As spending thousands of bucks every year doesn’t make sense

Oct 30, 2018 08:36 GMT  ·  By

While phone makers roll out new device generations every year, it’s also no secret that flagships generally become more expensive with every release.

Living proof is none other than iPhone XS Max, which in the United States could reach $1,449 for the top-of-the-range configuration.

The always-increasing price of high-end phones have made most Americans think twice before buying a new model, and recently-conducted research indicates that the majority of potential customers hold onto their purchase for a long period of time this year.

HYLA Mobile, which is specialized in mobile device trade-ins, revealed in data provided to the WSJ that Americans wait on average 2.83 years before purchasing a new phone, up from 2.39 years back in 2016.

In the case of Apple customers, there’s an even bigger difference versus the 2016 statistics, and it’s believed the higher prices are the main reason. For example, iPhone users on average 2.92 years to get a new Apple phone, a substantial increase from 2.37 years 24 months ago.

Android users replacing their phones more often

As for Android phones, it’s pretty clear the lower price and the wider variety of models on the market are playing key roles here. Android users replace their phones every 2.66 year, just a small increase from 2.44 years back in 2016.

Needless to say, the data isn’t surprising by any means, though it should be concerning for premium phone makers that continue to charge a fortune for their new models. Android device manufacturers are clearly the big winners here, though recent statistics seem to indicate that Apple’s new models are also selling well despite the increasing prices.

However, with potential customers delaying the purchase of a new device for a longer period of time, the chances of a super-cycle happening are declining, and for many companies, including Apple, this can only be bad news.