A Little IPhone Rant

[Fishindude77]

So, I replaced my IPhone 8 with a 12 as it was starting to get slow, lose battery life, etc. To settle up they charged me $267, and I asked them if that was everything ..... he says. yea that's all you have to pay. Then gives me paperwork for signature and another $1100 will be billed in increments monthly. I wasn't real surprised as something similar happened last time and I knew you couldn't get a brand new phone for $267. Asked if I could just go ahead and pay the full amount now and they said no, they don't do that. Same thing I ran into last time.

Why can't you just pay in full for a new IPhone, then just get a small monthly bill for your service? It's a little sneaky the way they kind of conceal that bottom line price and add it on your monthly bill IMO.

The new phones now require a different charger. The new cords won't plug into a standard USB port and one of those blocks costs $35 at their store.

I really don't have any complaints about the device or overall cost as a phone is probably a persons most heavily used item on a daily basis. $1400 for something that's going to be used daily and last 3-4 years isn't too bad, they are amazing devices.
It just kind of rubs me wrong the way they do payment and the way they keep changing the charging cords.

[disneysteve]

I haven't followed the details but I read something recently that the EU is trying to require Apple to use the same chargers that every other company uses. I'm sure it's being contested and Apple will likely win (since they're probably richer than the EU ) but the fact that every company does things differently has always been a pet peeve of mine.

[ua_guy]

If you buy the phone directly from Apple, then it's not tied to a carrier. Add your service through ATT Verizon or whomever, and that's all you pay for. You own the device from Day 1, and you pay the full cost of it, up front.

Free phones from a carrier don't look like they once did. Now, they bill you monthly for it, and then apply a monthly statement credit, making it "free". This is designed to make sure you don't switch carriers before the end of the payoff, and if you do, you're on the hook for the balance of the hardware.

iPhones 8 and 12 use the same Lightning connector, I thought. However, the brick/charger end may have changed to USB-c. You can use your old cable and chargers. It was an EU mandate that Apple no longer include charging bricks. Otherwise, pony up for the new charging brick which is USB-c.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Ugh I hate the fact apple has different chargers than the rest of the world. Everyone else is moving to USB C. Kinda like their dumb wireless mouse. It charges by plugging into the bottom so you can't use it while you charge. Um....okay.

[myrdale]

I am confused by what the $267 is? Is this this a down payment or a setup charge?

I would absolutely push back against not being able to pay in full.

The cord situation drives me nuts as well. And this isn't going away. Someone will always have a new "better" proprietary connector.

Lastly, don't forget your local repair shops. Earlier this year I paid about $80 for a new battery, rather than $1,000 for a new phone. I am not suggesting you do that indefinitely, but it can save you a significant amount of money if you believe there is still useful life in your device.

[scfr]

Did you consider alternatives before deciding to buy the iPhone?

[rennigade]

Did you consider alternatives before deciding to buy the iPhone?

Once you're in the apple ecosystem it's hard to get out of. The rut gets deeper and deeper the longer you're in it. Most people would rather not learn a new OS.

[Singuy]

Once you're in the apple ecosystem it's hard to get out of. The rut gets deeper and deeper the longer you're in it. Most people would rather not learn a new OS.

And this is how Iphone is like 25% of the total world wide phone sales but has like 70% of the revenue. Pro tip, if you ever invest, look for companies that build ecosystems and not just products.

[srblanco7]

Pro tip, if you ever invest, look for companies that build ecosystems and not just products.

This is definitely where Apple has excelled, at least historically, with the ipod and itunes, the iphone/ipad and the app store, etc. They created an ecosystem that was, in general, easy to use. A few cracks in that foundation of late - with streaming services and court challenges to the app store model. They haven't really succeeded with Apple TV - or perhaps at least not yet. Interested to see what the future holds for Apple or perhaps better said, interested to see where Apple tries to take us in the future.

[ua_guy]

This is definitely where Apple has excelled, at least historically, with the ipod and itunes, the iphone/ipad and the app store, etc. They created an ecosystem that was, in general, easy to use. A few cracks in that foundation of late - with streaming services and court challenges to the app store model. They haven't really succeeded with Apple TV - or perhaps at least not yet. Interested to see what the future holds for Apple or perhaps better said, interested to see where Apple tries to take us in the future.

Apple TV died with the advent of internet-connected Smart TV's. Similar trajectory as Roku. Who needs an external box when the incoming feed is at least 1080p these days, and there are native apps in the TV that run Netflix and other streaming services.

[disneysteve]

Apple TV died with the advent of internet-connected Smart TV's. Similar trajectory as Roku. Who needs an external box when the incoming feed is at least 1080p these days, and there are native apps in the TV that run Netflix and other streaming services.

We love our Apple TV for the ability to easily stream from all of our Apple devices.

[ua_guy]

We love our Apple TV for the ability to easily stream from all of our Apple devices.

Also a built-in hardware feature of many Smart TV's these days Airplay/Airplay 2

I still like my Apple TV too. We keep it connected to a not-smart TV.

[bjl584]

I have an Android, but I did have to get a different charger than for this phone.
I was given the option to pay in full for the phone. I'm surprised that you weren't.

I'm not much of a tech person and tend to jut keep my cell phone until it literally stops working.
We're coming up on 2 years with this one.
My last one made it to 5 years before dying.

[mo0n]

It's not only Apple that's doing the mandatory payment plan. I wanted to upgrade to a Samsung 21 Ultra, and could've paid for the phone upfront but AT&T wouldn't let me. So I ordered an unlocked phone from Best Buy and switched the SIM, no harm, no foul.

But it's so bogus. So so soooo bogus.

[disneysteve]

I'm not much of a tech person and tend to jut keep my cell phone until it literally stops working.

Same here. I had an iPhone 3 until they stopped supporting it so the apps stopped working. Then I had an iPhone 5 until it literally broke apart at the seams. Now I have an iPhone 7 which I've had for quite a few years. The only real issue I have with it is the battery life is fading. I've thought about replacing the battery for $60 or so rather than spending $1,000 to upgrade.