Tech & The Web

iPhone Sales Drop for First Time in History

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Last Updated on February 5, 2022

If you felt a tremor yesterday afternoon, it was likely the collective celebratory jumping up and down of Droid and PC fanbois rejoicing over news about Apple iPhone sales.

If you’re one of those with an inexplicable, irrational hatred of Apple — the same type of person who accuses people who like Apple products of being “fanbois” with respect to their brand of choice, Tuesday was probably a good day for you.

It was the day, after all, that Apple announced a drop in iPhone sales for the first time in the device’s history. And since a substantial portion of the company’s profits revolve around iPhone sales, that translated into the company’s worst quarter in 13 years.

I’m quite happy with Apple products myself, thank you very much, and unlike some of the aforementioned Apple haters, I frankly do not care in the slightest how well or how poorly the various manufactures of Droid or PC products fare. It’s fine with me, in fact, if both sides of the technology coin succeed. It doesn’t ruin my day when Droid does well, anymore than it makes my day when they have a bad quarter.

I prefer Apple, so Droid is just of no concern to me.

Analysts say Apple’s drop in iPhone sales could be a result of the combination of a strong dollar and a weak Chinese economy.

I suspect there’s another reason: cell phone companies have started doing away with the “New Every 2” programs that provided substantial subsidies for customers to upgrade to new phones every second year when they signed a new contract. Instead of giving the customer a new iPhone (or Droid, for that matter) for as low as $199, the “new” plans have the customers pay a monthly payment for enough years to pay the full retail price of the new phone.

That means what used to be a one-time fee of, say $299, that used to mean you owned the phone translates into monthly payments for two years that total up to $700 or more.

Suddenly the affordable phone isn’t so affordable.

It took me multiple conversations with my wireless provider to find someone willing to acknowledge that those of us who have previously had the New Every 2 option could still remain on that plan for as long as we wished. It was then — and only then — that I upgraded my phone at the end of my last contract to an iPhone 6+.

I like the bigger screen. (It’s a lot nicer for those of us “blessed” with bifocals.)

And barring something so ridiculously cool that I’ll become convinced I won’t be able to live without it, I don’t see myself being ready to switch to another phone in two years. Especially if they decide I’ll have to pay full price for my next phone.

Beyond that, it seems cell phone manufacturers are losing touch with practical use of their phones. Everything I hear in the form of rumors about the next great models are full of things I’m not that interested in.

It doesn’t matter to me that a cell phone will have curved glass corners. Mine will always be in a protective case, so I won’t see that curved glass.

It doesn’t matter to me that a cell phone will be able to display a line of text on the edge. Mine will always be in a protective case, so I won’t see the edge.

It doesn’t matter to me that the rear of the phone will be glass instead of aluminum. Mine will always be in a protective case, so I won’t see the back.

And it doesn’t matter to me which colors the phone are available in. Mine will always be in a protective case…and you get the idea.

This time around, I bought the iPhone with the largest screen and largest memory available. I don’t anticipate having a strong reason to want to upgrade to the iPhone 7 when it comes out, or the iPhone 7s (or whatever we call that one). All things being equal, this particular iPhone might be the one I keep the longest, which would be more than three years, not just two.

And that brings me to the other reason iPhone sales may be dropping: the phones are good products and people are happy with the models they have.

I’m sure there must be Droid customers who feel the same way about their phones, too. Maybe it’s the ones who don’t who are celebrating Apple’s news the most.

Have you ever owned an iPhone? Do you love it or hate it and why?

the authorPatrick
Patrick is a Christian with more than 30 years experience in professional writing, producing and marketing. His professional background also includes social media, reporting for broadcast television and the web, directing, videography and photography. He enjoys getting to know people over coffee and spending time with his dog.