iPhone 16 Pro Max Why all the negativity?

[AussieRuralMac]

I mean it's a bit of rose-tinted glasses to suggest that marketing is materially less genuine now than it was then. Jobs told you things were amazing, now Cook tells you things are amazing.

The very definition of marketing is persuading customers on the amazing good points and glossing over or ignoring any bad or ordinary bits.

I remember some pretty cheesy early apple ads, same as I remember some Microsoft, Dell and Gateway ads that were cringeworthy. That’s marketing for you. Sometimes a hit sometimes not, mostly they just have to be memorable in order to work 😂

 

[mectojic]

The downer comes from people upgrading every year - the new model is virtually identical to the previous one.
Nobody is complaining who upgraded from a 10 year old iPhone.

I am

 

[Ursadorable]

About time USB-C is the charge port for the iPhones - all my other devices are USB-C (MBA, MBP, iPad Pro, Studio Mac, Mac Mini, Lenovo laptop, Surface Pro, Chromebook, AVP, EV cars)....

Now I can get rid of the silly Lightning cables and only use USB-C.

I'm glad it works for you, but having repaired board level electronics for over 30 years, the USB C connector is the worst connector ever for longevity and has been the most common failure point in my day to day repairs.

 

[teh_hunterer]

It's every year. Last year everyone was claiming that the fact the phone is made out of titanium was causing it to overheat. Absolute rubbish and even MacRumors claimed it in an article. This year is actually quite tame in comparison.

 

[currocj]

My opinion may be the unpopular one here…but why is everyone so down on this years iPhones? I am 51 years old, and i am truly in awe at how much technology has advanced in the last 20-30 years.

First, we are all Apple fans or we wouldn’t be reading and commenting in these forums. If you look at the iPhone 16 Pro Max in a bubble, not compared to the prior year, you have a pretty amazing device in your hands. Professional grade cameras, long lasting batteries, brilliant bright display, fast computer grade chip, etc etc etc. All in our pockets, everywhere we go.

Apple is innovating every year. The cameras keep getting better. The modems get faster. The screens get brighter and dimmer as needed. The batteries last longer. The performance gets faster. No, we dont get a groundbreaking feature every single year. But the phone just keeps getting better and better. The average consumer doesn‘t need to buy an iPhone every year…and they shouldn’t. It is only us Apple fans that want to just to experience everything new. iPhone release day is like Christmas morning for us.

There will be more to come. AI is coming within weeks. Next year we could possibly get a new design if the rumors are true (iPhone slim?). I‘m sure the iPhone XX will be something special, but who can even predict where the technology will be in 3-4 years? For now, lets just enjoy our new phones, and lets appreciate how far we have come since the first iPhone in 2007 (no video recording? a 2MP camera with one lens? no apps? no cut and paste? only one carrier? etc etc etc). The future is bright, technology will advance, and you can be sure that Apple will be on the cutting edge.

We’re also impressed with the 20-30 year bump in tech.

We’re almost zero impressed with the last 1 year bump. It’s negligible!!!

 

[AussieRuralMac]

We’re also impressed with the 20-30 year bump in tech.

We’re almost zero impressed with the last 1 year bump. It’s negligible!!!

I agree incremental, but I am somewhat impressed.

1. The “not hot” battery is a big win for me.

2. The higher resolution landscape camera is a nice bonus.

3. Interested in what the AI will bring to Siri usability. Might be nice to have a more capable voice assistant. So a “maybe” win. Time will tell.

Comparisons :

From my iPhone 15 ProMax no big change other than relief at not getting a hot leg for the wrong reasons!!! lol.

From my iPhone SE3. Big improvement to screen size, battery life and camera.

From my iPhone XR. Big improvement in battery life, camera, and in screen brightness.

From my iPhone 7. Literally everything is better.

 

[Marty80]

I just want something new, my 12 pro max is entering its last years of iOS updates. i would not shell out for the same phone, worst case scenario I hold out for as long as possible with my current phone.

I do not update every year that’s pointless, when the iPhone first came out I would update every 2 years. When the iPhone 6 came out it was every 3 years.

Now the excitement for me is wearing thin, the iPhones design is aging, I would like to have choices. Apple keeps recycling the same design, and making incremental changes to the hardware that do not hold well.

The only thing changing sadly is the higher cost. At this point the only thing Apple has going is its robust hardware & software.

 

[ThailandToo]

I think the problem is a lack of innovation in all terms. Granted it’s a mature product category, but we should have seen the next thing by now. The lack of a real creator on board that cares about design and innovation at the AAPL is a real problem. This is what Steve worried about when handing it over to Tim. And Tim did everything to line his pockets, and the pockets of AAPL investors, rather than innovate in any way. I don’t feel this Apple cares about the consumer. The products are getting tiny incremental improvements. If Apple couldn’t ship it with AI, they should have never marketed it that way. They should have shipped it with 18.1 and called the AI beta version.

On the pro model, one camera was improved to 48mp. Apple knew what was coming with AI, and yet they shipped last year’s models without letting them run AI? That’s asinine and just something Tim would do to the most faithful Apple consumers in the ecosystem.

The camera control is a joke and works worse than the on-screen display controls. What else is there? A metal casing for the battery? Calling one SoC an A18 Pro and the other the exact same SoC with one binned GPU core? That’s not innovation. Very little improvement at all versus the A17 Pro.

It’s all about just counting the money now. Tim and his crew just make money not happy customers. And that’s the problem. It’s no longer fun and innovative for me on iPhone launch day. My new 16 Pro is a joke in my eyes. The display is put on at an angle with no quality control at all. The color I picked looks pink not like desert titanium - call it flesh hue must not work for marketing but outright lying about it doesn’t work either.

Firing Scott Forestal then pushing out anyone who would challenge him was Tim’s way to say - screw you all, I am going to make the most money. The Apple Store employees have gotten worse annually. The managers at some stores act like idiots - while at other stores they’re quite good. Meaning the experience varies wildly. That is to say it’s not reliable. Tim built a money machine, but the future will be with other companies. Apple sucks in the USA. In Europe, it’s better! These massive tech companies control the world. But what is in now can be out within four years.

I think tech is going to be infused into our lives first via glasses, then contacts, and etc until we are inserting the latest chip to interface our brain. But I don’t think Apple will be there. It will take an innovator. Someone like Steve Jobs or Elon Musk - a dreamer. Here’s to the crazy ones!

 

[Tripps9000]

lol you know what the iPhone 14 was so put down because of Apple using the a15 bionic from the 13 series but that didn’t stop me from getting one and it turned out to be a really good iPhone 👍🏻

 

[unchecked]

Yea we've come a long way since 20 years ago, but we kinda have to come to an understanding that we've hit diminishing returns on how far we've been "leaping" over the last few years. Apple caught up because the rest of the world isn't exactly surging forward either.

And yes the button's there sounds nice as a concept, but just isn't practical. Case in point, the Touch Bar and Canon's own attempt at a similar multi-function bar/button in their original Canon R when they went full frame mirrorless in 2018. Turns out innovation doesn't necessarily mean it can be practical and they dropped it soon after.

There's plenty of commentary on why trying to build too many things into a single button doesn't work.

 

[iPhone2019]

I'm one of the people who like to upgrade every year and I can't make a strong case for this one. There are, however, some things from a technical perspective I do like.

1) The newest 5G modem. It will be capable of faster speeds and should run more efficiently than last year's.

No, they are using a cheap modem called X71. They could have used the 1-year-old X75; instead, we got a refreshed 2-year-old modem. X80 is soon coming to other phones. Apple is being greedy.

 

[4sallypat]

lol you know what the iPhone 14 was so put down because of Apple using the a15 bionic from the 13 series but that didn’t stop me from getting one and it turned out to be a really good iPhone 👍🏻

Yes, I really loved my 14+ because the battery lasts 2x that of my work 14PM.
Plus the 14+ was lighter.

Since the 14+ got paid off (Apple Card), and I needed AOD because of my new EV car - I upgraded to 16 Pro.

Love the new 16 Pro - perfect fit, weight, and battery life is better than my work 14PM....

Matches my 2020 MBA too!

 

[Anaxarxes]

 

[VisceralRealist]

No, they are using a cheap modem called X71. They could have used the 1-year-old X75; instead, we got a refreshed 2-year-old modem. X80 is soon coming to other phones. Apple is being greedy.

The iPhone 16 line uses the Snapdragon X75 modem, so I don't know what you're talking about.

 

[iPhone2019]

The iPhone 16 line uses the Snapdragon X75 modem, so I don't know what you're talking about.

Omg...

 

[ProbablyDylan]

People have always been negative on Apple. I would know - I used to be one of them!

I honestly believe that some of the vitriol is being driven by the rising prominence of algorithm-driven social media echo chambers. Anger drives engagement!

 

[Analog Kid]

The funny part is, 99% of people could care less about the new features. They just want a phone that works and a battery that lasts the day. It is only us in the Apple Community that are so passionate.

I resemble that remark. Most new features don't register with me because I forget they're there. I've been using my phone the same way for so long, I'm not going to develop new habits to use most new features. Some register and are appreciated, but most go unnoticed until a few years from now MacRumors posts one of those "features you may not know about" articles.

The phone has done everything I need it to for years now, apps haven't really gotten much more interesting in that time either. I basically wait until I wear out the one I have before replacing it.

I think that's part of this too. I think some people want to have something to buy and are disappointed that their present to themselves isn't more exciting. I don't feel any compulsion to buy year after year so don't feel that sense of letdown.

 

[Radeon962]

Most people that are happy or overall enjoying their new phone don’t come online to sing its praises. Usually it’s the users with a problem looking for a solution or just to get some clicks.

I am very happy with my move from a 15 PM to 16 PM. Granted that it is not a not a huge jump from 15 PM to 16 PM but the slightly better battery, slightly better camera and slightly better speed are what I expected and the total package is actually a very good user experience so far.

My 15 PM goes to my wife now to replace a 12 PM. Everyone wins.

 

[urbanman2004]

Barely any noticeable incremental improvements compared to the iteration years prior to be excited a/b to say the least. I'm not missing any thing staying on my iPhone SE 3, lol...

 

[Lynxpoint]

Other than for finally upgrading to a new MBP this year, tech, in general, has been a let-down for me:
1. I really want to ditch the phone completely, but Garmin can't deliver a pathway to this yet. Thier newest Messenger isn't it. Their new subscription rates are not cutting it. The messenger app on the watch and for iphone works, now if only it worked without an inReach or iphone or other accessory that is bigger than I want to carry.
2. Fenix 8 is a letdown for more of the above - I want disconnect from the phone where they decided the watch needs to be more like an Apple watch, with new features tying it more closely to the phone, not to mention the price jump.
3. iPhone - I do not want to haul a boat anchor around with me... enough said.
4. iPad - amazing, but aside from the new screens, brings nothing to me that I cannot already do on my years-old iPad pro.
5. Garmin again - new bike computers that don't bring anything I need or want, new trainer that is a marginal update from the past one.
6. Shokz - apparently the new pros sound better, but I don't know how much more I would expect from open-ear headsets. The new openswim seems cool though, if only because uploading music onto it rather than listening through the watch would save boatloads of battery (I don't think Garmin has improved the battery consumption from music yet, but I have not looked into it since the F8 already didn't have core funtionality to warrant an upgrade.)
7. Stryd - new dual-pod system looks cool, but I still don't see anything to warrant upgrading for me. Maybe I would if I could be certain that the pods won't lose workouts. It is for this reason I stopped using Stryd for workout planning, as the plans would get mucked up as the system thought I did not do workouts when activites were lost.
8. And finally, it has been a long time since I first wanted to try using HUD glasses with my watch for training, but they are still just not there yet... at least for me.

All that said though... the introduction of the new Airpods did lead me to buy the AirPods pro for the specific use case of drowning out the fans when I am riding inside, and for that they are absolutely amazing... no longer do I feel like I am standing behind an airplane readying for takeoff. So there is at least a second bright spot in my technology dulldrums.

 

[JustinKent]

The Camera Control button and associated software integration seems quite innovative... it was enough to get me to upgrade from a 14, and I'm happy with it. I'm testing the 18.1 beta and enjoying the Apple Intelligence features. I really like the colors, but wouldn't bucket those under innovation. Not sure what the drama is about... it feels like a "haters gonna hate"-type vibe. Or maybe short sellers... ?

 

[Jackbequickly]

Negativity seems to be the new norm these days. I refuse to be that way and always look to “bright” side when possible. Negativity will get you depressed and not fun to be around.

 

[TVreporter]

My negativity stems from buying an iPhone 15 just back in February and now being told that new features (AI) won't work on it.

 

[Moukee]

My negativity stems from buying an iPhone 15 just back in February and now being told that new features (AI) won't work on it.

That's fair in my opinion, even if some people will argue that you buy your phone as it is and every new software feature is a bonus.

In recent history Apple released almost all major software features for recent devices and now with iOS 18 a huge chunk of features will be missing on a device that was the newest iPhone you could buy just a couple of weeks ago.

I would've understood if they didn't include all of the new AI features, especially those integrating with your personal content requiring on-device processing, but some features like summarizing websites or Siri being able to escalate requests to ChatGPT or similar features that could easily be handled in the cloud should be included on more iOS 18 compatible devices.

 

[daneoni]

My opinion may be the unpopular one here…but why is everyone so down on this years iPhones? I am 51 years old, and i am truly in awe at how much technology has advanced in the last 20-30 years.

First, we are all Apple fans or we wouldn’t be reading and commenting in these forums. If you look at the iPhone 16 Pro Max in a bubble, not compared to the prior year, you have a pretty amazing device in your hands. Professional grade cameras, long lasting batteries, brilliant bright display, fast computer grade chip, etc etc etc. All in our pockets, everywhere we go.

Apple is innovating every year. The cameras keep getting better. The modems get faster. The screens get brighter and dimmer as needed. The batteries last longer. The performance gets faster. No, we dont get a groundbreaking feature every single year. But the phone just keeps getting better and better. The average consumer doesn‘t need to buy an iPhone every year…and they shouldn’t. It is only us Apple fans that want to just to experience everything new. iPhone release day is like Christmas morning for us.

There will be more to come. AI is coming within weeks. Next year we could possibly get a new design if the rumors are true (iPhone slim?). I‘m sure the iPhone XX will be something special, but who can even predict where the technology will be in 3-4 years? For now, lets just enjoy our new phones, and lets appreciate how far we have come since the first iPhone in 2007 (no video recording? a 2MP camera with one lens? no apps? no cut and paste? only one carrier? etc etc etc). The future is bright, technology will advance, and you can be sure that Apple will be on the cutting edge.

Because smartphones have reached peak innovation and everything is just iterative now, with 10% improvements each year

However, this year's upgrade was objectively underwhelming. Heck the headline feature (Apple Intelligence) hasn't even shipped. The design is now 3yrs old, and adding a button and increasing size is somehow being marketed as a game changer.
Add that to the display issues people are having and its not hard to see why people are critical.

People are free to praise Apple when they execute, but also free to criticise when they drop the ball

This year marks a shift in approach, where Apple are shipping a device where half the new feature-set won't be released fully until maybe 2025

Its not exactly great.