Not me. I specifically said I expected a premium 17P experience. Then after handling them I think that the overall feel of the 17PM is a downgrade from the 16PM. I did buy a 17PM for the cameras, but I consider it a less elegant phone than the 16PM.
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iPhone 17 Pro Can’t believe Apple released an iPhone Pro that feels this cheap.
- Thread starter Ravox
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Because different use cases means different priorities. MacBook processors are larger and produce more heat so concern about dissipation makes way more sense over a smaller pocket sized iPhone.
iPad Pro’s do feel very cheap in comparison to other apple products. They’re way too light for their size which makes them feel hollow.
I’ll ask in this thread again. Have you handled a titanium/glass iPad Pro? (Hint: you haven’t, doesn’t exist.)
We would be in a very similar thread if they made such a device for two years and then went back to aluminum again.
mansplains
macrumors 68000
looked at pros and pro max’s in store yesterday and noticed the majority of them had a little collection of white residue in the seam/crack between the glass and the aluminium at the bottom rear of the phone.
Is this poor manufacturing or is it from the glue on the security devices that hasn’t been cleaned properly. I hope it’s the latter but unfortunately no store representative was free to answer question.
Note it is present on some but not all of the phones in the store and on all the colour variants. Harder to see on silver and cosmic orange but it is there and very noticeable on blue.
Is this poor manufacturing or is it from the glue on the security devices that hasn’t been cleaned properly. I hope it’s the latter but unfortunately no store representative was free to answer question.
Note it is present on some but not all of the phones in the store and on all the colour variants. Harder to see on silver and cosmic orange but it is there and very noticeable on blue.
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What just happened here? Lol
Anyway, despite being slightly heavier, this phone feels SO much more lighter than my 16 Pro its kind of crazy. Im loving the orange, loving the finish, loving how it looks in the sienna tech woven case. Im really happy with the release and finally upgrading to 1TB
digimc
macrumors 6502
That was not your argument though. Your argument was that titanium felt better and that made the iPhone 15 Pro feel more premium. The iPhone 17 Pro Max is larger and bigger than the 15 Pro Max. Under your standards how much larger would it have to be before it would make sense to pick a material that could dissipate heat better.
All of this over a tiny part of titanium used in a previous iPhone model.
Hmm. Possibly hand lotion/moisturizer residue from a customer or employee. But, it's well known the display iPhones are not off 100% the shelf models and locked to a custom iOS version. From the teardowns that have been posted, it looks like the USB-C components might be accessible by removing the back glass. I wonder if the display phones are modified to disable USB connectivity? Seems the easiest way would be to go in the back and cut a couple of traces. The residue might be left over from the new adhesive to for the back glass?
Which i had a cheap thousand dollars to buy a new phone.
What would that thousand dollars feel like.
Time for used rubber tire phones.
They would not scratch and they would not break as easy and you could drop them from way up high and they would not break. Make them paintable and every one gets a paint kit they can design to their own liking.
There i fixed the phone issues.
Got to idiot proof sometimes.
What would that thousand dollars feel like.
Time for used rubber tire phones.
They would not scratch and they would not break as easy and you could drop them from way up high and they would not break. Make them paintable and every one gets a paint kit they can design to their own liking.
There i fixed the phone issues.
Got to idiot proof sometimes.
This started with the 15. The Titanium Frame felt so cheap compared to Stainless Steel of the X>14.
I remember back in the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 days when people would bring their 2 week old iPhones back to the Apple Store steaming with anger because somehow it was Apple’s fault they shattered their screen or scratched up the back of the phone because they used cheap materials. Reading and participating in this thread today brings back a lot of memories. And from the look of it, entitlement is little changed in all those years.
ipsedixit
macrumors regular
I can't believe people are judging the durability of an iPhone based on store demo models.
This like judging the chastity of your future wife baed on her past life as a h00ker.
Or the reliability of your "new" car that you bought off the Hertz lot.
This like judging the chastity of your future wife baed on her past life as a h00ker.
Or the reliability of your "new" car that you bought off the Hertz lot.
digimc
macrumors 6502
Excuse me for a second. Let me take the case off of my iPhone 16 Pro Max so I can enjoy the smooth feel of titanium once again. Hold on a second. One more minute. Ah there we go. Forgot what I was missing. I will say it does feel more premium though - and it's shinny. We all know that's the first rule of "premium" - shininess. One cannot have premium without shininess. And it's stronger too. Up to...oh I don't know whatever Apple said it was during the original iPhone 15 Pro event.
I wasn't paying attention.
Taking the titanium away has produced withdrawal symptoms I am afraid.
All kidding aside, I agree with you, absolutely 100%. The big problem is that Apple giveth and then taketh away. That is their sin. Even if the new aluminum unibody frame holds up better to heat, and drops to its front and back, it's the indignation of it all.
Apple never should have given us titanium. Then we wouldn't know what we are missing.
A sensible response on the forums? Blasphemy. Anyways, the discoloration isn’t even a thing I’m concerned about. Wireless charging isn’t good for the battery (due to heat and cycling), so avoid it for that reason if nothing else.
cbaca51
macrumors 6502
H_D
macrumors 6502
Both is right. The 15 and 16 pro with their glass backs and polished metal bands are super elegant, like expensive HiFi equipment.
The 17 Pro seems to change that refined design narrative to the Air as a statement piece, while bringing the Pro and Max closer to the MacBooks and UltraWatch flair, a more rugged and utilitarian EDC look. Which is ironic considering that a) aluminum is less rugged than steel or titanium and b) the current colorways don’t fit that narrative. I think that perhaps, aside from cooling, repairability, money-saving aspects this was the one way to differentiate Pro and Air. Black or Space gray missing feels like either an abodization problem or a marketing decision to use these colors in 2026. A black or dark grey 17pro will be in line with iPad, MBP and studio (which should be available in black 🙂)
So the 17 is not better or worse, it is a Icomplete rethinking of the Pro design semantics, harkening back to the mBP unibody design — with the usual problems such new paths bring. We will see if Apple paddles back with the 18 or just refines the approach.
I can say that, as with the OS housekeeping, (same numbering, same basic look and feel with Liquid Glass for all aspects of the interface design), it might make sense to unify the design language of the Hardware as well.
The 17 Pro seems to change that refined design narrative to the Air as a statement piece, while bringing the Pro and Max closer to the MacBooks and UltraWatch flair, a more rugged and utilitarian EDC look. Which is ironic considering that a) aluminum is less rugged than steel or titanium and b) the current colorways don’t fit that narrative. I think that perhaps, aside from cooling, repairability, money-saving aspects this was the one way to differentiate Pro and Air. Black or Space gray missing feels like either an abodization problem or a marketing decision to use these colors in 2026. A black or dark grey 17pro will be in line with iPad, MBP and studio (which should be available in black 🙂)
So the 17 is not better or worse, it is a Icomplete rethinking of the Pro design semantics, harkening back to the mBP unibody design — with the usual problems such new paths bring. We will see if Apple paddles back with the 18 or just refines the approach.
I can say that, as with the OS housekeeping, (same numbering, same basic look and feel with Liquid Glass for all aspects of the interface design), it might make sense to unify the design language of the Hardware as well.
I find it hilarious those that are comparing an aluminum MacBook to the aluminum iPhone. A MacBook literally stays stationary - planted on a desk when it’s being used and doesn’t move from there. The iPhone, on the other hand, is being handled every single day out in the real world while on the go, etc. Aluminum for the iPhone is literally **** and you all know it. Look how easily the new iPhones get scratched/scuffed. It was a poor choice by Apple and they brainwashed you into thinking that they made the switch for better thermals, when in reality it was to cut cost. The Pro lineup looks cheap and feels cheap.
digimc
macrumors 6502
I wish somebody would have told Apple that. Cause in that case there was no reason to add that nano texture option on the MBP screens. Since nobody uses their MBP outside in the shiny sunlight. Or those schmucks that take their MBP with them when they travel. Good thing TSA agents have never been known to toss around those cheap and crappy tin cans Apple has the nerve to call laptops.
Of course they are "laptops" meant for the
While it's proven that Steve Jobs is turning in his grave due to the lack of quality on this year's PRO-models (and also because of the ugly PRO-font), what one should keep in mind, however, is that this years PRO's are tools for professionals i.e. they were not designed for normal people.
Professionals would never complain about minor scratches, etc. Even the cosmic orange color was introduced to create distance between ordinary and professional as the shade was taken from flight recorders.
If one insists on buying a flight recorder, one should not start complaining if it scratches or stops working during an accident – and the same applies to this years PRO's. Just saying.
Professionals would never complain about minor scratches, etc. Even the cosmic orange color was introduced to create distance between ordinary and professional as the shade was taken from flight recorders.
If one insists on buying a flight recorder, one should not start complaining if it scratches or stops working during an accident – and the same applies to this years PRO's. Just saying.
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aevan
macrumors 601
Of course they do run properly. And Apple improved how 17 Pros run compared to 16, by switching to aluminium. Interesting fact: the moment iPhones switched back to aluminium, older Pros material suddenly changed its molecular structure to copium.
aevan
macrumors 601
And yet, we never stopped having aliminium iPhones since iPhone 5, and no one really complained until now.
Keniutek
macrumors 6502a
I love the ss/glass of the 14PM. I wasn't the biggest titanium fan, now i got to try aluminium and see for myself. Looks like silver is the safest bet.
The-Real-Deal82
macrumors P6
Indeed, I am surprised some still MagSafe charge judging by how hot it makes the phone. I used MagSafe for the iPhone 12 and my battery health plummeted. Unsure whether it was definitely related but the 2 iPhones I have had since have been plugged in to charge and the problem hasn't reoccured. The only thing I use MagSafe for now is the holder on the dashboard of my car. No way I'm adding unnecessary heat to the internals of my iPhone.
The-Real-Deal82
macrumors P6
It's not like Apple haven't been using Aluminium in their iPhones since the iPhone 5 though, its not suddenly a return to the old days. The standard iPhones are aluminium every year and I haven't seen threads full of complaints about the issue. I will say the Pro's do not feel as refined in the hand this year, but in reality, don't the vast majority of users use cases anyway? I know some will come here and give a personal account of how they never use cases bla bla bla, but most do, so dents and scratches are less of an issue on the whole. My iPhone 16 Pro Max has a body made from aluminium with a very thin titanium frame around the outer edge. My only complaint about the new Pro's is the fact Apple have used aluminium around the camera lenses, when they could have used titanium rings there to add a layer of durability. There has already been reports of chipping here on the coloured Pro's. Hopefully they address that with the 18 Pro's.