iPhone 13 Pro Max Has anyone “downgraded” their iPhone?

[Bearygoodfries1]

Hey everyone!

I’m wondering if anyone here has “downgraded” their iPhone.

By that, I mean something like going from an iPhone 13 Pro Max to an iPhone SE 2020.

What were the reasons? Any regrets?

 

[dstow]

Yes - Went from an iPhone 13 to an SE 2020 due to the OLED display causing nausea and eye-strain

Regrets being that I have to use an obsolete device solely due to a display incompatibility, but I'm not alone

Hopefully the SE 3 2022 uses a liquid retina LCD, or Apple can improve the OLED issues in the future but I'm not holding my breath

 

[Shadowbech]

No. Once I go big, i can never go something small. Plus SE 2020 it too small for me to hold.

 

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

I miss my Nokia 7110...???

I wish there was an app that would let me emulate it, including the ultra-cool flippy-out bit...

 

[ericwn]

Why are you considering the switch?

 

[now i see it]

Most of the people who can’t tolerate the flickering iPhone OLED screens went back to an LCD display.

 

[Geoff777]

A bit off-topic but.... my last iPhone was an 8, moved from that to Huawei P40 Pro because of the stunning camera. Knocked the spots off any iPhone. But the phone part became a pain, and it's now showing signs of imminent failure (switching off on its own, rapid loss of power, non-responsive touch etc.) so I was thinking of returning to iPhone.

Family offered me a 13 for Christmas ..... I checked them out in the Apple store and frankly, have never been so underwhelmed. Same as the 8, really, nothing's changed. A bit quicker, a bit slicker but absolutely nothing to bring me back. The camera is still garbage (2022, 12MP... wow!!!).

I used to get pretty excited about upgrading Apple gear.... now I feel like I'm being ripped off.

I probably will get an iPhone again, but the enthusiasm has gone.

 

[eyoungren]

The camera is still garbage (2022, 12MP... wow!!!).

Always curious as to why people need such powerful cameras. I can understand if you're a pro and it's a matter of using what's at hand. But most pros seem to buy a dedicated camera.

I also get that people want their vacation and social media photos to be the best they can, but what is this attraction to really high-end cams in a portable phone?

Finally, and I grant this. I don't use my phone cam for much. Pretty much most of my pics are stuff I take to show other people what I am seeing or my wife what's on the shelves at Walmart (so she can tell me what product to get). Most people have a little more use for their phone cameras.

So, you shake your head at 12MP, but is 12MP really necessary so my wife can choose what flavor of Ben & Jerrys to get?

I mean really, why is is necessary to have such a camera in a phone that allows you to take pictures from space?

 

[stanza.richi]

because if you are paying 1 or 2 k for a smartphone maybe you want the best and not a camera that is worst then one from a 400 phone ??‍♂️

 

[ericwn]

A bit off-topic but.... my last iPhone was an 8, moved from that to Huawei P40 Pro because of the stunning camera. Knocked the spots off any iPhone. But the phone part became a pain, and it's now showing signs of imminent failure (switching off on its own, rapid loss of power, non-responsive touch etc.) so I was thinking of returning to iPhone.

Family offered me a 13 for Christmas ..... I checked them out in the Apple store and frankly, have never been so underwhelmed. Same as the 8, really, nothing's changed. A bit quicker, a bit slicker but absolutely nothing to bring me back. The camera is still garbage (2022, 12MP... wow!!!).

I used to get pretty excited about upgrading Apple gear.... now I feel like I'm being ripped off.

I probably will get an iPhone again, but the enthusiasm has gone.

The phone is completely different from an 8 and just because it’s also 12 MP doesn’t mean the overall image quality is the same.
Higher megapixel counts don’t necessarily make better photos.

 

[eyoungren]

because if you are paying 1 or 2 k for a smartphone maybe you want the best and not a camera that is worst then one from a 400 phone ??‍♂️

But a camera isn't why I'm buying a phone. It's never been the reason. They just put one in there and then people decided they liked it.

I don't pay 1 or 2 k for a camera and want the best calling and texting capability with it.

 

[ericwn]

because if you are paying 1 or 2 k for a smartphone maybe you want the best and not a camera that is worst then one from a 400 phone

We are talking standard iPhone 13 which doesn’t cost 1K. Which 400 $ device are you claiming is superior or equal in photo output?

 

[xboxbml]

Always curious as to why people need such powerful cameras. I can understand if you're a pro and it's a matter of using what's at hand. But most pros seem to buy a dedicated camera.

I also get that people want their vacation and social media photos to be the best they can, but what is this attraction to really high-end cams in a portable phone?

Finally, and I grant this. I don't use my phone cam for much. Pretty much most of my pics are stuff I take to show other people what I am seeing or my wife what's on the shelves at Walmart (so she can tell me what product to get). Most people have a little more use for their phone cameras.

So, you shake your head at 12MP, but is 12MP really necessary so my wife can choose what flavor of Ben & Jerrys to get?

I mean really, why is is necessary to have such a camera in a phone that allows you to take pictures from space?

Why powerful cameras? They're called grandkids... To have great clear spectacular pics of them, and beautiful scenery on vacations? Priceless IMO!

 

[eyoungren]

Why powerful cameras? They're called grandkids... To have great clear spectacular pics of them, and beautiful scenery on vacations? Priceless IMO!

Well…maybe when I have grandkids, IDK.

I have two kids right now, 18 and 13. We took pictures with whatever camera we had for the event (including cell phones). I guess picture taking just isn't our thing.

 

[Quackington]

Well…downgraded in size, yes. I went from an iPhone 11 (regular size) to a 13 Mini this week. The 11 was still functioning perfectly fine, it was just too big and causing me carpal tunnel issues.

I honestly haven’t noticed any speed improvements, so software on the 11 worked just as well as when I bought it.

Honestly, I like the smaller size but it’s definitely an adjustment after using a bigger phone for the past two years. It’s going to take some getting used to, along with the shorter battery life. As long as I can get through the day with battery, I’ll be fine with it. The slightly smaller keyboard due to the smaller screen is taking some adjusting to, even thought it was pretty much this size when I had an iPhone 6.

I’ll see how I get on, may decide to go back to a bigger phone but I think even the iPhone 12’s width is a little shorter than the 11, which for some reason is quite wide compared to other phones.

 

[Vegas33139]

Well, if you can call it a downgrade, then yeh. I've had iPhones since the day dot. Increasingly, over the past couple of years, I've become either bored or miffed at the growing complexity and messyness of IOS. I swear to God I prefer the old IOS versions. Anyway. Long story short. A friend of mine bought the Pixel 5a and was blown away by it's performance, price and quality of camera etc etc.


This got me thinking - shall I give it a go? Well, I did, and hand-on-heart, I can't, sadly, see me coming back to iPhone anytime soon. A downgrade? I suppose some will see it as that. But, my excitement and enthusiasm in mobile tech has once again been reignited by this little, cheap, and miraculous box of tricks known as the Google Pixel 5a.

 

[IowaLynn]

13 Mini now. Came from S21 Ultra. Had the 11 Pro before that. I loved the iphone X and the mini is smaller but close, and light as can be.

oh yes the mini fits in shirt pocket (or your hand, even though I can palm a basketball I don’t want to all the time). 25 yrs ago had CTS and sprained my wrists during a fall, so that might factor in.

Bought IPP 11” but decided against and keeping my iPad mini 5. Another downsize I suppose. Also have a 12.8” Surface Go laptop that I prefer over older larger Surface Laptop 2 13.3”.

 

[danny842003]

A bit off-topic but.... my last iPhone was an 8, moved from that to Huawei P40 Pro because of the stunning camera. Knocked the spots off any iPhone. But the phone part became a pain, and it's now showing signs of imminent failure (switching off on its own, rapid loss of power, non-responsive touch etc.) so I was thinking of returning to iPhone.

Family offered me a 13 for Christmas ..... I checked them out in the Apple store and frankly, have never been so underwhelmed. Same as the 8, really, nothing's changed. A bit quicker, a bit slicker but absolutely nothing to bring me back. The camera is still garbage (2022, 12MP... wow!!!).

I used to get pretty excited about upgrading Apple gear.... now I feel like I'm being ripped off.

I probably will get an iPhone again, but the enthusiasm has gone.

Megapixel is a terrible metric to judge a camera on.
I get camera preferences are subjective but just saying it’s garbage is a ridiculous statement.
I don’t think there’s a premium smart phone available today with an objectively bad camera even if you prefer something different.

 

[Populus]

I am really considering downgrading from the 13 mini that I got my hands on during this holidays, in favor of the upcoming SE 2022. But I’m really confused TBH.

13 mini is awesome, but on my day to day, each time I want to unlock it, I must enter the passcode BECAUSE OF THE FACE MASK, and it’s a pain doing it 40 times per day. And no, I’m not willing to buy an Apple Watch.

With my iPhone 8 I am able to unlock it easily wearing a face mask, but the 13 mini requires me the passcode.

Here, in Europe, most people wear a mask (and I want to), and recently our government has mandated the use of masks even on the street, so using a Face ID on the street, on the work, etc is impossible.

Using the passcode, is both insecure and uncomfortable. The only thing I can consider is unlocking it and keeping it unlocked for like 10 minutes.

Otherwise I love this 13 mini. It’s my dream Smartphone, the screen is much better, the cameras are outstanding, and the battery is awesome (for someone with an iPhone 8 anyways). So I really, really want this iPhone. But the issue with Face ID will probably make me return it and wait for the SE 2022, which is basically an iPhone 8 with an A15 and 5G. Is what I want? No. Is what I need? Probably yes.

 

[IowaLynn]

Assume you redid Fae ID. Also, definitely redo as alternative, even same as before. It shouldn't cause trouble. At home I leave it unlocked, no timeout.

 

[tedley]

Why powerful cameras? They're called grandkids... To have great clear spectacular pics of them, and beautiful scenery on vacations? Priceless IMO!

I have grandkids too. My 8plus does great for those types of photos. You don’t need the latest and greatest for Casual stuff like candid family pics. I’m into photography and have a 24mp Nikon. If I’m Really concerned about the quality. Of the pics, I bring out the DSLR, choose the correct lens and shoot away.

 

[Quackington]

I am really considering downgrading from the 13 mini that I got my hands on during this holidays, in favor of the upcoming SE 2022. But I’m really confused TBH.

13 mini is awesome, but on my day to day, each time I want to unlock it, I must enter the passcode BECAUSE OF THE FACE MASK, and it’s a pain doing it 40 times per day. And no, I’m not willing to buy an Apple Watch.

With my iPhone 8 I am able to unlock it easily wearing a face mask, but the 13 mini requires me the passcode.

Here, in Europe, most people wear a mask (and I want to), and recently our government has mandated the use of masks even on the street, so using a Face ID on the street, on the work, etc is impossible.

Using the passcode, is both insecure and uncomfortable. The only thing I can consider is unlocking it and keeping it unlocked for like 10 minutes.

Otherwise I love this 13 mini. It’s my dream Smartphone, the screen is much better, the cameras are outstanding, and the battery is awesome (for someone with an iPhone 8 anyways). So I really, really want this iPhone. But the issue with Face ID will probably make me return it and wait for the SE 2022, which is basically an iPhone 8 with an A15 and 5G. Is what I want? No. Is what I need? Probably yes.

Funny story re. unlocking and face masks. I’ve just gone from an iPhone 11 to a 13 Mini because I wanted something smaller. With my iPhone 11, even with my face mask on, my phone would unlock with Face ID! I don’t even have an Apple Watch.

But since upgrading to the 13 Mini, it no longer works. I guess the 13 has better Face ID tech?

 

[Populus]

Funny story re. unlocking and face masks. I’ve just gone from an iPhone 11 to a 13 Mini because I wanted something smaller. With my iPhone 11, even with my face mask on, my phone would unlock with Face ID! I don’t even have an Apple Watch.

But since upgrading to the 13 Mini, it no longer works. I guess the 13 has better Face ID tech?

It is definitely an upgraded tech, yeah. The cameras, the array, is an upgraded Face ID module, and maybe that’s making it impossible to trick.

I’m probably gonna wait until next WWDC. If Apple releases a software update to make Face ID mask-compatible, either in the spring as a minor update to iOS 15, or it is announced at WWDC as an iOS 16 feature, I’ll get the iPhone 13 mini. Otherwise, I’m getting an SE3 (unannounced). With all the pain of my heart, because I really like the 13 mini, it is an awesome device. But I’ve decided I don’t want to spend the next 4, 5, 6 years entering the passcode on my smartphone.

 

[MarkX]

A bit off-topic but.... my last iPhone was an 8, moved from that to Huawei P40 Pro because of the stunning camera. Knocked the spots off any iPhone. But the phone part became a pain, and it's now showing signs of imminent failure (switching off on its own, rapid loss of power, non-responsive touch etc.) so I was thinking of returning to iPhone.

Family offered me a 13 for Christmas ..... I checked them out in the Apple store and frankly, have never been so underwhelmed. Same as the 8, really, nothing's changed. A bit quicker, a bit slicker but absolutely nothing to bring me back. The camera is still garbage (2022, 12MP... wow!!!).

I used to get pretty excited about upgrading Apple gear.... now I feel like I'm being ripped off.

I probably will get an iPhone again, but the enthusiasm has gone.

Megapixels is not the measure of how good a camera is!

Marques Brownlee just released a video of a blind camera comparison with dozens of phones, can you guess how many megapixels the winner had?

 

[The.Glorious.Son]

Yes I’ve downgraded from the 11 Pro series to the regular 11, from the 12 series back to my 11. And now the 13 series back to my 11. Reason: PWM sensitivity.