[achompas]

I don't think Ben misses this point. He concludes his pessimistic take with:

> It’s a bit of a hodgepodge with one primary takeaway: convincing customers to upgrade “good enough” phones is both challenging and unpredictable, and Apple can’t simply assume it will happen at the rate it has previously.

Ultimately he claims that users will eventually upgrade to the latest flagship iOS device. I think you (and I) disagree with his claim, though!

(I also might be falling prey to confirmation bias myself, specifically on the topic of phone pricing...)

[alistairSH]

users will eventually upgrade to the latest flagship iOS device

I know I fall into that group of users. I own a 7 currently, it's a few years old, but works well enough. I see no reason to upgrade to an XS today. If the 7 fails tomorrow, I'll buy an XS.

[iambateman]

Same. I appreciate when a product can last 5+ years of daily use.

I hope Apple will use it's hoard of cash to become like Toyota - long-term reliability promoting trust and in turn promoting long-term cash flow.

[JumpCrisscross]

> If the 7 fails tomorrow, I'll buy an XS.

Ditto. Loved my 7. Walked into a pool with it in my pocket. Now have an XS. Typing this on a 2015 MacBook Air I only have because I traded my 2013 Air $500 to a neighbor for it. Plan on keeping it another 2 to 3 years; same, at the very least, for the iPhone.

They're well-built products that tend to work, and have warranties that show for it.

[saagarjha]

> Loved my 7. Walked into a pool with it in my pocket.

I'm surprised your phone died, given that iPhone 7 is relatively water resistant.