The New iPhones Look Fine. But My Old One Is Better Than Ever.

Apple routinely orphans its perfectly functioning slightly out-of-date products to force customers prematurely into the overpriced expense of new models. This happened to me with a first-generation iPad within two years of purchase. I'll never buy Apple again, especially since alternative choices exist at a fraction of Apple prices. It's costly to be cool.

I have read through every comment here, and I can say that I don't own an iphone, and won't own one for all the reasons the other commenters have just handily documented in this thread. Why would I spend $$$$ just to have Apple jerk me (and millions of other people) around as they wish, when they wish? For the phone to slow down or need a new battery just b/c they have a newer more expensive model they want me to buy? Nu-uh, not happening! I have a fairly primitive phone with proprietary technology, and it does what I need it to do. None of my $$ goes to Apple, nor to Google via Android.

iPhones are web appliances that are more expensive than actual computers. The official position of Apple is that any data stored on an iPhone but not uploaded to Apple for safekeeping is irretrievably lost if that iPhone should decide so. Forget your password? Set your phone down and have a five-year-old monkey with it? Too bad. Those irreplaceable photos are permanently gone, says Apple, if you didn't upload them to Apple's hard drive. Don't believe it? I didn't either. Until it happened. Then I upgraded to Android.

I have a Pixel and I just love it. I have control over every facet of the phone (as Android is free and open) no bloat ware and Google has never that I'm aware of slowed down a phone. Come to the dark side.....it's better here. You don't need to get a new phone every year, it doesn't have to be this way.

Actually I switched from 8Plus not expecting much difference. But I am pleasantly surprised by the XsPlus. Nothing seemed could be dramatically improved and yet, without much drama, the touch the feel and the phone overall seems better!

I actually have an old Samsung Galaxy S3 that still works fine. Runs everything I need it to just great. It is on it's 3rd battery that costs $7 and is user replaceable in 30 seconds. My iPhone 6 work phone is getting to be a finicky PITA with its old battery that I can't replace. SOMEBODY needs to make a good smartphone with a user replaceable battery again.

My Iphone 6+ was almost unusable until I got the battery changed with the 'discounted' battery offered by Apple. It worked great, but after about 3 months both the battery life and the performance again degraded to the point where it was again unusable. There was an IOS update the other day and the performance is definitely better as advertised in the update notes, which only aggravates me more since they should have fixed the performance issues years ago. The battery life is back to horrible. I thought I would jump back into the Android world but alas, I got sucked into a new Iphone XS Max. Hate the company but cant argue with the OS.

No matter how Apple tried to spin it, they were caught slowing older model phones to increase sales of new ones, as many of us had long suspected. In my opinion it was just as lowdown a trick as Volkswagen's emission scandal. I'll never buy a VW or an Apple product again. Any company who operates a department of dirty tricks to increase profit in a nefarious way will ultimately lose more than it will gain.

I agree totally. My 6+ is good as new - maybe better now.

I had an iPhone 6 for 4 years and was increasingly frustrated by its slowness. I received a new battery (for $29) and upgraded to iOS 12 hoping/expecting the speed boost. However, iOS 12 did not fix the problems, and I was still plagued by very slow actions with Mail, the keyboard in general, and the camera. I just purchased an iPhone XS and the speed is phenomenally better on all counts than the iPhone 6. In addition, the camera (both rear and front) is a marvel compared to my old iPhone 6. So, although the iPhone 6 served me extremely well, I am not looking back!

I'm on iOS 9 still, and with a $30 new battery, I'll likely be using this for another 2-4 years. As app developers drop support for older/devices and phones, I will drop my support for said app developers. I'm fine with this, and it's saving me thousands of dollars.

This is off the main topic, sorry for that. And I am tech fluent 67 year old. Can do most anything computer related, but am sick and tired of all the bells and whistles in IOS. Can we just have a "Simple Mode" switch located next to the "Airplane Mode" switch to turn off all the crazy doodads for a time. So tired of my iphone responding to false inputs and doing odd things.

I love my iPhone 6. Great article, thanks for the info.

My 7 Plus looks the best of all models. Why would I trade it in for some phone that looks like a Samsung? Plus, Apple got rid of Rose Gold. Not a smart move.

Please allow us to choose low power mode consistently. It keeps turning off at 80 percent. I love my phone 6s but it’s a battery hog and doesn’t make it halfway through the day.

I have had three iPhone 6 Plus units, because the first two developed the dreaded screen disease. Apple did replace them, and my last one had the new battery. So, I can't see any reason to upgrade at the moment. It does everything I need it to do. Next year I will upgrade to the newest model.

I got really lucky. When they replaced the battery in my iPhone 6S it wouldn't hold a charge. They gave me a new phone along with the new battery.

Hoped that this would apply to the Iphone non-cellular version, the Ipod Touch Nope If it is out of warranty, Apple will replace the battery in your iPod touch for a cost of US$79 plus US$6.95 shipping.

I have an iPhone 5s and the iOS 12 upgrade has been great so far. It does feel like some operations that were starting to lag are now snappy. I replaced the battery on my phone a while back but Apple ended up giving me a new 5s instead so even though the technology is old the phone feels new. I had the original iPhone and upgraded on the "s" schedule every two years like clockwork up to the 5s. I hope they do something for us small phone diehards now that the 5c has been retired.

I agree with Che Bouchard. Apple's computers have been showing signs of neglect now that so much of their profit is derived from phones and tablets (the phones and tablets are really good). I have been using Macs since 2000. We have 3 Mac computers, 2 iPads and 2 iPhones. My first clue that things were going downhill on the computer side was when their professional photo sorting/editing app, Aperture, was cancelled after 10 years. All my pictures were unceremoniously dumped, sans all my edits and without my filing structure, into the new, weaker, Photos app. Grrrr

I can absolutely confirm this. I too have a 6. Was fully planning on getting a new phone this cycle as my phone was just way to laggy to comfortably use. Now with iOS 12, it feels snappy and quick to use. I still might get a new phone, but wow, what a difference. Much appreciated, Apple.

Still using my iPhone 5. Almost 6 years now. Still going strong, my phone.

I've been an Apple user since my Apple II+ back in about 1981 or 1982. My most recent MacBook Pro 2017 has been the worst I've ever had with an Apple product, but my iPhone 6S has been a very good experience. My perception is that Apple was better overall when they were lagging way behind Microsoft computers in terms of sales, and they thus were motivated to put out really good and innovative products. A visit to the Apple store with a problem these days, however, suggests yet another corporation that's gotten to big for its britches. Careful, Apple, history is littered with spectacularly successful institutions that have gone away for just this reason. Think small to do well. Get over yourself and your spectacular successes. There are signs that being the most capitalized corporation in history has gone to your head. Pride precedes a fall, which may come from lots of little slip ups.