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cateye

macrumors 6502a
Oct 18, 2011
647
2,511
When Apple pursued thinness as the goal to end all goals, the manifest of design perfection, Sir Jony Ive was at the height of his powers, able to sway the faithful with nothing more than a stone gaze. He also happened to be fit, trim, and full of vigor:

jony-ive.png


At the end of his tenure, however, as Apple devices began to swell and lose focus, Ive too became puffy, sweaty, and engorged like gin-soaked tick:

PuffyIve.jpg


Woe are the children of thin. Their lord and savior has strayed from the righteous path, and they suffer under the literal weight of his absence. Amen.
 

Jared G.K.

macrumors regular
Jul 23, 2023
123
160
If anything, I would say the 15 Plus would be more equivalent to the 8 Plus. There really was no equivalent to today's Pro models. The closest in 2017 may have been the X which launched just two months after the 8 models.

The depth of the 8 Plus is 0.30 inches (I mistakenly put 0.31 inches in my previous post) and the depth of the iPhone 15 Plus is 0.31 inches. Even the 15 Pro and Pro Max are only 0.32" depth. Again, differences are negligible even for phones.
8+ : top of the line iPhone at its time
15 Pro : current top of the line phone

But anyway, this discussion on comparisons in the fraction of a mm/in range leads nowhere.
It's just that some of us want thinner iPhones than the current ones, and that we/I believe this should be feasible technologically, without sacrificing battery capacity.
 

ouruniverse06131986

macrumors regular
Jul 12, 2021
193
164
That’s what she said.

I wish I could have an iPhone as thin as a credit card and powerful with all the space possible. But that’s going to happen in 100-300 years
 

fuchsdh

macrumors 68020
Jun 19, 2014
2,021
1,820
8+ : top of the line iPhone at its time
15 Pro : current top of the line phone

But anyway, this discussion on comparisons in the fraction of a mm/in range leads nowhere.
It's just that some of us want thinner iPhones than the current ones, and that we/I believe this should be feasible technologically, without sacrificing battery capacity.
I mean, certainly that's possible, but it's not just a "thickness — battery" axis, there's the cameras and other components. You can't get everything everyone ones—constantly improving optics, battery life, speed, etc. and not expect knock-on effects. Making a phone thicker is a comparatively "cheap" way of solving a lot of them, especially when you can't just charge $5K for a phone.
 

Jared G.K.

macrumors regular
Jul 23, 2023
123
160
I mean, certainly that's possible, but it's not just a "thickness — battery" axis, there's the cameras and other components. You can't get everything everyone ones—constantly improving optics, battery life, speed, etc. and not expect knock-on effects. Making a phone thicker is a comparatively "cheap" way of solving a lot of them, especially when you can't just charge $5K for a phone.
yes, I already admitted/stated in an earlier post that I'm aware brighter lenses, bigger sensors, better cameras need space and there are physical limitations to the shrinkage factor.

Physics also limit battery sizes, if capacities are supposed to stay equal or become better.

However, the new iPads to be announced soon will supposedly get significantly thinner than the current generations. How is that possible? The current ones are so thin already.

So if you try hard enough.....that's all I'm saying.
 

webkit

macrumors 68030
Jan 14, 2021
2,949
2,558
United States
8+ : top of the line iPhone at its time
15 Pro : current top of the line phone

Being "top of the line" at the time doesn't necessarily make it comparable to top of the line today. For example, if a restaurant's top of the line steak years ago was sirloin but in later years they expanded the menu to include filet mignon, that doesn’t mean sirloin is comparable to filet mignon just because both were/are top of the line at a particular time. The features and capabilities of the Pro level phones took the iPhone to another level beyond the "regular" models.
 

Jared G.K.

macrumors regular
Jul 23, 2023
123
160
the funny thing about such conversations is that they always end up with people lecturing others that what they would like to have is stupid because '....you don't need that why do you ask for it....'

I want thinner phones but am aware of physical limitations - fine (opinion)
I want thinner phones but think some (not all) physical limitations could be overcome if trying hard - fine (opinion)
I don't want thinner phones and am happy with how they are today - fine (opinion)
I don't think thinner will be possible due to physical limitations - fine (opinion)
I want thinner phones and better cameras and more powerful batteries - not fine (uneducated opinion)
You don't need thinner phones because they are thin already - not fine (lecturing no opinion)
etc.

So I think I have stated and justified my opinion quite clearly and there is nothing more to say, i hope.
 
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klasma

macrumors 603
Jun 8, 2017
6,127
17,159
Picked up the 8 Plus after using the 15 series for a while, and it hit me: the older phones are so much easier to hold and carry because they’re thinner.

Current phones are too thick.
No, because they’re smaller and lighter. Current iPhones are too large and heavy.
 
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decafjava

macrumors 603
Feb 7, 2011
5,238
7,386
Geneva
No, because they’re smaller and lighter. Current iPhones are too large and heavy.
Too large and heavy for you, although I like how my 15 PM is noticeably lighter than my 13 PM it is not something on its own would have upgraded for if my 13 hadn't been stolen.
 

webkit

macrumors 68030
Jan 14, 2021
2,949
2,558
United States
It's worth noting that at one time, Apple thought thin was important enough to make it a headline feature (of the 6):


"dramatically thin design"
"comfortable to hold"

Haven't heard those things out of Cupertino lately, have we?

And the thinness (depth) of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus helped lead to the "bendgate" controversy.

Regardless of what Apple may promote today (they may feel that "thinner" is not a meaningful or desirable enough selling point), some third party reviewers seem to like the size/feel of even the largest Pro Max:

"The iPhone 15 Pro Max is much more comfortable to hold..."
"Combine all three things: lighter weight, duller corners, and thinner width, and we have a much better in-hand feel."

 

Allen_Wentz

macrumors 68030
Dec 3, 2016
2,778
3,044
USA
better to have a phone with some thickness so you aren't tethered to your charger all day
?? What iPhone do you own where you need to be "tethered to your charger all day" ? Neither my 14 Pro nor 15 Pro Max required me to be tethered to my charger all day; ran a battery down to zero only once, and that was due to PEBKAC.

IMO Apple's engineering choices of how much battery to provide have been just right [for me], and I use the iPhone constantly. I only charge via MagSafe and get by with just one charger in the car and another on my desk. I do not even need to bother adding another charger and charging at night, which would be easy enough.
 

Timpetus

macrumors 6502
Jun 13, 2014
295
592
Orange County, CA
I like flat edges, but they are better on a smaller phone. I'm fine with the thickness of my 15 Pro, but wish it was the size of my 13 mini. That phone was basically perfect.
 

Allen_Wentz

macrumors 68030
Dec 3, 2016
2,778
3,044
USA
yes, I already admitted/stated in an earlier post that I'm aware brighter lenses, bigger sensors, better cameras need space and there are physical limitations to the shrinkage factor.

Physics also limit battery sizes, if capacities are supposed to stay equal or become better.

However, the new iPads to be announced soon will supposedly get significantly thinner than the current generations. How is that possible? The current ones are so thin already.

So if you try hard enough.....that's all I'm saying.
It is not simply "if you try hard enough," it is about cost to engineer, produce and distribute tens of millions of some very latest high-tech thing every year.
 

boss.king

macrumors 603
Apr 8, 2009
6,144
6,909
It's worth noting that at one time, Apple thought thin was important enough to make it a headline feature (of the 6):


"dramatically thin design"
"comfortable to hold"

Haven't heard those things out of Cupertino lately, have we?
Thankfully, they’ve since gotten their priorities in order. I’m very happy with the thickness of my 13. I’d even take an extra millimetre for some more battery life.
 

G5isAlive

Contributor
Aug 28, 2003
2,654
4,606
If phones were the size of--and a replacement for--wallets, that would be one thing. But they're not, despite the Apple Pay thinking that the only thing that goes in wallets is a card or two. Nonsense. In Europe it's even worse: Europeans typically travel with a wallet full of coins, cards, bills, etc. That's one pocket, taken up fully by a wallet stuffed to the brim. No room in that pocket for anything else.

So what we have in our pockets these days is wallet, keys, airpods, and phone, maybe coins (if in America), and more, and that's just too much. The size and thickness of these phones make it way, way too much.

assuming you are serious, you are describing a space management problem that you created. You chose to carry a phone in your pocket knowing all the other stuff in it. And btw, I haven't carried a wallet in years. they attachment that holds a few credit cards and ID is enough for me. So yeah, phone in one pocket. keys and AirPods in another. problem solved. and you dont have to worry about your keys scratching the screen.
 
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G5isAlive

Contributor
Aug 28, 2003
2,654
4,606
we just want to challenge Apple to make the phones thinner but still provide an equal or better capacity battery. But they won't listen to me anyway, so don't worry...

I cant tell if you are being serious or not. For any given battery technology there is only so much you can do, mass equals capacity. you want more capacity, you get more mass. period. Are you suggesting Apple can come up with a higher charge density battery? That's quite a tall order given how many other people are working on the same with relatively slow progress. Instead, Apple has been focusing on making components that use less power... but even there you can only go so far so fast. The only remaining alternative is to make a phone thinner, you need to make it wider or taller or both. Volume is fixed. Pick a ratio. I wouldn't want to see my phone get wider.
 
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