iPhone 17 Pro I tried to pull the trigger on 17 Pro and couldn't

[IIGS User]

The reason I am not upgrading is I can't afford it this year. I am sure it's a great phone. I have an iPhone 16 PM

I have a 16PM and ultimately decided to punt on the upgrade as well for various reasons. One being I just laid out over $2K for a new 16" MBP which I wanted more than a new phone. I'm happy with that move. I could upgrade to the 17PM through Verizon and pay$200+ activation to do it if I send the old phone back. I usually would scrounge up the $200 and make it happen but right now I'm just not feeling it. So I'll stick to my gut. The 16PM still has 100% battery capacity after a year of use (which really surprises me. I'm sure someone will call BS on this line, but this is what my system settings say) and I have it covered under AppleCare so I didn't see the point.

At first the orange color of the 17PM was a "WTF" moment when I saw it. I was like how hideous is that! In the past week it's grown on me and now I want it. Alas, it's sold out right now. So for now I'll keep the 16PM and keep paying my VZW contract down. When I hit 50% in about 6 months the 17PM's will be plentiful and I will be able to upgrade for nothing out of pocket. So maybe I become the guy who updates mid product cycle for now.

I suppose it's wants and needs. I would like to go get a 17PM in orange right now. I have spent my money on other things I thought were better off chasing my money (my old MBP was an M1 and I wanted a bigger screen). My 16PM is still a great phone and does all the latest stuff. So I'm good for now.

But for some reason that orange got its hooks in me and I can't explain why. Only thing I own that's orange is stuff with "Philadelphia Flyers" written on it.

 

[Performa 6300]

So I wanted to get my hands on the new 17 Pro with the intention of buying one in the Silver color. I picked one up in the Apple Store and honestly it felt pretty much the same as my 13 Pro (size & weight). If it weighed a little less that would have been a plus. Better camera?... sure but then again I don't take 48 megapixel photos on a day to day basis and probably wouldn't anyway and I don't care about 8X optical zoom vs my 4X which is plenty for me.
All in all I was very under impressed with the new 17 offering, especially now with the scratchgate issues.
My 13 Pro, which by the way looks almost brand new with not a single scratch still has 84% battery life.....
I will look forward to the 18 series next year.....

I just got the 17 Pro Max, was upgrading from a 12 Pro Max and it's night and day for me. It's a better phone across the board but my expectations for tech may be more grounded than others. Marketing is both a blessing and a curse for companies and sometimes will set the bar too high for consumers.

We're at the point of diminishing returns with this tech, the phone can only be so fast before it doesn't matter, the screen can only be so good until you can't tell the difference and the camera can only get so good until you don't really notice or need it, etc,etc,etc . The battery life still has room to grow as does the software but hardware wise for the most part these phones are at a point where they're so good that most people aren't going to notice or need it and that includes 12-17.

Moving forward, getting the new iPhone every year or two won't be a thing for most people and Apple knows this, it's why they've branched out to watches/VR/speakers/etc.

 

[jntdroid]

…I suppose it's wants and needs…

Great point. I mean, isn’t all this ultimately about that? And people will have different wants and needs based on their situation and what they like or don’t like. And I hate to break it to forum goers (myself included), but it’s possible that regardless of how objectively “better” you might think something is, there’s going to be some personal bias on both sides of that discussion, it’s inevitable.

 

[FattiesGoneWild]

So I wanted to get my hands on the new 17 Pro with the intention of buying one in the Silver color. I picked one up in the Apple Store and honestly it felt pretty much the same as my 13 Pro (size & weight). If it weighed a little less that would have been a plus. Better camera?... sure but then again I don't take 48 megapixel photos on a day to day basis and probably wouldn't anyway and I don't care about 8X optical zoom vs my 4X which is plenty for me.
All in all I was very under impressed with the new 17 offering, especially now with the scratchgate issues.
My 13 Pro, which by the way looks almost brand new with not a single scratch still has 84% battery life.....
I will look forward to the 18 series next year.....

That’s called coping friend. You made every excuse to try and not justify it. Going from a 13 Pro to 17 Pro is a good upgrade.

 

[GuruZac]

I tried to pull the trigger in the 17 Pro Max, and it was too easy, so I did. I personally love the new more industrial design philosophy. Better cameras front and back, amazing battery, brighter display, faster charging, much better cooling and less screen dimming, 12GB of RAM. From 15 Pro Max, easy decision.

 

[aevan]

I just read the title of the post and immediately thought, it would be so good if the actual content was: "....because my wife wouldn't let me." And that's it, the post ends there.

 

[digitalcuriosity]

For me it's if the 17 Pro is a much better phone all around then my 15 Pro i sure did not like what i was reading about the 16 Pro, so now the question for me is how good is the 17 Pros all around not just the cameras or the battery but how well it works in general.

 

[Herr Podspro]

You know, I still have yet to really use either. I think, at least for me. Camera control is much more cumbersome to use. But it is very nice to open the camera every now and then. I still catch myself using the lock screen mostly though.

The action button for me is just used to turn off the ringer. I know I should set it up for other things. I just, I don’t have the motivation. lol

You’re absolutely right about the action button. I have set it up for the ringer too, because I hate the camera shutter sound when taking pictures or screenshots in public.
That’s why I think the camera button is nice to open the camera, because I’d like to use the action button to open the camera as the on screen buttons and gesture aren’t too reliable in low power mode or with wet or dirty fingers.

 

[Herr Podspro]

For me, going from 13 Pro to 15 Pro, the camera quality went down the toilet because of the forced bokeh effect that surrounds the centre of the shot. This severely downgraded the qulity of my scans, and I use my iPhone to scan documents regularly.



This may be the biggest difference between the two. For me, it's a huge change to not have to take out my lightning connector for this one device, as I can charge it with any USB-C cable we have. Charging can be a nuissance, which I am seeing as now fewer of my devices are lightning.



Another thing I value quite a bit now, whereas before getting the 15 Pro I didn't want to use the Dynamic Island. It's very useful and I have stuff on there quite often. I'd even go so far as to say that when Apple finally removes all hardware obstacles and gives us a clean display, I hope they keep the Dynamic Island as a software option that we can toggle on.

So I generally agree with what you wrote, but there are these details that can matter a lot.

Today, after having used my 15 Pro for 18 months, if I were to go back in time and choose again whether to upgrade, I would do it for two reasons mainly - USB-C and more RAM. But I never stop regretting the loss of stainless steel, that one hurts.

I think you’re unconsciously using the ultra wide for the scans.

 

[zkap]

I think you’re unconsciously using the ultra wide for the scans.

the Lens app automatically uses the lens that was used in the Camera app, so no. This is the most polite way that I can reply to something like this.

 

[Herr Podspro]

the Lens app automatically uses the lens that was used in the Camera app, so no. This is the most polite way that I can reply to something like this.

The lens that was used in the camera app? What does that mean, that the last used camera is used as the scan camera?
Otherwise, if you say that the camera is chosen and adjusted like it is in the main camera app, then the ultra wide would be chosen for some close pictures or scans, like ID cards.
There has been a thread a while ago of a person noticing their baby pics or whatever weren’t sharp anymore after upgrading. That’s because of the minimum focal length or something like that of the main camera. You have to move subjects further away than before to have them in focus.
I don’t understand why you have to be so rude.

 

[Charlesrfinal]

New iPhone is definitely better but not a lot better, spending over $1000 may worth it for some people, but not for me.

For something that you use, hold, and interact with more than 100 times a day, for me it’s worth it.

 

[apple2022]

I don’t understand these posts.

13 pro to 17 pro

Better cellular modem, better camera’s, better WiFi modem, better screen, better battery, USB-C, satellite connectivity, better processor, seemingly stronger screen, Dynamic Island, ray tracing.

If you don’t like the phone. Fine. But the 17 pro is definitely a better phone than the 13 pro.

you know what's crazy is that I never once from my iPhone 5S to my 7 to my 12 mini to my 15 Pro have I ever thought "i wish my internet was faster. I wish my camera was better. I wish the wifi was faster" I'm happy to have better stuff when I update but my life would be identical if I had an iPhone 5S with a new battery.

 

[A1423]

you know what's crazy is that I never once from my iPhone 5S to my 7 to my 12 mini to my 15 Pro have I ever thought "i wish my internet was faster. I wish my camera was better. I wish the wifi was faster" I'm happy to have better stuff when I update but my life would be identical if I had an iPhone 5S with a new battery.

Better isn’t always only speed. After having it for a week.

I 100% have better reception with my 17pm than my 16pm. And I’m gonna say my phone picks up my driveway AP ALOT faster and from farther away.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Wait until you drop it once. I go without a case, and I went from 15 PM to Air. Couldn’t stand the cheap aluminum build which shouldn’t be for a phone. It doesn’t make sense. Apple can say it’s due to thermal dissipation all they want but the bottom line is it’a a fraction of the price to use aluminum as titanium. Aluminum is cheaper than plastic right now!!!

Titanium doesn't dissipate the heat as well as aluminum.

 

[Racineur]

So I wanted to get my hands on the new 17 Pro with the intention of buying one in the Silver color. I picked one up in the Apple Store and honestly it felt pretty much the same as my 13 Pro (size & weight). If it weighed a little less that would have been a plus. Better camera?... sure but then again I don't take 48 megapixel photos on a day to day basis and probably wouldn't anyway and I don't care about 8X optical zoom vs my 4X which is plenty for me.
All in all I was very under impressed with the new 17 offering, especially now with the scratchgate issues.
My 13 Pro, which by the way looks almost brand new with not a single scratch still has 84% battery life.....
I will look forward to the 18 series next year.....

You're not ready to let go of your 13 Pro in your head and you probably won't be for an 18 Pro either. I say that cause I've been thinking the same with my 11 for 4 years before settling for a 16 Plus ( I have light needs). You'll feel it when you're ready to move but there's nothing wrong or bad to hold to your 13 Pro. Surely it still suits your needs.

 

[ThailandToo]

Titanium doesn't dissipate the heat as well as aluminum.

Did I contradict that? I stated it in my post. Apple can say that’s why they did it but it’s due to cost more than anything. Aluminum still doesn’t make for a good external material of a phone. One drop and it’s ruined.

 

[rui no onna]

you know what's crazy is that I never once from my iPhone 5S to my 7 to my 12 mini to my 15 Pro have I ever thought "i wish my internet was faster. I wish my camera was better. I wish the wifi was faster" I'm happy to have better stuff when I update but my life would be identical if I had an iPhone 5S with a new battery.

I still have my old 5S and nope, wouldn't want to use it now. A7+1GB RAM even on iOS 12 would be too frustrating for modern web browsing.

Mind, I frequently think I wish my internet was faster but that's mostly because my cellular signal sucks and I've tried all 3 major carriers. 0.10-1Mbps upload with high ping.

 

[drugdoubles]

Titanium doesn't dissipate the heat as well as aluminum.

Apple should use tech way to solve heat issue instead of using cheap material

 

[Johnny Steps]

So I wanted to get my hands on the new 17 Pro with the intention of buying one in the Silver color. I picked one up in the Apple Store and honestly it felt pretty much the same as my 13 Pro (size & weight). If it weighed a little less that would have been a plus. Better camera?... sure but then again I don't take 48 megapixel photos on a day to day basis and probably wouldn't anyway and I don't care about 8X optical zoom vs my 4X which is plenty for me.
All in all I was very under impressed with the new 17 offering, especially now with the scratchgate issues.
My 13 Pro, which by the way looks almost brand new with not a single scratch still has 84% battery life.....
I will look forward to the 18 series next year.....

Go for the iPhone Air.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Better cellular modem - wont notice in everyday use, only on paper

Better camera - on paper yes, everyday snapshots regular user wont notice much dofference

Better screen - regural user wont notice difference with eyes

USB-C - who cares about the port lol

Satellite - umm yeah, we use this constantly /s

Better processor - in normal use no one will ever notice

Stronger screen - dont drop you phone

Dynamic island - after using any phone for 30 seconds you wont notice the notch no matter what type it is

Ray tracing - no one uses this



So when switching only thing you get is just lighter wallet. Apple knows marketing. Same phones from iPhone X (with sharper edges from 12)

All you did was describe your inability to perceive tech upgrades. Many other folks are capable of perceiving tech upgrades, and find those upgrades well worth the small daily cost of less than half a cup of black coffee at Starbucks.

In particular you denigrate the camera improvements. Of course you may choose to maintain your image captures at a lesser quality, but many others appreciate the significant improvements in image capture competence.

I could go on about the value of other things that you blow off, but I will not bother. Suffice to say to YMMV, but do not pretend "only thing you get is just lighter wallet. Apple knows marketing."

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Sounds like the phone is just another tool to you, and there is nothing wrong with that. Once you realize it is in fact, just a tool to help with specific tasks, the differences between iterations of these devices as highlighted by the marketing become way less important.

Back when I upgraded from the 11 series to the 15 series, I honestly only did it because my young one was of an age where it made sense for him to have a phone, so he got my 11PM as a hand-me-down. There wasn’t anything compelling about the new one for the tasks I actually use it for.

You claim
"Once you realize it is in fact, just a tool to help with specific tasks, the differences between iterations of these devices as highlighted by the marketing become way less important."

I could not disagree more. And I have "...realize it is in fact, just a tool to help with specific tasks" since the v1 iPhone. Many of us analyze performance (e.g. cameras being the most blatantly obvious) rather than simplistically what is "highlighted by the marketing" as you state.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

I went from a 13 Pro to my current 16 Pro, and I *still* like the 13 Pro's cameras better than my 16.. The processing just kills any natural shadows and makes everything lighter, including areas that shouldn't be.

All-in-all, it was the most lackluster upgrade I have had on iPhone..the only difference I really like is usb-c. This will probably be the last Pro model iPhone I own.

Set the 16 Pro camera to RAW and hold it still. You will get far better captures than the 13 Pro.

 

[Sami13496]

All you did was describe your inability to perceive tech upgrades. Many other folks are capable of perceiving tech upgrades, and find those upgrades well worth the small daily cost of less than half a cup of black coffee at Starbucks.

In particular you denigrate the camera improvements. Of course you may choose to maintain your image captures at a lesser quality, but many others appreciate the significant improvements in image capture competence.

I could go on about the value of other things that you blow off, but I will not bother. Suffice to say to YMMV, but do not pretend "only thing you get is just lighter wallet. Apple knows marketing."

I replied to a person who wrote to the OP that they “don’t understand these posts,” implying that the OP’s view is simply wrong. I responded in a similar style, with the intention of showing that there are always two sides and perspectives to a matter.

I’m perfectly capable of perceiving tech upgrades, especially when they’re meaningful. I see it differently than you then. For me there’s very little that’s actually new beyond Apple’s marketing spin.

Your response reads more like a personal jab than a counter-argument, which to me suggests my original point hit a nerve.

 

[Imperial926]

Reading all these posts I would be fascinated to know just which Pro features are used over and above the standard 17. Bearing in mind that as a passive device all the phones are now more or less equal it is the active, creative aspect of using a Pro that should define the purchase. I doubt that most users actually use the full capabilities of these devices. Like buying a Ferrari but not having the driving skills to manage it’s full potential!