Other Last "Wow" iPhone Generation?

[HawkTheHusky1902]

I think i agree with y'all, it was a good update, especially in terms of durability!

 

[sviato]

1) Mostly it feels smoother operationally. Real world the 15 PM feels faster, but I have not tested whether or not it is objectively faster.
2) I went from 14P to 15 PM and again, it feels good in hand. It does not feel bigger/clunkier even though it provides hella more display real estate.
3) Sound is clearly superior.
4) The action button is a huge improvement in UI for me. I have it set for the camera, and it rocks.
5) Photo capture is quicker and easier. I do not know how much of this is the larger display coming from a 14 or how much is due to iOS 17, but it presents clear improvement to me. I constantly capture images for work purposes and for personal so any improvement is a big deal.
6) The display seems improved. That might just be because of my perception coming from the 14P to the larger display of the 15 PM, but I don't think it is.
7) The image captures from the 15 PM are real-world better in addition to being easier to capture.
8) Battery life of the 15 PM is clearly superior to that of the 14 P in my daily workflow. However battery of the 14 P was fine so the 15 PM is simply more fine.
9) The 15 PM presents as less hot than the 14 P does in my daily workflow. This was a surprise because I expected the 15 to behave similarly to the 14.
10) I like the look and feel of the Natural Titanium alloy exoskeleton and expect it to perform well over time like the Apple Watch Ultra Ti alloy has.
11) Facial ID seems faster and more consistent by a small bit.

There are no doubt other improvements that I simply have not noticed yet. The only negative that I have found is that the synch between the AW Ultra and the 15 PM is misbehaving a bit. Sometimes the AWU does not present an alarm going off that was set on the phone. This never happened on the 14 P, and may be an iOS 17 artifact (the 14 P never had iOS 17 installed).

Seems like most new releases would wow you, which is great, I miss being excited about a new iPhone

 

[Gathomblipoob]

Seems like most new releases would wow you, which is great, I miss being excited about a new iPhone

I miss not knowing anything about them until the damn phone came out. Damn you, Gray Powell.

 

[mattopotamus]

First of all, great post.

I have to go with the OG iPhone, 4, and X. I know those are also the most obvious selections. In terms for my favorite iPhone, it is probably the original SE. It came at a time when all phones were increasing in size, and it offered nearly the same device packed in my favorite iPhone design to date.

 

[BigDO]

1) Mostly it feels smoother operationally. Real world the 15 PM feels faster, but I have not tested whether or not it is objectively faster.
2) I went from 14P to 15 PM and again, it feels good in hand. It does not feel bigger/clunkier even though it provides hella more display real estate.
3) Sound is clearly superior.
4) The action button is a huge improvement in UI for me. I have it set for the camera, and it rocks.
5) Photo capture is quicker and easier. I do not know how much of this is the larger display coming from a 14 or how much is due to iOS 17, but it presents clear improvement to me. I constantly capture images for work purposes and for personal so any improvement is a big deal.
6) The display seems improved. That might just be because of my perception coming from the 14P to the larger display of the 15 PM, but I don't think it is.
7) The image captures from the 15 PM are real-world better in addition to being easier to capture.
8) Battery life of the 15 PM is clearly superior to that of the 14 P in my daily workflow. However battery of the 14 P was fine so the 15 PM is simply more fine.
9) The 15 PM presents as less hot than the 14 P does in my daily workflow. This was a surprise because I expected the 15 to behave similarly to the 14.
10) I like the look and feel of the Natural Titanium alloy exoskeleton and expect it to perform well over time like the Apple Watch Ultra Ti alloy has.
11) Facial ID seems faster and more consistent by a small bit.

There are no doubt other improvements that I simply have not noticed yet. The only negative that I have found is that the synch between the AW Ultra and the 15 PM is misbehaving a bit. Sometimes the AWU does not present an alarm going off that was set on the phone. This never happened on the 14 P, and may be an iOS 17 artifact (the 14 P never had iOS 17 installed).

I suppose you must be right, especially the parts in BOLD.

 

[BadBuoy]

I'm wowed every year, but I'm easily entertained.

 

[reeneebob]

the X was so good

anyone else remember when people used to complain about faceID?

I still miss my X. It dethroned my 4S as my all time favourite iPhone.

 

[Ryan1524]

I think the OG iPhone shouldn't be counted. my 3 is actually 4, X, and 15. OG will always have its own special place.

Haven't enjoyed an iPhone this much in a long time. Yes, it's become iterative, but in terms of comfort, performance, and how much engineering has gone into this tiny block of glass and metal - it hits the spot for me.

4 was when the iPhone finally felt mature
X was when we got a leap forward in usage and form factor
15 is finally another step forward after maturing the prior format and materials

 

[Fernandez21]

I think the OG iPhone shouldn't be counted. my 3 is actually 4, X, and 15. OG will always have its own special place.

Haven't enjoyed an iPhone this much in a long time. Yes, it's become iterative, but in terms of comfort, performance, and how much engineering has gone into this tiny block of glass and metal - it hits the spot for me.

4 was when the iPhone finally felt mature
X was when we got a leap forward in usage and form factor
15 is finally another step forward after maturing the prior format and materials

The more I use my 15 pro, the more on board I am with this. It just FEELS so much smaller and comfortable in the hand, i don’t know how they gave that illusion, side by side with my 13 pro it is minor, but feels so much better.

 

[terraphantm]

Original was obviously the most impactful, but 4 and X were the major game changers IMO.

15 is pretty much what you would expect from an accumulation of incremental updates since the X

 

[1madman1]

iPhone 4 maybe? Screen resolution was nice and I thought the glass back was cool. I've never really been "wow"'d by any of them though.

Coming to an iPhone 5 from a late Symbian based Nokia felt like a downgrade in all the ways that really mattered except for speed. There are plenty of features from Symbian OS that I still miss.

 

[whelmedjedi]

Last? Last wow iphone was iphone 4s bro. It died.

 

[Markgnyc2]

After thinking about it, I have to add another to my list. The iPhone 6 plus was also a "wow" iPhone if only for its large screen. It changed iPhone forever. Yes, performance wise it was a horrible phone, slow, bendable, etc. But I will never forget the anticipation of getting the first big screen iPhone.

 

[MICHAELSD]

The last “wow, this is new, unique, and innovative“ iPhone generation for most consumers was iPhone X.

iPhone design has been legitimately iterative since iPhone 12.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Btw - I’m glad that the OP mentioned iPhone 12/13 mini, since that was easily my next “wow” moment in terms of design since iPhone X.

There is evidently still a lot of potential in the smaller form factor.

 

[Risco]

It can only be the 4. This was the day when Apple did not leak like they do now, Gizmodo changed it all.

The Retina display was unlike anything out there. It also looked so premium with its all glass front and back. The games played and looked way better than anything else at the time. Internet browsing actually became useful.

Of course there was the “you’re holding it wrong” quote from Steve as if you held it too tight it lowered reception. They of course gave everyone a free bumper case lol.

Oh and the queues to get one, I miss those days!