iPhone upgrades are becoming less frequent, according to an analysis by a mobile trade-in company. The average owner is now holding onto their iPhone for almost three years, shows the data …
Hyla Mobile says that the average age of an iPhone traded in is now 2.92 years, reports the WSJ.
Two factors are believed responsible for the lengthier wait between iPhone upgrades. First, and most obviously, pricier phones.
iPhones traded in during the period were an average of 2.92 years old, and those phone owners held on to them longer than Android users, HYLA’s data through the third quarter show.
Second, the separation of phone costs from cell plans.
That has meant that some buyers try to make their phones last longer.
UBS analysts say we can expect iPhone upgrades to slow even further.
“Once you’ve paid the phone off, you realize that you’re getting a considerable sum knocked off your bill every month. When you get a new phone you lose that financial advantage,” said Jeffrey Moore, a telecom-industry analyst and principal of Wave7 Research.
The iPhone XR has likely prompted an unusually high number of iPhone upgrades. Last year, many of those considering a new phone were unwilling to pay the four-figure price of the iPhone X, but didn’t see enough reason to upgrade to the iPhone 8/Plus. Most reviews suggest that the iPhone XR is the sweet-spot for most upgraders, offering the new design language with most of the capabilities of the flagship models.
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