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where do you get the 3.5/7x zoom from?
Some rumours have it at 3.5X, lower than the current 5X. However, if it is 48 MP at 3.5X, then it can be cropped to 12 MP at 7X without digital interpolation. Apple calls this "optical" zoom.

For example, this is how the 16e gets 1X and 2X with a camera with just one lens.

Screenshot 2025-07-18 at 5.18.24 PM.png


Screenshot 2025-07-18 at 5.19.36 PM.png
 
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Some rumours have it at 3.5X, lower than the current 5X. However, if it is 48 MP at 3.5X, then it can be cropped to 12 MP at 7X without digital interpolation. Apple calls this "optical" zoom.

For example, this is how the 16e gets 1X and 2X with a camera with just one lens.

View attachment 2529853

View attachment 2529855
ok, 3.5 would be disappointing for me, and the "crop zoom" is just not "optical zoom" in my book as a DSLR hobbyist.
My wish would be for a 4th camera at like 10x.

Guess will have to wait for specs at release
 
I mean, I feel like an orange phone will look dated very soon as it’s not timeless, kinda very 60s/70s, but I’d love to see it with a rich deep green case where the orange just becomes a nice accent from within.
 
ok, 3.5 would be disappointing for me, and the "crop zoom" is just not "optical zoom" in my book as a DSLR hobbyist.
My wish would be for a 4th camera at like 10x.

Guess will have to wait for specs at release
Well. Leica dos it exactly like this in their fixed lense cameras. Q3.
43mm/28mm full frame lense, offering a digital crop of e.g. 90, 120 and 150mm with its 60 mega pixel sensor. I suppose you’ll still be able to at least print a postcard size image at 5 megapixel.
Obviously the full frame sensor will always yield better results but you can’t change physics.

 
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ok, 3.5 would be disappointing for me, and the "crop zoom" is just not "optical zoom" in my book as a DSLR hobbyist.
My wish would be for a 4th camera at like 10x.

Guess will have to wait for specs at release
I would prefer 3.5X / 7X over 5X / 10X, but I'd take either. Even better would be a 4th camera, but we all know that's just not happening this year.
 
I know you did, you told me already. It's still too large, can't carry such a thing around comfortably. Also can't imagine going back to a 60hz display. Looks like my 14 Pro will get another year, or two, or three until Apple makes an iPhone that's comfortable and smaller (like the folding idea they have). The 14 Pro is so freaking heavy.
Mini phone market is just so small in apple’s eyes they won’t do it again. 200 forum members plus their family members won’t be enough to convince Apple to build a mini iPhone again.
 
I bought my first Mac when I already had an iPhone (best phone on the market at the time).

Now my next phone most likely will be an iPhone mainly because I have a MacBook (by far the best laptop on the market) and AirPods (great earbuds). Honestly, if I wasn't so deep into the magical ecosystem I couldn't really come up with a reason to choose iPhone instead of some Android phone.
 
The best camera is the one you have always with you. Some time ago one could say this was an iPhone. Lately that’s not the case any longer as other companies put way better cameras in their phones.
Sure but my observation was more about the distinction between needing some specs vs just wanting the highest possible available.
 
Really? If you are in the process of getting a new car, you’re at the dealer and comparing two, and one of them also has flight ability and cost the same, and when you ask the seller how he could possibly try and sell you the non-flying one his response is:

- Well if you need flight why don’t you also get a private jet?!?

A bit of a stretch, isn't it? The Huaweii doesn't fly, just makes photos which are better, but barely noticeably so for most users (who might not even need it).

A phone is a multipurpose device, so comparisons make sense only when all the features are considered, and the budget.


Edit: But it’s good that we agree that the iPhone is only proper for casual photos and videos. If only Apple would say so themselves.
The iPhone is not a camera, is a smartphone, so it covers a much wider spectrum of usages. And it must find an optimal trade-off like any other smartphones. If you need to make professional-grade videos and photos, then you need a dedicated device.
 
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The iPhone is not a camera, is a smartphone, so it covers a much wider spectrum of usages. And it must find an optimal trade-off like any other smartphones. If you need to make professional-grade videos and photos, then you need a dedicated device.

Tell Apple that, since they seem to believe all their phablets that people use instead of a TV also need an obnoxiously huge camera setup.
 
The Air's thickness reminds me of one of my favourite old phones, the Samsung SGH-U100. That one was so light and also 5.5mm thick (excluding camera bump) and I loved it.
 
So do you think the phone is going to be significantly different then?

Seems like every year the whole keynote has basically leaked weeks/months in advance and that these articles end up describing exactly what ends up being announced.

I think there is a little bit of conflicting information out there. And sometimes we get info about stuff that only happens to show up the year after or even years later. Apple Watch has seen very minuscule news but so much rumors about "this that is finally going to make it" and then it dos not.Its going to be close, but I am certain theres going to be a little bit of news in the details.
 
Sure but my observation was more about the distinction between needing some specs vs just wanting the highest possible available.
Let’s have Apple attest to people that if they want the highest camera specs available, they should look elsewhere.
 
For the first time I might skip my yearly upgrade
Yearly upgrade? Jeez. Is that some sort of upgrade program you’re in or do you just sell your previous phone?

My wife and daughter both upgraded from a 10. One to a 15, one to a 16 Pro.

I upgraded from a 6 (yes, a 6) to a 14 Pro, but only because the 6 died on me.
 
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Purchasing of the 6s, 7, X series and the 13 series was best. While not as great but still good was the 14 series. After that the watering down became insane. 17 looks to be no different.

Obviously they’re saving the good stuff for the 20-year anniversary, if they sipped it out now there wouldn’t be anything left in this saturated market.

I hope somewhere out there there’s a secret start-up that will challenge Apple. Apple are basically what Intel was 10 years ago. Dominating and just cashing in. Luckily thanks to capitalism someone hungrier is out there, too, and taking advantage.
 
Yearly upgrade? Jeez. Is that some sort of upgrade program you’re in or do you just sell your previous phone?

My wife and daughter both upgraded from a 10. One to a 15, one to a 16 Pro.

I upgraded from a 6 (yes, a 6) to a 14 Pro, but only because the 6 died on me.
Yh I’ve always just sold the current one just before the new one comes out to get the maximum for it
When you trade it in, you will always get enough to clear Barclays off and start again
 
The pro phones aren’t getting much of an upgrade. The biggest change is a downgrade to aluminum.
I am happy about Apple finally addressing thermal performance. Thermals have been pretty bad for years now if you do anything intensive.
 
The pro phones aren’t getting much of an upgrade. The biggest change is a downgrade to aluminum.
I am happy about Apple finally addressing thermal performance. Thermals have been pretty bad for years now if you do anything intensive.
Wut? 12 GB RAM and 48 MP tele with dual “optical” zoom support are major upgrades IMO. The 24 MP FaceTime camera is also a nice bonus.

In fact, these are the main reasons I held off on buying the 16 Pro Max this year, keeping my 12 Pro Max one more year.
 
after all the issues my 16 pro had in the first 3 months. not at all interested in this. I don't even upgrade all that often, just want a phone that works these days.

Yep. Same thing with my iPhone 15 Pro. I don’t usually upgrade every year. I did iPhone 15 Pro to 16 Pro because of incentives.

Both phones have had really bad reliability for months with CarPlay. My iPhone 15 Pro only started working correctly with CarPlay for the last few months before I upgraded.

I grant that Apple is way bigger than it used to be years back, but they still need to focus more on software quality again.

I’m also feeling a buzzkill from all the crap with the 16 Pro and Apple Intelligence. The whole iOS 18 fiasco kind of leaves me less interested in the 17 Pro. We’ll see though.
 
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The heck you mean the 17 line is almost out? I barely got my 16 in September! Wait, it's July???

The one true horror in this life is the inescapable and inexhaustible passage of time.
 
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