> They improved the software so much on this iteration of iOS that they probably relieved a lot of the hardware upgrade pressure users were beginning to feel in the first half of 2018.
Another other side of this is that they've given people good reasons not to upgrade: I've been surprised by the number of people who commented that the new phones are uncomfortably large to hold and, of course, a fair number of people don't like losing the headphone jack. None of those are complete showstoppers but since costs have also gone up around 20% beyond the rate of inflation[1], you don't need to give people much of a reason to delay a purchase which isn't necessary since everyone knows the phone you buy next year will be even better.
1. A quick spot-check comparing the iPhone 6S & 6S Plus we bought in 2015 vs. the XS / XS Max now has it at 24% with no improvement in storage capacity.
Yes, I totally agree. I think there are a constellation of factors that influence the upgrade decisions of users, but I have found it surprising how much the software has been under-discussed following Apple's miss.
If someone was happy enough with their iPhone 5s, 6, or 6s running iOS 11 when the X was released (Fall 2017) then I suspect they didn't feel much more pressure to upgrade when they were running iOS 12 and the Xs was released (Fall 2018).
The showstopper for me is FaceID. I won’t buy a device where that is the only biometric AuthN solution available. If/when my 7plus dies, I’ll buy an 8plus, either new or used.
I won’t buy anything newer than an 8, until such time as they give me fingerprint ID back in some form.
Why is that a showstopper but Touch ID isn’t? They’re both biometric systems where the raw data never leaves the secure element, both are hardened against simple attacks, etc.
Have you ever tried to use FaceID with a reader that is arms length away from you, and you can’t get any closer to it?
What about a reader that is not only arms length away, but oriented in a very inconvenient position?
I don’t want any device that could potentially unlock itself just by someone holding it up and asking if this is my phone. Or that could lock itself up tightly and possibly even wipe itself, because it had seen too many strange faces.
Now, I don’t use biometrics to unlock my phone. But the inconvenience of having to look at the phone and have it scan my face when I want to use ApplePay, that’s plenty enough reason for me to never use a device where face scanning is the only biometric method available.
I don’t care how much they claim that the data never leaves the phone. That’s just table stakes for me.
I think Apple will continue to have FaceID at their Entry level / lowest pricing iPhone. FaceID is expensive, I just don't see it coming to lower tier in the next two years.
Another other side of this is that they've given people good reasons not to upgrade: I've been surprised by the number of people who commented that the new phones are uncomfortably large to hold and, of course, a fair number of people don't like losing the headphone jack. None of those are complete showstoppers but since costs have also gone up around 20% beyond the rate of inflation[1], you don't need to give people much of a reason to delay a purchase which isn't necessary since everyone knows the phone you buy next year will be even better.
1. A quick spot-check comparing the iPhone 6S & 6S Plus we bought in 2015 vs. the XS / XS Max now has it at 24% with no improvement in storage capacity.