iPhone 14 Pro Max The “I returned my iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max” Thread

[alee]

If any of that were true then the pill function wouldn’t exist. For a poll to be accurate it needs to be unbiased and that’s it. Regardless of how you feel about it, 11% of the people here that have answered the poll have already returned their phones. That is a data point and it’s standard is that the same poll has been asked previously with previous year models. So by having the same environment, same statistical crowd, the return numbers are higher. That is a very valid point and will be a valid point worldwide. To a degree it would appear people are less satisfied with this product than in years pass and that will be shown in the future. We can revisit this when the first articles of slowing iPhone sales start to show and they blame it on something like inflation or an economic slowdown even though companies are subsidizing these phones more than previous models and bringing their cost of ownership to the individual down.

Par for forum behavior, the unhappy people post more, and the rest are enjoying their phones and enjoying life. 13 people so far have posted they have returned their phone. This thread has had 3000+ views. 4% of all people that cared enough to look at this thread chose to vote. That says a lot more about how unreliable this survey is.

 

[sjobsian]

Every year I say the same thing. These forums don't even account for not even half of 1% of the total apple iPhone users of this world.

Science: you take a representative sample of the population and run your experiments. You only need a relatively small sample set. You can generalize from this once it's repeated by others to make it objective.

 

[sjobsian]

Par for forum behavior, the unhappy people post more, and the rest are enjoying their phones and enjoying life. 13 people so far have posted they have returned their phone. This thread has had 3000+ views. 4% of all people that cared enough to look at this thread chose to vote. That says a lot more about how unreliable this survey is.

You actually make an assumption that is not supported by facts. The assumption you make is: "the unhappy people post more". You can't just make a statement like that like it's some fact. You actually don't know if that's true.

 

[MultiMediaWill]

I really hate the design of modern iPhones. The squared off and chunky design. I really miss my iPhone X. That was very good design. Rounded edges, very comfortable.

I'm in the same boat. Last year I tried upgrading to the 13 Pro, but returned it and went back to my iPhone X since I really didn't like the weight nor feel of it in my hand. This year, I tried upgrading again to the 14 Pro but at this point I'm leaning towards returning to my iPhone X again... That phone is just the perfect size and form.

 

[Oridus]

Apple doesn’t have $2.2t and I don’t think you understand how market cap works.

Lol, your assertion of market cap knowledge directly implies that you know I wasn’t stating Apple has $2.2 Trillion in cash. But please, go off king.

 

[alee]

Science: you take a representative sample of the population and run your experiments. You only need a relatively small sample set. You can generalize from this once it's repeated by others to make it objective.

Internet forums are not representative samples. MacRumors forums also skew heavy on enthusiasts and also skews heavily on age (25-34) from online demographic data. The most you can possibly derive from a survey here is "of the population of enthusiasts that participate in online iPhone forums like MacRumors, of the 4% of individuals that chose to answer a survey, 0.4% are returning their phone".

 

[BigMcGuire]

Science: you take a representative sample of the population and run your experiments. You only need a relatively small sample set. You can generalize from this once it's repeated by others to make it objective.

You actually make an assumption that is not supported by facts. The assumption you make is: "the unhappy people post more". You can't just make a statement like that like it's some fact. You actually don't know if that's true.

All due respect... a random questionnaire on a forum is hardly "science" ...

Also it is fairly well known that unhappy people post more reviews.

 

[ericg301]

Tmobile in the US gives a massive credit. I can buy the phone outright and still get $800 in credits applied to my bill for the next 24 months. If I traded in a 13pro I’d get $1k in credit.

I never finance a phone. To me it’s either throw down the CC or admit I can’t afford it. A phone is a luxury item and to me to shouldn’t be something you have to save up for or finance. Debt is the largest leash the world can put on someone.

phones are not luxury items in this age anymore. now the 14 Pro/Max IS a luxury item...but that's why the SE exists at the bottom end.

 

[NotApplicable]

Science: you take a representative sample of the population and run your experiments. You only need a relatively small sample set. You can generalize from this once it's repeated by others to make it objective.

You can generalize whatever you want, but there are some real reasons that the results of THIS poll are likely not representative of the general phone-buying public, here are 3:

1. Sample is not randomly selected. People self-select to participate based on the title of the thread, which is literally `The “I returned my iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max” Thread`. The title is written to explicitly attract those that have already returned their phones.
2. MacRumors users, as a population, cannot be assumed to be similar to the general population.
3. I posit that people who are happy with their devices tend to be on the forums before receiving their device, only to return again if they ever have a question about their device, or when the hype starts for the following year's iPhones.

You can't just invoke the word Science as if it were an incantation that magically makes your experiment hold water.

 

[Vazza]

Internet forums are not representative samples. MacRumors forums also skew heavy on enthusiasts and also skews heavily on age (25-34) from online demographic data. The most you can possibly derive from a survey here is "of the population of enthusiasts that participate in online iPhone forums like MacRumors, of the 4% of individuals that chose to answer a survey, 0.4% are returning their phone".

It’d be interesting to see the age demographics on here…some people have been on here a long time.

 

[Oridus]

LOL. We will draw some conclusions from it. And the poll is valid. There is nothing invalid about the poll. We're not necessarily going to generalize from it but there's no sense in just attacking it.

The poll is definitely flawed, given the location it’s being conducted and the consumer type that is likely to take it.

I’ll contend that with the fact that I have access to data sheets of certain retail environments that sell iPhones… and can tell you that within the first 14 day return period last year for the 13 series, less than 1% of the buyers out of this subset of retail locations returned their products within the buyers remorse period. Since it has only been three full days since launch of the 14, there is not enough information to formulate a factual response this year, but given the information from the span of 2015-2022 that is still available to me, I’ll wager it’ll be less than 2% for sure, and a high probability it’ll be less than 1% like last year.

I’ll follow up and say that my retail data I have access to obviously has its own limitations and may differ from other retail markets, but it definitely contradicts the results of the poll being conducted here. All that to say, you need far more information than a poll run on a tech enthusiast website to draw any decent conclusions.

 

[madrigal77]

Men cannot fit these phones comfortably in their pants. Women can put them in purses, but I've heard more than a few complain about how uncomfortable they are even to hold! The square edges cut into your hands. It's noticeable, especially because of how heavy they are.

Steve Jobs has definitely left the building. There are evidently lots of bobblehead "yes" people at Apple just picking up paychecks and never saying no to stupid ideas that flow from managers. We've all seen this behavior before.

Odd how my 11PM, 12PM, and now 14PM fit just fine in my pants.

 

[Ludatyk]

I returned the 14 pro and went with the 14. I was looking to downsize and lighten up from the 12pm I've had for the last couple of years. The pro was just too clunky. I'm not a heavy camera user and DI would not get a lot of use in my case. I'm happy I tried it and loved the purple color, but the 14 is much better suited to my needs.

I'm curious... why not opt for the 13 model? Perhaps 13 Mini? I think the 14 is an upsell to push users toward the 14 Pro and if users not interested in the pro models should settle for the 13 series (imo).

 

[Vazza]

Odd how my 11PM, 12PM, and now 14PM fit just fine in my pants.

😝

 

[ibookemo]

I just now cancelled my order. I was at the Apple Store yesterday and tried the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. Currently using a 12. They are so heavy and the camera bumps are absurd. The design is just not great at this point. They’ve seriously lost the plot here.

Wish I could swallow Android but I hate Android. So here I sit, with a 12.

Nah, I love the Pro Max - it’s a super iPhone update. Great camera, screen and battery. Love it 🥰

 

[TonnyM]

I decided not to upgrade to Pro from Mini, they are too heavy for my taste. 14 Plus might be my way to go, as it’s 40 gr lighter than Max.

 

[weezin]

FWIW, I bought a 14 Pro and am coming from an 8. For me, the 14 Pro is just too big (and heavy). I can't one-hand it hardly at all and that's proving frustrating. The 8 was just a perfect size for me, which is why I'm strongly considering returning the 14 Pro and getting a 13 Mini. I'd consider the SE 2022 (as it's the exact same size as the 8), but I'd like to move on to the swipe UI and face ID (and magsafe).

It's too bad, because I'd like to have the cameras of the pro and find the dynamic island to be fun. But usability is more important to me at this point.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but with a case, I much prefer the rounded edges of the 8 over the square ones of the 12/13/14. Without a case is a different story.

 

[xxFoxtail]

I ordered a 14 Pro case, it finally came in today. It’s still a bit heavy for me with the case on, but it’s not as uncomfortable. Actually a bit usable for me now.

I’ll probably give it a few more days while I’m still in my return window to see if using it gets any better before deciding if I’d rather just go back to my 12 mini or not.

 

[ILoveCalvinCool]

Anyway, take a chill pill. Nobody is going to generalize from this poll alone.

Yes, they are. Right here in this thread we're already seeing the use of this "10%" number independent of context, as though it's a figure drawn from some real-world data as opposed to a worthless "poll" on a MacRumors thread.

 

[Vazza]

Yes, they are. Right here in this thread we're already seeing the use of this "10%" number independent of context, as though it's a figure drawn from some real-world data as opposed to a worthless "poll" on a MacRumors thread.

Make that 12.7% now 😏😅

 

[john g.]

Sent mine off today. Couldn't get on with the PWM from the OLED screen. In case some of you still don't know what that is, here is a long thread on the matter:

Eye-strain while using iPhone X and up

Hello all, I thought I'd post here about an issue I've been having and see if anyone else is experiencing the same thing. When I'm using the phone my eyes feel strained, like, they're trying to focus on the screen. Also, I've noticed that when I look away from my phone at something else, my...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[alee]

Make that 12.7% now 😏😅

Yep. Apple significantly increasing the production of 14 Pros so 12.7% can return them. lol.

 

[sjobsian]

Internet forums are not representative samples. MacRumors forums also skew heavy on enthusiasts and also skews heavily on age (25-34) from online demographic data. The most you can possibly derive from a survey here is "of the population of enthusiasts that participate in online iPhone forums like MacRumors, of the 4% of individuals that chose to answer a survey, 0.4% are returning their phone".

All polls can be criticized, which is why political polls have received a lot of criticism over the past several years. Nothing you have said invalidates the poll here. And the results may be even more valid since it may be the case that people here on Macrumors are bias toward Apple.

 

[posguy99]

You can't even compare the two. There is literally no camera bump on an iPhone 4, it's way smaller and is lighter, etc.

I can't compare a phone with squared edges to another with squared edges? Wasn't that the complaint, how horrible it was to have squared edges and Jobs would never have allowed it?

 

[sjobsian]

All due respect... a random questionnaire on a forum is hardly "science" ...

Also it is fairly well known that unhappy people post more reviews.

All due respect, I'm not saying we're doing science like I think you mean it. I was pointing out to the person that just because you have a small sample set doesn't make something invalid. In fact, this is exactly how polls and how scientific research is done.

Why is it that a person who posts a poll on Macrumors is having to deal with people coming on here attacking the validity of the poll? Why don't you attack every poll on Macrumors then? Whey do these polls even exist?

This is off topic/derailing this discussion. If you want to discuss the science and practice of polling, start another thread or do it elsewhere.