If you’re expecting anything more than last years’ phones with bigger stats and a still underwhelming ‘Pro’ model that still lacks any professional features (you know: manual camera, Pencil support etc) then yes, you will be disappointed.
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Will the iPhone 14 Be a Disappointment?
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NY Guitarist
macrumors 68000
I have an iphone 8 plus and i will probably replace the battery this year. Still see no particular reason to upgrade.
Tagbert
macrumors 604
I think that “sideloading” was just a term that the previous poster attributed to the iPhone 15 out of confusion. They obviously didn’t know what it meant.
Tagbert
macrumors 604
When you say “manual camera”, what do you mean? Do you mean more manual controls like with the Halide camera app?
I agree that pencil support would be nice.
Yeah, full manual controls without needing a 3rd party app. I used to really like Halide but their subscription model is a joke. Camera+ does a great job but you cannot change the default camera app on iOS (yet....).
Sony gets it. That's how I would expect a 'Professional' phone to act. The gap between the regular iPhone and the Pro line should be 'base iPad vs Mac Studio' levels or difference with a raft of features the average consumer would never use. If I buy a Galaxy S22 vs the S22 Ultra model I'm getting all sorts of differences, from a 10x zoom lens to the S-Pen which unlocks all sorts of neat functions.
As it currently stands all the Pro iPhones offer is a few 'nice-to-haves' like the 3x lens, ProMotion and a stainless steel frame. The software is identical and thus the Pro line only really exists to make customers think the regular iPhone is inferior in some way and to spend more money just as the Mini line exists to make the regular iPhone look better value. Its all about the upsell.
This is Apple, the best consumer electronics manufacturer on the planet. I expect nothing short of 120hz display, always on, 5x Periscope lens (the aforementioned Sony phone has a telephoto with optical zoom!), Pencil support with magnetic charging on the Max model, full manual camera, an A16 Ultra variant, bigger battery, USB-C, some exclusive apps (eg a mobile version of Aperture), mmWave and a 240hz sampling screen for faster gaming response times.
This isn't some cloud-cuckoo wishlist. Android phones of various shapes and sizes have all had these features for years. But imagine if Apple did them all and polished them to perfection. Nothing wrong with bigger stats for the regular iPhone but the Pro model needs to offer something more this year to even justify its own existence IMO.
HEADPHONE JACK
Allow us to plug in high impedance/high quality headphones!!
Why does Apple Music offer high resolution lossless music and NO way to listen to it? SO stupid!
The lightning port SUCKS!! nothing stays connected!
Allow us to plug in high impedance/high quality headphones!!
Why does Apple Music offer high resolution lossless music and NO way to listen to it? SO stupid!
The lightning port SUCKS!! nothing stays connected!
Last edited:
NoelWalker
macrumors regular
The Game 161
macrumors Nehalem
non pro models sure but if you bought a regular 13 not sure why you would buy a 14. non pros models aren't there for yearly upgrades.
Technically incorrect but would like to see it return as well. Would wager that most concerned with lossless aren't using built-in headphone jacks. Either using the apple lightning dongle which is fantastic or an external DAC/amp.
Brooke795
macrumors 65816
I’m right here with you. This year we will be doing just what you’re doing-my 12 pro max is paid off and will trade in and pay the difference for the new one. I work for one of the major carriers in the US and can’t stand that they made everything 36 months but can trade in at 18 months. But as long as you tack on the early upgrade monthly fee..That’s ridiculous.
The lightning port and dongle do NOT stay connected! I think it is due to too small surface area an too weak and unstable physical connection.
Abazigal
Contributor
And how have these features worked for the competition, sales-wise?
In a way, it reminds me a lot of the old criticism of the iPhone, and how android phones had features that were better, spec-wise. But the catch was that there wasn’t this one mythical android phone with all these features together in one place, and more often than not, some features came with drawbacks of their own.
For example, I remember how LG’s 4k displays and Samsung’s higher refresh rates drained battery life like crazy. Not everybody ended up using the stylus that came with the note phone anyways. A lot of “must have” features ended up not really being that integral to the end experience, or simply weren’t implemented that well.
Or the whole expandable storage / removable battery / headphone jack wars, which of course, Apple ended up winning in the end.
At the end of the day, engineering is all about trade offs, and we buy iPhones because we trust Apple to make the “right” trade offs that result in the best user experience for its users. Uncompromising simplicity, not a huge feature list, is what Apple believes makes a great product, and that’s how they have managed to successfully set themselves apart from the competition.
What a strange article. Disappointing to whom? It all depends on where you are coming from.
It will be an iterative upgrade, as always, and, if you been hanging out with a 3 to 4 year old phone you want to upgrade, the new iPhone 14 will be perfectly fine. For me, who has an iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 13 Pro, I won't upgrade based on what I know. It is too iterative and there are no compelling features in the rumor mill feature list.
The iPhone camera is an occasional use camera for me, but not my main camera, so it would have to be a rethinking of the physics of light photography to get something that would make me buy it. I am irritated by the continued use of the Lightning port, so a move to USB C might tempt me, but at this point I am looking for a lighter, longer battery life phone with a USB C port for charging and a physical connection for the transfer of data. Everything else is fine/adequate on the 13 Pro. However, I find the current phone too heavy and bulky and the fact that I have to juggle Lightning and USB C charging cables is a pain (QI charging is to too slow and inconvenient at the moment). Maybe Apple will have a surprise and they will do something that will address my current complaints but that seems increasingly unlikely, so the 14 will be an adequate update and fine for the people on their 3 to 4 yearly update cycles and this is the year. No reason to hold back and wait unless USB C is a must.
It will be an iterative upgrade, as always, and, if you been hanging out with a 3 to 4 year old phone you want to upgrade, the new iPhone 14 will be perfectly fine. For me, who has an iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 13 Pro, I won't upgrade based on what I know. It is too iterative and there are no compelling features in the rumor mill feature list.
The iPhone camera is an occasional use camera for me, but not my main camera, so it would have to be a rethinking of the physics of light photography to get something that would make me buy it. I am irritated by the continued use of the Lightning port, so a move to USB C might tempt me, but at this point I am looking for a lighter, longer battery life phone with a USB C port for charging and a physical connection for the transfer of data. Everything else is fine/adequate on the 13 Pro. However, I find the current phone too heavy and bulky and the fact that I have to juggle Lightning and USB C charging cables is a pain (QI charging is to too slow and inconvenient at the moment). Maybe Apple will have a surprise and they will do something that will address my current complaints but that seems increasingly unlikely, so the 14 will be an adequate update and fine for the people on their 3 to 4 yearly update cycles and this is the year. No reason to hold back and wait unless USB C is a must.
DanRO
macrumors regular
I feel like the purposely downed the camera performance a little bit of the 13 pro so that the 14 pro camera will look amazing.
I think this camera spec upgrade is the only thing phone makers have focused on in the last few years.
The jump from 12 to 13 was big because of the 120hz display and much better battery.
I guess we’ll see how this series plays out
I think this camera spec upgrade is the only thing phone makers have focused on in the last few years.
The jump from 12 to 13 was big because of the 120hz display and much better battery.
I guess we’ll see how this series plays out
Yes because in the near and distant future who knows how we will view content. Im sure 15 years ago people like yourself would say ‘what do you need with 4mp?’ and look how bad those photos and videos look today. Always capture at the highest quality possible and your future self (or decedents) will be grateful that you did.
!!!
macrumors 65816
I have an 11 now. The 8/SE just doesn't have the battery I need. Though the thought of going back to Touch ID is tempting...