The IPhone once seemed like a miraculous device. It still is, but one gets used even to miracles.
So were any Dopers impressed by the new camera features, rising generic numbers and “Apple Intelligence” providing beta versions of technology that may or may not turn out to be pretty impressive?
As a tech person (and I am not a tech person), is there anything there that deeply impressed you or that would make you upgrade? Just curious.
We ran the numbers and decided your old iphone is just fine.
Since I already have the 15 Pro, no there is nothing about the new one that at all interests me.
I’m still running an iPhone 10 so I’ll be upgrading. I would have gotten the 15 but everyone said AI was coming. Being a bit underwhelmed by the 16, I may go with a 15 to save money. The only “gotta-have-it” upgrade Apple could add for me would be a Motorola flip version.
6/12/18 ?
I can wait
I was really hoping for an upgrade to the SE. My current iPhone XR is over 6 years old, and is really sluggish/frustrating.
I’ve started with the 3G (second model) and got one every two years for a while and then switched to every three years six years ago because the changes haven’t been that dramatic. That means that I’m due to upgrade my 13Pro to a 16Pro on Friday.
My battery is down to 84% of peak so the battery change will be dramatic. It’s a much better screen, a little larger and a better refresh rate. It has USB-C so one fewer cable type to have lying around. I don’t care about the camera and I don’t think that I’ll use the AI much. I don’t really need to change but it’s an indulgence that I will allow myself.
I miss the days of the new phone having all kinds of new cool things but there’s not much more to reasonably add anymore.
I switched back to Apple with the X, went to a 12, and then to the 15 Pro Max at the beginning of this year. I don’t see anything compelling with the 16. My switch to the 15 was based on a declining battery life, better camera, and the larger screen for my middle aged eyes.
The release pattern for the SE series is (so far) in March/April. Dunno if there is even one planned for next year, but early Spring would be the time to start looking.
I in the same boat. I use the camera all the time, so the improvements will be meaningful to me. Plus Verizon has a ridiculous upgrade offer, giving me almost $1k in bill credits for my old phone so it’s a no brainer.
Yep. I saw the Verizon deal and there’s really no reason not to make the switch. I’ll be tracking the UPS truck all day Monday.
Nope, just nope. After this one I’m through with apple products.
Note that you can get the battery replaced. Even at an Apple store, it would cost $79 to replace the battery in my iPhone 12 Pro (though battery replacement prices vary). I was on a three-year replacement schedule and had I stuck with that, I would have bought last year’s model, but didn’t. So my current phone is now four years old. I’m actually considering keeping it for another year.
(When I kept the three-year replacement schedule, I would give my mother the old, three-year-old phone so right now, she has my old iPhone 10.)
Edited to add, the whole AI thing doesn’t really appeal to me. I don’t even use Siri.
I’m aware but thanks. I considered that.
Verizon is giving me a “free” 16Pro if I give them back my 13Pro and stay with them for two years which I would do anyway because AT&T doesn’t work in my house.
Okay, but in case anyone else was considering buying a new phone partly because of battery issues, note that t’s relatively affordable to get it replaced, even at an Apple store.
When I looked into it I was surprised that it was about half the price at the Apple Store or Best Buy than it was at the fixit shops.
Tempting, but I’m also rocking a cracked case and this would finally let me get rid of the Lightning cable. I’d also enjoy going a different route as far as specs - I’ve learned I didn’t need a Pro Max version, so a regular phone with smaller display but as much storage as I can manage would be welcome too.
I just upgraded to a used iPhone 14 recently. Up until a couple weeks ago I was still using an iPhone 8. I don’t particularly care about having the latest and greatest; when I upgrade I always get something a level or two below the latest. And you can get a used one for around half the price of a new one.
Best comment I heard about the announcements was “I was whelmed.” If you already have an iPhone 15 anything, then there’s not much reason to upgrade unless you’re really pushing the limits of the camera. Even iPhone 14 is plenty fine. The new ultra-wide lens looks like a pretty good improvement (and it’s needed a lot of improvement), but it still has a ways to go. Not sure about the 5x telephoto, that one has always sucked too.
The thing about the AI features is that they’re rolling out slowly. So Apple Intelligence may not be fully deployed until the iPhone 17 is nearing release. Upgrading now to take advantage of AI is going to lead to a lot of waiting and idle hardware.
All that said, the incremental improvements over time do add up quite a bit. I went from an iPhone 6 to an 11 and that was a huge jump. Then I went to an iPhone 15 and it wasn’t as big a jump, but still a lot of improvements. I may not wait until the iPhone 19 to upgrade again, but the 16 probably ain’t it. I could trade in my 15 and get a 16 for free, but I’d also need to upgrade my plan to a more expensive one, so meh.
To what extent is the AI capability dependent on the hardware or just having a phone able to run the latest IOS version? (In the latter case, any recent phone would work.)