iPhone 12 Pro Stainless steel sucks and I wish Apple would ditch it

[Madtiger27]

I prefer aluminium too but I wouldn’t mind stainless steel if it wasn’t reflective like a mirror. In my opinion it looks a little bit like a trinket. The regular 12 looks more premium to me than the Pro. iPhone 4 had a stainless steel frame too but it looked much much better.

Did you feel the same way with 11 Pro? It is “more” reflective now only because it is flat surface. The gold is also more gold...but i don’t see any reviewers complained about the gold pro.

But yeah, because of the highly reflective nature of silver and gold, i picked Pacific Blue.

 

[Feyl]

Did you feel the same way with 11 Pro?

Yes. Since the iPhone X I feel about it the same way. But with the rounded edges it isn’t in your face that much.

 

[Madtiger27]

Yes. Since the iPhone X I feel about it the same way. But with the rounded edges it isn’t in your face that much.

Then ALUMINUM is a great choice.

Actually, i don’t know why i care.....because i always put a case on mine!

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Because SS is more premium material. Price reflects that. Apple Watch SS costs more. iPhone Pro costs more.

How do you define premium? You saying it’s premium and must be because it’s on a more expensive product doesn’t necessarily convince me it’s a more premium material.

 

[Motionblurrr]

Lmao the very same people who say the SS band looks "tacky" or "too blingy" are the same ones that slap an overpriced ugly chunk of cheap rubber and plastic case on the phone to protect the "tacky" phone. Maybe the Apple leather case gets a pass because leather is a premium material though.

Apple designs iPhones for people who use them without a case first, and everyone else is next in line. People who use it naked love the shiny sides, don't give a damn about fingerprints (we're human... we have oils on our skin) and just love the industrial designs especially with the SS band.

A matte SS band? No thanks. They were OK on the 4/4S iPhone but after a while they suffered the same fate as aluminum in terms of scratches. Polished SS is definitely the way to go from here on out.

 

[Grolubao]

The minute I picked up the iPhone 12 Pro I immediately thought it was extremely heavy and a no no for me

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Lmao the very same people who say the SS band looks "tacky" or "too blingy" are the same ones that slap an overpriced ugly chunk of cheap rubber and plastic case on the phone to protect the "tacky" phone. Maybe the Apple leather case gets a pass because leather is a premium material though.

Apple designs iPhones for people who use them without a case first, and everyone else is next in line. People who use it naked love the shiny sides, don't give a damn about fingerprints (we're human... we have oils on our skin) and just love the industrial designs especially with the SS band.

A matte SS band? No thanks. They were OK on the 4/4S iPhone but after a while they suffered the same fate as aluminum in terms of scratches. Polished SS is definitely the way to go from here on out.

You make a very good point. I hate using an iPhone with a case on it so really the appearance for me is irrelevant. All this talk about stainless being super superior and premium when it isn’t seen on a lot of peoples phones anyway.

 

[Madtiger27]

How do you define premium? You saying it’s premium and must be because it’s on a more expensive product doesn’t necessarily convince me it’s a more premium material.

Who is trying to convince you? I am not. Apple talks about SS as a premium material. Everyone can make their choice. But the Pro’s extra telephoto, more RAM, and premium materials make it a good choice for those who want the best Apple has to offer for this year. Apple even says that in their presentation.

No one is trying to convince you. It is just fact for Apple products.

 

[jm31828]

The minute I picked up the iPhone 12 Pro I immediately thought it was extremely heavy and a no no for me

Funny thing is that the 12 Pro is still lighter than my 11, which I guess is indeed quite heavy but I had just gotten used to it over the last year. I suppose that sets the bar really low for any of the new phones seeming to be lighter. haha

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Who is trying to convince you? I am not. Apple talks about SS as a premium material. Everyone can make their choice. But the Pro’s extra telephoto, more RAM, and premium materials make it a good choice for those who want the best Apple has to offer for this year. Apple even says that in their presentation.

No one is trying to convince you. It is just fact for Apple products.

I don’t give a toss what Apple say in their marketing spiel, I care about actual facts and the two materials in reality are just as premium as each other. If the stainless steel was more expensive to source and process then I might agree it’s more premium but it’s not. It’s that black and white to me.

 

[Grolubao]

Funny thing is that the 12 Pro is still lighter than my 11, which I guess is indeed quite heavy but I had just gotten used to it over the last year. I suppose that sets the bar really low for any of the new phones seeming to be lighter. haha

Might be true, but it does certainly feel heavier than my 11, maybe it's just the weight distribution. Felt so heavy

 

[Never mind]

I bought a mini, and while I don't think it's the phone for me, I think there's so much to be said for aluminum phones. The added weight of stainless steel is just so completely pointless other than to make the phone seem more like jewelry. I've seen a lot of reviewers echo the same thoughts about how the industrial design of the normal 12/mini is better than the Pro models.

Also, with this recent batch of models it seems like Apple has really perfected aluminum anodization. The 12 black's matte black sides are absolutely gorgeous—very reminiscent of the slate black iPhone 5. I wonder if they fixed the scratching issue that model had. I guess time will tell but I haven't seen any complaints yet.

Anyway, I just wanted to vent. I'm sure some people like their bling-phones with stainless steel but I just feel like it purposefully makes the phone worse for questionable aesthetics.

Here’s my vent. If you don’t want stainless steel, don’t buy it but for us to do. Silly post and unwarranted. That’s why you can buy any darn car you want and I don’t care, so why do you care what material that Apple uses that I will buy over another.

 

[killr_b]

I wish they had gone with the black diamond-like coating from the apple watch instead of the graphite pvd.

 

[Supermallet]

Here’s my vent. If you don’t want stainless steel, don’t buy it but for us to do. Silly post and unwarranted. That’s why you can buy any darn car you want and I don’t care, so why do you care what material that Apple uses that I will buy over another.

The Pro phones, which have more features, only come in SS. Many of us don’t want SS so we either have to live with a phone that is heavier than it needs to be or forgo features we might want. That sucks for us who don’t want a heavier phone.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

Personally I prefer the stainless steel over aluminum and am happy Apple gives us the choice between the two..

 

[Madtiger27]

The Pro phones, which have more features, only come in SS. Many of us don’t want SS so we either have to live with a phone that is heavier than it needs to be or forgo features we might want. That sucks for us who don’t want a heavier phone.

12 Pro = 189 g.

12 = 164 g.

Difference = 25 g = 0.88 ounces = 0.055 pounds.

Add in extra camera lens and LIDAR stuff...and the SS material itself difference is less than 0.88 ounces.

LOL. If 0.88 ounces or 0.055 lbs bother you, then i don’t know what to tell you...maybe more time gym with miniature weights?

I bet that if you got a thin case like Totallee, then you will be lighter than most owners of aluminum 12 who use case!!

 

[taneff]

LOL. If 0.88 ounces or 0.055 lbs bother you, then i don’t know what to tell you...maybe more time gym with miniature weights?

That's one of the most stupid things I have ever read on this forum, which normally has higher standards, and tells me you have no idea of how the human body and mind works, nor fitness and weights/muscles, nor everyday carry and handling Sorry. But actually amazing what to learn from just one or two posts.

 

[C. Robert]

Or if the 12 Pro was stainless steel and the 12 was aluminium we’d get people with no clue trying to make out stainless is so much more premium and superior. Imagine that.

It’s far superior. Jewelry, watches, medical tools, premium phones. The iPhones 12’s look like crayons 🖍.

 

[Madtiger27]

That's one of the most stupid things I have ever read on this forum, which normally has higher standards, and tells me you have no idea of how the human body and mind works, nor fitness and weights/muscles, nor everyday carry and handling Sorry. But actually amazing what to learn from just one or two posts.

Yeah, keep telling yourself that 0.055 lbs makes a world of difference....

 

[C. Robert]

If you got the cheap iPhone to save money then great. Don’t try to talk it up after the fact. You don’t even have a lidar sensor. I don’t know what it’s good for other than checking how tall people are but I got one.

 

[Madtiger27]

If you got the cheap iPhone to save money then great. Don’t try to talk it up after the fact. You don’t even have a lidar sensor. I don’t know what it’s good for other than checking how tall people are but I got one.

LIDAR...i agree...i have no idea when or how it is working...but damnit, i can measure people’s height instantly! That for me is worth the upgrade! LOL

 

[C. Robert]

LIDAR...i agree...i have no idea when or how it is working...but damnit, i can measure people’s height instantly! That for me is worth the upgrade! LOL

We also have the best cameras in any smartphone. With tech only found in DSLR’s.

 

[Madtiger27]

Strength to weight ratio

Aluminum has a tensile strength of 276 MPa and a density of 2.81gcm-3. Aluminum is, therefore, lighter than steel. Stainless steel has a tensile strength of 505 MPa and a density of 8 gcm-3. Stainless steel is, therefore, stronger than aluminum.

Corrosion. Stainless steel is made up of iron, chromium, nickel, manganese and copper. The chromium is added as an agent to provide corrosion resistance. Also, because it is non-porous the resistance to corrosion is increased. Aluminum has a high oxidation and corrosion resistance mainly due to its passivation layer. When aluminum is oxidized, its surface will turn white and will sometimes pit. In some extreme acidic or base environments, Aluminum may corrode rapidly with catastrophic results.

Cost. Aluminum is typically cheaper than stainless steel.

 

[Never mind]

The minute I picked up the iPhone 12 Pro I immediately thought it was extremely heavy and a no no for me

While some who might be are 3 feet tall, and weigh 40 pounds may say it’s extremely heavy, but a grown person will never use the word extremely. It might be heavier than the aluminum, but to use the word extremely is way out there and not accurate. Wow, the words that some throw around is unbelievable.

 

[ZipZap]

Any design that promotes disgusting fingerprints is a BAD ONE. You'd think Apple would not this by now.