Other (Un)popular opinion: iPhone 14 Pros felt much more premium than 15 Pros

[Mity]

Stainless Steel dissipates heat better than titanium. Maybe that's why there are several threads about heat issues on the 15 pros?

Someone on Twitter mentioned that it's likely due to a lack of vapor chamber cooling. I thought 3nm was supposed to be more efficient...

I think the moral of the story is to never be an early adopter. In the past, I've never bought an iPhone within the first month of it coming out. I've always waited until January to see what bugs exist and how Apple deals with them. And I always bought the "S" models, which were minor spec bumps.

I think that's a good policy in general, not just for iPhones. There are always production issues when things first come out. It takes a while to sort those out.

 

[Asiatic Black Hebrew]

Genuine question. I’ve been on iPhones since the very first one and now have the 15 PM. Do Samsung users have this same debate about materials used? Their flagship is made of aluminium so wondered if anyone knew how the Samsung users felt about that and if they feel the s23 ultra felt cheap being made of aluminium?

As someone who has used both iOS & Android for years, the majority of the overanalyzing or "mountain out of molehills" mentality I've seen on this site, I've never encountered in the Android community. That is more than likely because Android users typically don't view their phones as jewelry or status symbols & seem a lot less concerned with cosmetics than Apple consumers.

Personally, I haven't heard anyone return an S23 Ultra for "feeling cheap." That is something I've only ever heard in this community.

 

[Torty]

As someone who has used both iOS & Android for years, the majority of the overanalyzing or "mountain out of molehills" mentality I've seen on this site, I've never encountered in the Android community. That is more than likely because Android users typically don't view their phones as jewelry or status symbols & seem a lot less concerned with cosmetics than Apple consumers.

Personally, I haven't heard anyone return an S23 Ultra for "feeling cheap." That is something I've only ever heard in this community.

I think it’s also about the price. If I pay a premium price, much higher than the competition, then I expect also a premium quality.

 

[Asiatic Black Hebrew]

I think it’s also about the price. If I pay a premium price, much higher than the competition, then I expect also a premium quality.

S23 Ultra starts at $1100 & goes up to $1500+ depending on memory, so that argument is already out the window.

 

[Torty]

S23 Ultra starts at $1100 & goes up to $1500+ depending on memory, so that argument is already out the window.

Ok just checked. You are right, my bad. Then you would need to check what the customers tell about the S23 ultra and fold. I bet they are more sensitiv too as when you buy a phone for a few hundred bucks.

 

[Mity]

This behavior is so weird I have to call BS. Post picture holding up. both those iPhones in your hand the 14 you love and the 15 you hate with just your head not showing if you want to stay private, otherwise, it didn't happen and this is just a BS looking for clicks.

LOL

 

[Asiatic Black Hebrew]

Ok just checked. You are right, my bad. Then you would need to check what the customers tell about the S23 ultra and fold. I bet they are more sensitiv too as when you buy a phone for a few hundred bucks.

I've seen multiple S23's & Folds returned for QA issues, like buttons not working out of the box, or hinge issues. Samsung definitely seems to have more of these problems with new phones than Apple. But, the point was that in my experience, Android users generally seem more concerned about the phone simply working as intended.

While the phones are still largely viewed as premium devices, there's a lot less focus on materials used or how the finish feels. However, these complaints seem to be commonplace in the Apple community.

 

[Mity]

This may explain why Jerry Rig Everything snapped the back glass so easily:

 

[Elektrofone]

I hated stainless steel since day one. It was too heavy. I wished they had gone back to aluminum to be honest. I like the titanium a lot.

 

[megy89]

I have to agree with OP on this one. Just came back from the Apple Store and even my 13 Pro feels more premium. My 13 pro just feels more solid and the titanium on the 15 pro looks like spray painted metal.

The lightness Apple are selling on the 15 pro should not be a major selling point. It’s a 16 gram weight difference! I probably loose more weight than that after a hair cut. So what. The average consumer doesn’t give a F about what metal they use. Apple are clearly struggling to innovate.

Apple should be focusing on bringing new features that add real value rather than creating exaggerated hype on minor material changes.

 

[RRC]

I have to agree with OP on this one. Just came back from the Apple Store and even my 13 Pro feels more premium. My 13 pro just feels more solid and the titanium on the 15 pro looks like spray painted metal.

The lightness Apple are selling on the 15 pro should not be a major selling point. It’s a 16 gram weight difference! I probably loose more weight than that after a hair cut. So what. The average consumer doesn’t give a F about what metal they use. Apple are clearly struggling to innovate.

Apple should be focusing on bringing new features that add real value rather than creating exaggerated hype on minor material changes.

The average consumer does however care about weight, and the Pro models were too heavy. 20grams may not seem much, but it is if something is being used a lot, plus the blunt edges were uncomfortable as well. It now basically weighs the same as the 11 Pro, which was the last time a Pro phone was actually comfortable and felt nice in hand.

You say Apple should be focusing on bringing new features, they do that with software. What hardware are you expecting them to magically create?!

 

[thadoggfather]

The average consumer does however care about weight, and the Pro models were too heavy. 20grams may not seem much, but it is if something is being used a lot, plus the blunt edges were uncomfortable as well. It now basically weighs the same as the 11 Pro, which was the last time a Pro phone was actually comfortable and felt nice in hand.

You say Apple should be focusing on bringing new features, they do that with software. What hardware are you expecting them to magically create?!

iPhones have physically looked very similar / to some identical for four generations now.

..We want a completely new design, at least I think?

the rounded edges are nice to not dig into the phone if you use it without a case, rounded edge of the glass nice aesthetic throwback to iPhone 11 and previous era, but what's next?

The tri-camera set up has also been going on for 5 generations now, and in a case can't tell a huge difference between that either.

Camera improvements, which were often a trademark feature of iPhones, are nominal and a lot of people would argue that Apple is in 'catch up mode' with competitive Android sets.

Battery improvements, from what I've read, are the same or possibly even worse with 15 Pro and Pro Max compared to its predecessors and not everyone was elated with battery life on previous iPhones, particularly 14 Pro and iOS 16 in general.

 

[Infinitewisdom]

The average consumer does however care about weight, and the Pro models were too heavy. 20grams may not seem much, but it is if something is being used a lot, plus the blunt edges were uncomfortable as well. It now basically weighs the same as the 11 Pro, which was the last time a Pro phone was actually comfortable and felt nice in hand.

You say Apple should be focusing on bringing new features, they do that with software. What hardware are you expecting them to magically create?!

I completely agree. I was just saying on another thread that my 15PM with a Caudabe Sheath on it feels LIGHTER than a 14 PRO (not 14PM) with the same case. It's insane to me. This phone to me does not feel less premium than the 14s.

 

[TroyBoy30]

im olovng the weight reduction. doesnt feel cheap at all to me, just not as heavy

 

[rkuo]

I completely agree. I was just saying on another thread that my 15PM with a Caudabe Sheath on it feels LIGHTER than a 14 PRO (not 14PM) with the same case. It's insane to me. This phone to me does not feel less premium than the 14s.

Yes, I’ve been twirling around my previous 13 pro to compare it to the 15 pro max, and it’s very hard to tell the difference in weight despite the 13 pro being about 8 pct lighter. The distribution of weight makes a bigger difference than is intuitive by specs alone.

 

[C. Robert]

The 15 pro's feel like a solid piece of metal and the way the camera bump swoops is nice.

 

[Mity]

The average consumer does however care about weight, and the Pro models were too heavy. 20grams may not seem much, but it is if something is being used a lot, plus the blunt edges were uncomfortable as well. It now basically weighs the same as the 11 Pro, which was the last time a Pro phone was actually comfortable and felt nice in hand.

You say Apple should be focusing on bringing new features, they do that with software. What hardware are you expecting them to magically create?!

The average consumer also cares about looks. That's why Pro Models were previously made in SS - clearly for product differentiation. I mean, if consumers just care about internal specs, then why not make the Pro models out of Al?

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

The average consumer also cares about looks. That's why Pro Models were previously made in SS - clearly for product differentiation. I mean, if consumers just care about internal specs, then why not make the Pro models out of Al?

Does the average consumer care if the iPhone has stainless steel or even titanium sides? I don’t think so, otherwise the vast majority of people wouldn’t be hiding their Pro iPhones in cases.

I’d happily have an aluminium Pro as aluminium, especially 7000 series happens to be a very good and premium material.

 

[Mity]

Does the average consumer care if the iPhone has stainless steel or even titanium sides? I don’t think so, otherwise the vast majority of people wouldn’t be hiding their Pro iPhones in cases.

We've seen how horrible the coating is on the Ti models and there is a very clear difference in perception of quality as a result compared to SS. To make my point more clear, why not make the phone out of polycarbonate? You're just going to put it in a case anyway, right?

I’d happily have an aluminium Pro as aluminium, especially 7000 series happens to be a very good and premium material.

Apparently, Apple doesn't agree with you because they decide to first use SS and now Ti.

 

[megy89]

The average consumer does however care about weight, and the Pro models were too heavy. 20grams may not seem much, but it is if something is being used a lot, plus the blunt edges were uncomfortable as well. It now basically weighs the same as the 11 Pro, which was the last time a Pro phone was actually comfortable and felt nice in hand.

You say Apple should be focusing on bringing new features, they do that with software. What hardware are you expecting them to magically create?!

I disagree. Yes 20g lighter is good to have but it’s hardly a groundbreaking achievement. And to a lot of people it’s indistinguishable and in the grand scheme of things I don’t think the phone was too heavy where people were complaining “urgh this is so heavy I can no longer carry it!”.

All I am saying is that Apple have spent a whole year developing the iPhone 15 and the headline is that it’s 20g lighter. I can’t believe we are actually discussing this as it’s a major selling point. Honestly no one cares. The phone is hardly different to the iPhone 14 Pro!

I’d rather they focus of more useful developments, either hardware or software. I don’t have any suggestions, but that’s Apples job. They should be innovating but they aren’t.

 

[RRC]

I don’t have any suggestions, but that’s Apples job. They should be innovating but they aren’t.

You can’t say they aren’t innovating and then say you’ve got no suggestions as to what you want to see from them?!

Satellite S.O.S is pretty innovative, as is crash detection, fall detection, genuinely saving people’s lives thanks to an Apple Watch, airdrop over the internet, a 1/1.28” 48mp sensor that actually uses the full sensor size, log video in a smartphone, action button that can be customised to anything you want… they’ve added loads of features over the last couple of years that are innovative for most, hence they keep selling millions of iPhones.

 

[Mity]

You can’t say they aren’t innovating and then say you’ve got no suggestions as to what you want to see from them?!

Satellite S.O.S is pretty innovative, as is crash detection, fall detection, genuinely saving people’s lives thanks to an Apple Watch, airdrop over the internet, a 1/1.28” 48mp sensor that actually uses the full sensor size, log video in a smartphone, action button that can be customised to anything you want… they’ve added loads of features over the last couple of years that are innovative for most, hence they keep selling millions of iPhones.

Most of those features were already on the 14 Pro models. For the time being, it seems that progress has plateaued. No one except maybe people that play video games on their phones (I don't know why this is a thing but whatever), will notice any difference between the 14 Pro and 15 Pro. USB-C is the only improvement for me.

Edit: Apparently USB-C is really the only thing worth upgrading for according to MKBHD also.

 

[RRC]

The average consumer also cares about looks. That's why Pro Models were previously made in SS - clearly for product differentiation. I mean, if consumers just care about internal specs, then why not make the Pro models out of Al?

I never said they didn’t care about looks anywhere? The titanium models are sold out, in some specs until nearly the end of this year…

Proof enough that Titanium is popular, and people like it. A few click bait articles and YouTube videos about how bad it is means nothing.

 

[RRC]

Most of those features were already on the 14 Pro models. For the time being, it seems that progress has plateaued. No one except maybe people that play video games on their phones (I don't know why this is a thing but whatever), will notice any difference between the 14 Pro and 15 Pro. USB-C is the only improvement for me.

For you… that’s your opinion, don’t go speaking for the millions who are going to buy the new devices. Everyone can find different reasons and different values for their new iPhones.

Yes most of those features were on the 14 Pro models, but people aren’t forced to upgrade every year?! So for people with an X, 11 or even a 12 series there’s plenty to upgrade for.

Tech as a whole has peaked with what’s currently available, that’s the industry as a whole not an Apple issue.

 

[Mity]

For you… that’s your opinion, don’t go speaking for the millions who are going to buy the new devices.

Did you even read my OP or the title of this thread?