Yeah, I’m seeing tons of positive reviews. This thread is unnecessarily negative.
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iPhone 14 Pro Reviews are in and the consensus is well meh
- Thread starter GorillaHead
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I’d say meh on the upgrades of the normal iPhone 14 (especially outside the US) and a good upgrade on the 14 pro.
That matter?
"A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest."
--Simon and Garfunkel
The headline of the article you provided as proof that the consensus is "meh" is "iPhone 14 Pro Review: Pro Perfection: The Best Gets Even Better.
I do agree with you that there are some issues like minor battery life and I do see where in the Tom's Guide review they mention it among other issues.
But respectfully, saying the reviews are "meh" is a bit of editorializing on your part that I don't think is particularly accurate from what I've seen for the 14 Pro. (The regular 14 though, is definitely getting "meh" reviews, ha)
I'm gonna cancel my preorder with an October 3-10 delivery date. I've been thinking do I really want this phone for the past few days. I don't want an always on display and would just turn it off and I see dynamic island as just a gimmick. I also hate the extra space that the pill takes up on full screen video. Add in the fact that the camera upgrades are just minimal.
I'm someone who has had owned every iPhone except the 6 so I really want to have a reason to upgrade but I just don't see it. I'm just gonna stick with my 13 PM until I see what they do next year. The one upgrade I want is at least 10x zoom. I would have thought they would have had it or something close by now. Maybe next year.
I'm someone who has had owned every iPhone except the 6 so I really want to have a reason to upgrade but I just don't see it. I'm just gonna stick with my 13 PM until I see what they do next year. The one upgrade I want is at least 10x zoom. I would have thought they would have had it or something close by now. Maybe next year.
Yes anyone who owns an 11 or older it's a great upgrade. Anyone else it's like Flossy Carter says "Congratulations...you've just bought the same phone twice" lol.
I think this is a problem in lots of tech consumer markets but it’s most obvious with iPhones, especially top-of-the-line ones. Within a year that shiny new iPhone you just bought will be demoted to “old model that doesn’t have the latest stuff,” and buyer’s remorse sets in. “If I had waited one more year I’d have [insert feature here]! Darn it!”
But if you want an iPhone, at some point you gotta buy it.
I remember hesitating every year and talking myself out of getting an Apple Watch because of fear of missing the feature I really wanted. What if it came out next year? But a couple of years ago I finally said “enough, I want one, I’m going to buy it and let the chips fall where they may.”
(I’m happy to say that I’ve had no remorse on that, and if the next Apple Watch comes out and does the thing I am hoping for, I’ll be ok with buying a new one. I will have gotten a few years of enjoyment I wouldn’t have had otherwise. )
At some point the annual purchase becomes a reflex. You gotta break yourself of that with some common sense (and a look at whether you'd prefer to keep that $1,500 in your possession).
Most people get a new phone and do exactly the same things with it they were doing just fine with their previous phone. The main difference is less money and more hassle.
And let's face it: in just a few months the buzz about iPhone 15 will begin.
I know.....I have a buddy who laughs at me every year when I tell him I'm not gonna upgrade to the new iPhone. Because I always do and sometimes sell him my year old phone at a great price. He's overseas now and will get back late Friday night and will be shocked to find out I'm not upgrading this year. He'll probably still think that I will lol.
Perspective: I'm still happily using my 8 Plus. Friend of mine still happily uses her 7 Plus. Once in a while I remove the 8 Plus from its case and admire its back and sides. Get that new phone experience for a while, and then it's back to business. I've probably saved in the neighborhood of 10 to 12 grand by not hopping on every new phone (and accessories, etc.) since the 8 Plus. I'm happier with the money, which is invested and growing in my account, not Apple's.
Now I couldn't go that long without upgrading. I think I'd go crazy lol.
My friend I mentioned in my earlier post has my old XS Max. We were out at a nice new bar about a month ago sitting outside and I took some nice pics using night mode on my 13 PM and he took a few with his phone and they looked awful. If that were me I'd have to upgrade the next day but the camera isn't that big of a deal to him. It still takes good daylight pics and he's happy with that. I actually tried to sell him my 13 PM and I'd get the 14 PM but he said no he'd stick with the XS Max. I'm really glad he did now.
10 to 12 grand? U.S. dollars? That seems way too high. Even if someone purchased a top of the line, highest storage level iPhone every year following the iPhone 8 Plus (i.e., starting in 2018), it would still only total $7,500. Throw in "accessories" and sales tax and you might be around $8,200 or so but you then would deduct the trade-in values of each of the phones when upgrading to the next. That would bring the total spent down to around $5,000. Yes, $5,000 is still $5,000 but far less than "10 to 12 grand."
I’ve been thinking that the last couple days as well, although coming from a 13 mini, the pro would be a nicer upgrade (I had the 13 pro prior to having the mini).
I get mine tomorrow. I think it’ll wow me in terms of just being a nicer, bigger phone again (even though I love the mini), but I’m gonna see if it wows me $1000 worth.
My problem is, I don’t utilize half the camera features anyway - just haven’t ever gotten that great at using them. I’m a point and shoot and hopefully get a good pic kind of gal. I do miss the macro from my 13 pro - used that fairly often.
Just keep it guys. You'll have the newest iPhone. If you could afford it at preorder, you can afford it now unless something rapidly changed in your financial status.
I upgrade from the iPhone X and I'll definitely feel the difference. If you change every year, of course it will not be as big as an upgrade. But that's your choice to upgrade every year, don't expect massive difference we are way past big innovations in smartphones that is just the way it is.
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that many people who are upgrading every year are doing so for free or maybe only a couple hundred dollars.
One example is my situation- I have a 13 Pro, it's a great phone- but my carrier is offering $400 off, and so that combined with selling my 13 Pro privately will mean the new phone won't cost me anything out of pocket.
My upgrade cycle has been quite sporadic. Started with the iPhone 4, then moved onto the iPhone 5, then the iPhone 6 plus. The pattern was that I'd simply skip the S years and upgrade every 2 years. But then the rate of improvement year-over-year started to slow down a bit with the 7, so I kept my 6 plus and didn't upgrade until the iPhone X.
I kept the iPhone X for the longest time (almost three years) but I landed a new job and was getting paid more money, so I went in for the iPhone 12 in 2020, followed by the iPhone 13 Pro Max in 2021 last year.
As I'd upgraded two years in a row I thought I was on the track to being an upgrade every year kind of person, and it actually took a lot of restraint not to get sucked in this year, but I've managed it (so far at least) and I'm happy with my decision.
My iPhone 13 Pro Max is overkill for me. I use it for messaging, browsing the web, listening to music and podcasts, and taking photos (I'm no photographer, my photos tend to just be of my cat or me out with friends or on a date with my partner). The iPhone 14 Pro Max would do these no better than the iPhone I have now and in fact, I could get by with a base iPhone 13 or maybe even an SE (at a push).
I've started to rationalise it this way; if you wait a bit between upgrades, over the years you not only save money, but when the time comes you get an even bigger upgrade compared to those who upgrade yearly. Sure, it's the same phone that they're buying, but for you personally the upgrade is more significant and overtime you're better off as well.
Of course your mileage may vary on this depending on how you pay for your phone. Some people buy outright, some finance it, some trade in, some get carrier deals etc. so you may have a way of making a yearly upgrade work, but that's not the case for me.
A lot of people who say the iPhone 14 & iPhone 14 Pro are 'meh' are probably already on an iPhone 12 or 13 series. But if an iPhone 8 or X user upgrades to an iPhone 14 I really doubt they'll find it 'meh' because cumulatively they get a new design, better / more cameras, a chip multiple generations newer with new capabilities, magsafe accessories and (if they spring for a Pro) ProMotion, Dynamic Island etc.
As for reviews, they're nice but that's all they are.
I kept the iPhone X for the longest time (almost three years) but I landed a new job and was getting paid more money, so I went in for the iPhone 12 in 2020, followed by the iPhone 13 Pro Max in 2021 last year.
As I'd upgraded two years in a row I thought I was on the track to being an upgrade every year kind of person, and it actually took a lot of restraint not to get sucked in this year, but I've managed it (so far at least) and I'm happy with my decision.
My iPhone 13 Pro Max is overkill for me. I use it for messaging, browsing the web, listening to music and podcasts, and taking photos (I'm no photographer, my photos tend to just be of my cat or me out with friends or on a date with my partner). The iPhone 14 Pro Max would do these no better than the iPhone I have now and in fact, I could get by with a base iPhone 13 or maybe even an SE (at a push).
I've started to rationalise it this way; if you wait a bit between upgrades, over the years you not only save money, but when the time comes you get an even bigger upgrade compared to those who upgrade yearly. Sure, it's the same phone that they're buying, but for you personally the upgrade is more significant and overtime you're better off as well.
Of course your mileage may vary on this depending on how you pay for your phone. Some people buy outright, some finance it, some trade in, some get carrier deals etc. so you may have a way of making a yearly upgrade work, but that's not the case for me.
A lot of people who say the iPhone 14 & iPhone 14 Pro are 'meh' are probably already on an iPhone 12 or 13 series. But if an iPhone 8 or X user upgrades to an iPhone 14 I really doubt they'll find it 'meh' because cumulatively they get a new design, better / more cameras, a chip multiple generations newer with new capabilities, magsafe accessories and (if they spring for a Pro) ProMotion, Dynamic Island etc.
As for reviews, they're nice but that's all they are.
All I know is: my X is slow, needs to be charged 3x a day, and I can't take photos after a certain level of light disappears. Going to the 14/Pro is going to be fun! Maybe if you're coming from 13Pro, it's less exciting.
Buy what you need, when you need it.
Buy what you need, when you need it.
^^ This
Honesty, this might be a great year/situation to help some folks realize, for the first time, how nice it is to break off the annual (or even biennial) update cycle.
For me, Apple actually did it for me. I really never liked the 6 or 6s body/shape/size/feel/slippery nature, etc... and went to the SE1 when it came out -- and that's where I've been ever since.
And all they've done is keep removing things I like and use and making everything bigger...
...and here I still am, with now thousands of dollars still in my pocket from not upgrading all these years.
And to this day, I still love and use my SE1.
I might finally upgrade sometime in the next year as I peruse good 13 Mini deals, especially lightly preowned ones, but I'm in no rush as I still love the SE1 and honestly don't want anything bigger at all (even if just slightly larger like the 13 Mini).
But back to the point...
These phones are all so amazing now that it's a good habit to get OUT of (the constant upgrading for no reason)
Nothings is for free, it is not magical. You're only paying your phone in your monthly plan that is all...
In France we have the choice to pay the phone ourselves, with cheap plans (roughly 10 euros per month) or pay the phone in our plan (around 50 to 60 euros per month). In the USA you just don't have that choice.
Yes, I have to say, all the shots comparing the 14 to the Pixel 6 makes the Pixel 6 look like the best camera in the phone market. I was browsing Reddit and the prevailing sentiment was that the Pixel 6 is an amazing camera system tethered to a terrible phone, and the iPhone is an amazing camera system tethered to terrible photo processing.You've hit the nail on the head. All of the problems you've listed have been around for a long time. Every year Apple will update the cameras and they get slightly better in some scenarios but the changes between generations are not enough to really say "wow, shooting under condition X got way better" or "wow the detail is a lot better this year." Even when comparing iPhones from 4 years ago some of the telltale iPhone weak points are still here. When Apple were babbling on about the Photonic Engine's "new rendering pipeline" during the keynote with ZERO side by side comparisons my initial gut instinct was "uh oh, this is pure marketing speech and they haven't improved upon the long standing iPhone camera issues." Based on the review samples we've got so far looks like I might be right, I have to test it out myself but the regular binned images look identical to the 13 Pro if not a bit more washed out. When Deep Fusion came out the improvements were noticeable enough to warrant a side by side comparison during the keynote.
The argument from many is always something along the lines of "well expecting major differences year over year is ridiculous, tech has plateaued and people don't upgrade every year anyway." Ok, I'll grant you that people don't upgrade every year and the rate of new features has slowed down: why does that excuse zero year over year improvements on long standing issues like the stuff you mentioned when the other two big players, Samsung and Google's Pixel, do manage to make significant year over year improvements in their respective departments? Some off the dome examples:
^ The bottom line is Pixel and Samsung's year over year improvements are significantly more impactful than iPhone's. Perhaps in Apple's quest to retain "the iPhone look" (which to me is starting to be defined as an over processed oil painting look) they are less willing to take risks in adjusting colors and rendering algorithms, who really knows. There's really no excuse especially when you consider Apple are only making two phone a year (actually make that one phone a year given their new trend of using last year's Pro components in this year's regular series).
- Pixel 6 upgraded to a 50MP sensor vs. the Pixel 5. Detail for regular binned JPEG photos became significantly better when compared to the previous year's Pixel 5 and even this year's iPhone 14 Pro. Apple have upgraded their sensor pixel count and based on the ProRAW samples it can clearly pick up on more detail so why is the oil painting effect still very noticeable? I thought the oil painting sharpening effect was to make up for lack of sensor resolution?
- Pixel 6 introduced some of the best color science in the smartphone world for rendering brown and black skin and all manner of color in general, the iPhone is seriously behind on this. Apple have had years to fix it but they don't. If they fix it next year it will only be because they're catching up with Pixel, why wait for Pixel to surface this issue in the first place? Why not be proactive in pushing your color science further?
- Samsung work on their portrait mode edge detection every year and now their hair masking is stupidly good. Meanwhile almost all the iPhone portraits I take have the telltale giveaway of blurry hair.
- Samsung's colors are looking better year over year, they've reduced the over saturation whilst retaining really pleasant tones (especially in yellows and greends). Meanwhile the colors on my 13 Pro look mostly the same as the colors on my 11 Pro except there's a lot more oil painting effect on the 13.
- Night photos on iPhone still destroy the color palette by making everything a sickly yellow, Pixel on the other hand looks brilliant (in terms of color, their approach in image brightness is debatable).
I think the sad reality is Apple are primarily competing with themselves now, AKA not competing at all, especially with their gen Z customers that are hooked into the iPhone ecosystem and will basically never leave. Apple don't have to push themselves to be better than Pixel and Samsung because all they have to do is ensure they're better than what they released 2-3 years ago in order to justify someone upgrading from one iPhone to another.
I think this night shot comparison from The Verge really sums everything up:
Pixel 6 Pro (below): The sky is a pleasant blue-grey. The buildings appear life like in color, contrast, and overall detail. Look at the lights within those buildings, they look realistic because they are not blown out or glowing. There is a perceivable element of depth to everything in the shot. The blue of the Ferris wheel is present without appearing overly saturated and bright. The domed roof on the building toward the right of the picture retains great color and contrast, in particular look at how nicely the red and pink hues are being rendered. The water is detailed but it's not screaming for attention, the reflections look great and the color and texture of the ripples appear lifelike too.
Overall everything is BALANCED, this image looks like a real city taken with a real camera. If you told me this was taken on an entry level compact mirrorless I would believe you honestly (unless I zoomed in).
^ Pixel 6 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro (below): WELCOME TO GOTHAM, everything has a sickly yellow glow to it. The sky looks like ash instead of evening clouds. The subtlety of the building colors are gone. The building windows look more like glowing yellow globs of light instead of actual windows. The Ferris wheel's blue has been completely nuked, much like the other colors in this image. Look at the domed roof on the right, overexposed and the red is completely washed out vs. the Pixel. Lest I forget is that water or is that crude oil I see? The color from the water is gone and the oversharpening is unflattering.
Overall this image is disgusting to look at, I mean that with no exaggeration. If I took this image I wouldn't ever want to look at it again nor share it with anyone. This looks like an image taken by an incapable camera that is overcompensating with over processing, it cannot even get basic white balance right for heaven's sake. If you told me this was taken on a budget Poco phone I would believe you. iPhones have been doing this yellow stunt for YEARS, how has upgrade cycle got anything to do with an image this poor when Pixel can clearly handle it!?
^ 14 Pro
I'm thinking I might just end up doing most of my shots in 12 MP ProRaw and be more selective about which ones I keep, give those a little extra love in Raw Power.
If someone chooses to be susceptible to the hype without critically looking at the product that's not Apple's fault for being proud of what they did. The iPhone 14 is very, very, very clearly not intended to be a major leap forward and again, most people don't update every year.
It’s just a name 🥴
Who cares what reviews says. Do you really base the product itself on other peoples reviews?
Exactly, they are paying for it with higher plans. We have the choice to not do that, it is just a bit more cumbersome.
I personally use Mint Mobile ($15/mo/line) and pay for my phones outright. I used to pay $130 with T-Mobile.