Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Other Those who upgrade every year, what is your method?
- Thread starter xxray
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I generally sell my iPhone locally and pay the difference for the latest iPhone.
Sold my iPhone 7, bought the X. However, I was surprised about the low resell value of a one year old iPhone 7 (jet black - 128GB). I initially thought the decline in value of Apple devices is much less. Whatever... life's too short not to enjoy a shiny new iPhone each and every year.
Buy--->Sell on craigslist 15-21 days before the launch of new model ---> Use backup for the gap (SE right now) --->add 150-170 and buy another model. You get to use a new phone every year and it costs ~$12-15 a month. IUP is for suckers.
This year had to add a bit more coz of iPhone X.
This year had to add a bit more coz of iPhone X.
I used to sell current and upgrade. What I found is that my time and gas isn't quite worth it compared to an annual upgrade with Apple. Plus, I always purchase AC+ so that makes it easy. Since doing this, I have occasionally been a headache to Apple but they have been nothing but amazing to me and resolving any concerns or issues I have.
For example, I have not enjoyed the speaker issue I am having with the 8 Plus/8 but Apple has gone out of their way to help me, including an outside of 14 return/exchange. Heck, I am still torn on the 8 versus 8 Plus and I know if I wanted I could walk into an Apple Store and exchange/go back to the 8 Plus as I am in the 14 day period... even though I have had multiple devices with the issue. The only thing really stopping me is that I feel like I have worn out my welcome... but I do miss the 8 Plus and it seems I will just have to live with the speaker issue until resolved as I am not going to Android.
For example, I have not enjoyed the speaker issue I am having with the 8 Plus/8 but Apple has gone out of their way to help me, including an outside of 14 return/exchange. Heck, I am still torn on the 8 versus 8 Plus and I know if I wanted I could walk into an Apple Store and exchange/go back to the 8 Plus as I am in the 14 day period... even though I have had multiple devices with the issue. The only thing really stopping me is that I feel like I have worn out my welcome... but I do miss the 8 Plus and it seems I will just have to live with the speaker issue until resolved as I am not going to Android.
Carrier upgrade plan - been working great. Much more reliable than the Apple version. I don't see any reason to change this in the foreseeable future.
How is it more reliable that Apple?
FWIW, I worked (on the Device team) at a major carrier and I personally avoid using them unless I have to. I know that I would never buy insurance from them.
From my experiences, the Apple store app is always bogged down or doesn't launch reliably when it comes to preorders. Verizon has been up and ready to order right at midnight every time. I have also found that the Verizon app works faster as it already has your carrier specific account info. Apple has to connect through their own app. I have also never had a new iPhone miss a launch day delivery. For me, it's been positive so I have no reason to change. It's cheaper through Verizon also.
How is it cheaper through Verizon?
If you upgrade through Verizon, you pay an upgrade fee, and you pay a monthly access fee while "on-contract".
It's something like $9 cheaper per month because it doesn't include Apple Care. Something I don't need. I always get my upgrade fees waived and monthly access fees occur regardless of where you get the phone.
That makes sense. I always wait a few weeks..never do the launch thing. I also do it at an Apple Retail Store.
Monthly access fees don't occur when you buy your phones outright/when you don't you use your upgrade. I used to buy outright and avoided this, and now buy through the Apple's IUP without using my upgrade and don't pay that extra monthly access fee.
I usually wait a month or two after the iPhone comes out. There's usually some kind of deal available. Last year in December I got our (me and the Mrs) 7 Plus phones on a deal Verizon had for $20/mo couldn't beat that. This year I got in on a Black Friday deal and got a $300 Walmart gift card when I upgraded. As far as trade in time, I sell it privately as opposed to trading it in, make a couple of dollars and buy a case, screen protectors or something stupid.
I upgrade annually.
It depends on how I do the trade in. I submit for value at Gazelle a day or 2 before the keynote, and if the value is high enough keeping in mind shipping, fees, and headaches then I’ll go through them as they hold the value for 30 days. If too low, I sell through Swappa.
It depends on how I do the trade in. I submit for value at Gazelle a day or 2 before the keynote, and if the value is high enough keeping in mind shipping, fees, and headaches then I’ll go through them as they hold the value for 30 days. If too low, I sell through Swappa.
I never had issues upgrading through the Apple store app. I think this is the only year that passed where it crashed and took a while to get back on. But even so, I was still able to get a phone on launch day delivered to me.
I used to sell my old phone and use it to buy a new phone. What I found now is since a lot of ppl upgrade every year. The phone prices drop dramatically. And I end up losing money in the process. Since then I just use the upgrade program. And send my phone back to Apple. Haven’t had issues with that.
I used to sell my old phone and use it to buy a new phone. What I found now is since a lot of ppl upgrade every year. The phone prices drop dramatically. And I end up losing money in the process. Since then I just use the upgrade program. And send my phone back to Apple. Haven’t had issues with that.
Selling on CL will always be more lucrative than IUP. IUP means you basically lose 50% of the value of the phone. You can ALWAYS get more than that on craigslist.
Unless you consider time and gas...then depending on your hourly rate it can be close to not worth it.
iUP is not for suckers, lol. It's worth it to not have to deal with a sketchy craigslist transaction, moving your data all around, dealing with an interim device, and then finally migrating once more to your new device only to have to do it all over again 11 months later. Not everyone has the time to deal with that crap, or a small enough data footprint that fits on a low end third device that you must have around.
50 bucks a month = flagship, top storage iPhone X with AppleCare+. When preorders begin you have priority (I got in at 12:01 on the dot after preapproval), you get the new device, slap your old one in the pre-labeled box they send and you're done. That's worth it to me, and many others.
I live like 5mins from a police station. You dont work 24x7 lol. You are not taking time off to go and sell a phone. Anyway you will have to go the Apple Store for IUP, that almost always takes more time meeting a buyer locally.
At the end of the day, you do what's convenient. For me, meeting at local PD and dealing with a buyer locally has been more convenient.
This was easier on the older family plans with 2-year contract assuming you don't need to upgrade all devices at the same time.
Two people get the latest model (~$300/device for middle storage although at current top of the line pricing, that probably would be $550 for the iPhone X now), the 1-year old devices get handed down to immediate family on the same plan, 2-year old devices are either given away to relatives or sold for $200-300.
Granted, on the new plans I'm saving $80/mo or $960/yr in service fees so the longer we keep using our devices, the better.
When we buy new devices, we use the carrier upgrade program. While we've never actually taken advantage of the 1 year upgrade, I'd rather have it available as an option. Much easier than dealing with some of the flakes on CL.
Two people get the latest model (~$300/device for middle storage although at current top of the line pricing, that probably would be $550 for the iPhone X now), the 1-year old devices get handed down to immediate family on the same plan, 2-year old devices are either given away to relatives or sold for $200-300.
Granted, on the new plans I'm saving $80/mo or $960/yr in service fees so the longer we keep using our devices, the better.
When we buy new devices, we use the carrier upgrade program. While we've never actually taken advantage of the 1 year upgrade, I'd rather have it available as an option. Much easier than dealing with some of the flakes on CL.
Last edited: