Yup if you’re going to have an early dinner, 5 o’clock makes a lot more sense than 4 o’clock.
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iPhone 16 Pro 16 Pro - WTF Were They Thinking?
- Thread starter SmakFairy
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My wife, two of my sons, and I are all getting 16 Pros. Three of us are coming from 15 Pros.
Gonna enjoy the heck out of them, too.
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The 911 is one of my favorite cars and one of the first things I’d buy if I won the lottery.
The thing about cars like the 911 that people miss though is that the overall look stays the same, but the important stuff like the chassis, suspension, brakes, engines, aero, are constantly being improved. There’s also many different versions and there’s tons of options and you can get them in almost any color.
Imagine if Porsche called the 2025 “all-new”, and the only changes were that it had a different chemical makeup of the front splitter and a 0.3mm thicker windshield.
Modern cars are incredibly complex, Apple has more money and resources than Porsche, yet they can’t even make some meaningful and needed upgrades to the iPhone? Can you imagine if 911’s overheated all the time and Porsche blamed it on software and then a year later came out with the new model year and it was exactly the same as the old one and still overheated? They’d get rightfully thrashed by everyone. But for some reason Apple always gets a free pass.
Why are you discussing design when I am referring to hardware? Why does the base iPhone now have the same amount of RAM as the “pro” models? Why does Google sell a phone with twice the RAM? Do not assert that it is because Android requires it; that is an invalid argument. Why do they not prioritize cooling when they consistently introduce more powerful chips each year? What is the purpose of these chips if they cannot be fully utilized due to throttling? This also affects screen brightness in direct sunlight; the Pixel has a superior screen, and I am absolutely certain that Apple is aware that these phones generate heat and throttle, yet instead of addressing this issue, they appear to have resorted to a lackadaisical approach once again. Where are the engineers? Where are the tangible results of their extensive research and development efforts?
I contemplated the possibility that the 17 series would feature all the desirable components for next year, but then I realized that it would likely be the same as previous iterations, with Apple making minor adjustments. The 17 pro may receive an increase in RAM to 12GB and a slightly faster chip, possibly a telephoto sensor upgrade, but that is about it. I perceive no evidence of this company demonstrating any concern or enthusiasm for their products, as they once did.
Don’t let the design fool you, it’s all about what’s inside that matters.
My old Samsung has 6GB of RAM and it works great! I’ve used it a lot and compared it to my 14 and 15 Pro Max iPhones. Surprisingly, the Samsung can keep apps open and multitask better than both of my flagship iPhones.
I do run into RAM limitations sometimes, though. I’m doing one thing, see something I want to take a picture or video of quickly, go back to the original app, and only have it reload. I’ve lost a lot of posts on MacRumors because of this. Sometimes I write out long comments and then have to do something else, only to come back and find Safari reloading the page. I’ve lost everything.
I’ll keep an eye on the thermal capabilities, though. The 15 Pro Max is terrible. I’m sure it was discovered during testing and Tim told the engineers to skip out on things like a vapor chamber so they could save money per phone. It’s really disappointing.
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My apologies. I wasn't clear enough. My second paragraph wasn't aimed at you, it was more of a general musing at a solid portion of posters on this site who are getting really quite worked up at how unbelievably awful iPhones and Apple are.
I see we agree on 911s! (I got a 60s Porsche 912 for my wedding car, which was great, because I got to drive it!)
The way I see iPhones is that they're incremental improvements. Year to year, the changes aren't that big, better processors yearly, camera upgrades most years, screens incrementing, a couple of new features. Over a few years though, those changes add up. For people to say they don't change AT ALL requires a bit of wilfully ignorance. And I'm not saying they don't make mistakes, as there seem to be a few who are suffering overheating with the 15 Pros (I know how annoying that is, I live in Australia. I've had iPhones going into thermal shutdown since my 3GS).
I'm wondering if it comes down to expectations. I don't expect major redesigns every couple of years, like the early days. That just seems to me to be gimmick chasing. Choose a good design, and iterate. Every year a bit better. Save the full redesigns for bigger milestones.
If I weren't still paying off my current phone, I might be tempted by the 16 Pro. The new Desert Titanium looks great, and I'd like the upgraded cameras, and the always-on screen. But I have an iPhone 14. My last phone was an iPhone 8 Plus (which still does fairly well) and I'm hoping my next phone will be an iPhone 20. I'll probably get my battery replaced in a couple of years, and ride it out until the 20 drops. I still love the screen, the camera is good, the A15 still runs well, and I like the design of iPhones. I don't care that it only has 6GB of RAM, it does what I want it to just fine. Why should I care if a Google phone comes out with 64GB RAM? In what way does the Pixel have a better screen? My wife's doesn't stand out to me in any way. Maybe it's a colour grading thing? I'm a bit colourblind, so I might miss those subtleties.
What are you looking for from Apple? For someone who feels that way you sure have given them a lot of money.
Good for you. I’m glad you’re all easily pleased.
You won't.
You'll be excited to unbox them, transfer and set up everything but later than night you'll look at it and think "what the $%^ have I done".
Of course you'll rush to tell everyone you know that you have the new iPhone 16 Pro and they won't care or even notice you've swapped because in a case it looks the same as iPhone 11 Pro from 6 years ago, they'll ask you to show off these "apple intelligence" features but you'll explain you can't yet because Apple is hard at work making sure they're perfect and they didn't drop the ball on AI while focusing on Tims vanity project goggles and missed the boat and now rushing to get AI out over the next 12 months.
then you'll come on here and tell everyone how amazing it is and how INCREDIBLE the camera button is that you'll use maybe 7 times (mostly in demos to people who don't care and can't tell you've upgraded) and then never use it again because its slower and clumsy compared to just using the actual screen.
All to convince yourself you haven't added to the continued failures currently blighting Apple lately by buying another iPhone that's no better than 5 years ago.
It doesn't take a genius to see Apple's product line roadmap, at least for the iPhone. Clearly next year will be more of a hardware refresh, focus being on the telephoto. They'll slap that exclusively on the Pro Max also. It'll have a bigger zoom and 48 MP. Probably the rest of the cameras will gain a bigger sensor so they can say it "Let's in 20% more light" or something along those lines, and there likely will be a modest improvement.
There'll be more AI functions as well. Probably heavily in the photo/video department. Siri might get more conversational with deeper ChatGPT integration and with the improved voice feature. The battery won't improve but the SIP will of course improve, giving you all of these magical features without the cost of battery, though in real world experience you'r iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max will have lesser battery life than the 16's did/do. Bold colors are clearly a thing in the 16's so you'll see more of that, including a bolder color for the Pro's, maybe red again. Probably the mics will gain a slight improvement as well.
Bigger question in my mind is where do they go after all the main cameras have been upgraded to 48 MP and optically stabilized, when AI is baked thoroughly into the iPhone. I think at this point is where we either see new innovations coming to the iPhone, or it's substituted with a new product category, like Apple Glasses. This timeline makes sense given the Vision Pro slimming/transitioning into a regular wearable rumor as well.
Apple isn't stupid. They're gonna milk the iPhone teet to the fullest, incrementally, until there's nothing left and then we'll get a new category where they can do it all over again. At the end of the day, Apple exists to make a profit, not to benefit mankind, and I guarantee you all the tea in China that they have a roadmap for the end of the smartphone innovation craze... Wouldn't be all that surprised if they were lining up iPhone 20 to be the Culmination of all their hard work, being the pinnacle, then transitioning focus to a new wearable to replace it. At that point there literally will be no compelling reason to upgrade. It's like upgrading from an 8K TV to a 12K, why...
There'll be more AI functions as well. Probably heavily in the photo/video department. Siri might get more conversational with deeper ChatGPT integration and with the improved voice feature. The battery won't improve but the SIP will of course improve, giving you all of these magical features without the cost of battery, though in real world experience you'r iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max will have lesser battery life than the 16's did/do. Bold colors are clearly a thing in the 16's so you'll see more of that, including a bolder color for the Pro's, maybe red again. Probably the mics will gain a slight improvement as well.
Bigger question in my mind is where do they go after all the main cameras have been upgraded to 48 MP and optically stabilized, when AI is baked thoroughly into the iPhone. I think at this point is where we either see new innovations coming to the iPhone, or it's substituted with a new product category, like Apple Glasses. This timeline makes sense given the Vision Pro slimming/transitioning into a regular wearable rumor as well.
Apple isn't stupid. They're gonna milk the iPhone teet to the fullest, incrementally, until there's nothing left and then we'll get a new category where they can do it all over again. At the end of the day, Apple exists to make a profit, not to benefit mankind, and I guarantee you all the tea in China that they have a roadmap for the end of the smartphone innovation craze... Wouldn't be all that surprised if they were lining up iPhone 20 to be the Culmination of all their hard work, being the pinnacle, then transitioning focus to a new wearable to replace it. At that point there literally will be no compelling reason to upgrade. It's like upgrading from an 8K TV to a 12K, why...
Do you have the same reaction when someone has a two-year car lease?
(My thought was, “Can I have first dibs on the ‘old’ iPhones?”)
Not necessarily. I'm upgrading for the bigger battery, improved mics, the wind cancellation, and the improve ultra wide since I use it a lot. I'm the main photographer for family photos of my younger kiddos, so I like having the best camera I can have in my pocket. If you got the money and can afford nice things, then there's nothing wrong with that.
That’s awesome!
I have the exact stable of gadgets that suit me for the exact same reason.
I've seen disappointment with iPhone releases since the first ("how could it not have 3G?") and disappointment with refreshes since the second ("it's only adding 3G and GPS which it should have had a year ago").
Incremental refreshes are the rule, not the exception. Which is fine; they add up. As tech matures, we shouldn't be surprised to see even more incrementalism.
Incremental refreshes are the rule, not the exception. Which is fine; they add up. As tech matures, we shouldn't be surprised to see even more incrementalism.
Well put! I’m in the same boat. I’m a photo enthusiast with pro-level cameras, but I like reviewing my shots on my phone when I’m out and about to pick the ones I’ll edit later. As you said, if you can afford it, why not? The improvements you mentioned are exactly why I’m upgrading too—and I tend to do it early with my wife.
Why are people so upset about the new iPhone? If you have the 15 Pro/Pro Max or even the 14 Pro/Pro Max, you should be glad you don’t have to upgrade this year and save yourself the money. All this complaining I'm seeing makes it seem like it's mandatory that you upgrade and Apple is forcefully taking your money...Yeah, this year was a letdown, but damn, some of y'all need to let it go...
(I couldn't directly quote @Adamhwi because the post formatting was mangled)
I got rid of all my DSLR gear because I found I was only using it when I was going somewhere for the specific purpose of shooting photos. I guess I'm not a dedicated enough hobbyist photographer because it wasn't worth it to me to walk around every day with a sling bag over my neck for my camera and a spare lens and battery. As a result, I was taking a lot more photos with my phone than with my DSLR - and as you said, the best camera is the one you have with you.
Photography is just one of many hobbies for me, and a way to document our family and friends memories. I rarely print anything and I'm not doing it for money. Modern iPhones are more than capable enough to meet my relatively simple needs, with a lot less bulk and hassle, and they produce great photos if you take the time to learn how to use them properly.