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Hieveryone

macrumors 603
Original poster
Apr 11, 2014
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I upgraded from iPhone X and while I do love it and enjoy it, what exactly makes it "pro"?

I mean the camera is definitely pro if you ask me given how sweet the photos come out, but what else?
 
Pro is just a distinguishing monicker to imply "in comparison" nowadays. There might be some exclusives to the Pro line, but other than that, the Pro is just a sticker to demand a higher price and cater to a different set of egos. Any iPhone today including the Xr (for similarity of interface, otherwise going down to even an iPhone 7) is "Pro" enough (read: seriously good enough) for a large section of population.

Even the 6s might find arguments in favour of it for many people out there, but let's just say the 7, if not the A11-powered 8 is an adequate baseline for a few more years.

The "Pro" lines just offer a feature extra here and there to differentiate and if there are people that might want it, without even needing it, they will take that Pro iPhone. The rest will be completely happy with their other Pro phones without the Pro monicker. 🤷‍♂️

iPhone X brought in an OLED display, and now that display is exclusive to the Pro line, if I remember correctly. So.. just marketing. Enjoy your phone and extract its potential to the fullest!
 
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Darn is it’s just marketing.

Well it’s a great phone. I was using the iPhone 11 Pro for a bit and that was nice too.

but the MAX is a better experience for me aside from being bigger to hold and use
 
I really don't agree with most that it is just marketing, or there is no reason to call it pro. I think the problem lies in the fact that there is no relativity. It's not like they came out with a phone that was less pro. Because of this, it seems the phone should not be called a pro, but I think that is a misconception. I could be wrong.
 
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I really don't agree with most that it is just marketing, or there is no reason to call it pro. I think the problem lies in the fact that there is no relativity. It's not like they came out with a phone that was less pro. Because of this, it seems the phone should not be called a pro, but I think that is a misconception. I could be wrong.

Yes they did. The normal iPhone 11.
 
Yes they did. The normal iPhone 11.

I know that. I'm saying that the gap isn't that wide between those two phones, in real world usage, so there is no other phone, other than older phones, to really quantify the "pro"ness.
 
I’m just disappointed they would re brand their high end iPhone with the term “Pro” at the end of it but not give any “Pro” features.

Like they should’ve said we’re calling it pro because now the camera “blah blah blah”

or because the “bla bla bla”

Like what features specifically make it worthy of the change in branding- specifically, call it “Pro”. I guess that’s the mystery.
 
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As others pointed out pro is just a made up name to identify the most expensive product Apple currently makes in an iOS device or Mac category.

They simply attach three letters to a product name. All this talk of something therefore being more or less pro is kinda fluffy air talk with no substance. The top model is called pro. Nothing else. It’s the current fashion. It doesn’t mean professional. It won’t turn you into a better photographer either.
 
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As others pointed out pro is just a made up name to identify the most expensive product Apple currently makes in an iOS device or Mac category.

They simply attach three letters to a product name. All this talk of something therefore being more or less pro is kinda fluffy air talk with no substance. The top model is called pro. Nothing else. It’s the current fashion. It doesn’t mean professional. It won’t turn you into a better photographer either.

Well the camera seems like a pro camera to my eye. Takes amazing photos most of the time. Sometimes they come out sketch tho. It’s hit or miss but usually they’re very nice!
 
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I’m just disappointed they would re brand their high end iPhone with the term “Pro” at the end of it but not give any “Pro” features.

Like they should’ve said we’re calling it pro because now the camera “blah blah blah”

or because the “bla bla bla”

Like what features specifically make it worthy of the change in branding- specifically, call it “Pro”. I guess that’s the mystery.

What exactly are "Pro" features and which ones do you think they should have included?
 
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I’m just disappointed they would re brand their high end iPhone with the term “Pro” at the end of it but not give any “Pro” features.

Like they should’ve said we’re calling it pro because now the camera “blah blah blah”

or because the “bla bla bla”

Like what features specifically make it worthy of the change in branding- specifically, call it “Pro”. I guess that’s the mystery.
As with the iPad (pro) and MacBook (pro), the "pro" branding likely just implies that it has extra features / functionality over the base model.

Compared to the iPhone 11, you get better cameras, battery life and display with the 11 pro. That pretty much covers the bases when it comes to smartphones.
 
I guess it really depends how you use your devices. I’m sure some people use their devices for ‘professional’ uses. I’m quite a simple user. Even my iPad Pro doesn’t really feel any more pro that any of the iPads I’ve owned before it. That’s because I don’t use the device any differently to how I’ve used my old iPads.
 
I’m just disappointed they would re brand their high end iPhone with the term “Pro” at the end of it but not give any “Pro” features.

Like they should’ve said we’re calling it pro because now the camera “blah blah blah”

or because the “bla bla bla”

Like what features specifically make it worthy of the change in branding- specifically, call it “Pro”. I guess that’s the mystery.
What in the world would make a phone “professional”?
 
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Well the camera seems like a pro camera to my eye. Takes amazing photos most of the time. Sometimes they come out sketch tho. It’s hit or miss but usually they’re very nice!
It's a good camera, but to call it "pro" in the context of professional makes no sense. Professional photographers won't be using a phone camera. They rely on DSLRs which enable precise artistic control over the photo, and high-quality lenses that can easily cost more than the camera.

To call it "pro" in the context of high-end makes more sense. For the specific class of cameras it's in (consumer smartphone cameras), it's high-end.
 
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What in the world would make a phone “professional”?

Not sure. That’s for Apple to tell us, since they’re the ones claiming it’s pro.
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What exactly are "Pro" features and which ones do you think they should have included?

Not sure. Was hoping Apple would clarify since they’re the ones calling it pro.
 
Honestly, it's just Apple bringing the iPhone in line with the rest of their product naming scheme.

Really nothing more.
 
Well the camera seems like a pro camera to my eye. Takes amazing photos most of the time. Sometimes they come out sketch tho. It’s hit or miss but usually they’re very nice!

So what does pro mean in your opinion? Please describe the term as if it were a word in the dictionary.

And if you’re then still somehow coming out thinking about professional you’re probably also using the term air to describe if something is lighter than other comparable objects.
 
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