Good point, I somehow skipped right over that one. Granted, I was thinking more along the lines of the SEs, which were a CPU generation behind, and would be supported for a while. The 7 is only a couple of generations from obsolescence.

OTOOH, having given a bit of thought, is it just more economical to eat the expensive of the flagship up front and then hang on to it for four or five years (which is what we currently do).

So far, the trend seems to be for Apple to support devices for 5 years after release [0]. Most apps will support at least 1 previous version of iOS, so your total lifespan is around 6 years total. Given that, you end up with:

XR: $750 / 6 years = $125/year

8: $599 / 5 years = $120/year

7: $449 / 4 years = $112/year

So assuming you plan to keep the device for its entire lifespan, I'm not sure it actually matters very much what you buy.

[0] http://infographic.statista.com/normal/chartoftheday_5824_io...

This is my point exactly. My moto x4 is no slouch and does almost everything I want. Cost me $150.

Will easily last me 3-4 years.

50/year to own.

iPhone 8 assuming it lasts 4 years without battery/breakage means I could buy new moto x4 every year I own that 8. I get that its supported longer but these devices are heavily used and abused.

I think if you buy the trailing edge of the latest generation, and re-sell it once it’d trailing edge of the next generation, you’ll have s cost-effective cycle of good devices.

Or trailing edges of the 2nd and 3rd generation respectively.

Just make sure you don’t hold on beyond obsolescence.

Sometimes old stuff spikes in value a bit as others want to replace/repair instead of upgrade.

Apple is showing a willingness to provide security and bug fix upgrades far longer than they offer OS upgrades.