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You feel pressured into buying a 'Pro' iPhone because you concern to want one deep down. You will be happier knowing that you have one, at least thats how I will feel. To each his/her own I say you make the choice that you find a absolute decision. cheers
 
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You bet. I'm a professional photographer, and various people judge you by what gear you're carrying around, rather than by your results. I've had clients, editors and other photographers make snarky comments and even supposedly choose to work with me or not based on supposedly not using the latest gear. I am pretty confident that folks can't actually tell the difference in the results-I am not a rookie at this. I have to balance how much business I can lose to this perception problem against the cost of constant upgrades. (New professional level gear is easily 5-8x the price of a new iPhone.)

Ok, fair point. In the commercial space, that makes perfect sense to me (not as in it is a good thing, but as in it is a real thing to be concerned about). I didn't get the impression from the OP he was worried about clients, coworkers, upper management, etc. judging him for using an iPhone 13 Mini vs an iPhone 13 Pro though. I guess I kind of assume your employer provides you with your work phone, so if clients want to judge you based on the company phone, well that really isn't your decision to make anyway. That just shows you where my experiencial biases are though.
 
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is there any app that runs terribly slow on an iPhone 11 and really needs the processing power of an iPhone 13?
 
What should matter is finding the phone that is right for you. I don’t get the image thing, but I can understand the FOMO, for me personally it is about the camera although that doesn’t warrant a new pro every year. The 13 pro is pretty clunky and heavy, if the camera wasn’t better I would probably buy a mini and use an iPad for media consumption, especially when it gets OLED display.
 
Not to get too far off topic, but your comment makes me curious. I can see editors and other photographers getting snotty about gear, even though they should know better. Lots of gear snobs out there. But I'm wondering about the clients. Are these companies or individuals that you've noticed won't work with you based on not using the latest gear? I wouldn't expect most individual consumers to understand the difference.
When dudes hang around, they tend to compare... their stuff. This translates to things they own, including houses, cars, gadgets. etc.
Consumers might not know the specifics, but more and more consumers are getting familiar with tech terms and brands like RED, Sony. and Fuji. Mirrorless cameras are attainable by the regular consumers, so they are getting familiar with it. Of course, the plethora of youtubers flexing out their gears on social media is not helping.
 
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is there any app that runs terribly slow on an iPhone 11 and really needs the processing power of an iPhone 13?
Maybe things like exporting videos and games/VR/AR stuff. Efficiencies of the newer chip would help heat dissipation as well. Take my iPhone 7+. It can run many things, but it gets (too) hot very quickly. The newer chips would probably be able to sustain better performance longer thanks to the better efficiency core as well.
 
Probably the most materialistic post I've ever made. It's going to sound a little silly but it's been on my mind for a little while and thought I'd see if anyone else feels similarly. Hear me out.

Does anyone else feel the pressure to have either the latest device, or at the very least a 'Pro' phone?

I have a 13 mini and it ticks so many boxes - small, practical, can be used one handed, light, good battery etc. It really works for me in a lot of ways.

But I always feel I'm 'missing out' on not having a Pro phone, even though I wouldn't use any of the additional features. Sure, 120hz, a better battery and a bigger screen are all nice things, but I definitely don't need them.

It's more the status of having a 'Pro' phone.

Even though it would be so awkward for me - the weight, the bulk with a case, the need for two hands, and the price premium - for some reason I still feel I 'need' one.

Is it an image thing? Do I sub-consciously think that people will think less of me because I have a 13 mini instead of a Pro? Am I thinking they're wondering whether I can't afford a more expensive phone rather than it being a choice? To be blunt, are non-Pro phones viewed as less "cool"? (ugh I feel so old putting the word cool in quotations).

I know come September, even though the 13 mini is fine, I'll still be thinking I need to buy the 14 Pro because it's the latest phone.

I know none of this should matter, it's materialistic, and most people couldn't care less, but why do I still think that way?
Rest easy on those status concerns. Here's an insight from the watch collector community - literally nobody cares what you have.

Nobody notices a rolex, or a patek phillipe, or anything. You could have a quarter million dollar watch on your wrist and literally nobody will care.

I'm totally confident that will go triple for your iPhone. Nobody will notice that you have the latest Pro phone. Nobody. You are the only one who will give a crap.

So if you still love your 13 mini, like I do... might as well hang onto it.
 
I have a 12 mini and it works just find for my needs so I don’t see a reason to get any of the new iPhone 14 phones😁
 
Have a 12 mini and I CANNOT WAIT to buy the 14 Pro Max.

The 12 mini is very handy but the battery just sucks, I need more juice during the day!

And I missing the Zoom Lens from my old iPhone X...
 
Have a 12 mini and I CANNOT WAIT to buy the 14 Pro Max.

The 12 mini is very handy but the battery just sucks, I need more juice during the day!

And I missing the Zoom Lens from my old iPhone X...
Yes, but the OP was asking if you feel the need to upgrade because of peer pressure — not because of actual usage (as you are doing).
Do you feel irrationally compelled to have the latest and most expensive because your friends/family/co-workers have more expensive gadgets…
 
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Bought a cheap square edged case for my XR, changed the wallpaper and it looks and feels like a 13 😂 as soon as iOS 16 drops, it will be even more so. You can even buy squared edged cases with built in Mag Safe for old iPhones like the XR for 10 bucks, so start with that.
I‘ll buy a new iPhone when the XR is dead ir they invent some kind of killer feature.
 
That’s fair regarding the phones.
When it comes to the Mac though, Intel machines are practically worthless at this point, unless you really need BootCamp or specific apps which won’t run in Rosetta (but if that’s the case you’re undoubtably on a Mac Pro / higher end Mac). Apple gave me $1600 for my 2018 15” MBP, and I felt that was pretty generous.

A trade in of $299 seems pretty low for a ’17 MacBook though. Should be about $200 higher...
I have MBA intel 2020 with 512gb. Still considering how’d worth to replace with M1, especially its still pristine, still fulfill my needs and I have no complaint with the machine (except battery life - still normal but shorter compared to M1). Also, my wife and all my family members already had their own iMac / MacBook.
 
I'm another perfect example
13mini is somehow not that superior on battery life and screen size( I have an iPad so it's fine) Many people believe that a mini is for people who are saving money but whoever buys the mini are real small screen fans. So if apple made a 13Pro Mini, I will go for it.
 
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I don’t feel pressured. I buy the Plus/Max/Pro models because I take advantage of the features and like the size. Last few phones have all been 256GB and I’m not inclined to spend a lot more for storage over that currently.

I’ve gone from upgrading annually up until the 6s though to upgrading every 3 years on average, so while I buy the top end model I’m not buying the phones nearly as often as I used to and get a lot of mileage out of them when I do upgrade.

Maybe the closest to feeling forced into a particular Apple device was when I shelled out for the 16” MBP in 2019, with the new keyboard design introduced in that release being a big deciding factor in me not picking a model closer to a budget that I would typically be more comfortable with (which we’re all on butterfly keyboards). If I was to buy another MBP I’d probably get the latest Air as a point of comparison.
 
Probably the most materialistic post I've ever made. It's going to sound a little silly but it's been on my mind for a little while and thought I'd see if anyone else feels similarly. Hear me out.

Does anyone else feel the pressure to have either the latest device, or at the very least a 'Pro' phone?

I have a 13 mini and it ticks so many boxes - small, practical, can be used one handed, light, good battery etc. It really works for me in a lot of ways.

But I always feel I'm 'missing out' on not having a Pro phone, even though I wouldn't use any of the additional features. Sure, 120hz, a better battery and a bigger screen are all nice things, but I definitely don't need them.

It's more the status of having a 'Pro' phone.

Even though it would be so awkward for me - the weight, the bulk with a case, the need for two hands, and the price premium - for some reason I still feel I 'need' one.

Is it an image thing? Do I sub-consciously think that people will think less of me because I have a 13 mini instead of a Pro? Am I thinking they're wondering whether I can't afford a more expensive phone rather than it being a choice? To be blunt, are non-Pro phones viewed as less "cool"? (ugh I feel so old putting the word cool in quotations).

I know come September, even though the 13 mini is fine, I'll still be thinking I need to buy the 14 Pro because it's the latest phone.

I know none of this should matter, it's materialistic, and most people couldn't care less, but why do I still think that way?
I normally start to have “cravings” for an iphone after 2-3 years/iphones, and i always update on a 4 year basis, had iphone 4s, iphone 6s, currently xs max, future one will be 15 pro max 100% sure, thus maintaining the same model, its quite a chungus phone 😂 but ive acustomed to it and i wear it with a apple smart battery case wich makes my xs max almost sandwich like so i actually will be feeling like having a super slim phone😏

Now i did went for a xs max after a 4 year 6s cycle right when the 11 pro max was launched because it was so dam expensive for a 256gb model, and xs max still had 3d touch ( must be 1% of people that still wanted it and actually knew it existed😂) and it was 400€-500€ less so i just went for it.

Now, i gave a 13 mini last november to my wife as her iphone 8 was crumbling down: due to falls, battery failure, OIS of camera was broken + 64gb was starting to be almost imposible to live with. I’ve “played”with her phone a couple times to see how the phone works and performs in certain stuff. And my oh my it is amazing, performance is great, cameras are good with the ultrawide is usefull, a freaking oled with 2 million contrast, the sheer size of the phone that it is a bit smaller than a iphone 8/SEbut has a woping 5,4 screen and not only that the battery is on par or slightly supperior to my stock xs max battery is just freaking amazing. I still got it for 789€ instead of 929€ But still it is a nice bang for buck at original price.

I can feel your to need of a superior phone, as i am a compulsive buyer at some times😂 and i do like to have the most features as possible, the 120hz was my most expected thing before the 11pro was anounced but it did not come untill after the 13, battery is also important for me so i want a battery as big as it gets. Camera also the best. But for me i want all of the latest and greatest specially because i update every 4 years.

But i can see the 13 mini as a marvelous iphone if you are into this kind of size and if you already bought it i would say keep it at least 2-3 years, specially if you are not a person that actually cares a lot about certain features, if your current iphone satisfies your needs that should be enough.

After some years if you need/want some extra features (for example 120hz should they not come to regular iphones) or stronger battery and the best quality shots, then go for a pro.
 
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I think there will naturally be some selection/confirmation bias in these replies. The people that don’t feel peer pressure will be the ones that quickly jump on to reply “No”. What’s more, the type of people to browse this forum will mostly fall outside the Venn circle of people that feel the need to impress their friends, etc.

I suspect there is a larger slice of society than we think that is either choosing not to reply “Yes, I too feel peer pressure”, or not on this forum at all.
 
That’s fair regarding the phones.
When it comes to the Mac though, Intel machines are practically worthless at this point, unless you really need BootCamp or specific apps which won’t run in Rosetta (but if that’s the case you’re undoubtably on a Mac Pro / higher end Mac). Apple gave me $1600 for my 2018 15” MBP, and I felt that was pretty generous.

A trade in of $299 seems pretty low for a ’17 MacBook though. Should be about $200 higher...
To me it's not worthless. It still runs the latest software, I still get security updates. I can pay bills, do banking and other items. Why go out and spend $1200+ on a computer in this economic climate. I still even get AppleCare+ for it if anything breaks down. Only thing that sucks is this keyboard which would be one of the big drivers for getting rid of it.

It frustrates me that a 4 core/8 thread MacBook Pro with 16 gb of ram is considered outdated.

The last "upgrade" I did of an Apple product was my Apple Watch 3 to an SE. I moved to a new area of town and was really using navigation a bunch and I liked how my Watch would vibrate and it was safer to just glance at my wrist rather than look down at my phone for directions. Needed the speed (3 was really slow) and larger screen. Went to Best Buy and bought open box, Ive done that before and never had problems getting Apple Care afterwards but turns out they changed their policy so that Apple would only sell Apple Care if you bought a "Geek Squad" certified open box product or something of the sort. All other conditions were not eligible. It was practically new, had a box and everything, just whomever returned it didn't include bands so it couldn't be "Geek Squad" certified. Spent a few hours going back and forth arguing with Apple support, to give them money for a warranty. Over a policy that's written nowhere that I was not aware of, a policy that just came out of nowhere. And a warranty that I have yet to use once in the year I've had the watch and I've typically renewed Apple care after the initial 2-3 years. This is why I was ranting earlier about how companies treating their customers lately.
 
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I think there will naturally be some selection/confirmation bias in these replies. The people that don’t feel peer pressure will be the ones that quickly jump on to reply “No”. What’s more, the type of people to browse this forum will mostly fall outside the Venn circle of people that feel the need to impress their friends, etc.

I suspect there is a larger slice of society than we think that is either choosing not to reply “Yes, I too feel peer pressure”, or not on this forum at all.

I think it’s surprising the amount of ‘no’s’ on a forum where phones are discussed in the most depth. I also think age and perhaps part of the world make a big difference to the OP’s question. I very much doubt there are many people aged 25 and over who are victims of peer pressure in regards to what mobile phones they use. It’s quite an immature set of social expectations after all. I would also imagine in poorer countries an iPhone Pro would be more of a status thing than it would be in western developed countries. I think a monthly electricity bill is more of a status symbol than an iPhone at the moment lol.
 
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I’m still chugging along on my launch ordered 7+ ok - sure the battery is down to 74% capacity and I’ve filled up the 256GB storage so have to keep clearing pictures but other than that it still works fine.

I’ll be looking to jump up to the 14 Pro or Pro Max as it will be come my next phone for the next 5/6 years - the reasons for the Pro/Pro Max for me will be the 120Hz display (played on the 13 Pro Max display in the Apple store and was sold on it), much bigger battery capacity and I’ve got used to the footprint of the 7+ so having that as all screen with no forehead or chin will be great.

I will miss TouchID though and the Jet Black finish…
 
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I think it’s surprising the amount of ‘no’s’ on a forum where phones are discussed in the most depth.
Probably a matter of self-selection - by now those who want to answer 'yes' to the question will, upon seeing the prior responses, feel the pressure to not say so :p

I have to admit that I am also part of the self-selected group - still using an iPhone 11 Pro, replaced the battery a couple of months ago, and am still very satisfied with it. I am lucky to have peers who mostly don't care - and I care more about being not friends with people who judge others by what they own.
 
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