Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
As much as I’ve wanted a purple Pro Max forever and was supposed to only keep this a year because I can, No. due to the following:
1. Stupid Verizon 36 month plans now.
2. I have wayyyyyyy too many phone cases for this phone even though I was not supposed to (yes I have problems)
3. I do actually love this phone. The battery life is still great and even though the notch will be ‘gone’ I don’t see a reason to upgrade right now. (Maybe I’m growing up…maybe)

Going to try to keep this one a while, what a novelty! I did upgrade my watch though! I also definitely am happy for those upgrading and can’t wait to watch the inboxing videos!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: yaboid01
Probably not. The only reason I’m upgrading is because of the dynamic island… and I’m paying a little less per month for the latest phone.
 
I would suggest to look at numbers when it comes to your phone bill. If the bill stays the same or goes down, why not upgrade, if the bill will go up, maybe hold off this year.

Personally, I know it is a "to each their own" but to me it is silly to upgrade every year, outside of some special upgrade program. The new phone seems like a nice upgrade but coming from a 13, the update will be a smaller difference than compared to an older model.

With that said, I am upgrading my 12 Pro to a 14 Pro with ATT because my bill will be about the same, minus the taxes owed up front, lol.
 
As a 13 ProMAX owner that satellite feature is nice. But is anyone making the switch? If so why ?

I'm making the switch.

  1. Improved camera system (lots to list here) - I take a ton of photos/vids
  2. Improved CPU/GPU
  3. Always on display
  4. Dynamic Island is actually pretty sweet
  5. Increased brightness
  6. Satellite SOS ... doubt I'll ever, ever need this, but I do engage in a lot of remote trail running, so who knows
  7. Dual frequency GPS (improved GPS reliability/accuracy is always a bonus)
  8. Bluetooth 5.3
Now, I do upgrade every single year, but all of the above improvements are things that I'm looking forward to :)
 
Probably won’t be upgrading. $720 for my 1TB 13 Pro Max was disappointing. $1000 was too good to be true. I won’t do the carrier upgrade ever again.

Aod does not really allure me because I have an Apple Watch and spend most of my day on a Mac.

The cameras look nice. But my 13PM has met and exceeded my photography needs at the moment.

I really like my phone. Battery is 103% capacity. I’ll feel even better about upgrading next year and getting $500 for this phone.

Yes they charge an arm & a leg for more store but, from what i've seen, don't give you any more money for iphones with more storage.
 
To me the upgrades from 13->14 are bigger than last years 12->13.
 
As a fresh 13 Pro owner, here's why I went 13 Pro instead of 14 Pro.

Here in EU it was +199 EUR (1100 on slightly discounted 13 Pro vs 1299 for 14 Pro), or +18% difference.

That price difference gives me 48 MPx camera, which so far can only do dedicated 2x zoom, which is literally a crop of 1x that you can do in your Photos app. Of course, more software features will probably roll out to utilize the sensor over time but as of right now, not much use for it unless you require high MPx to print your iPhone photos on large canvas.

It gives me always-on display. Time at a glance is nice if you're not wearing an Apple Watch but then again, you can just tap your screen on any recent iPhone and it wakes, showing you the lock screen. No need to have it always on, sipping more battery than necessary.

Finally, the big one. Dynamic Island a.k.a. the pill. The UI is slick as hell, I was truly impressed by it in the event but as I watched hands-on videos, I can't help but feel like the pill, when inactive, is a notification in and of itself. Like there's a constant notification bubble glued to my screen. I don't doubt that over time you get used to it and filter it out but the first impression gave me doubts whether I really want it.

The A16 performance bump seems rather insignificant and the fact that they compared it to A13 instead of the latest A15 really underlines the fact that year-over-year, it's not that much.

So yeah, none of these major changes made the price bump worth it to me, so I just grabbed the last year's model.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigMcGuire
Sticking to my 13 Pro Max.
I think if you value:
- Always on Display
- Photography (new 48MP main senor, new ultra wide and new Selfie)

Then it’s well worth it, outside of those it didn’t really sound like much has changed (of course the Dynamic Island is the big change in aesthetic).

Have to say the entire 14 range is kind of underwhelming, great for someone coming from Xs and older I think.

If you are the sort of person who just jumps to the latest yearly then it’s not even worth thinking about it, you’ll just get it regardless.
Totally agree. The new features are nice but not essential upgrades for those like myself with a 13 pro max. A lack of USB C was a major turn off. In addition, the massive price hike in the UK is also a tough pill to swallow. I think the UK pro max base model is the equivalent of $1390, a whole $191 more than what USA customers have to pay. In saying that they are really nice phones for anyone that does get one. Dynamic Island is an interesting one. Sounds and looks great but if we go by any other major features rolled out over the years, it takes app developers a long time to adopt it. More interested in Dynamic island on the ipad and how this can help with multi tasking and productivity.
 
As a 13 ProMAX owner that satellite feature is nice. But is anyone making the switch? If so why ?
Unless you are a photographer, you probably don’t need to upgrade. I’m buying one just for the camera. All new iPhones have have the same thing in common, a better camera than the last, plus a few extra perks like chip improvements and software…but it’s mostly the camera. The pro models are made for photographers & videographers. I take tons of photos with my iPhone, it’s my main camera at the moment. So I’m extremely excited about the 48mp sensor and ProRAW. Finally more megapixels!
 
There's almost never any point in upgrading from the last year's model to the current one.
Of course there is.

It’ll depend entirely on how much you value the upgrade characteristics, but for those of us that value having the most capable and highly performant device in our hands, yearly upgrades are absolutely worth it.

People find ways to justify it, but if we're being honest, it's just a matter of always wanting the newest device.
Exactly. This is a device I use constantly; every waking hour, of every day, throughout the entire year. As I stated above, having the most capable device to use when it’s something I will be using countless times through the year is easily worth, to me, the few bucks I throw at it to maintain that privilege.

That same value/cost ratio will be different for everyone, of course, and for many people it won’t be enough to prompt them to upgrade annually, but for many of us it’s an easy decision and absolutely does have a point.
 
If I weren’t getting a great trade-in/promo deal, I wouldn’t be upgrading from the 13PM. It just so happened to work out in my case that the deal was excellent. Plus, I like having new tech.

That said, is there any point? All depends on what you value in a new phone.
 
Big improvements, I have the 12 PM and skipped the 13 because it was just meh but I am getting the 14 PM, great upgrades
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ollé
Actually going from a 13PM to a 14 Pro. Looking forward to the slightly smaller size TBH. Found the 13PM to a bit too large.
 
So I gave in (no surprise) and ordered a 14 Pro Max. Here is my thinking:

- Is there any real reason to upgrade from a 13 Pro Max? Nope, its still an awesome phone, it has crazy battery life, a great screen, takes great photos, and does everything an iPhone should do and does it well.

- So then why upgrade? I upgrade every year (except x->xS). I’m 49 years old, I‘m a single dad with 3 boys, I work hard, and having the newest technology every year makes me happy. It gives me something to learn, to explore and to have fun using. Simple as that.
 
This is a no brainer since AT&T is offering $1,000 for trade in. I alternate and give my mother and my mother in law my 1 year old phone and take theirs for trade in.

2020 - iPhone X traded in for 12PM on my own plan
2021 - 12PM to mom, get 13PM, traded her XS in
2022 - 13PM to MIL, get 14PM, trade 12PM in
2023 - (Hopefully) 14PM to mom, get 15PM, trade 13PM in

As long as they keep offering $1000 for trade in, the cost to upgrade annually is minimal even counting my monthly bill
 
I have no problem with those who find value in upgrading every year. I myself have done this since the 8+.

However, this is the first year that I will be keeping my 13PM 2 years. I sat down and thought about the $720 Apple was offering me for my phone. My phone was almost $1800 after AppleCare+ and California taxes. This means that even though I have already paid off my phone on my Apple Card, I would be making phone payments again when I don't have to.

Is the 14 Pro Max worth $700-$1000 to me? Nope. To others? Sure. $1000 is not a mind blowing sum of money for some. I see lines out the door at Starbucks every day. Say you do $6/day - that's $2160/year. If that is what floats some people's boats, great on them. For something someone uses every day? I can understand.

I blew $ on a loaded 16' MBP this year and sold my iPad Pro. I use it every day all day long. In the past I used my iPad as my primary computing device so I justified upgrading my iPhone every year because of that.

To each their own. Diversity and difference makes for an interesting life. I love reading what people think and what they do. The idea that others have to do what you do just because it works for you is interesting. If everyone did what you did, this world would be a boring place. lol.

Anyway, I'm gunna keep my 13PM for 2+ years. My battery is still 103% and I'm still settling into this phone (1TB version).

I will never do carrier trade ins again. The lock in, the games they play, the fact that if you sneeze, they stop making the payments - yeah no thank you. Unlocked all the way.


More technical chat: Looks like the 48MP camera will only be used for those who shoot in Raw? Else it's 12MP?

Personally I'm looking forward to Apple Books on iOS 16 allowing me to finally use a little bit more of my screen's space on my iPhone.
 
More technical chat: Looks like the 48MP camera will only be used for those who shoot in Raw? Else it's 12MP?

Personally I'm looking forward to Apple Books on iOS 16 allowing me to finally use a little bit more of my screen's space on my iPhone.
When not shooting raw it'll combine 4 pixels into one to gather more light or crop for a 2x simulated telephoto lens.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.