
Subscription iPhones - Doubleguitars
http://ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2015/9/12/subscription-iphones
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kozukumi
I guess I am just getting old but I don't care about my phone anymore. It does
all I want it to do and I don't want to upgrade my _phone_ more often than my
_computer_.

~~~
kmfrk
If there's a subscription for new iPhone 5-sized models, we can talk.

~~~
mdorazio
Completely agree. The trend toward phone sizes that are impossible to use with
one hand or fit in a normal size pocket baffles me. I tried looking for an
iPhone 5 size Android phone recently and even the "mini" versions of the
flagships were huge.

~~~
kmfrk
I can just reach all of my screen, and I have freakishly large fingers. I
whined, when they released the 5 to replace the 4, but the form factor
fortunately walked right up to the limit of reach. I don't understand why it's
intuitive to people at Apple to go beyond something like that.

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natch
Seems the carriers win some, lose some here because on the one hand with
unlocked phones and no contract lockin, customers can move around, but on the
other hand, customers are still paying the same monthly fees while no longer
enjoying the contract discount, right? The extra benefit the customers do get
to offset the loss of discount-with-contract is the annual phone upgrade, but
it's Apple eating this cost, not the carriers. (A cost which gets passed on to
the consumer in Apple's subscription scheme).

So for the customer, financially it's probably close to a wash, but for the
carriers, there's some financial win at the cost of lockin because they aren't
giving discounts any more but customers are still paying them the same amount
of money. Sure, now customers are free to move around, but how many will?
Probably a minority of them.

~~~
dangero
AT&T as an example is offering $25 discount on your plan for phones that
aren't under contract so I wouldn't say users are still paying the same price
as before for their phone plan.
[http://m.att.com/shopmobile/wireless/modals/next-savings-
req...](http://m.att.com/shopmobile/wireless/modals/next-savings-
requirements.html)

~~~
bonyt
Also, AT&T owns Cricket as a subsidiary. Same network (MVNO), much lower cost
per month if you buy phones unsubsidized and unlocked. There are a lot of
MVNOs like this. Usually, no phone subsidy is offered and you pay at the
beginning rather than the end of the month so it's technically prepaid.

[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_mobile...](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_mobile_virtual_network_operators)

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marincounty
I have a relative who is about to buy a IPhone 6s plus, and a plan. She wants
to eventually own the phone, but will consider other options. She doesn't have
great credit--one of the companies wanted her to put down a $400 deposit.(she
has bad credit, but always pays her bills. The companies actually make money
off her with their late fees?

My question is what is the best plan as of around 9-13-15?

I am sick of looking at the plans, and the fine print. Plus-I'm out of the
game. I bought a tracfone with a years worth of minutes. I can't get a good
internet connection, but it's no big deal; I have an old iPhone I use to
connect to public wifi when I'm out and about. I have no desire to sign up for
a plan until my I start making more money.

I told her if it was me, I would go through Republic wireless, but she's dead
set on a new IPhone.

Sorry, I know I'm being lazy for not doing my own research, but figured
someone on this site might have a good recent recommendations? (Cell phone
reception is not that important.)

~~~
ikeboy
If she's paying full price for the phone and doesn't care about service, can't
go better than free from Freedompop. 200 min talk, unlim text, and 500mb data.

Extras cost more but should still come out better than the regular carriers.

It's on Sprint's network.

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ikeboy
_One illuminating data point is the fact that for the last several years the
number of iPhones that seems to be in China (if you look at data from
companies like Baidu) has been rather larger than the number of iPhones that
Apple 's financial reporting imply could have been sold there._

Is it at all possible that counterfeits could account for some of this?

~~~
lenomad
I don't think counterfeit iPhones run iOS; the people creating them wouldn't
care enough to spoof the user agents.

The additional numbers would probably be because used phones are imported and
sold there.

~~~
rahimnathwani
Not just used ones.

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acd
"new base-model iPhone every year," Anyone think about the environmental
impact and the ewaste this creates and that a lot of used electronics ends up
in Africa and China at electronic scrapyards?

In a perfect world 100% of our cellphone is recycled and then it would be ok
to get a new one each year. Except the recycling part does not work yet.

Do we want the scenes of Wall-e to become real?

Here is a documentary about where the electronic waste ends up
[http://www.e-wastelandfilm.com/](http://www.e-wastelandfilm.com/)

~~~
dangero
The article speculates the used phones will be resold not sent to a landfill.

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aquark
Likely since they will still be high end phones, but as a trend this would
suppress the price for used phones and just pushes the problem down the chain.

The people pikcing up those used phones are likely getting rid of a slightly
older one at a higher frequency now and that will still generate more e-waste.

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minthd
Actually ,people in the end do pay more, but it's subtle.

Say you we're a customer that bought an iPhone every 2 years.

Now Apple's yearly plan looks like:

1\. A new iPhone every year + Apple care

2\. Same price

3\. Don't have to deal with salesman at carrier store.

So more people will be tricked for new iPhone every year.

And once this becomes the standard , since Apple is a status symbol - suddenly
buying a phone every 2 years carries less status.

~~~
ghshephard
"Apple is a status symbol" \- I wonder where in the world that is true.
Certainly not the case for Canada/US/Singapore - an iPhone is just another
smart phone.

~~~
pinaceae
any data to back up your claim?

talked to kids and minors? hipsters and millenials? people that do all their
computing on their phones? the multitude of people that watch apple keynotes,
youtube product reviews, etc?

anything besides your gut feeling?

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donut2d
Everything you wrote could have been said about the comment saying that it is
a status symbol.

~~~
pinaceae
but maybe there is data to prove that smartphones are no longer status
symbols. benefit of doubt.

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ryanlol
Do people actually manage to keep their phones working for a year at a time?
(Without using ridiculously bulky cases that look more like they belong in a
warzone)

I end up replacing mine almost quarterly.

~~~
ghshephard
My iPhone 4S (purchased on the week it came out) still going strong, albeit
with a $115 screen repair when I dropped mine on concrete.

~~~
DanBC
Have you upgraded the OS? To what version?

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ghshephard
iOS 8.3

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tetraodonpuffer
I wonder if this subscription model will finally end up with Apple selling
refurb iPhones from the Apple store... would be nice to have that available

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doe88
Do you own the phone after 24 months (of course assuming you didn't upgrade
after the first 12 months) ?

~~~
bonyt
It looks that way. It seems to be structured as a 24-month installment loan
(financed by a third party), with an option at 12 months to trade it in, end
the old loan, and start a new one.

