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Other (Un)popular opinion: iPhone 14 Pros felt much more premium than 15 Pros

M

Mity

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 1, 2014
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My last iOS device was the iPhone 11 Pro (I bought 1 in gray and another in green, super beautiful). I've been on Pixel since then (Pixel 6 and until now Pixel 7 Pro) because I've been waiting for USB-C. Last week, right after the iPhone 15 announcement, I went to the Apple store and bought a 14 Pro Max in Space Black just in case I didn't like the new design. It's gorgeous. It's heft gives it a premium feel. The only downside is the Lightning port.

I just got back from the Apple Store and I'm quite disappointed with what I saw. The fit and finish of the 15 Pro phones didn't feel as nice as the 14 Pros. The 14 Pro Max feels more substantial in the hand. The 15 Pro Max almost felt cheap. It is incredibly light but it doesn't feel premium. And the titanium is very difficult to discern from aluminum. I couldn't see a big difference between the regular 15s and the 15 Pros.

Edit: Given the responses below, I feel the need to point out that I'm not suggesting at the 15 Pro isn't an upgrade in technical specs over the 14 Pro. I'm just saying that I liked SS over Titanium. IMO Titanium just doesn't feel as premium as SS. And if you want to test this out for yourself, go to the Apple Store and compare the regular 15 with the 15 pro models. I felt very little difference between aluminum and titanium.

Edit 2: It's amazing how a few people have taken my opinion so personally. But now that the phones have been out for a bit, check out what the influencers / reviewers are saying:

youtube.com/watch?v=NXDzPhC31EQ&t=55s: "...the titanium feels cheaper than the stainless steel; not as premium..."

youtube.com/watch?v=1JwFAUSxT5o&t=76s: "The new titanium no longer feels a lot more premium in the hand compared to aluminum. They actually feel almost identical."

youtube.com/watch?v=cBpGq-vDr2Y&t=1430s: "Honestly, USB might be the most important thing about the new iPhone."
 
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Mity said:
I just got back from the Apple Store and I'm quite disappointed with what I saw. The fit and finish of the 15 Pro phones didn't feel as nice as the 14 Pros. The 14 Pro Max feels more substantial in the hand. The 15 Pro Max almost felt cheap. It is incredibly light but it doesn't feel premium. And the titanium is very difficult to discern from aluminum. I couldn't see a big difference between the regular 15s and the 15 Pros.
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And this is why once I find something I like, I tend to hang on to it for a long time. The muscle memory aspect and physical feel of a device is an overlooked part of the experience... especially when we're not likely to see huge leaps in technical specs from here on out.
 
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Apple_Robert said:
The lighter weight of the 15 does not equate to being cheap, poorly built, or inferior to the slightly heavier 14. I think your reasoning is sorely flawed and illogical.
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I get what the OP is saying. Some people like having a little heft. Everyone has an ideal weight for their physical devices where it feels just right... it balances in your hand and you don't feel like you'll accidentally drop it because it's too light.

My favorite camera lens is my favorite lens because it's a blend of great optics and light weight. It's perfect if you ask me, but lots of photographers blast it because they think it feels cheap.

It was also written that it's not so much that the 15 Pro is lighter, but that the weight was re-balanced in a way that made it feel even lighter than expected.
 
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smirking said:
I get what the OP is saying. Some people like having a little heft. Everyone has an ideal weight for their physical devices where it feels just right... it balances in your hand and you don't feel like you'll accidentally drop it because it's too light.

It was also written that it's not so much that the 15 Pro is lighter, but that the weight was re-balanced in a way that made it feel even lighter than expected.
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I get that some people like a heavier feel product. Put a case on the 15 and that is no longer a quibble. What bugs me is when people make the claim that because something is lighter etc. that is feel cheap, looks inferior, or whatever phrase to try and justify an illogical position.

If the OP had said that for him, the 14 has a better weight distribution in hand for him for holding and possible one hand use, I would understand and not see a problem with that personal preference position,. However, making illogical points to justify a personal preference is not the way to go about it.

I am glad the OP is happy with the 14. I upgraded from the 14 Pro and it felt good in hand as well with an Apple leather case and wallet. He is welcome to feel how he wants but perpetuation the myth light equal cheap and the other arguments made is not how I think he should have framed his OP.
 
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Apple_Robert said:
The lighter weight of the 15 does not equate to being cheap, poorly built, or inferior to the slightly heavier 14. I think your reasoning is sorely flawed and illogical.
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I said it feels cheap. If you hold the 14 Pro next to the regular 15 and the 15 Pro, I think many people will prefer the heft of the 14 Pro.

Have you gone to the Apple Store and checked the 15 and 15 Pro side by side? Very little difference in texture and weight.

I had the same feeling when I bought my AW S7 Aluminum Midnight. I still prefer the look of my AW S5 SS Space Black. The S7 is objectively better but SS looks better.
 
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Mity said:
I said it feels cheap. If you hold the 14 Pro next to the regular 15 and the 15 Pro, I think many people will prefer the heft of the 14 Pro.

Have you gone to the Apple Store and checked the 15 and 15 Pro side by side? Very little difference in texture and weight.
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I was at the store today and came home with a 15 Pro. There is nothing cheap about Titanium even though it is lighter than the 14 Pro.
 
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Mity said:
I said it feels cheap. If you hold the 14 Pro next to the regular 15 and the 15 Pro, I think many people will prefer the heft of the 14 Pro.

Have you gone to the Apple Store and checked the 15 and 15 Pro side by side? Very little difference in texture and weight.

I had the same feeling when I bought my AW S7 Aluminum Midnight. I still prefer the look of my AW S5 SS Space Black. The S7 is objectively better but SS looks better.
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No I don’t go to the Apple Store. I compared it without security devices attached at home.
 
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Mity said:
Did you notice much difference between the regular 15 and the 15 Pro?
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I didn't handle the 15 because I was there to handle the 15 Pro and make an in store decision whether to hang onto my 14 Pro or keep my launch day order. If the 15 had the same options as the 15 pro, I would have handled both prior to making my purchase.
 
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Apple_Robert said:
I didn't handle the 15 because I was there to handle the 15 Pro and make an in store decision whether to hang onto my 14 Pro or keep my launch day order. If the 15 had the same options as the 15 pro, I would have handled both prior to making my purchase.
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My point is that the two feel similar, the 15 Pro feels cheaper than the 14 Pro to me. I didn't say anything in my original post about the functionality. Obviously it has all the technical improvements we expect YoY.
 
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It’s funny, a lot of people complain about the 14 PM being too heavy and hurting their pinky. They’re probably ecstatic at the weight reduction.

I think a lot of people equate heft with expensive, simply because it’s true often enough. Remember Jurassic Park?
1695431423332.jpeg


But obviously it’s not always true. For example, lighter bicycles are more expensive and premium than heavy bicycles. And titanium is more expensive and has better qualities than stainless steel.

If the heft doesn’t affect you negatively, nothing wrong with preferring it. But personally, I want as little weight in my pockets as possible, so the lighter the better. (I don’t have a Pro Max, but just speaking in general)
 
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I’m confused. You bought two iPhone 11 Pros (why two?), then you switched to Pixel and have been waiting for iPhone to transition to USB-C, then after the first USB-C iPhone was announced you ran out and bought an iPhone 14 Pro Max…which has a Lightning port?

Can you elaborate on this?
 
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Surfsalot said:
so other than the tit frame and usb-c you noticing any difference between the 2?
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I was able to use the voice isolation tonight on a FaceTime call. Our Robot vacuum started up and my wife was like "is that the vacuum?". I asked her to hang on so I could try something. Suddenly, to her, it was gone and it was just a few feet away from me still. She was extremely impressed with.
 
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aParkerMusic said:
I’m confused. You bought two iPhone 11 Pros (why two?), then you switched to Pixel and have been waiting for iPhone to transition to USB-C, then after the first USB-C iPhone was announced you ran out and bought an iPhone 14 Pro Max…which has a Lightning port?

Can you elaborate on this?
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I have a dedicated phone for Germany as I travel there often. With my German Apple ID, I am able to pay my mobile phone bills. The app isn't available in the US App Store. So, one phone for the US and the other phone for Germany. This was obviously BEFORE USB-C on iPhones became a thing.

I switched to Android not just because of USB-C but I liked the Android UI - I think it's better than iOS. The problem is that I have too many Apple products (iPad, Apple Watch, Apple Silicon Macs, AirTags), I decided to buy an iPhone and went with the 14 Pro Max despite Lightning. I'm justifying it by saying that I already own many Lightning cables. And maybe 16 Pro Max will have a new design and I can upgrade then.
 
pugxiwawa said:
I personally wouldn’t have done it. 14P was a minimum upgrade over 13 or even 12 and just feels like an aging 3-4 year model. For $100 more you get lighter body, usb c and active button with faster cpu. Those 4 alone justify getting the new model.
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Obviously the $100 wasn't the motivation. My decision was made purely on design. Technicals are obviously improved but not by much. And apparently battery life is slightly worse (basically even) than last year according to this review:


If the design doesn't bother you and you value the weight savings, good for you but that wasn't the case for me.
 
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