iPhone 16 Pro Max Apple is out of their minds. This is unethical to say the least.

[eoblaed]

See, because I have been using these services on my three year old phone just fine, I know that there are AI features that can be run on the iPhone I have now.

None of those services you're using are running on device. They're all querying servers out on the internet and are doing the processing out there.

Apple Intelligence does almost everything on device for a variety of reasons including security, privacy, and latency and requires more hardware than the older phones have.

 

[hch720]

The X to the XS?

X to xs max for the significantly larger size

 

[Parowdy]

12 - 13

I think the “Jump” from the 12 to the 13 is considerably bigger. New notch, better cameras and Pro Motion on Pro models. The XS step was far more incremental.

 

[Parowdy]

X to xs max for the significantly larger size

I think this year was far more exciting as the Xs year. Because that was just the same but bigger thing.
This year 2 buttons were added to the base iPhone, one entirely new one for better and more authentic camera controls. Yes it’s an S update but less so than the Xs update was.
But I don’t want to argue too much in favour of Apple as I would personally be very interested in an iPhone 16, but not having promotion is a dealbreaker for me.

 

[uacd]

iPhone 16 will be just a first step to the AI world, real revolution should happen somewhere with 17 or 18. And after all, if you are ok with all your AI subscriptions and your current phone, then why even bother? New phones are for new customers.

Another problem is that AI is very niche product despite being oriented at “the masses”. Not everyone is into it, especially when it is everywhere it becomes boring. For many years already Apple has some sort of object detection in photos, I wish there wasn’t. I never cut objects from photos and would rather save the power wasted on it than have these “glowing stuff” on every shot

 

[ninecows]

Nice things cost money. That’s how it is. Having the latest features on a phone is not a human right.

And Apple is a business. They have to make more profit every year. Don’t make the mistake thinking that they’re there for you. They only answer to stakeholders. If you don’t like that I suggest another form of economy than capitalism.

In capitalism there’s really no room for real “ethics”. Any company will follow the “ethics” that give most profit. If enough consumers regard a behavior unethical and stop buying their products the company will adapt and change their “ethics”.

I wish companies were more honest about this and wouldn’t try to wrap questionable ethics into a spin of lies and technical excuses. But that would be bad for business.

 

[PeeWee1963]

None of those services you're using are running on device. They're all querying servers out on the internet and are doing the processing out there.

Apple Intelligence does almost everything on device for a variety of reasons including security, privacy, and latency and requires more hardware than the older phones have.

And why should I buy a 16 Pro here in Germany if I don't get AI until 2025?

 

[cptcaveman]

And why should I buy a 16 Pro here in Germany if I don't get AI until 2025?

Despite already buying cases for the two Pro Max and two regular iPhones I had planned to buy, I have reached the hard decision to skip this year.

I must say it feels weird. I have never gone more than two years on the same iPhone.

I’m not even in the Euro zone, but I figure it will take 3-6 months for Apple to actually deliver on the full suite of AI stuff they have promised.

The prospect of then having a new iPhone that supersedes the 16 released only half a year later, with probably a decent front facing camera and more memory in a potentially changed form factor isn’t a ride that I want to take this year.

Fair play to anyone who wants to pickup a 16 this year, it looks like an amazing battery in the Pro Max, but coming from a 14 Pro Max it’s not all that compelling without Apple Intelligence.

 

[maxolson]

From my 15 pro max, I don’t see a reason to upgrade. Previously, every year has had something compelling. But the capture button seems like a total gimmick, and that’s the only upgrade for this year

Well obviously don't upgrade. Your phone is 1 year old. So wasteful to upgrade every year.

 

[heretiq]

To me, any products loaded with android but can’t/won‘t support google services are considered “third party android devices”, so it’s more of an OS thing than manufacturer. Obviously, Google devices would be best, but as I said before, not all countries allow Google android to be used.

Apple more or less controls everything, from hardware to software. I know EU thing and alternative App Store but it’s still iOS in essence. On the contrary, android has the open source flavour, and manufacturers and even countries can install untold type of software to your phone and/or impose severe restrictions on how you use your device, such as dictating exactly what app you can install (White list). To me that’s just way too much of a control to be comfortable with, plus the lost possibility of using such devices worldwide.

Thanks for the explanation. No company or product is perfect; but on balance Apple gets it right on the aspects I value the most: security, privacy, availability and basic device performance and reliability. It seems you have a similar perspective but are more skeptical of Apple even while appreciating their products and preferring the greater device freedom that Google devices offer. I understand and respect that.

 

[ninecows]

Call me old fashioned, but I don’t need AI to get things done. Having to do things myself and exercise my thinking muscle is actually a good thing. And I’m already extremely intelligent without AI ☺️

So be at peace with the lack of AI on your 3 year old phone. And that it might take ages before Apple considers your country important enough to receive AI. Enjoy that you are forced to flex your thinking muscle a bit.

 

[Bustermd]

Posts like these are why the expression "go outside and touch some grass" exist.

Maybe some people should stop following Apple so closely and start working on their own issues. Its not normal to get this upset over a product announcement. If you don't like it, don't buy it (and seek therapy).

 

[turbineseaplane]

Just gross.

A perfect summary of most all of Apple business practices now

Tim has ruined the place

 

[sarcasticgamer]

Been an Apple customer for 20 years now. I’ve never been forced to upgrade, especially how long lasting their products are.

 

[Siliconguy]

And why should I buy a 16 Pro here in Germany if I don't get AI until 2025?

2025 is only four months away.

On the other hand if the AI isn't available until next summer then you are right, just wait for the 17 Pro next fall.

 

[jbmelby]

Currently smartphone camera ergonomics totally suck, and efforts to improve camera ergonomics should not be denigrated. The capture button is definitely not a total gimmick. Whether it is worth upgrading for is an individual decision.

FWIW, I’m upgrading from an iPhone 15 Pro Max to a 16pm in order to give the 15pm to my wife, whose 11pm is about to give up the ghost. I think that makes perfect sense. Some of us DO have reasons to upgrade.

 

[BobVB]

From my 15 pro max, I don’t see a reason to upgrade. Previously, every year has had something compelling. But the capture button seems like a total gimmick, and that’s the only upgrade for this year

And they told us last year that the 15 pros would be AI ready because they have enough RAM, which seems to be the primary physical limitation on Apple Intelligence implementation. I’m not upgradng my 15 pro either - I am sure once Ai is out, they will find new hardware optimizations for the 17…

 

[eoblaed]

And why should I buy a 16 Pro here in Germany if I don't get AI until 2025?

I'm not saying anyone should or should not purchase any particular device. I was just pointing out that listing off-device AI services that can be used on anything with a web browser has no bearing on whether or not that device is capable of doing integrated, wholistic AI/ML locally.

 

[gwhizkids]

So I am an iPhone 13 Pro Max user, and I also happen to be a HEAVY ai user.

I pay for ChatGPT and also perplexity, and have used midjourney and also Leonardo AI for image generation.

And this is why I am not buying apples BS about upgrading.

See, because I have been using these services on my three year old phone just fine, I know that there are AI features that can be run on the iPhone I have now.

I accept that some things like reading email and creating summaries take on device power, but don't you dare tell me that I need to pay you to get "all" the AI features.

To make things worse, this is the first apple event I missed.

I tuned into it, but then had a work call and missed pretty much everything iPhone related, and when I went to go look at Macrumors I saw what exactly. Typical Apple talking points rubbish:

* NEW PROCESSOR FASTEST BESTEST EVER.
* LOOK AT THE CAMERA WOW!

That is pretty much it, that and the mention of how the phone was "built for AI..." when again most of us that are actually interested in AI understand totally that we can use it on our three, four or even FIVE year old devices.

And let's talk about that launch, shall we?

I updated my M1 Pro macbook to 15 today because it was the RC, and there are ZERO ai features in this build. Not a single one.

So you expect users to pay to upgrade devices for software that is "coming soon," which can already run mostly fine on older devices now, huh?

Forced obsolesces is a thing. And apple is bringing this to an absurd degree.

Their tactics started getting really out of hand when they told users they cannot use portrait mode or noise isolation unless they are on Apple Silicon (when you can 100% do noise isolation with an app called Krisp on any processor), and it is getting way out of hand here.

I do love my apple products, but the way they are forcing upgrades is really unnerving, especially in the economy we are in where many of us decide what payment arrangement to make that much to feed out families.

Just gross.

Get over yourself. You didn’t pay to have those things when you bought your phone. Yes it’s nice when features are retroactive to older phones. But you have no right to expect that.

 

[Minghold]

Apple has been unethical for over a decade, so I'm not sure why people are surprised now.

I already assume Apple‘s claim on “privacy” is only to protect their user base data from the likes of Google facebook etc, NOT to protect user. Apple is protecting their own privacy.

Per the link, the tentacles all go back to the same octopus; any other explanation is a snow-job for public-consumption. All incorporated entities serve the same master.

(Minghold's refrain: don't buy any Macbook made after 2015, or any iMac made after 2019. Suffice also to say that any iWidget-fulltime device is a hotline to intelligence-gathering entities.)

Note also that this, er, 'problem' is a 'feature' of every version of the OS after Mojave, meaning every M-series machine, and every older Mac "upgraded" beyond Mojave.
_ _ _ _ _ _

Stuff like this is why dinosaur-model 486 towers are selling for hundreds of dollars again. (No, it's not because they're rare now, or that retro-gaming is the hottest rage.)

 

[heretiq]

Call me old fashioned, but I don’t need AI to get things done. Having to do things myself and exercise my thinking muscle is actually a good thing. And I’m already extremely intelligent without AI ☺️

So be at peace with the lack of AI on your 3 year old phone. And that it might take ages before Apple considers your country important enough to receive AI. Enjoy that you are forced to flex your thinking muscle a bit.

Greetings “old fashioned” from your namesake! 😉 While I agree with your sentiment that it’s easy to check out and allow Generative AI to think for you, I also think there’s ample room to use Gen AI to actually exercise one’s “thinking muscles.” For example, by prompting it to critique your ideas and find flaws in your logic or challenging its recommendations by suggesting your own approaches and discussing pros and cons. Like most tools how you choose to use it determines the outcome. 🙏🏽

 

[ninecows]

Greetings “old fashioned” from your namesake! 😉 While I agree with your sentiment that it’s easy to check out and allow Generative AI to think for you, I also think there’s ample room to use Gen AI to actually exercise one’s “thinking muscles.” For example, by prompting it to critique your ideas and find flaws in your logic or challenging its recommendations by suggesting your own approaches and discussing pros and cons. Like most tools how you choose to use it determines the outcome. 🙏🏽

Greetings. Agreed. But you can also do that by talking to other humans ☺️

 

[heretiq]

Greetings. Agreed. But you can also do that by talking to other humans ☺️

Absolutely! But it’s great to have an on-demand standby at 2am when your pair programming navigator is asleep and you are still up trying to implement a new feature by the committed deadline. 😉

 

[seek3r]

Stuff like this is why dinosaur-model 486 towers are selling for hundreds of dollars again. (No, it's not because they're rare now, or that retro-gaming is the hottest rage.)

It literally is, in fact, because they’ve gotten rarer and retro-gaming is hot. There is no mass shift to 30 year old machines for people’s primary computing, the fact that I even have to type that is silly, anyone with any form of critical thinking should know that.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

More seriously, though, it's strange to me that Apple now withholds specific software features in iOS releases for unspecified reasons. Not even Microsoft does this.

Apple has always done this.
The original iPhone, and the iPhone 3G had identical processing hardware, yet iOS 3.0 added MMS, tethering and stereo Bluetooth features to the 3G.
iOS 4 ran on both the 3G and 3GS, but home screen backgrounds, limited multitasking, game center, personal hotspot, even something as simple as new text tones were restricted to the 3GS.
Siri was restricted to the iPhone 4S and iPad 3, despite the fact that the year old iPad 2 had the exact same processor, but even higher clock speeds than the 4S.
iOS 6 ran on the iPhone 4 and 3GS but only the 4S got 3D maps and turn by turn directions and several other improvements.