Other I'm going to get an iPhone for the first time in years, need input

[mclld]

First of all I'm not one of these nerds who care about phone brand and not loyal to any company so no need for that energy


I don't buy phones new due to being thrifty and I don't need to have the latest and greatest. I usually use a phone a generation or two behind. I am very rough on my phones and I have only had one iPhone before and that was a 13 Pro Max and was a great phone other than the camera. I have had numerous iPads and Macs and Apple makes good hardware in my experiences so thought I would opt to spend a little more than I normally do and try an iPhone this time.


I usually use a Pixel and that had been my phone for years and while I like them I always have had some issues even if minor in hardware, the cameras are always excellent. My biggest need from a phone is camera (photos) and battery life. Right now I have a 16 Pro Max in my cart on Amazon that is renewed for 776. If I buy that, it will be the most I have spent on a phone and don't really want to if I can get a lower model so I thought I would post here for real owner opinions and not tech reviewers.

My current phone is a Pixel 8 Pro so I want a phone with at least as good photo quality, I don't care about selfies so the selfie camera is irrelevant. Which iPhones would match Pixel 8 Pro or surpass it in photo quality? If I can get one cheaper than the 16 Pro Max I will gladly take it.


One more issue that going to an iPhone might be a problem is my Google Home Max and Nest Audio speakers I use on a regular basis. If I get an iPhone, is there a reliable and easy work around to using these speakers?

 

[HouseLannister]

16PM will take equal or better photos than a Pixel 8 Pro, IMO. If you are used to Pixel photos, you will probably think they are a bit oversaturated until you get used to it.
Battery life would be better than your Pixel unless the battery was driven hard during the first year someone owned it. Be prepared to drop an extra $119 on a new battery if it is in rough shape.

You could go down to a 15PM and it would be lighter, but run a tad hotter, have a slightly smaller battery, and a 12MP ultrawide instead of a 48 MP (don't know if you do macro photography).

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max - specs comparison

Compare Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max with our phone comparison tool and get side-by-side specifications.

www.phonearena.com

You could also consider a Pixel 10 Pro or 10 Pro XL. Battery life is not quite as good as an iPhone Pro Max model, but they are plenty decent. They are frequently $200-300 off, MVNOs like Mint are selling them with 1 year of free service, and there are people in the Macrumors Android subforum giving away promo codes for extra savings regularly: https://forums.macrumors.com/forums/alternatives-to-ios.157/

 

[mclld]

I can get a Pixel 10 Pro cheaper on Amazon than that iPhone but thinking about iphone this time still

 

[okkibs]

Videos will always come out better on the iPhone but iPhones can at best match the Pixels in photo quality. I use both and the 17 Pro is really the only one that even matches the Pixel specs now with all 3 sensors at 48MP. If you want the best camera get a 17 Pro, sometimes you can find one second-hand from someone switching back to Android for example.

If your priority is the budget then you get more phone for the money with the Pixels. The 17 Pro is just the better allrounder especially since it has better battery life as well but Apple charges a lot for it. And both Pixels and iPhones get roughly the same amount of software support. To me the iPhone is a better package because you also get actual stores to go to for battery replacements and Google doesn't offer the same simple Applecare package (I need it because I always end up dropping my phone and shattering the screen).

If you don't want to spend the money on a 17 Pro you might honestly prefer a Pixel 10 Pro (XL). I guess a 16 Pro is fine too and many of the camera improvements on the 17 Pro were for video anyways and not for photography. But your mileage may vary depending on the condition the used 16 Pro is in. It might need a new battery or if it's "refurbished" it might not have been serviced properly, you won't know if the seals are in place for the water resistance for example.

If you want a flagship for under a grand I'd get the Pixel. I recently upgraded to the 17 Pro and in my opinion it's worth spending more on especially since they come with a 1TB storage option which I absolutely need to make proper use of the camera for filming.

And in terms of "expensive" or not: My Pixel 4 stopped receiving updates barely 3 years in. My Pixel 4a was affected by the battery "update" and was entirely bricked by Google. The Pixel 6 Pro was okay but battery life was outright bad and I had over 1000 charge cycles just 2 years in. Then the screen started flickering which was apparently a software issue because it no longer does that now but it still wasn't a great experience. Long story short the Pixels never last for me. I can use an iPhone twice as long. Also easier to get a fresh battery installed (no I don't want to open up a tiny phone on my own, I am aware I could get a genuine Google Pixel battery from iFixit).

 

[mclld]

Don't care about the storage and video and definitely not spending the money on a 17. The 16pm I'm looking at is Amazon renewed, not sure if that is just a fancy way of saying used

 

[rwh63]

renewed 13 mini w/256gb. done.

 

[StageMomma]

Don't care about the storage and video and definitely not spending the money on a 17. The 16pm I'm looking at is Amazon renewed, not sure if that is just a fancy way of saying used

Yes. It is used.

The google home app is available on iPhone and if you use YouTube Music, you can play from your phone to your nest devices.

 

[I7guy]

The 15PM is a decent phone. Of course every yearly release has additional capabilities and improves various aspects, but it’s more than capable. But if you are locked in to the 16Pm I don’t thing you can go wrong.