Apple · The Atlantic Technology
There’s No Reason to Buy a New Phone Anymore
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In a time when an iPhone can be preordered, customized, and on its way to your doorstep all through a touch-screen tap, it’s almost quaint to remember that people used to camp out for smartphone releases.
Key facts
- Globally, the size of the industry could reach $153.4 billion this year, up from $104.1 billion four years ago
- Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S11, Sony’s PlayStation 5, and Microsoft’s XBox Series S console were all marked up $100 this year
- That was once the regular routine of Andrew Erickson, a longtime tech YouTuber, who recalled to me with a mixture of nostalgia and awe the time he braved the rain at 4:30 a.m
- Back Market’s order values for refurbished MacBooks in the U.S. increased by 37 percent throughout the week following the price increase, while order values for iPads rose 25 percent
Summary
Next month, when Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 18 Pro, Erickson has no plans to even buy the phone, let alone fight crowds for it. Already, almost half of his current devices were acquired secondhand, and as electronics prices soar amid an AI-fueled chip shortage, he expects that portion to grow. Based on the numbers, old tech products are indeed being looked at in a new light. Among several shoppers the reporter spoke with, there was a sense that new models are indistinguishable from the old ones, and the hype of securing the latest and greatest has given way to an upgrade cycle driven by practicality.