iPhone 14/Plus apple is making a big mistake by stopping the iPhone PLUS models !

[MarkX]

No, it’s not hard to imagine at all. The problem is that there used to be an option to get the better camera for less, and Apple is discontinuing it in order to force people to buy the higher priced phone. Don’t be naive.

Blah blah blah camera!

Most people who buy a phone and cite camera as the reason they bought the pro etc don't know the first thing about photography! the pictures of their lunch or dog look exactly like they did on their previous phone.

A decent photo mostly comes down to the person pushing the button. I've seen many fantastic shots taken with the 16e in the relevant thread and they're better than most I've seen with the pro models.

 

[Madonepro]

But Tim Cook is getting crazy by stopping models with a good price/performance- relation like the PLUS-models.

Considering Tim Cook has presided over a period of financial growth to place Apple at no 1 and a trillion dollar valued company, I would suggest that he has a full grasp on the economic impacts of this.

 

[mwhite]

Blah blah blah camera!

Most people who buy a phone and cite camera as the reason they bought the pro etc don't know the first thing about photography! the pictures of their lunch or dog look exactly like they did on their previous phone.

A decent photo mostly comes down to the person pushing the button. I've seen many fantastic shots taken with the 16e in the relevant thread and they're better than most I've seen with the pro models.

I like better zoom options.

 

[mwhite]

Considering Tim Cook has presided over a period of financial growth to place Apple at no 1 and a trillion dollar valued company, I would suggest that he has a full grasp on the economic impacts of this.

Yes. Greed.

 

[GioGiusi]

The Plus model is transient and temporary, just as the mini was. If either of them sold impressively, Apple would cement them into the lineup.

iPhone Air will be the next product to take the "special" spot and we'll see how well it does. Incidentally, it will be a remarkably thin and light iPhone with a 6.6" display. Does anyone really need anything bigger than that?

 

[GioGiusi]

I like better zoom options.

I'm willing to give up my zoom options for the thinner and lighter design of the iPhone Air. The telephoto camera is not as good of quality as the wide camera, and in certain low light conditions the zoom function becomes wide camera with a crop instead of even using telephoto. It's nice to have, but I don't think I will miss it. 48 MP with a little digital zoom still looks pretty good.

 

[TgeekB]

Is it so hard to imagine the possibility that the normal lens is sufficient for some people? Maybe some people aren't into photography, or prefer a DSLR or Micro Four Thirds, etc. cameras?

Just because you don't like a particular model doesn't mean no one does! There are many people who are excited about the idea of a thinner, lighter phone!

It also doesn’t mean the CEO’s are fools. They base their decisions on trends, customer support, etc. It’s so easy for anyone to go on the Internet and complain like they are an expert but they rarely if ever are.

 

[TgeekB]

Yes. Greed.

Or customer satisfaction.

 

[Madonepro]

Blah blah blah camera!

Most people who buy a phone and cite camera as the reason they bought the pro etc don't know the first thing about photography! the pictures of their lunch or dog look exactly like they did on their previous phone.

A decent photo mostly comes down to the person pushing the button. I've seen many fantastic shots taken with the 16e in the relevant thread and they're better than most I've seen with the pro models.

So you can only buy a phone, if you’re a pro photographer? Oh the entitlement.

Yes. Greed.

If greed, is being a profitable company, so you can pay your staff, and their benefits, and provide a dividend to those that invested in your company; then yes ‘Greed’.

 

[throAU]

Blah blah blah camera!

Most people who buy a phone and cite camera as the reason they bought the pro etc don't know the first thing about photography! the pictures of their lunch or dog look exactly like they did on their previous phone.

A decent photo mostly comes down to the person pushing the button. I've seen many fantastic shots taken with the 16e in the relevant thread and they're better than most I've seen with the pro models.

Or they have a good camera and realise that the best camera for a given shot IS THE ONE YOU ARE CARRYING and you aren't always carrying around your professional photography gear everywhere you go. Given two equal photographers, the Pro phones will capture more, in more varying conditions.

 

[uacd]

I think Apple will do something without looking at people who are against. They have abandoned my tastes years ago when they have stopped making small iPhones like 5, 5s, SE, mini. Can only dream of one with modern specs.

I mean phones are not the best way to consume content and create. It should be purely a communication tool for calls, quick chats and photos/videos. I noticed phone OLED displays are very hard on eyes, whenever I switch to my TV, iMac or Macbook, or even more than a decade old iPad Air I feel good and no pain in the eyes like with iPhones.

In fact, why do we need bigger phones? We need smaller phones! But that’s my opinion for sure

 

[uacd]

Blah blah blah camera!

Most people who buy a phone and cite camera as the reason they bought the pro etc don't know the first thing about photography! the pictures of their lunch or dog look exactly like they did on their previous phone.

A decent photo mostly comes down to the person pushing the button. I've seen many fantastic shots taken with the 16e in the relevant thread and they're better than most I've seen with the pro models.

I agree that the good picture can be taken with anything. But modern iPhones often feel lackluster due to intensive image processing.

I myself loved taking photos on iPhone back in the days and it served me as the perfect pocketable point-and-shoot, way better than older Sony DSC from 2005. But this was from bygone era and days… This was when Apple still didn’t apply tons of artificial stuff on photos like HDR, noise reduction and sharpening.

Like… Even my current iPhone 11 Pro photos often look ugly and artificial. I rarely like to take photos with it now. And I compared it recently to 16 Pro, and I mean… 16 Pro is worse! Tons of sharpening, noise reduction that you can notice when you open photos in previews (for a sec you see non-denoised version and then it becomes blurry and generic).

There is certainly some improvement with 48mp camera in terms of cropping ability but it is majorly overshadowed by excessive sharpening that is applied to every photo.

Also the portraits and photos of people in daylight, they are just nonsensical. Even in regular “photo” mode (not “portrait”, so zero computations) the iPhone would apply some sort of mask for an object (a person) and background, and the result looks like person was photoshopped on top of this background. Picture no longer looks realistic.

Apple needs to tune down this stuff, it is ruining photography as is, it is no more WYSIWYG

 

[StephenJobsworth_2007]

At least there are options for new phones to switch to. Mini users can't say the same.

For Mini folks, you have the base model and the 16E.
We have to face the facts—the Mini only had a very vocal minority when it came to market share and not much else beyond that very enthusiastic comment section user base. Apple’s research must be telling them that there’s room in the market for them to introduce in their annual iPhone line up upwards of 4 individual iPhones in the fall—a smaller base model which is essentially the heir apparent of the original iPhone, a slightly larger version of that under the Plus naming scheme, a Pro roughly the same as the base iPhone, and its most premium iPhone, the Pro Max. Since the Plus appears not to have met sales expectations, and since selling 4 annual fall iPhones seems to be what they’re dead set for doing, their MO is essentially to add some consistency to their iPhone line up and replace the Plus with an Air to round out the line up by making it more closely in line with the iPads and MacBook notebook offerings. Seems like a winner if you ask me. I think a lot of iPhone users are, however, when it comes to smartphone users, the most basic of smartphone users. They’re going to go for the Air, despite it’s likely mid-range specs, because it’s going to be less mundane from previous iterations of iPhone because the iPhone is and has been that iterative over the last decade. I used to upgrade every single year since the 5—hell, the only iPhones I didn’t buy were the first iPhone, and neither of the 4-series, as I had a dumb phone and Android phones respectively—but I skipped the 16 series because I couldn’t justify it and I knew I had upgraded without any real justification to the 11 Pro Max, 12 Pro, 13 Pro, & 14 Pro before knowing they were good phones, but hardly discernible from the previous model once they got the latest iOS update.

Apple needs to hit the ball out of the park with this new iOS “26” redesign, new features, a final push for the roll out of the new Siri, more polished Apple Intelligence, more stable iOS, and a redesign that’s not just more muted colors and a new button with re-arranged camera lenses. If it’s more of the same? Combined with tariffs and a weakened economy, Apple might find the sales suffer as long term die hards like me hold out—again, or switch back to Android. I’ve been seriously considering the Pixel for all the things Apple just doesn’t want to do or offer.

 

[redcarian]

The Plus model is transient and temporary, just as the mini was. If either of them sold impressively, Apple would cement them into the lineup.

iPhone Air will be the next product to take the "special" spot and we'll see how well it does. Incidentally, it will be a remarkably thin and light iPhone with a 6.6" display. Does anyone really need anything bigger than that?

If a (for example) 7” or even 8” iPhone existed, I’d buy it. Crappy eyesight is a powerful decision factor.

 

[Bungaree.Chubbins]

If a (for example) 7” or even 8” iPhone existed, I’d buy it. Crappy eyesight is a powerful decision factor.

I never wanted a big phone, now I want a Pro Max to make everything easier to see!

 

[luvmymbp]

Question: Will the 16 Plus be removed from the lineup as soon as the 17s are released? Considering purchasing one, but would like to wait for the price drop in September. All feedback will be appreciated!

 

[MrAverigeUser]

Question: Will the 16 Plus be removed from the lineup as soon as the 17s are released? Considering purchasing one, but would like to wait for the price drop in September. All feedback will be appreciated!

I am sure that there will be enough 16 PLUS after the 17 models hit the market that you can purchase one for perhaps even half of the official price.
So did I.... I purchased a 14 Plus 512 GB one year after the 15 series hit the market for half the once official price.

Further advantage: Plus models with high GB options fall even more in price than Plus models with little GB space !

Since I like to take photos (if not my camera gear with me) and screenshots of interesting texts and prefer a life-span of 3-5 years more space is perfect for my needs.

A further advantage: exchange of the battery costs only half the price since the 14 Plus models because they much easier to do.
The lenses and camera of the Plus models is really good and the colors are very realistic - I was very impressed by the camera-quality of the Plus models. Especially because there were enough problems with the "tele" lens of the Pro- and Max models. They seem mechanically not to be as reliable as the other 2 lenses (= normal and wide-angle lens.)

Battery life of the PLUS models is a dream !

The 16 Plus model has OLED screen - although the mini-LED screen of even the 14 Plus is already very good the OLED screen consumes even lesser and will even save more energy - and so prolong battery life even more.

I use always black mode for the screen: better readable by day and by night and this consumes again less energy.

I am sure you will be very happy.

 

[luvmymbp]

I am sure that there will be enough 16 PLUS after the 17 models hit the market that you can purchase one for perhaps even half of the official price.
So did I.... I purchased a 14 Plus 512 GB one year after the 15 series hit the market for half the once official price.

Further advantage: Plus models with high GB options fall even more in price than Plus models with little GB space !

Since I like to take photos (if not my camera gear with me) and screenshots of interesting texts and prefer a life-span of 3-5 years more space is perfect for my needs.

A further advantage: exchange of the battery costs only half the price since the 14 Plus models because they much easier to do.
The lenses and camera of the Plus models is really good and the colors are very realistic - I was very impressed by the camera-quality of the Plus models. Especially because there were enough problems with the "tele" lens of the Pro- and Max models. They seem mechanically not to be as reliable as the other 2 lenses (= normal and wide-angle lens.)

Battery life of the PLUS models is a dream !

The 16 Plus model has OLED screen - although the mini-LED screen of even the 14 Plus is already very good the OLED screen consumes even lesser and will even save more energy - and so prolong battery life even more.

I use always black mode for the screen: better readable by day and by night and this consumes again less energy.

I am sure you will be very happy.

Thank you for your thoughtful response! The Apple Store only seems to lower the price of previous year models by $100, but I'm good with that. Had a bad experience with an EB purchase, so prefer to go the safe route.

 

[GioGiusi]

If a (for example) 7” or even 8” iPhone existed, I’d buy it. Crappy eyesight is a powerful decision factor.

That's not a phone anymore. Nor is it pocketable, or portable. You're better off just touting around an iPad mini at that point and using a VOIP app for phone calls.

 

[GioGiusi]

As a apple customer (MBP, MacPro, iPhone, iPad) since nearly two decades I was impressed by "good-choice" iPhones like the SE-models and later the PLUS models, still extremely happy with my iPhone 14 Plus 512 gb.

But Tim Cook is getting crazy by stopping models with a good price/performance- relation like the PLUS-models.

He will never force me to purchase higher priced models with even shorter battery-life by stopping the PLUS-models. NEVER EVER. This step is absolutely a shot in apple´s knee: Me myself and suerely many other customers will just stay with their PLUS-Models longer than intended and the bottom- line will be less sales in this part of their customers.

Especially in times when the economy worldwide will be even more tumbling in the years to come it is ridiculous to stop the production of these models.
And in times when processor-hardware has reached already a nearly perfect level for real-life-use....

So - repair services that exchange batteries of PLUS models will earn a lot of money and the owners of the PLUS-models will profit even more of this because at least the 14 PLUS model has been the first iPhone with a technically much easier exchange of their batteries (time and cost for exchange mostly half the time/price compared with the other iPhones of the same generation, at least the Iphone 14 gen. the following iPhone 15 gen. has easier exchange-possibilities for all variants IIRC)...

Perhaps I should buy apple- puts... could be nice profit in 1-2 years...

Take a peak at where iPhone 16 Plus falls on this chart: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...e-best-selling-smartphone-in-q1-2025.2457849/

Clearly they are not making any kind of mistake by replacing it with something new and exciting this year.

 

[redcarian]

That’s not a phone anymore. Nor is it pocketable, or portable. You’re better off just touting around an iPad mini at that point and using a VOIP app for phone calls

I could easily fit an 8” device in my pockets, and “not portable”? That’s just silly. Of course it’s portable.

 

[GioGiusi]

I could easily fit an 8” device in my pockets, and “not portable”? That’s just silly. Of course it’s portable.

No, it isn't. The Pro Max barely fits in pockets now, and it does not fit comfortably. It is also massively awkward to hold in the hand.

 

[Momof2.1107]

No, it isn't. The Pro Max barely fits in pockets now, and it does not fit comfortably. It is also massively awkward to hold in the hand.

Not for everyone. Everyone do not have an issue with fitting a Pro Max in their pocket nor is it awkward to hold in their hand. Apple makes iPhones to suit different folks. The same way some folks like the mini, some folks like the Pro Max.

 

[redcarian]

No, it isn't. The Pro Max barely fits in pockets now, and it does not fit comfortably. It is also massively awkward to hold in the hand.

My pockets amply fit two pro maxes, as I know from those times when my wife hands me hers for some reason. I have large hands, and consider the current pro max to be quite a dainty little device.

 

[sherwinzadeh]

I bought my with the `Plus` and it was great option for her because she wanted the bigger screen and didn't need the power of Pro Max, so I get you.

There's three things that Apple is trying to achieve with the Air, I think:

1. It's getting harder and harder to wow people every year. We're mostly getting camera improvements at this point. So a super thin, super slick phon e may turn a lot of heads and bring some excitement back to the product line.

2. They're trying out some new like the C1 chip and rumored new battery tech, and maybe it still has to be proven so they're doing this as it's own model.

3. Ultimately, the Air is a test for the kind of thinnest they're going to need in order to make the Fold. New tech needs to be vetted in the marketplace so they learn and improve upon it.

As for people not upgrading... I think that's happening anyways. There's less and less reasons to upgrade. Maybe this thin phone will encourage some who will be enticed by it's lutra-thinism.