4 ms·

Why on earth are we leasing phones now???

slater 2mo ago
money number must go up?
0x457 2mo ago
Well, lets do math: - from this thread: iPhone 17 pro max would be $1199 to buy (~1273 with tax) or $34.99 for 24 months totaling $839.76. So would cost 433.33 at the end of the lease to keep it If you upgrade your phone every 1-2 years then what you pay for the phone is something like "full cost - optimistic trade-in value". I see no reason not to do if you know you going to upgrade.
- closetohome 2mo ago
  This math is what lead me to the iUp program in the first place. It's effectively a guaranteed 50% trade-in, which came out to about $200-300 in actual money that I was theoretically sacrificing in exchange for not having to worry about the cosmetic condition of the phone or weirdos on ebay. And it came with AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss. I stopped using a case. I lived free.
  - macintux 2mo ago
    I’ll never stop using a case. Too clumsy, too careless. 2-3 days without my phone would be manageable but why?
    - olyjohn 2mo ago
      My screen is cracked, and I still prefer it over a case. Just a personal preference, I think.
      - Onawa 2mo ago
        Phones these days are so slippery without a case though... Is it just me? Feels like trying to hold on to a wet bar of soap sans case.
        prmoustache 2mo ago
        Disregarding the commodity of a big screen, they have the wrong shape to be honest for something that is made to be handled.
        ghaff 2mo ago
        I've handled the Maxes and they're just too big for my taste. It's not a financial thing. I'm by no means a phone size minimalist but my 15 Pro feels like just the right size for a phone at this point.
        vladvasiliu 2mo ago
        This. They're also too big, so if you don't wear baggy pants it can be a pain to maneuver in and out of jeans pockets. But then, if I'm visiting somewhere unfamiliar in the middle of nowhere and drop it and it becomes unusable, I can have a pretty bad time.
        ghaff 2mo ago
        I don't think so. Maybe I'm just used to it but I like the gripiness of my Otterbox case in addition to the protection it provides. My prior iPhoen might have survived a hiking trip if I had an equivalently robust case (and the newer Otterbox Defender cases are much less clunky than the older ones were).
- horsawlarway 2mo ago
  I don't understand this mindset. I get that people who are going to upgrade to the latest flagship phone every 18-24 months will probably do better with this, but realistically... those people are fucking insanely financially irresponsible (and if you can afford it - no shade, I guess, its your money - lord knows I burn lots of cash on hobby projects of my own, although I tend to buy things that are actually projects, and not just glitz...) But there's just nothing to run on phones built in the last 5+ years that actually puts the hardware through its paces (in the phone form factor, laptops and desktops I'd be lot more forgiving on). The cameras aren't really getting better. The battery capacities seem to be mostly "the same". There's just no practical "reason" to justify the expense at this point (and I'll fully acknowledge this wasn't always the case - there was a period there in the early 2010s where phones were getting better rapidly and upgrading was a big deal). They're basically buying an expensive piece of jewelry that they'll throw away in 24 months. Like... just buy a cheaper model and get some real jewelry. At least that could be passed down at some point instead of becoming e-waste.
  - macintux 2mo ago
    For me, the primary value of my phone is the camera, and the telephoto on the iPhone Pro Max models has gotten significantly better in the 2.5 years since mine was released. Were it not for the camera, I could have stopped upgrading 10 years ago. My point is, not everyone values the same things you do. The new Siri AI only runs on 15 Pro and higher, I think. New features do arrive in newer phones.
    - Barbing 2mo ago
      iPhone 17 Pro is binoculars and also eliminated 16 Pro battery anxiety. Value in being part of the discussion for a whole year every year too. You realllly have to care about stuff like these factors though (or hate investing your money or have too much).
    - SV_BubbleTime 2mo ago
      This is exactly where I’m at. Want a higher zoom. I’m about three years old now and feeling it.
GolfPopper 2mo ago
I'm a little confused on why anyone would pay this much for a phone. (Although if you consider it conspicuous consumption that happens to work as a phone, I can believe that.)
- blackqueeriroh 2mo ago
  I’m certain there are things you pay for that I would look at and go “I’m a little confused on why anyone would pay this much for x. (Although if you consider it conspicuous consumption that happens to work as x, I can believe that.)” But I wouldn’t, because I actually understand that people are different and like it that way. Consider: your opinion is worthless when it comes to what I care about in terms of luxuries I enjoy, just as mine is worthless when it comes to what you care about in terms of luxuries you enjoy. It’s way better when you don’t run around judging other people for liking different things than you.
- sneak 2mo ago
  I’ve always been told when computer shopping to “buy the fastest cpu and the most ram you can afford”. This goes doubly for revenue-generating devices. My iPhone is the computer I use most every day, by a WIDE margin.
  - al_borland 2mo ago
    I’m not sure this is the best advice anymore. So many people’s needs don’t demand much of a computer. My last personal computer purchase was an M1 Pro MBP 4 years ago. I could have maxed it out and my life would be the same, but instead I bought on the low end… or somewhere in the middle if we look at Apple’s lineup as a whole. It’s now 4 years later. This is the longest I’ve probably ever kept a laptop. It’s still running fine, I’m not hurting for more power, and will like wait another 1-3 years before an upgrade… maybe more, we’ll see. The laptop is a glorified Chromebook for me. I do edit some photos from time to time, encode some video, and code a bit. But 95% of the time, I’m just looking at webpages. Maxing the thing out would have been a massive waste of money. My work laptop is also a MBP of a similar generation. It’s not up to me when it’s upgraded, but it also wasn’t maxed out, and it’s still fine. VS Code and Outlook aren’t going to run fast enough to matter with a M5 Mac and 128GB or RAM. The bottleneck isn’t my laptop, it’s bureaucracy. For some, having top end specs will matter, but that is a shrinking percentage of the overall market.
throw0101a 2mo ago
> Why on earth are we leasing phones now??? Same reason some people lease cars: * want the New Thing regularly * are happier with OpEx than CapEx (can be handy for business/accounting reasons)
- wolvoleo 2mo ago
  I think people don't really buy phones every year anymore because they can't afford it. But because they're kinda meh year on year. I don't buy apple anymore but my Samsung S23 from 3 years ago has the exact same cameras as the current S26. Same screen, same form factor. Only thing that's new is a slightly faster SoC and a bit more memory for AI features I dont really use anyway. I just don't see the point in upgrading anymore.
  - SV_BubbleTime 2mo ago
    Some upgrades are meh, occasionally I want one thing. Like next upgrade I really want a higher optical zoom than 3x. But I think unlike leasing vehicles, where the vehicle has the same power (approximately and within usable limits) the new phones bring a new battery. If swappable battery was a thing everywhere; that would further depress the sale of new phones.
    - wolvoleo 2mo ago
      Is Apple going higher with optical then? Samsung has been going back with their optical zoom, from 10x to 5x and I heard they might even go back to 3x :'(
      - SV_BubbleTime 2mo ago
        Apple latest is 8x I think
        wolvoleo 2mo ago
        Oh ok that is impressive, true. The 10x lens from Samsung was also nice, I don't understand why they went back on that. I never got it though because it was only available on the ultra and I hate huge phones.
lovich 2mo ago
That’s tame when people are leasing literal meals with klarna
- Barbing 2mo ago
  Also leasing whatever Subway sells https://sezzle.com/shop/subway https://sezzle.com/shop/subway
TeMPOraL 2mo ago
The market must be stalling to the point the companies can't afford to innovate anymore. Or at least that's how I understand why Samsung recently introduced literal first-party program for renting phones and is advertising it heavily. The flagships got too expensive.

money number must go up?

0x457 2mo ago

Well, lets do math: - from this thread: iPhone 17 pro max would be $1199 to buy (~1273 with tax) or $34.99 for 24 months totaling $839.76. So would cost 433.33 at the end of the lease to keep it If you upgrade your phone every 1-2 years then what you pay for the phone is something like "full cost - optimistic trade-in value". I see no reason not to do if you know you going to upgrade.

closetohome 2mo ago
This math is what lead me to the iUp program in the first place. It's effectively a guaranteed 50% trade-in, which came out to about $200-300 in actual money that I was theoretically sacrificing in exchange for not having to worry about the cosmetic condition of the phone or weirdos on ebay. And it came with AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss. I stopped using a case. I lived free.
- macintux 2mo ago
  I’ll never stop using a case. Too clumsy, too careless. 2-3 days without my phone would be manageable but why?
  - olyjohn 2mo ago
    My screen is cracked, and I still prefer it over a case. Just a personal preference, I think.
    - Onawa 2mo ago
      Phones these days are so slippery without a case though... Is it just me? Feels like trying to hold on to a wet bar of soap sans case.
      - prmoustache 2mo ago
        Disregarding the commodity of a big screen, they have the wrong shape to be honest for something that is made to be handled.
        ghaff 2mo ago
        I've handled the Maxes and they're just too big for my taste. It's not a financial thing. I'm by no means a phone size minimalist but my 15 Pro feels like just the right size for a phone at this point.
      - vladvasiliu 2mo ago
        This. They're also too big, so if you don't wear baggy pants it can be a pain to maneuver in and out of jeans pockets. But then, if I'm visiting somewhere unfamiliar in the middle of nowhere and drop it and it becomes unusable, I can have a pretty bad time.
      - ghaff 2mo ago
        I don't think so. Maybe I'm just used to it but I like the gripiness of my Otterbox case in addition to the protection it provides. My prior iPhoen might have survived a hiking trip if I had an equivalently robust case (and the newer Otterbox Defender cases are much less clunky than the older ones were).
horsawlarway 2mo ago
I don't understand this mindset. I get that people who are going to upgrade to the latest flagship phone every 18-24 months will probably do better with this, but realistically... those people are fucking insanely financially irresponsible (and if you can afford it - no shade, I guess, its your money - lord knows I burn lots of cash on hobby projects of my own, although I tend to buy things that are actually projects, and not just glitz...) But there's just nothing to run on phones built in the last 5+ years that actually puts the hardware through its paces (in the phone form factor, laptops and desktops I'd be lot more forgiving on). The cameras aren't really getting better. The battery capacities seem to be mostly "the same". There's just no practical "reason" to justify the expense at this point (and I'll fully acknowledge this wasn't always the case - there was a period there in the early 2010s where phones were getting better rapidly and upgrading was a big deal). They're basically buying an expensive piece of jewelry that they'll throw away in 24 months. Like... just buy a cheaper model and get some real jewelry. At least that could be passed down at some point instead of becoming e-waste.
- macintux 2mo ago
  For me, the primary value of my phone is the camera, and the telephoto on the iPhone Pro Max models has gotten significantly better in the 2.5 years since mine was released. Were it not for the camera, I could have stopped upgrading 10 years ago. My point is, not everyone values the same things you do. The new Siri AI only runs on 15 Pro and higher, I think. New features do arrive in newer phones.
  - Barbing 2mo ago
    iPhone 17 Pro is binoculars and also eliminated 16 Pro battery anxiety. Value in being part of the discussion for a whole year every year too. You realllly have to care about stuff like these factors though (or hate investing your money or have too much).
  - SV_BubbleTime 2mo ago
    This is exactly where I’m at. Want a higher zoom. I’m about three years old now and feeling it.

GolfPopper 2mo ago

I'm a little confused on why anyone would pay this much for a phone. (Although if you consider it conspicuous consumption that happens to work as a phone, I can believe that.)

blackqueeriroh 2mo ago
I’m certain there are things you pay for that I would look at and go “I’m a little confused on why anyone would pay this much for x. (Although if you consider it conspicuous consumption that happens to work as x, I can believe that.)” But I wouldn’t, because I actually understand that people are different and like it that way. Consider: your opinion is worthless when it comes to what I care about in terms of luxuries I enjoy, just as mine is worthless when it comes to what you care about in terms of luxuries you enjoy. It’s way better when you don’t run around judging other people for liking different things than you.
sneak 2mo ago
I’ve always been told when computer shopping to “buy the fastest cpu and the most ram you can afford”. This goes doubly for revenue-generating devices. My iPhone is the computer I use most every day, by a WIDE margin.
- al_borland 2mo ago
  I’m not sure this is the best advice anymore. So many people’s needs don’t demand much of a computer. My last personal computer purchase was an M1 Pro MBP 4 years ago. I could have maxed it out and my life would be the same, but instead I bought on the low end… or somewhere in the middle if we look at Apple’s lineup as a whole. It’s now 4 years later. This is the longest I’ve probably ever kept a laptop. It’s still running fine, I’m not hurting for more power, and will like wait another 1-3 years before an upgrade… maybe more, we’ll see. The laptop is a glorified Chromebook for me. I do edit some photos from time to time, encode some video, and code a bit. But 95% of the time, I’m just looking at webpages. Maxing the thing out would have been a massive waste of money. My work laptop is also a MBP of a similar generation. It’s not up to me when it’s upgraded, but it also wasn’t maxed out, and it’s still fine. VS Code and Outlook aren’t going to run fast enough to matter with a M5 Mac and 128GB or RAM. The bottleneck isn’t my laptop, it’s bureaucracy. For some, having top end specs will matter, but that is a shrinking percentage of the overall market.

throw0101a 2mo ago

> Why on earth are we leasing phones now??? Same reason some people lease cars: * want the New Thing regularly * are happier with OpEx than CapEx (can be handy for business/accounting reasons)

wolvoleo 2mo ago
I think people don't really buy phones every year anymore because they can't afford it. But because they're kinda meh year on year. I don't buy apple anymore but my Samsung S23 from 3 years ago has the exact same cameras as the current S26. Same screen, same form factor. Only thing that's new is a slightly faster SoC and a bit more memory for AI features I dont really use anyway. I just don't see the point in upgrading anymore.
- SV_BubbleTime 2mo ago
  Some upgrades are meh, occasionally I want one thing. Like next upgrade I really want a higher optical zoom than 3x. But I think unlike leasing vehicles, where the vehicle has the same power (approximately and within usable limits) the new phones bring a new battery. If swappable battery was a thing everywhere; that would further depress the sale of new phones.
  - wolvoleo 2mo ago
    Is Apple going higher with optical then? Samsung has been going back with their optical zoom, from 10x to 5x and I heard they might even go back to 3x :'(
    - SV_BubbleTime 2mo ago
      Apple latest is 8x I think
      - wolvoleo 2mo ago
        Oh ok that is impressive, true. The 10x lens from Samsung was also nice, I don't understand why they went back on that. I never got it though because it was only available on the ultra and I hate huge phones.

lovich 2mo ago

That’s tame when people are leasing literal meals with klarna

Barbing 2mo ago
Also leasing whatever Subway sells https://sezzle.com/shop/subway https://sezzle.com/shop/subway

TeMPOraL 2mo ago

The market must be stalling to the point the companies can't afford to innovate anymore. Or at least that's how I understand why Samsung recently introduced literal first-party program for renting phones and is advertising it heavily. The flagships got too expensive.