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iPhone 14 Pro Already bored with my iPhone 14 Pro Max. I didn’t think the novelty would wear off so fast.

I find it fascinating when people's buying decisions are based on regularly purchasing new products the company releases annually (the number of people talking about getting a 14 after buying a 13 just last year is 🤯), and not on what they need. Enough so that they focus on their emotional response to the new gear, and not the practical reality of the item itself.

I'm not talking about people who buy a new phone because it has some feature they like/need/want. I'm just reacting to some comments I've seen that are essentially "I buy a phone every year regardless, and this time it didn't make me as happy as I thought it would."

I know, I know. I'm posting to a site that's based on rumors about consumer electronics, and here I am with a really cliché take on conspicuous consumption. I guess I'm missing that gene that makes people think always buying something is going to make then happy, or fill an emotional void.

I've got an iMac from 2015 and a Powerbook that is the same vintage. My iPhone is a second-gen SE. Clearly I hang on to my stuff for what would be considered (around here) as way too long. And full disclosure if Apple had released an M-based 27" iMac I would have bought it already, because it would likely suit my needs. But I buy things when I feel I need/want the product, not just because it's hit the shelves as part of a regular annual launch cycle.

Call me a Luddite, but that approach may keep me from being "bored" by a phone purchase.

We now return you to your previously scheduled late stage capitalism. ;)
 
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Sounds like you were trying to fill some kind of existential hole in your life with a new phone. What kind of mind blowing and life altering experience were you expecting?

It’s just a phone. A tool to be used as your primary communications device with your friends and family and to access internet.
 
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Duncan-UK said:
I think you need to remove the swift update blinkers. Most people don’t upgrade every year. If you are waiting three years (which seems a minimal sensible wait) then you’ll see great improvements every time you upgrade.
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True, but that gap is getting wider. I was using my 11 Pro just before the 14 Pro Max came and in a general sense, the phone has reached peak performance from quite some time ago. Don’t get me wrong, I find myself enjoying the new features each year. For the mobile camera enthusiast, the upgrades are worth it as well. There’s no denying though that the product needs to evolve at some point beyond these incremental updates and features.
 
Phone technology is improving, but at a much slower rate it seems. My first "smart" phone was the Palm Treo 650 in 2004, and we've come a long way in 18 years.

Palm Treo 650 ---> iPhone (original) ---> Samsung Galaxy ---> Galaxy Nexus ---> Nexus 4 ---> Nexus 5 ---> iPhone 6+ ---> iPhone 7+ ---> iPhone 8+ ---> iPhone XR ---> iPhone 12 Pro ---> iPhone 14 Pro Max
 
GoodGuy313 said:
True, but that gap is getting wider. I was using my 11 Pro just before the 14 Pro Max came and in a general sense, the phone has reached peak performance from quite some time ago. Don’t get me wrong, I find myself enjoying the new features each year. For the mobile camera enthusiast, the upgrades are worth it as well. There’s no denying though that the product needs to evolve at some point beyond these incremental updates and features.
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Right. It used to be that people would spend $300-$500 on a point & shoot camera or near $800+ for a camcorder. You get that in a phone now, that takes great pics.
 
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For me while the novelty hasn’t really worn off, this phone for some reason has left a sour taste in my mouth. I upgrade (almost) every year and this is the first time that I’m really regretting having traded in my 13 Pro. From a cost difference perspective, to unacceptable battery life, finicky features like AOD / dynamic island, and uncertainty of camera module reliability. At this point I’m pretty much stuck with the phone but I’m really not happy about my decision to buy into the hype this year.
 
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This tech plateau and the slightest of incremental updates year in & year out has bored me for some time. The Samsung Z Fold 4 is the first phone for many a year to actually thrill me. It's not just the mini tablet vibe either, the signal strength/reception and download speeds have wowed me too. It feels like a big upgrade across the board (*other than the cameras).
 
aacemyan said:
For me while the novelty hasn’t really worn off, this phone for some reason has left a sour taste in my mouth. I upgrade (almost) every year and this is the first time that I’m really regretting having traded in my 13 Pro. From a cost difference perspective, to unacceptable battery life, finicky features like AOD / dynamic island, and uncertainty of camera module reliability. At this point I’m pretty much stuck with the phone but I’m really not happy about my decision to buy into the hype this year.
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It's probably because you moved from a Complete product, the 13 Pro, to a v1.0 of a new era of iPhones. Or more specifically, a Prototype iPhone 15.

If you look at the 14 Pro, it's got a lot of New New features, all of which are bound to be improved over time as developers and Apple refines them. This is probably why it felt like a non-worthwhile upgrade, or a worsening.

Always-on Display -> needs to be more customizable. Maybe dimmer, maybe more selective, etc
Dynamic Island -> Needs developer support, and perhaps config on how user can interact with them
48MP Camera -> Needs refinement on the computational photography side. Need the other 2 sensors to catch up.
 
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Sadly, the era of "what amazing new features in the next generation of iPhone" is over. The iPhone has become an established, mature product, where any changes are small and gradual between releases. To be really "wowed", I recommend upgrading when your existing phone no longer qualifies for the latest version of iOS.
 
iPhone 14 is more about the polishing and improving of the software and 48 mp camera It is not intended to be a completely new experience
 
sniffies said:
NGL I was mesmerized by the ingenuity of Dynamic Island when I first saw it during the keynote. I looked forward to the new iPhone but most of all looked forward to “taking a trip” to Dynamic Island. Well, the trip was sweet and short. The good thing about Dynamic Island is that it’s very subtle, never in your face. Maybe that’s because hardly any apps take advantage of it yet. Understandably, it’s still in its infancy, and because its primary job is status updates, it requires very little user interaction, if any at all. The thing is that there’s only so much excitement and joy one can derive from a status bar. Although Dynamic Island may seem like an overhyped place to visit, I do believe it will end up having the biggest impact on user experience over time as it matures.

But for now, iPhone 14 Pro minus Dynamic Island is just a very, how do I say it without causing fracas, a very underwhelming iPhone, especially if you’re coming from iPhone 13 Pro like me.

/coolstory
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I remember when iPhone annual launches were major upgrades each year and I got a new phone every single year and it was so exciting. I miss those days. I stopped upgrading annually though. I just got the iPhone 14 Pro Max, upgrading from a regular iPhone 11. Before that I had the 8 Plus. I think I had every model before that. This is a pretty big upgrade for me. I LOVE the bigger size of the phone and the camera - lots of great stuff but even with this 3 year gap, I also feel a bit like its still just an iPhone similar to what I had with my 11. I did play on it all weekend - much more than normal, so it's not the same for me as someone upgrading from a 13 to a 14 but its still reminds me that upgrading often isn't the way to go anymore -especially since they are so expensive. I'll probably keep this one till the 17 or 18...or maybe longer...lol
 
caru said:
I’ll tell you my secret: I upgrade roughly every 5 years, I always get the super wow effect.
This time I went from the X to the 14 pro Max, and I think it is definitely worth the considerable amount of money needed for the upgrade.
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I did the same 3 days ago. Just wow, nice phone!
 
Spaceboi Scaphandre said:
Seriously I don't get people who buy every new phone every year.
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Seriously, I don’t get people that judge those that upgrade every year. People work hard to buy what they enjoy. If they enjoy the smallest of upgrades and it still makes them happy, how does this it effect you…?

Now, those that upgrade yearly and complain on how small the upgrade is makes no sense.

Shoot, I’ll change sizes mid year if I’m not feeling the size I have at the time and want a change.
 
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I went from 12 Pro to 14 Pro Max and agree with the Island boredom. Nothing uses it. I was so excited for it, but its just like the TouchBar in my MacBook. Looks cool and good idea, but never use it. I'm just thrilled for the better screen and battery life from my 2 year old phone that was showing it's age.
 
Costino1 said:
I went from 12 Pro to 14 Pro Max and agree with the Island boredom. Nothing uses it. I was so excited for it, but its just like the TouchBar in my MacBook. Looks cool and good idea, but never use it. I'm just thrilled for the better screen and battery life from my 2 year old phone that was showing it's age.
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I suspect it will become more useful once we have Live Activities on 16.1
 
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