The iPhone 15 lineup is here, with USB-C charging (thank you, EU), the Dynamic Island, and, as always, improved cameras and chips. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, meanwhile, is $100 more expensive than its predecessor, which could deter those in the market for a new smartphone.
Savings.com polled about 1,500 iPhone owners before the announcement about their purchase plans and while 16% of those with iPhones are considering buying one of the new ones (as many as 20 million Americans), 60% of those who don't plan to purchase one are put off by the price.
One thing that would entice a number of would-be buyers is stacked battery technology (which lets phone makers fit longer-life batteries into a smaller space); 43% who did not plan to upgrade said they’d reconsider if that was part of the package. Battery life issues plague all phones, but ever since Apple was found to be secretly throttling older phones, iPhone user suspicion lingers.
Length of iPhone ownership is not quite a determining factor when considering whether to get an iPhone 15. Of those who’ve had their phones four or more years, 17% will definitely buy a new iPhone and 34% are a maybe. For those who have phones that are three years old, 21% will buy a new phone and 30% are considering it. Of those with phones that are two years old, 16% will buy a new phone and 37% might, while 15% of those with phones that are one year old will get a new one and 28% are on the fence.
And then there are the 10% of those with phones that are less than a year old that are diehard upgraders and will buy an iPhone 15 (23% are considering it).
The top features driving people to upgrade are better camera and zoom capabilities (60%), stacked battery technology (47%), increased RAM (44%), USB-C port (39%), OLED display chip (36%), enhanced processor (34%), 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes (32%), notchless design (27%), new colors (24%), Dynamic Island (22%), titanium frame with thin bezels (20%), curved edges (15%), mute button instead of a mute switch (14%), and non-MagSafe wireless charging (13%).
The holdouts might just be swayed by better camera and zoom capabilities (48%), stacked battery technology (43%), USB-C port (38%), increased RAM (37%), OLED display (34%), and an enhanced processor (25%).
If you’re planning on buying an iPhone, we have advice on how to sell your iPhone (or Android) for the most money. And check out our hands on with the iPhone 15 from Apple's Sept. 12 event.