iPhone 16 Pro Why the iPhone is still state-of-the-art. And better.

[TracerAnalog]

Not that I am totally benchmark Kool-Aid centric... used iPhones for years and still poke at 14 and 15 Pro's when family members need guidance (from someone who avoids them as much as possible but still knows a thing or two) lol

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 still driv'n the bus in last month's benchmark for one.

Then ya have better display quality, easier to navigate and far better config options and customization capabilities; and (for those who use Samsung Knox Secure Folder) excellent containerized security that is completely isolated from apps and data stored in the default storage location.

View attachment 2434735

Sure... keep drinking that brand of koolaid🤪

 

[Devyn89]

I agree with your points and appreciate you both acknowledging Apple has really big flaws but is still better in terms of support. I admit I get bored by Apple’s decisions for design and features sometimes, especially given the absurd amount of hyperbole they employ in their giant infomercials. That said I appreciate that if I break my screen I go to the Apple Store and most of the time they can fix it same day. I like how easy Apple Care is to access service even if you’re not near an Apple Store.

 

[v0lume4]

Apple is the only manufacturer that offers more than 3.5x optical zoom in the "small smartphones". Often, manufacturers only have 3x or even 2x

The smaller Pixel 9 Pro offers 5x optical, same as the iPhone 16 Pro.

 

[goodthymes]

With all the Macrumors posts for Primeday I was link hopping around and ended up at the Pixel 8a page on sale for $379, so so tempted since it still has a physical SIM slot - 😅😂

 

[macfacts]

I'm annoyed by the high prices, I'm annoyed by how Apple no longer thinks many functions through or deliberately leaves them unfinished. But in comparison, Apple continues to be very good. No other company comes close to its quality. Especially not when it comes to support.

You're annoyed but will suck it up cause you have Stockholm syndrome or a masochist. First step in getting support from apple is class action lawsuit.

 

[DENZIE]

Qi 2 is based on MagSafe, released in 2020. As much as I commend apple on inventing this standard, and I love using it on my 12 mini - it’s hard to discredit others manufacturers from being on the bandwagon since 2020. How would they know it was to become defacto way back then?

 

[cogzero]

The FDA has issued a warning recommending never to consume kool-aid in its powder form.

 

[timborama]

TLDR. iPhones use to be the better choice, but that no longer the case. Many others are as good, and even better in some cases. Apple’s slow and steady pace use to work, but not anymore. Iterative releases, stagnate design, is leaving them behind.

 

[Fred Zed]

I want to take up the cudgels for the iPhone and what it can do.

Most people won't know me, but very briefly:
I'm annoyed by the high prices, I'm annoyed by how Apple no longer thinks many functions through or deliberately leaves them unfinished. But in comparison, Apple continues to be very good. No other company comes close to its quality. Especially not when it comes to support.
If you take Apple's own claim as a benchmark, the company fails every year.
But if you see this claim as marketing and advertising, compare Apple with other companies, then the company is still at the top.
I would like to show this using the current iPhone 16 Pro. With a few examples.


Wired charging connection.
I would like to see Thunderbolt on the iPhone. Or completely wireless.
Apple offers USB3 10 Gbit/s.
But is that little? What does the competition offer?

• Samsung Fold 6 or Galaxy 24 Ultra, brand new: USB 3.2 Gen. 1
• Honor Magic V3, brand new: USB 3.1 Gen 1
• Huawei Pure 70 Ultra: USB 3.1 Gen 1

All offer only 5 Gbit/s. That means Apple offers the fastest connection.
And did you know that Apple takes full advantage of the standard, including offering DisplayPort mode to stream the iPhone to a monitor?
The company had to be forced by the EU to use USB. But they got the best out of it. They are several steps ahead of the competition.


Wireless charging connection.
The iPhone 12 mini offers not only MagSafe but also Qi2.

Why can't the Fold 6 or Huawei do that? Instead of the open standard that Apple supports, Huawei relies on its own proprietary solution. The same goes for Honor.
Incidentally, I had to laboriously gather this information from various tests. Because, unlike Apple, the other manufacturers are very stingy with data and... can you call it deception when the words promise almost more than the device delivers?
You decide.

By the way, Samsung has said that the Galaxy 24 does not support Qi2 because the standard was not finalized until after the smartphone was developed. In other words, Samsung doesn't care about the product even during the development of the devices.


Zoom
This brings us to zoom and the fraud of other manufacturers.
In 2016, Huawei had a phone with 10x optical zoom. Where is it now?
I'll tell you: it's cheaper for manufacturers to advertise with absurd digital zoom instead of investing in the camera.

Apple is the only manufacturer that offers more than 3.5x optical zoom in the "small smartphones". Often, manufacturers only have 3x or even 2x. They solve the rest with AI.
Look at the page for the Honor Magic V3. 3x optical zoom is still reasonably ok, 10x and 20x result in images that any of you can upscale for free on your own computer.
And do you remember that Samsung is cheating you directly? By incorporating things into the pictures that the camera can't even see? For example, a moon when actually only a gray disc can be seen?
Do you know this from Apple? I don't.


Service and support
Have you ever tried to get repair services from Huawei or Samsung?
I live in Europe. That means we have consumer protection laws here that Americans don't even dare to dream of.
And yet these companies still fail to provide good service. They do the bare minimum. They send devices abroad for repair, have no plan, and deny any responsibility for damage.

How does Apple do it?
You can see immediately on their website what a display replacement costs. When you make an appointment at the store, employees take their time. You have time to read the terms and conditions. No pressure. Extensive photos are taken and every single step is recorded and discussed. Apple is also accommodating (if you are polite and friendly yourself).


Four examples, and I bet you can find even more if you compare the devices a little more closely.

As I said, with Apple's own standards, it's easy to criticize the company.
If you think you're the greatest, you need a slap in the face every now and then to see how small you really are.
But compared to the competition, Apple is huge. In quality and features.
Yes, the company likes to copy and is ingenious in marketing.
But that doesn't make the objectively better performing functions worse.

On the one hand, it's good that even at MacRumors the critics are now in the majority. The Apple fans, who think everything is great, can no longer gloss over every mistake the company makes.
On the other hand, we should occasionally go into more detail about the devices. Not rely on marketing blurb, but actually compare. And then we realize that Apple is technically much better than we want to believe from advertising (I also include most “test reports” in this).

Thanks for reading.

Good post. However bear in mind that Americans aren’t allowed Huawei or Honor devices here. They are bad Chinese “actors “ like TikTok. It’s because fox and cnn and bbc say so 🤣

 

[Pudlo]

it really depends on the rest of your ecosystem. I'm currently a user of a Samsung phone and a macbook pro. I use my mbp as my main device and I really like Safari, Notes and Reminders. Syncing all of that with an android phone is impossible, syncing even music is troublesome. I'm switching now to iphone (16P or 16PM) bc for me the easy sync of all basic stuff is a great thing and biggest upgrade is Apple mirroring (like I remember samsung had similar thing 5 yers ago but it never worked). Like I really don't need much from my phone, just to have a very easy sync of everything and the abliity to just left my macbook and continue reading same pages and adding reminders etc. And even more I think I will switch my GArmin for an AWU jsut to have a backup device and my setupi will be complete

ps. But I fully understand that Samsung phone an be much better as a standole device. Like a month ago while checking new iphone and reading about magsafe charging, just out of curiosity i put my galaxy buds on s20+ phone (4 years old phone) just to notice they started charging. Like wtf...i was really surprised.

 

[whattodo11]

The smaller Pixel 9 Pro offers 5x optical, same as the iPhone 16 Pro.

And the pixel pro keyboard is miles better than the iPhone.

 

[frost_horizon]

This is very shallow and incomplete analytics, if to say softer.

 

[v0lume4]

And the pixel pro keyboard is miles better than the iPhone.

As an iPhone AND Android user myself (I'm typing this on a P9P!), I see a lot of people praise Pixel's keyboard. However, I don't have much of a preference between the two. They're both pleasant to me, basically interchangeable, though the long-press for the number row on Pixel is wonderful. So I want to ask you -- what do you like more about Pixel's keyboard? What don't I know?

 

[Bungaree.Chubbins]

What I seem to be noticing is that the iPhone no longer excites a lot of people because it doesn't have enough flashy, shallow change any more. The overall design, and themes are fairly stable. It doesn't matter how much has changed beneath the surface, they have the cameras arrayed in sameish layouts and locations, the screens are basically the same aspect, with the same notch or island, etc. Visually, from the 12 onwards, nothing has changed all that much.

It doesn't matter how much has changed beneath the surface. The iPhone 17 could be the best smartphone in the history of smartphones, and the internet will be full of the same 'ugh, the iPhone hasn't changed since the 12, there's no difference, tim apple just copy paste' threads.

 

[ddhhddhh2]

Just get me the new SE, I don't want to deal with anything else.

 

[ddhhddhh2]

We can spend ages trying to convince ourselves otherwise but the iPhone hasn't been particularly cutting edge or exciting for a while. There is nothing wrong with this; Apple continue to make quality, reliable phones that last for years. Phones have become normalised, to the point that I would list them alongside vacuum cleaners and washing machines as useful, unexciting everyday items. Dyson make great vacuums and Miele have the best motors. But this doesn't make the act of buying one particularly thrilling.

Yeah, this totally aligns with how our brains work. According to cognitive psychology, the brain gets bored with things it already knows. It’s like how you wouldn’t want to rewatch a movie or replay a game you’ve already beaten in a short amount of time. Phones are the same—once they stop feeling fresh, we just don't find them all that exciting anymore, unless there’s something new and worth exploring.

 

[eyoungren]

it really depends on the rest of your ecosystem. I'm currently a user of a Samsung phone and a macbook pro. I use my mbp as my main device and I really like Safari, Notes and Reminders. Syncing all of that with an android phone is impossible, syncing even music is troublesome. I'm switching now to iphone (16P or 16PM) bc for me the easy sync of all basic stuff is a great thing and biggest upgrade is Apple mirroring (like I remember samsung had similar thing 5 yers ago but it never worked). Like I really don't need much from my phone, just to have a very easy sync of everything and the abliity to just left my macbook and continue reading same pages and adding reminders etc. And even more I think I will switch my GArmin for an AWU jsut to have a backup device and my setupi will be complete

ps. But I fully understand that Samsung phone an be much better as a standole device. Like a month ago while checking new iphone and reading about magsafe charging, just out of curiosity i put my galaxy buds on s20+ phone (4 years old phone) just to notice they started charging. Like wtf...i was really surprised.

I would just note here in reference to your statement of 'depends on the rest of your ecosystem'.

That's a true statement and therefore a primary reason why I use cross platform services that are device/ecosystem independent. For my contacts, calendars, notes and reminders I use Google. You can use any other service if you like that allows you to add that (such as Yahoo).

For pictures, I use Dropbox. Dropbox autouploads any photos I take and those all appear on every device I have running Dropbox. Since, I'm using Google's services I can access them on web or any device that can use Google's services - such an iPhone or an Android device.

My email is IMAP, therefore stored on the email servers of the provider. Can be accessed on any device that can use IMAP. Text and iMessages are the one weak link though. However, for my own self, nothing important is sent via message. Any photos I can't afford to lose are downloaded (and then Dropbox kicks in). Voicemail, I just literally do not care about. But that may be critical to others.

Just because you use an iPhone doesn't mean you are stuck with iCloud, and just because you use an Android doesn't mean you are stuck with Google. I've found it better and easier over the years to not stick my eggs all in one basket.

 

[eyoungren]

What I seem to be noticing is that the iPhone no longer excites a lot of people because it doesn't have enough flashy, shallow change any more. The overall design, and themes are fairly stable. It doesn't matter how much has changed beneath the surface, they have the cameras arrayed in sameish layouts and locations, the screens are basically the same aspect, with the same notch or island, etc. Visually, from the 12 onwards, nothing has changed all that much.

It doesn't matter how much has changed beneath the surface. The iPhone 17 could be the best smartphone in the history of smartphones, and the internet will be full of the same 'ugh, the iPhone hasn't changed since the 12, there's no difference, tim apple just copy paste' threads.

That is because the iPhone 'used to' be seen as a status symbol. If you owned an iPhone, you were 'cool' or 'hip'. Now, because all that flashy stuff or stuff that made the iPhone 'cool' is not there and Android devices have improved and sometimes offer stuff Apple does not, the status symbol is gone.

And people really seem to hate not being 'better' than everybody else.

 

[Pudlo]

I would just note here in reference to your statement of 'depends on the rest of your ecosystem'.

That's a true statement and therefore a primary reason why I use cross platform services that are device/ecosystem independent. For my contacts, calendars, notes and reminders I use Google. You can use any other service if you like that allows you to add that (such as Yahoo).

For pictures, I use Dropbox. Dropbox autouploads any photos I take and those all appear on every device I have running Dropbox. Since, I'm using Google's services I can access them on web or any device that can use Google's services - such an iPhone or an Android device.

My email is IMAP, therefore stored on the email servers of the provider. Can be accessed on any device that can use IMAP. Text and iMessages are the one weak link though. However, for my own self, nothing important is sent via message. Any photos I can't afford to lose are downloaded (and then Dropbox kicks in). Voicemail, I just literally do not care about. But that may be critical to others.

Just because you use an iPhone doesn't mean you are stuck with iCloud, and just because you use an Android doesn't mean you are stuck with Google. I've found it better and easier over the years to not stick my eggs all in one basket.

Yeah I agree. Just from my experience I really like using macbooks. Mostly bc I use two for me amazing apps swish and multitouch, which let me create all different touchpad shortcuts for most swipes (like closing, changing tabs etc.) and for now I would never change my macbook for anything else like i can do 90% basic stuff without touching my keaybord at all. So I try to build around it. Ofc I use dropbox, I use isyncr for music but in reality it all works ALMOST perfectly. And that almost part is what is making me change my phone. For some reason something always stops working when I hurry and can't tinker too much. Ofc I use google bc there is no other way with android phone but I really like the changes in macos like screen mirroring and I think Apple is going in a good direction at least for me. If ios is in any way as polished as macos I think I will be gucci. Like one example: I have a accesibilty shortcut for reading text, so I just open a website, hit a shortcut and siri is reading a whole news for example out loud. And there are plenty of such very simple but very useful things in macos.

PS. "Just because you use an iPhone doesn't mean you are stuck with iCloud" you know I use my gmail to login into my iCloud account

 

[cutlub]

Apple has lived long enough as the hero of smartphones to become the villain.

At least to hyperbolic MR nerds like us. Maybe it’s tech enthusiasts’ brand fatigue, but most consumers still like iPhones.

I finally held a 16 plus today and it felt fantastic. I would get one if I had to part with my 15Pro. Camera control feels like it’s a software update or two away from being great. I don’t know why everyone’s acting like Apple slapped their mother in the face with a camera button?

 

[HiVolt]

I'm on my 10th iPhone. Can't imagine using anything else.

Every time I grab someone's Android i want to pull my hair out.

Apple has me by the balls for the phone... But I still prefer PC's for computers and laptops lol.

 

[Moukee]

Wired charging connection.
I would like to see Thunderbolt on the iPhone. Or completely wireless.
Apple offers USB3 10 Gbit/s.
But is that little? What does the competition offer?

• Samsung Fold 6 or Galaxy 24 Ultra, brand new: USB 3.2 Gen. 1
• Honor Magic V3, brand new: USB 3.1 Gen 1
• Huawei Pure 70 Ultra: USB 3.1 Gen 1

All offer only 5 Gbit/s. That means Apple offers the fastest connection.
And did you know that Apple takes full advantage of the standard, including offering DisplayPort mode to stream the iPhone to a monitor?
The company had to be forced by the EU to use USB. But they got the best out of it. They are several steps ahead of the competition.

Having 10 Gbit/s instead of 5 Gbit/s is "several steps ahead of the competition"? Doesn't the Galaxy S24 Ultra have DisplayPort Alt Mode as well? Or how does it do Samsung DEX? Which, by the way, is a way better result than what you get with an iPhone plugged into an external monitor (mirroring). And they had that for many years now.

The Pixel 9 models all have USB-C 3.2, the speed isn't specified. But the base phone gets at least 5 Gbit/s as well, while the base iPhone 16 is stuck at 480 Mbit/s (USB 2.0).

Meh.

Wireless charging connection.
The iPhone 12 mini offers not only MagSafe but also Qi2.

Why can't the Fold 6 or Huawei do that? Instead of the open standard that Apple supports, Huawei relies on its own proprietary solution. The same goes for Honor.
Incidentally, I had to laboriously gather this information from various tests. Because, unlike Apple, the other manufacturers are very stingy with data and... can you call it deception when the words promise almost more than the device delivers?
You decide.

By the way, Samsung has said that the Galaxy 24 does not support Qi2 because the standard was not finalized until after the smartphone was developed. In other words, Samsung doesn't care about the product even during the development of the devices.

Most of these devices support Qi (1), which is an open standard as well, albeit slightly older than Qi2. I'd love to see Qi2 in more non-Apple handsets mainly because of the magnetic ring that's part of the standard.

In terms of wired charging most devices support USB-PD, right? That's a standard as well. Some of these devices that can charge with >60 watts use their own proprietary solution instead, and that's kind of bs, but they'll still charge with a regular USB-PD charger, just slower.

Zoom
This brings us to zoom and the fraud of other manufacturers.
In 2016, Huawei had a phone with 10x optical zoom. Where is it now?
I'll tell you: it's cheaper for manufacturers to advertise with absurd digital zoom instead of investing in the camera.

Apple is the only manufacturer that offers more than 3.5x optical zoom in the "small smartphones". Often, manufacturers only have 3x or even 2x. They solve the rest with AI.
Look at the page for the Honor Magic V3. 3x optical zoom is still reasonably ok, 10x and 20x result in images that any of you can upscale for free on your own computer.
And do you remember that Samsung is cheating you directly? By incorporating things into the pictures that the camera can't even see? For example, a moon when actually only a gray disc can be seen?
Do you know this from Apple? I don't.

And yet, Apple still uses a 12 MP sensor on their 5x telephoto lens. Good that the 5x lens made it to the smaller Pro device, but (having tried it) its photos are so inferior to the main lens that I avoid using it whenever possible. The Pixel 9 Pro has a full array of 48 MP (50 MP main) sensors, and their 5x telephoto lens is on their smaller Pro model as well (which is more or less the same size and exactly the same weight as the smaller iPhone Pro model).

Service and support
Have you ever tried to get repair services from Huawei or Samsung?
I live in Europe. That means we have consumer protection laws here that Americans don't even dare to dream of.
And yet these companies still fail to provide good service. They do the bare minimum. They send devices abroad for repair, have no plan, and deny any responsibility for damage.

How does Apple do it?
You can see immediately on their website what a display replacement costs. When you make an appointment at the store, employees take their time. You have time to read the terms and conditions. No pressure. Extensive photos are taken and every single step is recorded and discussed. Apple is also accommodating (if you are polite and friendly yourself).

I had good experiences with Apple Support when it comes to iPhone, but so far I only did battery swaps. They send an UPS driver to you to whom you just hand the "naked" device, next day it's at Apple and they usually ship it back out with a fresh battery the same day. So after two days I always got my phone back so far. Great service, if expensive.

With my 3,500€ M1 Max MacBook Pro that had a smelly battery, it took Apple >8 weeks overall to get my device repaired. They (well, the second guy, after the first one was like "oh yeah I'll help you no worries, no worries" x10, but then never got back to me, even after he asked for like 10 photos of the device and charger) referred me to an Apple Authorized Service Provider who picked up the device, only to swap out basically every part but the battery, where I then called them after reading their repair report PDF, telling them that the battery is defective and likely a safety hazard, and they were like "oh we didn't know what was wrong" even though I clearly described it and Apple was also supposed to relay that information. Such a mess, with an Apple Care Protection Plan as well mind you. Sure you can say it wasn't Apple's fault, but I couldn't disagree more. They chose the partner, made me jump through hoops with all the photos and stuff, and I still received very poor service for which I even specifically paid a premium for in the form of an Apple Care plan.

So for me, iPhone support so far has been great, but I know that Apple Support can fail very hard as well, judging by the experience with my MacBook.

---

So overall...kinda meh points in my opinion. For me personally, I still like the iPhone the most (I got a 16 Pro now, so just upgraded), but other devices have clear and undeniable advantages as well.

 

[wanha]

TL, sort of skimmed it.

I say not state of the art and meh-boringggg.

Still use multiple Mac's; ditched iPhones after 8 Plus.

I've enjoyed being able to purchase mobile phones on sale (or with upgrades and extras during initial release), USB-C for 4+ years, better performance, great battery runtime, higher display quality and refresh rate, fast charging, ...

I still purchase unlocked refurb iPhones from Apple for my wife and friends sometimes.

People's fascination with USB-C will forever astound me

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I am an iPhone user myself and quite a few of my friends who were long time iPhone users have moved over to Android over the last couple of years and prefer it. Its a subjective thing really as modern smartphones are all capable and largely do the same thing, albeit in different ways and with different interfaces. The iPhone experience has been very familiar for a number of years now and i am doing the same tasks on my 16 Pro Max that i was doing on my 13 Pro Max, 12 and 8 Plus to be honest. I can't really pinpoint what is cutting-edge about it, but it is a product I use daily and it does what I need.

Nobody outside of tech forums really sits around arguing which smartphone is better anymore. We just use our devices, communicate with each other and have the same capabilities and access to apps as the next person. It doesn't really interfere or cause any issues.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

The FDA has issued a warning recommending never to consume kool-aid in its powder form.

A lot of people outside of the United States won't get the reference to Kool Aid as it is more of an American thing. I had to Google what it was when I first started seeing it used in discussions online some years ago and I find the meaning is often completely lost on international forums like this one.