should relate more to the actual question.
I bet this has been mentioned in this thread but I wanted to give my thoughts
First, people can spend their money on what they like (not saying this in a mean way, just stating facts). Some people justify spending $$$ on clothes, some spend $$$ on sports betting, some spend $$$ on technology, etc. In my case, im a nerd who likes apple tech (but even I dont upgrade every year).
Second, Ive gotten a pretty good deal from my carrier where I pay $28 a month for service (4 person plan for $112 a month). Along with that low cost, my carrier gives me $1000 off iPhones every 24 months (with trade in). Thats $41.67 worth of iPhone a month where i'm paying $28 a month for service. So Im wasting money if I dont upgrade every 24 months. I know my situation is very unique but even regular customers can get a 4 person plan for $170 a month, which comes out to $42.5 per person; almost the same as what the carrier is offering off iPhones.
Third (ties in with the 2nd point), people arent buying $1000+ iPhones every year and throwing their old ones away. You can get a good 80% of what you paid for back if you sell it on sites like ebay or craigslist. That can be a way some people justify getting a new one every year as well.
First, people can spend their money on what they like (not saying this in a mean way, just stating facts). Some people justify spending $$$ on clothes, some spend $$$ on sports betting, some spend $$$ on technology, etc. In my case, im a nerd who likes apple tech (but even I dont upgrade every year).
Second, Ive gotten a pretty good deal from my carrier where I pay $28 a month for service (4 person plan for $112 a month). Along with that low cost, my carrier gives me $1000 off iPhones every 24 months (with trade in). Thats $41.67 worth of iPhone a month where i'm paying $28 a month for service. So Im wasting money if I dont upgrade every 24 months. I know my situation is very unique but even regular customers can get a 4 person plan for $170 a month, which comes out to $42.5 per person; almost the same as what the carrier is offering off iPhones.
Third (ties in with the 2nd point), people arent buying $1000+ iPhones every year and throwing their old ones away. You can get a good 80% of what you paid for back if you sell it on sites like ebay or craigslist. That can be a way some people justify getting a new one every year as well.
Just going to speak to this point. In a previous post I mentioned that device promos are often only for the base capacity of a device. It's rare when you're allowed to apply a promo to a device with the max capacity.
Likewise, a lot of carrier deals for plans assume a base offering. The four person plan you mention? I assume that's for four lines right? I have a family plan with T-Mobile that currently has 10 lines for a four person family. My wife and I each have three lines for ourselves, two voice lines (for two phones) and one data line (for iPads). There are two lines for SyncUP Drive devices in our cars which give us mobile WiFi. And the last two lines are actually for our kids (voice lines).
Any deals I've ever found from my carrier (or other carriers) are outright assuming three or four lines max for a family. You mentioned where people spend their $$$. This is where I spend mine: on devices, on cellular plans, on my ISP, on my streaming services, etc. And that's where I am often screwed for promos because not a lot of service providers offer much more than the basics.
I used to upgrade every year until the iphone 7 Plus that was. I liked the dual camera setup but could not get used to the size. Since then I only had an 8 and the 2. Gen SE.Hey all,
I live in France and the cheapest iPhone 14 Pro model retails at 1329 euros, that's 1441 US Dollars.
I've had an iPhone for 15 years and used to update every year, lately every two years, but now sometimes ask myself...
Moving forward, what really justifies to spend that crazy amount of money onto an iPhone vs. an Android alternative ?
For the same amount of money I could probably get 3 Xiaomi phones with equivalent specs.
Looking forward to all your thoughts
(I've got mine but am interrested into other people's take)
I think if there is a further improvement on the Pros camera I might go for a Pro this year. I was already intrigued by last years RAW capabilities but it just wasn’t good enough.
To be honest, most if not all people I know who have fairly expensive phones take mediocre photos and only browse social media and tiktok…and spending a grand or more for just that, is just bonkers.
BUT, if you have the spare change and enjoy the latest and greatest, be my guest.
I like it and I can afford it. Simple as that.
To whom are we justifying this? I guess the story may vary based on that. Anybody outside this forum? Mind your business.
To whom are we justifying this? I guess the story may vary based on that. Anybody outside this forum? Mind your business.
I could not justify spending that much on a phone. It's only a phone, after all, not a computer! To me, $300-400 is the top I'd pay for the functionality like email, messengers, occasional browsing, banking, music etc. on the go. But I only buy a new phone when my current one breaks or gets slow, which is not the case yet. OG SE is still as fast as on day one.
Not too long ago I was an android user and convinced that paying more than 200-ish Euros for a phone was lunacy.
Then I had chat with a friend who’d been happy to pay upwards of 800 for his phones every few years. His argument was that phones these days are super capable computers, often taking over functionality that we used to turn on our desktop computers and TVs and stereos for - all while fitting neatly in our pockets.
While I knew all that, of course, I hadn’t thought of it that way. Plus, the phones I used to buy were just about doing all that stuff well enough.
While I still wouldn’t buy a 1000+ Euro phone, I can’t really blame anyone if they find value in it.
Maybe it’s their only device, their portable office. But in any case, it’s their money, so… 🤷♂️
Then I had chat with a friend who’d been happy to pay upwards of 800 for his phones every few years. His argument was that phones these days are super capable computers, often taking over functionality that we used to turn on our desktop computers and TVs and stereos for - all while fitting neatly in our pockets.
While I knew all that, of course, I hadn’t thought of it that way. Plus, the phones I used to buy were just about doing all that stuff well enough.
While I still wouldn’t buy a 1000+ Euro phone, I can’t really blame anyone if they find value in it.
Maybe it’s their only device, their portable office. But in any case, it’s their money, so… 🤷♂️
Wife, husband, partner, home budget maybe? You may be single, but most people here aren’t, and it is at the very least a courtesy to discuss expenditures, especially large ones, with your significant other/life partner.
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I already spent well over $1,000 for a a maxed out iphone pro here in the states. But as an artist who uses my iphone for my work, i can justify the expense. Plus i don’t update every year. Having said that, if a maxed out iphone 15 “Ultra” costs over $2,000… um… that would be crazy. I’m not saying the iphone pro will crack the $2k barrier, but the way things are going with inflation ya never know.
Nov 2017: I could not resist the iPhone X. Base model after Apple Care and local sales tax: $1,300.40. The case was a separate purchase.
I used it for five years, but toward the end I resented that it had been so expensive, especially when I was hoping to replace it with my mini.
I used it for five years, but toward the end I resented that it had been so expensive, especially when I was hoping to replace it with my mini.
I was thinking about cars. Most people who bought cars in 2018-2019 and ended up working remotely most of the time have driven those cars very little, so probably those cars won't be replaced until 2030, and if those cars were electric, they may be replaced in ~15 years.
I think that explains some of my resentment about having the expensive phone sitting around. Prior to WFH early 2020, my iPad sat idle and my iPhone was the most important device when I was out. The roles reversed.
Why should someone need to justify themselves? It's their money and their life, and their decisions. People looking for justifications and/or opinions are insecure and looking for validation, in my opinion.
If you have the money and you want it, just buy it and don't look back.
If you have the money and you want it, just buy it and don't look back.
So far, with trade ins, even if Apple is charging over $1000, I’m not actually paying that each time I upgrade.
But to have an excellent video camera, point and shoot camera, pocket computer, organizer, navigation device, mini entertainment center, photo album, notebook, wallet, car key (for some people), telephone, rescue aid, flashlight, etc…yeah I think it’s a bargain given what I paid for all of those things separately over the years.
Oh yeah, my personal library is on it, too. Recipes…it goes on and on and on.
But to have an excellent video camera, point and shoot camera, pocket computer, organizer, navigation device, mini entertainment center, photo album, notebook, wallet, car key (for some people), telephone, rescue aid, flashlight, etc…yeah I think it’s a bargain given what I paid for all of those things separately over the years.
Oh yeah, my personal library is on it, too. Recipes…it goes on and on and on.