iPhone 11 Pro Feeling ripped off after recent 11 Pro purchase.

[drygioni]

I upgraded from a 256GB 8 and I'm glad I went for the 11 (128GB, I really don't need 256 but I need more than 64). I initially thought I'd bitten off more than I could chew with the size, but a better slim case soon sorted that out.

The LCD screen looks great, as a frequent traveller I've accepted that despite having a Kindle Paperwhite I will end up using my phone to read a lot, and this is a much-needed improvement. The camera is a step up from the 8, the detail, speed and night mode are as good as advertised. FaceID I barely considered, but I couldn't go back to TouchID now. My 8 was still fast, but this blitzes most processing work I give it. Battery is a huge difference.

I don't think I'd be having as much fun with the 256GB Pro, simply because I can't stomach throwing that much cash at a phone yet. I earn decent money, but I'm decorating the house I recently moved into and I'm trying not to get carried away with tech spending when I don't need to. Maybe this is maturity!

The Pro would have been nice, but not for the £500 ($623) difference between my 11 and the 256GB Pro model (curse Apple for still sticking to 64GB for the base). I'm enjoying upgrading to a decent phone without wincing at my bank statement. I love iPhones and Apple kit, a huge leap forward would be worth £1k+ to me. Coming from an 8, a telephoto lens and OLED is something I can skip easily.

 

[unobtainium]

I bought the 11 Pro in midnight green yesterday. It’s 256GB just like my iPhone 8.

Anyway, I feel ripped off and thinking about returning it. It’s more than twice the price, but it’s not twice the phone. I was honestly looking forward to this purchase. I thought that I would be satisfied, but I’m not.

In fact, I hardly notice a difference between the two phones in terms of usefulness. The OLED is a little better, but I honestly don’t notice it. I feel that my iPhone 8 is still plenty good and fast with iOS 13. I don’t play games and I feel that I don’t need the better internal specs.

Battery life on the 11 Pro is better. That’s the only advantage that I see. Otherwise, the Pro is just too bulky and heavy. I feel that the 8 is the perfect size for one hand use.

It just feels like the latest and greatest doesn’t offer anything particularly worthy of an upgrade, especially at $600 more.

I’ve seen plenty of posts about how smartphones have reached a plateau and now I finally understand what that means.

I notice you didn’t mention the camera(s), which seems odd. Photography is sort of the main reason to upgrade this year, so if you’re not interested in that I don’t think it’s worthwhile to get the Pro. Battery life is the other big upgrade but as you mentioned that comes with a bulkier feel.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I compared the 3 new phones in the Apple Store yesterday and they are so similar I would just get the 11 if I was the OP. I’m really pleased about this though for my future purchases as it’s not going to be a difficult decision.

 

[ksec]

If you dont value anything below:

Best OLED with Natural Colour Tuning.
Better Modem
Faster CPU
More Memory for Apps Switching.
U1
WiFi 6
Much Bigger Battery
Camera - Especially with Night Mode, Any body who cares about taking photos and treasure those moment, not matter how rare you use it.

Then yes it is probably not worth it for you, dont upgrade or get the iPhone 11.

 

[TJ82]

He's best off not getting the 11 either.

If he wants the best screen, best modem etc then he can get any flagship from Samsung, LG or Huawei. They all have 5G and top end screens. Incredible cameras etc.

Apple won't be on top of their game again until next year. The X was the last time Apple put out an excellent phone relative to that year's competitors.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

If you dont value anything below:

Best OLED with Natural Colour Tuning.
Better Modem
Faster CPU
More Memory for Apps Switching.
U1
WiFi 6
Much Bigger Battery
Camera - Especially with Night Mode, Any body who cares about taking photos and treasure those moment, not matter how rare you use it.

Then yes it is probably not worth it for you, dont upgrade or get the iPhone 11.

The camera is excellent on the iPhone 11 though? Reading your post you’d think you would be unable to take a great good quality photo on anything other than the Pro! lol.

 

[Jordan921]

Ripped off? not so much. Don’t like the phone return it.

 

[jimmy_uk]

It’s a testament to how good iOS is because it works on older devices just as well as today’s latest and greatest.

The prices Apple charge are crazy expensive but people pay. You gotta pay to play. But thankfully Apple gives us options from the 7 series upwards.

Every year I want Apples latest and greatest but have been meet with the feeling that’s it’s not worth the price I’ve paid, brought on by shoddy build quality (I’ve been unlucky) and the fact that the older device I currently own still works perfectly well. Sadly this year my 7 plus feels a little dated and glitchy with constant WiFi drop outs, crackly speakers and worn oleophobic coating.

The Pro Max I bought has sharp edges on the steel band and OLED is still giving me eye strain so it’s being returned. I have the 11 but not loving it enough over my 7 plus due to its narrower build and screen which makes everything a little smaller. I also hate having a glass back, it makes my hand feel irritated. Knowing the 11 is not the best Apple has to offer plays on my mind as well because I want more for my money (did anyone say 1080p) but clearly the Pro Max is not an option.

It feels like I have to take the 11 or potentially look at Android. No point getting an 8 plus at this point.

 

[spooky23]

People need to embrace the reality. Phones are pretty much at the stage of being incremental year in and year out. Even design changes are just cosmetic and the missing features this year are hardly ground breaking. There's no magic anymore, there's no surprises - because we've peaked.

I've not upgraded for 2 years. When my phone is finally here I will enjoy the hell out of it for the next two years and then upgrade again. Regardless of what 2020 brings. Which won't be much. Even if others are waiting for the likes of 5G (meh) and other stuff like USB-C (that would be nice).

It aint a problem if you don't like a phone.

 

[hirsthirst]

I've read a lot of these forums during the launch / delivery cycle & there's a subtle change in many peoples attitude and a regrettable sense of entitlement emerging.

Maybe it's the iUP driving annual cycles & everyone else then feels the need too, but many people seem to now believe it's default that they should have a new iPhone each year & then turn around and whine that it's not as impressive as they'd hoped. Nobody made you buy it - do your research, decide the value relative to your own personal circumstances.

This "try-before-you-buy on Launch Day" mentality is driving me nuts too. The 14-day returns policy is being abused by people buying two colours, or two sizes, just to keep a favourite & return the other. This also (ultimately) drives up prices & restricts initial supply to those of us who *do* know what we want.

Go to the damn store and make a decision ...

 

[Nozuka]

The switch from the iPhone 7 to the X felt like one of the biggest upgrades, so i‘m a bit surprised by the OP.
But i agree that the bigger and fatter format takes some getting used to.

 

[eyeseeyou]

This reminds me of how I felt when I bought a GoPro because in my mind I thought if I got one then my life would be as exciting as the people in the video.My life was still the same and in reality my iPhone camera did everything I needed for what I ACTUALLY do even though the GoPro in reality could do things my iPhone couldn’t do if I used it for what it was designed for.

 

[heyyitssusan]

The switch from the iPhone 7 to the X felt like one of the biggest upgrades, so i‘m a bit surprised by the OP.
But i agree that the bigger and fatter format takes some getting used to.

Yeah. I know I have to get used to the weight, but other than that I’m happy.

 

[The Game 161]

Each to their own but going from the 8 to the pro max is a massive upgrade. The fact you don’t think so says you are just happy with your 8 and there’s nothing wrong with that. I Fail to see what you were expecting though. It’s a phone after all. If camera upgrades isn’t a big need for you then yeah maybe not worth it.

i think it says more about the quailty of older phones than it does the newer ones.

 

[lsutigerfan1976]

OP is feeling “ripped” off

 

[Adelphos33]

If you dont value anything below:

Best OLED with Natural Colour Tuning.
Better Modem
Faster CPU
More Memory for Apps Switching.
U1
WiFi 6
Much Bigger Battery
Camera - Especially with Night Mode, Any body who cares about taking photos and treasure those moment, not matter how rare you use it.

Then yes it is probably not worth it for you, dont upgrade or get the iPhone 11.

here is the thing - everything on this list except for OLED is available on the 11

 

[BODYBUILDERPAUL]

It's the price that seems to be hard to take with Apple's flagship phones and I understand where you are coming from. £1000-1500 is a lot of money for something that you carry around with you and ultimately drop/scratch - it's even worse on the UK phone carriers at £75 upwards a month - you can get a brand new car on contract hire for £99 a month!!!

If you find it big & heavy, then there are plenty of rumours about next years 12 Pro sporting a 5.4" OLED display. Personally, i'm waiting for that as I'm not keen on a large screen sizes - 5.8 being my maximum.

No reason not to take it back, spend your hard earned money on something else and wait. Years ago, I had the 4S but hated the horrible designs of the iPhone 6 and 6S and 7 and carried on well with my 4S until the X launched which I really like - although slightly smaller would be nice as these big designs do get in the way.

It's very easy for some people to get sucked into Apple's marketing obesity and then come out disappointed. Less is more in life - don't overcomplicate life with 'stuff'. (For me, that just the iPhone & MacBook - I hate the ugly design of the Apple Watch - it's horrible). Follow your heart and instinct and hang onto the things that feel right!

 

[Elitegate]

I bought the 11 Pro in midnight green yesterday. It’s 256GB just like my iPhone 8.

Anyway, I feel ripped off and thinking about returning it. It’s more than twice the price, but it’s not twice the phone. I was honestly looking forward to this purchase. I thought that I would be satisfied, but I’m not.

In fact, I hardly notice a difference between the two phones in terms of usefulness. The OLED is a little better, but I honestly don’t notice it. I feel that my iPhone 8 is still plenty good and fast with iOS 13. I don’t play games and I feel that I don’t need the better internal specs.

Battery life on the 11 Pro is better. That’s the only advantage that I see. Otherwise, the Pro is just too bulky and heavy. I feel that the 8 is the perfect size for one hand use.

It just feels like the latest and greatest doesn’t offer anything particularly worthy of an upgrade, especially at $600 more.

I’ve seen plenty of posts about how smartphones have reached a plateau and now I finally understand what that means.

Why did you buy one then? You are correct. The plateau is there and i agree.

I have also been in the Apple Store yesterday and i looked at the new phones in person for the first time (Space Gray Pro or Silver Pro looks the best btw IMO) and i came to realize that it's the same thing as the Xs / Xs Max, just with an improved camera system. Better phones yes, i mean atleast they kept the same pricing as last year, and the 11 got 50$ cheaper compared with the Xr's pricing last year.

It's just a revision of last year, an updated version. If you like them, you should get the Pro (Max) over the Xs (Max) and the 11 over the Xr. But not if you already have a Xs Max / Xr, or even X.

Well if you have the X, the Max is rather nice because of the larger screen. I know, many like smaller phones, but me? I definitely prefer the larger variant. X to Xs that's almost the same phone.

I have the 8 Plus 256 GB, my phone isn't even 1 year old. I bought it last year to replace my 3 year old 6s and i had to decide between the 8 Plus or Xr and 8 Plus won. Xr: No 3D Touch, no optical zoom, and the display is sub 1080p (but it doesn't matter because it still looks very decent. I'm impressed with Apple's 828p LCD).

I definitely want many features on my phone, which is why i got the 8 Plus last year, but i do not need the latest improvements straight-away. The biggest factor is, that the improvements have gotten minor over the last years. Especially when you consider the pricing. The 11 though has an OK price, and this phone is definitely a decent one and it will be more than enough for the average consumer.

All the new iPhones are nice, sure. But they don't really interest me. Especially not for that pricing of the Pro line.

Do i need the all-screen? Nope.
Do i need OLED? Nope. The 1080p LCD on the 8+ has 3D Touch, wide-color gamut and True Tone is fine and looks good.

Would i like an all-screen 6.5" phone? Yes of course. But not for that price. And my current iPhone was also very expensive and again it's not even 1 year old.

A couple things i miss with my 8 Plus, like a Night Mode for the Camera. Or the Portrait Mode for the Front Facing Camera (X and Xr/11 also has that).

But other than that, i am happy with the 8 Plus. I also thought that i would value the ultra-wide angle lens more than a telephoto one now, but after playing around with the 0.5x camera yesterday i definitely like the 2x optical zoom more. I'd wish Apple would give us a 3x or 5x optical zoom lens. For me, it just makes more sense to zoom into something, rather than zooming out of something if you have an optical zoom lens.

The 8 (Plus) or X are still so amazing. If i had too much money laying around and i had no idea what to do with it, yes sure i would get the Pro Max. But that's not the case and i don't even really care anymore.

The 8 Plus is far from being outdated, just because it has huge bezels or a home button. (Oh, and i also love the Taptic Engine of the 8 Plus, the feedback is so nice).

You have a 14-day return window, even when you already unboxed your phone. Return it. If you really like to upgrade your iPhone this year - get the 11 and be happy. I would do the same.

I am a huge fan of Apple. 6 years ago i watched my first Apple September Keynote live in 2013. I walked into the Apple Store a week later and i looked at the newly released 5s. Man, i wanted that phone. I was sold at the moment i picked it up and i held it in my hands. I got one a couple months later. Sure, they were like 649$ unlocked for the 16 GB, not 999$/1099$, and i only had an iPod touch back then (i was only 16) and i just wanted an iPhone after gaining interest in Apple and their products. But back then Apple had their magic. Even in 2013.

And now? I leave the store and i say: "Cool phones, but nothing i need." They don't excite me anymore.

 

[Caliber26]

Going from a 6S to an 11 Pro Max here and it’s a completely new experience. It’s everything I expected and more.

Perhaps you were caught up in the hype, you should have waited and tested out a handset in store.

I applaud your level of self-restraint. Waiting that many years to upgrade a phone in an age of hi-tech instant gratification is such a foreign concept to me and I’m kind of jealous of you in that regard.

 

[ksec]

The camera is excellent on the iPhone 11 though? Reading your post you’d think you would be unable to take a great good quality photo on anything other than the Pro! lol.

No where was this made in comparison to 11, it was a direct reply to OP which compares to iPhone 8, and I personally think the Camera in 11 is miles ahead.
[automerge]1569161613[/automerge]

here is the thing - everything on this list except for OLED is available on the 11

Yes which is why at the end of my post I said upgrade to 11.

 

[haruhiko]

If you live in a country where returning stuff isn't as easy then you may think twice before making your purchase instead of buying it first, complaining later, and returning at last. People have different priorities in life and if a much faster phone with better screen, Face ID and way better camera system doesn't feel anything special to you or if you are not in the budget of upgrading your phone, then just wait and see the reviews before buying.

 

[ugahairydawgs]

I cancelled my order and have decided to wait for the 5G model next year which will have a new form factor and pencil support, too.

* Maybe

 

[Elitegate]

You could keep your 8 or try the 11 to save some money since it seems you are not interested in the advantages of the pro version. As others have said though, you don’t really have a right to feel ripped off.

Everyone has a right to "feel" a certain way about something.

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

What was the thing you expected from the 11 Pro?

Anyone into tech knows this year knows the 11 Pro is just about the 3rd camera. Chip wise the 11 Pro is dated on release and it's not that people notice much difference with chips anyway unless coming from a much older phone. Apps open a little faster maybe, big deal. People upgrading are either coming from a much older device, or stuck in an upgrade loop sadly.

iOS13 and Apple Arcade do the heavy lifting this year, but you'll get that on any iPhone.

Explain the bolded for me please. I’m curious how a chip that is an updated and better version of the A12 from last year that still obliterates the competition being released today is “dated”.

 

[Elitegate]

Explain the bolded for me please. I’m curious how a chip that is an updated and better version of the A12 from last year that still obliterates the competition being released today is “dated”.

Exactly. Even the A11 isn't "dated". Still plenty fast and i do believe that the A11 is faster than most of the now released competition.