6 ms·

Apple stuff lasts, this is not an Apple issue, any of those phones would have been good for several years. I'm only my 3rd iPhone in 9 years (soon to replace it

by rythie 7y ago

Apple stuff lasts, this is not an Apple issue, any of those phones would have been good for several years. I'm only my 3rd iPhone in 9 years (soon to replace it though). Also 3rd iPad in 9 years. My Macbook Air is from 2012. Apple do software updates going quite far back. A lot of Apple's hardware looks exactly the same from generation to generation, so even if you updated, how would anyone know? If customers want to chop and change that's on them, Apple is not forcing it really.

aguzzi94 7y ago
What you said it totally true. But to say that Apple is not forcing is a white lie. It's true that they're not pointing guns at us, but they are smoothly pointing us in that direction. There's a psychological pressure to have the latest tech, otherwise not only your phone, but also you yourself, are outdated and uncool. No kind of manipulation was ever forceful. That's what makes it a manipulation. You think you're doing it, but another person/company slowly brought you to do it. A lot of people are intelligent and strong enough to resist this brainwash, but a lot of others are not.
- snowwrestler 7y ago
  Blaming Apple for the general human desire to demonstrate status to one another seems like a bit much, and IMO grants them a level of implied power over society that they haven’t earned. I mean... is your theory that if Apple didn’t exist, people wouldn’t buy things to look cool? > A lot of people are intelligent and strong enough to resist this brainwash, but a lot of others are not. Speaking of signaling status... somehow comments like this are always posted by folks who sort themselves into the first category. Maybe people buy things you don’t want to buy just because they like them, not because they’re too dumb to resist “brainwashing.”
  - FussyZeus 7y ago
    > Speaking of signaling status... somehow comments like this are always posted by folks who sort themselves into the first category. I mean, I can't think of a person who'd be aware enough of it and be willing to state this as a member of the second category?
    - snowwrestler 7y ago
      Which makes it hard to distinguish between a real phenomenon, and a rationalization that people employ to frame their consumer choices as superior to others'.
      - FussyZeus 7y ago
        Baffling the more vulnerable customers with bullshit to sell them expensive things is hardly a phenomenon isolated to Apple or even to the United States. That's a proud cornerstone of Capitalism. One could argue a whole lot of highly valued startups are built on the premise of selling conveniences to people with far too much money and not enough sense.
        aguzzi94 7y ago
        Agreed.
        0x4a42 7y ago
        US = Apple = Capitalism
  - aguzzi94 7y ago
    I'm sorry if I came off as a virtue signaler. No I'm not blaming Apple, and of course people would buy cool things to look cool even without them. What I'm saying is that Apple is especially good at applying pressure in right spots: as you said, the human desire for status and fear of being left behind. Some still haven't recognized it and I've seen countless people make poor financial decisions because of their blindness to what is moving them to buy. Maybe I should have used "aware" instead of "intelligent", since intelligent people can fall for it too. Of course I'm generalizing and as you said, people also buy Apple just because they like it and can afford it, I did that too. But too many times I've seen people really torn and staying there thinking to themselves for half an hour if they should buy it or not, because they know they shouldn't. If you just like a thing, but you know that buying it will have very bad financial consequences for you for the next 10-20 months, it's not difficult to resist. So the fact that all these people were buying anyways, makes me come to the conclusion that there were more powerful internal forces moving them, then just "liking Apple".
- lunchables 7y ago
  >There's a psychological pressure to have the latest tech You mean marketing? What company isn't doing that?
  - aguzzi94 7y ago
    Yes, but not only. Please read my other responses.
127 7y ago
The phones from 2012 would still be perfectly functional if the software didn't come with increasingly ridiculous performance requirements. What's the reason for the upgrade? Camera? With the ability to easily swap batteries, and more efficiently written software, nobody would have to really update their phones. Which is why I guess most batteries are now integrated. It's a terribly waste just for corporate profits and peoples vanity's sake.
- ajmurmann 7y ago
  You can have the batteries swapped out though. I had the battery on my 6S replaced twice. The first time I got it for free because of the degraded performance issue and even the second time was very well priced ($60??) and have the phone a new wind. However, now the power connector had become very loose and disconnects randomly when moved wrong. I probably could have that fixed as well for cheap, but want the new camera. On my recent vacation I took almost no photos because I wanted my wife to take all the good shots with her XR Max. I'm on the fence though because I use ApplePay a lot and cannot imagine using that with FaceId and I also am somewhat attached to the audio jack. I don't want to carry headphones for my phone and another set for my Switch when on a long trip.
  - aguzzi94 7y ago
    Pro tip: 95% of the problems with the power connectors are due to dust trapped inside the charge hole. Yes, there is a lot of dust in there, even if you can't see it. No worries though. You can solve that problem in 2 minutes. Here's how: 1 take a clip, or something similar (thin and rigid) and use it to dig out the dust from the connector hole in your phone 2 be surprised at how much dust you actually find 3 keep digging out the dust 4 your phone is as new! Try charging it and you will see that it won't disconnect randomly anymore. Hope it helps :) p.s: We charge 10-15 euros for that in the store, and obviously don't tell how easily we got it fixed to the customer. I know, it's funny and infuriating.
    - ChuckNorris89 7y ago
      I wouldn't recommend digging inside the power connector with a metal clip. A spurt of canned air followed by digging with a toothpick wrapped in cotton and damped with ethyl alcohol does magic.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
FrojoS 7y ago
So, basically you replace your phone every two years. That's the rhythm that Apple and cell providers generally aim for (time for new housing design and length of contract). What other expensive item are you replacing as frequently?
thelittleone 7y ago
The 2016+ 15" Macbook Pro is at least one very clear exception. Mine has had keyboard (which includes logic board) replaced several times. Screen replaced 3 times. Brand new replacement unit once. Now getting intermittent black screens every 5 mins or so. I paid for an Apple but I got a lemon.
GaryNumanVevo 7y ago
I think it's unfair to place the blame entirely on consumers when Apple capitalizes on a culture which places value on having the latest gadgets and gizmos.

by rythie 7y ago

aguzzi94 7y ago

What you said it totally true. But to say that Apple is not forcing is a white lie. It's true that they're not pointing guns at us, but they are smoothly pointing us in that direction. There's a psychological pressure to have the latest tech, otherwise not only your phone, but also you yourself, are outdated and uncool. No kind of manipulation was ever forceful. That's what makes it a manipulation. You think you're doing it, but another person/company slowly brought you to do it. A lot of people are intelligent and strong enough to resist this brainwash, but a lot of others are not.

snowwrestler 7y ago
Blaming Apple for the general human desire to demonstrate status to one another seems like a bit much, and IMO grants them a level of implied power over society that they haven’t earned. I mean... is your theory that if Apple didn’t exist, people wouldn’t buy things to look cool? > A lot of people are intelligent and strong enough to resist this brainwash, but a lot of others are not. Speaking of signaling status... somehow comments like this are always posted by folks who sort themselves into the first category. Maybe people buy things you don’t want to buy just because they like them, not because they’re too dumb to resist “brainwashing.”
- FussyZeus 7y ago
  > Speaking of signaling status... somehow comments like this are always posted by folks who sort themselves into the first category. I mean, I can't think of a person who'd be aware enough of it and be willing to state this as a member of the second category?
  - snowwrestler 7y ago
    Which makes it hard to distinguish between a real phenomenon, and a rationalization that people employ to frame their consumer choices as superior to others'.
    - FussyZeus 7y ago
      Baffling the more vulnerable customers with bullshit to sell them expensive things is hardly a phenomenon isolated to Apple or even to the United States. That's a proud cornerstone of Capitalism. One could argue a whole lot of highly valued startups are built on the premise of selling conveniences to people with far too much money and not enough sense.
      - aguzzi94 7y ago
        Agreed.
      - 0x4a42 7y ago
        US = Apple = Capitalism
- aguzzi94 7y ago
  I'm sorry if I came off as a virtue signaler. No I'm not blaming Apple, and of course people would buy cool things to look cool even without them. What I'm saying is that Apple is especially good at applying pressure in right spots: as you said, the human desire for status and fear of being left behind. Some still haven't recognized it and I've seen countless people make poor financial decisions because of their blindness to what is moving them to buy. Maybe I should have used "aware" instead of "intelligent", since intelligent people can fall for it too. Of course I'm generalizing and as you said, people also buy Apple just because they like it and can afford it, I did that too. But too many times I've seen people really torn and staying there thinking to themselves for half an hour if they should buy it or not, because they know they shouldn't. If you just like a thing, but you know that buying it will have very bad financial consequences for you for the next 10-20 months, it's not difficult to resist. So the fact that all these people were buying anyways, makes me come to the conclusion that there were more powerful internal forces moving them, then just "liking Apple".
lunchables 7y ago
>There's a psychological pressure to have the latest tech You mean marketing? What company isn't doing that?
- aguzzi94 7y ago
  Yes, but not only. Please read my other responses.

127 7y ago

The phones from 2012 would still be perfectly functional if the software didn't come with increasingly ridiculous performance requirements. What's the reason for the upgrade? Camera? With the ability to easily swap batteries, and more efficiently written software, nobody would have to really update their phones. Which is why I guess most batteries are now integrated. It's a terribly waste just for corporate profits and peoples vanity's sake.

ajmurmann 7y ago
You can have the batteries swapped out though. I had the battery on my 6S replaced twice. The first time I got it for free because of the degraded performance issue and even the second time was very well priced ($60??) and have the phone a new wind. However, now the power connector had become very loose and disconnects randomly when moved wrong. I probably could have that fixed as well for cheap, but want the new camera. On my recent vacation I took almost no photos because I wanted my wife to take all the good shots with her XR Max. I'm on the fence though because I use ApplePay a lot and cannot imagine using that with FaceId and I also am somewhat attached to the audio jack. I don't want to carry headphones for my phone and another set for my Switch when on a long trip.
- aguzzi94 7y ago
  Pro tip: 95% of the problems with the power connectors are due to dust trapped inside the charge hole. Yes, there is a lot of dust in there, even if you can't see it. No worries though. You can solve that problem in 2 minutes. Here's how: 1 take a clip, or something similar (thin and rigid) and use it to dig out the dust from the connector hole in your phone 2 be surprised at how much dust you actually find 3 keep digging out the dust 4 your phone is as new! Try charging it and you will see that it won't disconnect randomly anymore. Hope it helps :) p.s: We charge 10-15 euros for that in the store, and obviously don't tell how easily we got it fixed to the customer. I know, it's funny and infuriating.
  - ChuckNorris89 7y ago
    I wouldn't recommend digging inside the power connector with a metal clip. A spurt of canned air followed by digging with a toothpick wrapped in cotton and damped with ethyl alcohol does magic.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

FrojoS 7y ago

So, basically you replace your phone every two years. That's the rhythm that Apple and cell providers generally aim for (time for new housing design and length of contract). What other expensive item are you replacing as frequently?

thelittleone 7y ago

The 2016+ 15" Macbook Pro is at least one very clear exception. Mine has had keyboard (which includes logic board) replaced several times. Screen replaced 3 times. Brand new replacement unit once. Now getting intermittent black screens every 5 mins or so. I paid for an Apple but I got a lemon.

GaryNumanVevo 7y ago

I think it's unfair to place the blame entirely on consumers when Apple capitalizes on a culture which places value on having the latest gadgets and gizmos.