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A 24-36 month upgrade cycle means people aren't buying the latest smartphone every year. I don't think that the latest smartphone is a good value, and that's wh

A 24-36 month upgrade cycle means people aren't buying the latest smartphone every year. I don't think that the latest smartphone is a good value, and that's why I try to hold on to mine for a few years before buying a new one.

fossuser 6y ago
If you buy the new iPhone every year you can sell the old one for around 70% of its initial cost on Craigslist in a day (if you’re in the Bay Area). For me this makes it worth it because the resell value decays over time and you always get the newest device with a fresh battery. Seems like a reasonable place to spend money for something you use probably more than anything else.
- dingaling 6y ago
  Maybe so, but there is still friction in that approach in terms of advertising, evaluating potential buyers , exchanging goods, handling money. I don't know how iPhones handle the transfer process but anyone I know with an Android phone also dreads setting up a new phone because there's always something manually tedious that needs to be done.
  - wutbrodo 6y ago
    > I don't know how iPhones handle the transfer process but anyone I know with an Android phone also dreads setting up a new phone because there's always something manually tedious that needs to be done FWIW I've used Android phones for the last decade+ and my setup consists entirely of signing into my Google account once (and setting a wallpaper, if I feel like it).
- wasdfff 6y ago
  You are still paying 1/3 the price of a new phone a year for that privilege, which is no small sum these days. Most people I know including myself are getting like 5-6 years out of their phones now.
  - hackerbee 6y ago
    Say you buy a $1200 iPhone. One third is $400. Works out to a little over a dollar per day. For a device you probably use for hours per day.
    - toast0 6y ago
      Alternatively, I buy $100-$200 smartphones (I prefer ambitious phones that didn't sell at MSRP and then get marked down; Fire phone, Nextbit Robin, Essential PH-1, had to buy regular phones after that; considered the new iPhone SE, but after the PH-1, I'm not buying anything without a headphone jack I can't lose, and I'd rather not do anything without usb-c). Those usually last 12-24 months and then you get a fresh one.
      - silverpepsi 6y ago
        and these phones never at any point in time had the performance or capabilities of the flagships so it's a lot like when I was shocked to realize these budget laptops everyone is so proud of themselves for "stealing" had cpu benchmarks still unable to compare with my 8 year old desktop I should know, I did a few years of the $200ies and then got a $400 Xiaomi Note 10. Difference is absolutely beyond night and day for some uses
        watwut 6y ago
        Majority of people don't need fast cpu. Majority of people need fast phone or those better capabilities even less. I had 5 years old phone and bought new one only because of battery going out and the phone screen on the verge of breaking. Yes new one is faster and have better camera. No, I would be actually fine with the same model as before.
        fossuser 6y ago
        I’d argue more people need faster phones more than faster computers because more people need a phone more than a computer. There’s some weird status thing with people preferring to be digital masochists unnecessarily. Like people who used to loudly tell everyone they don’t have a TV, good for you? Getting a high end phone every year when you can trivially recoup most of that cost from flipping the old one lowers the bar. Sure you can choose to use outdated hardware for years if you want to, but a lot of people would rather not.
rv-de 6y ago
Furthermore you can buy a new smartphone every 24 months and still not buy the latest model. I on average buy a new smartphone about every 24 to 36 months but I tend to buy used smartphones.

fossuser 6y ago

If you buy the new iPhone every year you can sell the old one for around 70% of its initial cost on Craigslist in a day (if you’re in the Bay Area). For me this makes it worth it because the resell value decays over time and you always get the newest device with a fresh battery. Seems like a reasonable place to spend money for something you use probably more than anything else.

dingaling 6y ago
Maybe so, but there is still friction in that approach in terms of advertising, evaluating potential buyers , exchanging goods, handling money. I don't know how iPhones handle the transfer process but anyone I know with an Android phone also dreads setting up a new phone because there's always something manually tedious that needs to be done.
- wutbrodo 6y ago
  > I don't know how iPhones handle the transfer process but anyone I know with an Android phone also dreads setting up a new phone because there's always something manually tedious that needs to be done FWIW I've used Android phones for the last decade+ and my setup consists entirely of signing into my Google account once (and setting a wallpaper, if I feel like it).
wasdfff 6y ago
You are still paying 1/3 the price of a new phone a year for that privilege, which is no small sum these days. Most people I know including myself are getting like 5-6 years out of their phones now.
- hackerbee 6y ago
  Say you buy a $1200 iPhone. One third is $400. Works out to a little over a dollar per day. For a device you probably use for hours per day.
  - toast0 6y ago
    Alternatively, I buy $100-$200 smartphones (I prefer ambitious phones that didn't sell at MSRP and then get marked down; Fire phone, Nextbit Robin, Essential PH-1, had to buy regular phones after that; considered the new iPhone SE, but after the PH-1, I'm not buying anything without a headphone jack I can't lose, and I'd rather not do anything without usb-c). Those usually last 12-24 months and then you get a fresh one.
    - silverpepsi 6y ago
      and these phones never at any point in time had the performance or capabilities of the flagships so it's a lot like when I was shocked to realize these budget laptops everyone is so proud of themselves for "stealing" had cpu benchmarks still unable to compare with my 8 year old desktop I should know, I did a few years of the $200ies and then got a $400 Xiaomi Note 10. Difference is absolutely beyond night and day for some uses
      - watwut 6y ago
        Majority of people don't need fast cpu. Majority of people need fast phone or those better capabilities even less. I had 5 years old phone and bought new one only because of battery going out and the phone screen on the verge of breaking. Yes new one is faster and have better camera. No, I would be actually fine with the same model as before.
        fossuser 6y ago
        I’d argue more people need faster phones more than faster computers because more people need a phone more than a computer. There’s some weird status thing with people preferring to be digital masochists unnecessarily. Like people who used to loudly tell everyone they don’t have a TV, good for you? Getting a high end phone every year when you can trivially recoup most of that cost from flipping the old one lowers the bar. Sure you can choose to use outdated hardware for years if you want to, but a lot of people would rather not.

rv-de 6y ago

Furthermore you can buy a new smartphone every 24 months and still not buy the latest model. I on average buy a new smartphone about every 24 to 36 months but I tend to buy used smartphones.