4 ms·

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

by 0x457 3mo 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 3mo 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 3mo ago
  I’ll never stop using a case. Too clumsy, too careless. 2-3 days without my phone would be manageable but why?
  - olyjohn 3mo ago
    My screen is cracked, and I still prefer it over a case. Just a personal preference, I think.
    - Onawa 3mo 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 3mo 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 3mo 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 3mo 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 3mo 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 3mo 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 3mo 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 3mo 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 3mo ago
    This is exactly where I’m at. Want a higher zoom. I’m about three years old now and feeling it.

by 0x457 3mo ago

closetohome 3mo 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 3mo ago
I’ll never stop using a case. Too clumsy, too careless. 2-3 days without my phone would be manageable but why?
- olyjohn 3mo ago
  My screen is cracked, and I still prefer it over a case. Just a personal preference, I think.
  - Onawa 3mo 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 3mo 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 3mo 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 3mo 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 3mo 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 3mo 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 3mo 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 3mo 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 3mo ago
  This is exactly where I’m at. Want a higher zoom. I’m about three years old now and feeling it.