Hi from Barbados ( Caribbean). I have to add to the thread that being away from the 'safety net' of Apple Stores, Genius Bars, and Apple Care is a factor that really only comes up in a big way when things go awry. There are advantages to tropical living of course but when shoppiing for high priced tech items, one is at a distinct disadvantage when compared to the bigger countries. We have essentially 2 'Authorized Apple Resellers, as well as 2 cellular carriers, of which one doesn't support iPhone. The major cell carrier does sell and in theory support iPhone but other than possibly getting a refund for an obviously defective device, one is in a bit of a vacuum for solid technical support. When my iPhone 7Plus developed both a battery issue as well as getting into 'boot-loop' frequently, it would have been a no-brainer to head straight to an Apple store should one exist but I was faced with really little alternative than to replace it. Generally new phones released in the early fall aren't available here until after Christmas and selection can be limited at the best of times. I upgraded to 8Plus ( XR is only now on a few shelves) but figured for all the above reasons I'd stick with 'tried & true' for now and leave the cutting edge a while to mature. Although on the surface it looks to an outsider that all or most 'mod-cons' are available, the principle of Buyer Beware is a lot more important as 'going back' on a big dollar purchase is not nearly as simple as it usually is in places like Canada, the USA, or the UK. Good Luck though as I wander back to my hammock.....

