iPhone 14/Plus apple is making a big mistake by stopping the iPhone PLUS models !

[russell_314]

I went through this exact dilemma 3 months ago. wanted bigger screen and 256 GB, the plus gave up far too much in terms of features I wanted vs. the pro max to be worth the saving.

Is the pro max freaking expensive? Sure. but my smartphone, like most people, has been the device I spend a huge amount of time on, and rely on for a huge amount of functionality day to day.

Password manager, authenticator, sms, email, voice, nav etc. for such a crucial device to my life, compromising on it is less attractive.

Exactly and most people don’t want to compromise. There are some people out there that are really strict on their finances who will compromise. Usually these people have quite a bit of money and that’s how they accumulate it by being so strict.

Most people in the USA in the range from poor to lower middle class are not going to worry about an extra $300 for their phone. Especially when you can finance it and the payments go with the phone bill.

May way of thinking is I only live once. If it’s a significant downgrade for a device I’m using on a daily basis, then I don’t see it as worth it. This being said I don’t see a big difference from the 60Hz LCD screen on my iPhone 7 to the 120Hz OLED screen on my iPhone 14 Pro Max. If it was paying for that upgrade for example, I wouldn’t do it. If Apple sold the Pro Max iPhone with a 60 Hz LCD screen for $100 cheaper I would buy it. Of course, counting battery life was the same.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

I do not understand your fascination with the Plus. It seems to me that Apple is making more iPhone choices than ever before. Just pick one.

 

[AlanBeyond]

I'd say if apple give the Plus models a 120 Hz display, the sales number would be rocket high.

 

[throAU]

I'd say if apple give the Plus models a 120 Hz display, the sales number would be rocket high.

But then you're very close to the Pro Max in terms of feature set and likely BOM cost (whatever Apple's margins are, that's another discussion).

Doesn't make sense for Apple to sell two nearly identical phones at different prices.

 

[SmOgER]

I hear this so many times, but there’s more to a display than refresh rate. Those android displays are nowhere near the quality of a 60 Hz iPhone display. They focus on that one spec just put that on the box. Most people don’t have a clue so they think it has more Hz so it must be better. I’m not saying the iPhone doesn’t need a high refresh rate display, but you can’t compare one spec and act like the displays are even similar.

I get your point but I don't believe for this to be accurate anymore. Samsung supplies Apple with displays, they also sell A26 Galaxy that has Super AMOLED 120Hz display. Which for all intents and purposes, is a comparable quality display with higher refresh rate. That device is priced at 199.

Then we also have a few outliers like vivo iQOO Z10 Turbo which I think would blow regular 16 display out the water in pretty much all aspects with the price still around 200. Though I will grant you that QC is unlikely to be on the Apple level in this specific case.

 

[klasma]

I'd say if apple give the Plus models a 120 Hz display, the sales number would be rocket high.

People buy the Pro Max for the cameras and the prestige, not just for ProMotion. I don’t think that would move the needle that much.

 

[Sophytaylor6@]

Apple's Pro models are just fantastic. But when it comes to the plus, the phones are thinner, which is good, as a result, they are also lightweight. People are interested in buying the Plus models as well.

 

[iboneair]

Agreed the plus with the 120h and battery is already a good deal

 

[russell_314]

I get your point but I don't believe for this to be accurate anymore. Samsung supplies Apple with displays, they also sell A26 Galaxy that has Super AMOLED 120Hz display. Which for all intents and purposes, is a comparable quality display with higher refresh rate. That device is priced at 199.

Then we also have a few outliers like vivo iQOO Z10 Turbo which I think would blow regular 16 display out the water in pretty much all aspects with the price still around 200. Though I will grant you that QC is unlikely to be on the Apple level in this specific case.

Just because Samsung makes the display doesn’t mean anything. Samsung is a manufacturer and they make things to specs. Just like LG makes some iPhone displays or at least used to. Samsung makes them awesome displays but they’re not going to put them on their $199 phone. Also, when Samsung makes a display for Apple, they are making it to Apple’s specifications.

I don’t know how these specific displays compare in specification, but I do know that a lot of cheap phones will throw in specs like refresh rate and resolution but let every other spec that no one knows about go down the toilet. It’s the same with cheaper televisions. They proudly display those numbers on the outside of the box just to get you to buy it.


When Apple had the iPhone XR everyone laughed because it was 720P. All the android crowd was like 720P is so 1998, why is Apple still in 720P land. Well some YouTuber took a 4K budget android phone, and the iPhone XR covered them up so you couldn’t tell which one was the iPhone. He went around and asked people to pick the better looking display. Most people picked the 720P iPhone. It just shows that one spec number doesn’t make it a better looking display.

My personal feelings about this is I’ve never seen a phone where I thought the display was terrible or unusable. I’ve had $99 android phones and the display seemed perfectly acceptable for me. I guess I’m not a display snob when it comes to phones. Maybe it’s because for me the display is so small that it really doesn’t matter if it’s perfect. The only advantage I’ve seen is some displays are easier to read in brighter sunlight.

Computer monitors are different story and I have significant complaints about cheap computer monitors.

 

[SmOgER]

When Apple had the iPhone XR everyone laughed because it was 720P. All the android crowd was like 720P is so 1998, why is Apple still in 720P land. Well some YouTuber took a 4K budget android phone, and the iPhone XR covered them up so you couldn’t tell which one was the iPhone. He went around and asked people to pick the better looking display. Most people picked the 720P iPhone. It just shows that one spec number doesn’t make it a better looking display.

My personal feelings about this is I’ve never seen a phone where I thought the display was terrible or unusable. I’ve had $99 android phones and the display seemed perfectly acceptable for me. I guess I’m not a display snob when it comes to phones. Maybe it’s because for me the display is so small that it really doesn’t matter if it’s perfect. The only advantage I’ve seen is some displays are easier to read in brighter sunlight.

Computer monitors are different story and I have significant complaints about cheap computer monitors.

At the end of the day with Android phones you just naturally need more research as there are far more options and more price points. But this doesn't change the fact that 120Hz is really not a premium feature in 2025 anymore. It just isn't. Some people don't mind 60Hz, but for those who do they will spot the 'choppiness' immediately.

 

[MrAverigeUser]

I wasn't pretending not to understand anything, I was referencing the hyperbole and assumptions you were making about the features and quality of a phone that hasn't been announced.

The iPhone Air, if it is released as rumored, would be just one in a lineup of phones. If you must buy a new iPhone this fall, then you can select from what is actually released at the time, or buy something from a previous generation. Just because the Plus is rumored to go away, that doesn't mean your free will has been taken from you, or that an Air would be your only option.

I'm not one of those people who feels the need to buy a new phone every year (and if you are using a 14 Plus, it sounds like you aren't one of them either), so if Apple releases a new device that doesn't fit my needs at the time, it's no big deal.

As we don't know what price a rumored Air would fetch, it's impossible for us to know which might be a "much more expensive model," an Air or something else. You might find a different phone than you expected to be a better value proposition. We simply don't know yet, so it's probably not worth losing sleep over.

Thank you for your answer.
I am very like you:
I purchase a new iPhone since many, many years every 3-6 years and I purchased my current iP 14 Plus (512 GB) about 18 months after it firstly hit themarket, as an "old iPhone" but absolutely new for just half of its original price.
But tehere are a lot of people that need to buy a new iPhone because their iPhone is really old.

And these customers appreciated as much as I did that there has been a very good line of iPhones that have an accpetable price for features that are even more than they need for real life.

NOW this very good options has been killed.

THAT is the problem here. Because this PLUS option is now history.
And there is a bad dėjà-vu in my mind: The renaissance of the ridiculous "Thinness-race" of the last 10 years of Joni Ive´s carreer, when he went completely nuts...

The Plus-options has been the best buy for most people - but there has never been any marketing for them, even nearly zero simple information about the (many) Pros and its (nearly) zero Cons.

So - one day (perhaps in 3 further years) I have to buy a new iPhone - and I get angry - or more like "extremely disappointed" when I realize that a very good product -line has been killed by apple.

As I posted already:
I am sure that a lot of customers will react like me: priority will be a reaction that customers will even prolonging their use of the "old but still good enough" iPhone PLUS and prefere to just exchange the battery if needed - maybe even several times.

 

[MrAverigeUser]

The reason why I just bought a 16 Plus to replace a 12. Have no regrets and to me, my needs are met.

My 14Plus replaced my SE 2nd gen.
Would have used the SE some years more - but since I needed a larger screen because of my eyesight I chose the 14 Plus. The fantastic battery life and the 512 GB option was a big plus - as was face detection and a better camera (but dont need 3 lenses and all the gimmicks bc I have excellent Photo-equipment (Pro-level) if needed.
I am very happy with ithe 14 Plus and i am pretty confident it will serve me at least further 3-4 years ... but perhaps I will purchase in 2 years one of the very last 16 Plus before there aren´t any more of the PLUS models to purchase ... The OLED Screen will surely save even more battery life and give me at the same time a brighter screen.

But that is a decision to make in 2 (+) years

.

 

[russell_314]

At the end of the day with Android phones you just naturally need more research as there are far more options and more price points. But this doesn't change the fact that 120Hz is really not a premium feature in 2025 anymore. It just isn't. Some people don't mind 60Hz, but for those who do they will spot the 'choppiness' immediately.

I have to agree with that because even some cheaper displays have it so it’s not a premium feature. I think it’s just a feature that if you feel you need then definitely get a phone that has it.

I’ve never felt that my 120 Hz iPhone display was somehow significantly better than 60 Hz. I use my 60 Hz iPad Air all the time and I don’t notice the difference. Maybe if I played certain videos or scroll a certain way holding them side-by-side I might be able to tell but that’s not how I use my devices. If I’m using it and don’t notice anything wrong or don’t notice one device is better than to me it’s not. Maybe that’s just my eyes and it’s more noticeable to some people because. My advice is when you’re buying something whether it’s a phone or TV, look at it in person.

I also feel like people fall for the marketing hype around specs and if their phone doesn’t have a 37 THz quantum AI coprocessor then they’re just being left behind. I mean, if you don’t have one you can’t even browse Facebook so you might as well just get off the Internet and check yourself into a nursing home.

 

[kanga1622]

I am not big on all the tech specs. I buy a phone that meets my personal needs and will last. Currently using a 15 Plus and had planned to upgrade to a 17 Plus while passing my current phone down to my child.

My eyes really enjoy the extra space on the Plus as I read almost exclusively ebooks. But the price tag on the Pro Max is too much. I’m frustrated that my choice this year seems to be choosing too expensive but good size/camera, too small but good camera/price, or good size but crappy camera. I’ve honestly never before looked at an iPhone and weighed what to give up.

 

[Biro]

As you can see by my signature, I’m all-in on Apple. My 16 Plus is my second iPhone Plus and the model is my personal favorite. I don’t care about ProMotion, 120Hz or fancy cameras and I like the Plus’s battery life and lighter weight vs the Pros. I could afford a Pro or Pro Max if I wanted what they offer. But I prefer the Plus.

But I refuse to whine about losing the Plus going forward like many (certainly not all) Mini users. Some people are overthinking this: The Plus just isn't putting up the kind of numbers Apple wants. So they’re trying something else.

Samsung is trying the same concept as the iPhone Air with its new S25 Edge. It’s not as thin as the Air is expected to be but the Edge is a pretty nice phone and apparently has better battery life than many Samsung Galaxy fans expected. If Apple uses the latest battery technology and has the energy-sipping Apple modem (a la the new iPhone SE), the Air may end up being in a better position than many Apple fans and “experts” expect.

If Apple doesn’t produce the kind of phone I want at a price I’m willing to pay, I can wait a few years. My 16 Plus is less than a year old. But if I can’t find what I want from Apple when the time comes to buy another phone, I’ll just move on to the competition. I gave up worrying and agonizing over things like this a while ago.

 

[klasma]

Samsung is a manufacturer and they make things to specs.

I’m sorry, but this “making things to spec” meme has to end. Apple can’t just send specs to Samsung and Samsung magically manufactures stuff according to those specs. Someone has to research and develop the technology and the manufacturing that would meet whatever specs this is about. And for displays, it’s mostly the panel manufacturers like LG and Samsung who are doing that R&D.

It’s more like Apple is selecting from the panel tech that is available from those manufacturers, maybe asking for some tweaks and imposing certain quality benchmarks. Apple may also get exclusive access to the newest generation if they pay accordingly.

 

[russell_314]

I’m sorry, but this “making things to spec” meme has to end. Apple can’t just send specs to Samsung and Samsung magically manufactures stuff according to those specs. Someone has to research and develop the technology and the manufacturing that would meet whatever specs this is about. And for displays, it’s mostly the panel manufacturers like LG and Samsung who are doing that R&D.

It’s more like Apple is selecting from the panel tech that is available from those manufacturers, maybe asking for some tweaks and imposing certain quality benchmarks. Apple may also get exclusive access to the newest generation if they pay accordingly.

I can understand you don’t know how these things work. Most people don’t. Do you realize Apple doesn’t even make the iPhone? They send specifications to companies like Foxconn and they make the iPhone for them. If you want something made, there are companies in China that will make it to whatever spec you can make it. Of course there’s R&D and that’s what Apple does. Apple designed the product and has other people make it for them. Yes that’s kind of weird but that’s how it works.

 

[klasma]

I can understand you don’t know how these things work. Most people don’t. Do you realize Apple doesn’t even make the iPhone? They send specifications to companies like Foxconn and they make the iPhone for them. If you want something made, there are companies in China that will make it to whatever spec you can make it. Of course there’s R&D and that’s what Apple does. Apple designed the product and has other people make it for them. Yes that’s kind of weird but that’s how it works.

Apple doesn’t do R&D for display panel technology.

 

[russell_314]

Apple doesn’t do R&D for display panel technology.

What is your source for this information? That’s the first time I’ve heard this.

 

[klasma]

What is your source for this information? That’s the first time I’ve heard this.

I've been following display panel tech on and off for the past 10-15 years. There is no panel technology that was exclusively used by Apple (unlike, say, technology like Face ID), and I haven't seen any research papers by Apple engineers. Display-related patents by Apple are about technology built on top of panel technology, like Force Touch, or under-display cameras, or use of panels in smartglasses or VR headsets, but not about panel technology itself. The "micro-OLED" panels used in the Apple Vision Pro, for example, are OLED-on-silicon ("OLEDoS") panels developed by Sony. As another example, the "tandem OLED" tech used on the M4 iPad Pro was developed by LG and is now marketed by LG as their 4th-gen OLED technology used in their latest TVs (PC monitor panels using it have also been announced for this year). These panel technologies were already publicly known before Apple announced their respective products.

 

[MarkX]

I've been following display panel tech on and off for the past 10-15 years. There is no panel technology that was exclusively used by Apple (unlike, say, technology like Face ID), and I haven't seen any research papers by Apple engineers. Display-related patents by Apple are about technology built on top of panel technology, like Force Touch, or under-display cameras, or use of panels in smartglasses or VR headsets, but not about panel technology itself. The "micro-OLED" panels used in the Apple Vision Pro, for example, are OLED-on-silicon ("OLEDoS") panels developed by Sony. As another example, the "tandem OLED" tech used on the M4 iPad Pro was developed by LG and is now marketed by LG as their 4th-gen OLED technology used in their latest TVs (PC monitor panels using it have also been announced for this year). These panel technologies were already publicly known before Apple announced their respective products.

Apple set up an OLED R&D facility in 2017 in Taiwan.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

A phone with a glass back like the iPhone air won’t bend.
Glass doesn’t bend.
The iPhone 6 had an aluminum back, and aluminum does bend. That was also 11 years ago.

It frankly drives me nuts that some folks here repeatedly make this kind of absurd error. The error being referencing "glass" as if all glass was the same and "aluminum" as if aluminum was a the same. They are not. Fact is that glass is available with a wide range of characteristics and aluminum is almost always used in various aluminum alloys and the various alloys behave very differently, depending upon each alloy.

E.g. there is glass that bends and there are very rigid aluminum alloys.

 

[Erkenbrand]

Honestly I think dropping the Plus models would be a mistake too. Not everyone wants to move up to a Pro Max just to get a bigger screen, especially if they are not that into the extra camera features. The Plus was kind of the sweet spot for people who preferred a larger display without paying for the top-end specs. I really hope Apple reconsiders.

 

[johnsawyercjs]

the "new" C1 processor will be just a little bit worse than the processor from market-leader Qualcom...

There are already some insiders who reported that the C1 modem-chip has some important problems (at least up to now) and it seems that they are damn right - why should apple only give the C1-modem-chip to the "cheapest" or "low budget" iPhone instead use it for the Pro-Models - as if they have their doubts about their own technical developments?
...

"...the C1 lacks support for ultra-fast mmWave 5G technology, and the chip's limitations are expected to extend to the upcoming ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air."

5G mmWave is of limited use. While it can send and receive data at higher speeds than regular 5G, it's not usable for wide-area coverage, either in rural, suburban, or urban areas. Typical range is under 500 meters, and outdoors it's usually 100-200 meters. The signal strength is greatly reduced by walls, glass, trees, people, and even rain or fog, so for these reasons it's limited to hotspots like stadiums, airports, and dense downtown areas. In all those areas, regular 5G will also be in place to avoid these issues. Also, mmWave hardware can consume more power and generate more heat than sub-6 GHz radios. But despite all that, Apple has already announced that its upcoming C-series modems, possibly as early as the C2, will include mmWave.

 

[DBZmusicboy01]

The reason why I just bought a 16 Plus to replace a 12. Have no regrets and to me, my needs are met.

😩 why didn’t you wait for the iPhone 17 it’s coming out in less than 4 months?
Even tho I’m not the one who bought it.

I still feel sad that anyone would buy an updated model right before the newer one comes out. Since the 17 series will be a major upgrade even the base models will have 120hz display.