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

[Zest28]

I personally thought the weight of the iPhone 15 Pro Max felt "premium" to me. Was super light weight and in the end, normally you pay extra for less weight.

If Apple made an iPhone out of carbon fibre, reducing the weight even further, Apple would increase the price as carbon fibre is more expensive.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

And titanium is more expensive and has better qualities than stainless steel.

Titanium is a more expensive material to process, it’s not significantly more expensive than the grades of stainless steel Apple have been using for years though. When you say better qualities, that really depends on the application. If you were making cutlery for example, something that needs to be durable and retain its appearance, you wouldn’t use titanium as it tarnishes, you’d use stainless. It all depends on what the intention is and I’d say both materials are very good for what they are applied to.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I personally thought the weight of the iPhone 15 Pro Max felt "premium" to me. Was super light weight and in the end, normally you pay extra for less weight.

If Apple made an iPhone out of carbon fibre, reducing the weight even further, Apple would increase the price as carbon fibre is more expensive.

I don’t think carbon fibre would be more expensive in the very small quantities needed in an iPhone though. It would depend how it is marketed to justify its higher price. Apple did spend years telling people medical grade stainless steel was more premium than 7000 series aluminium and millions of their customers believed them, so they probably could do it.

 

[Fat_Guy]

As I understand it, there's no change in the aluminum between this year and last year so what premium feeling are you referring to. The beveled edges?

It's not a positive for me to buy a Pro device and have it look and feel like aluminum.

I have a 14 PM in Silver in an Otterbox Commuter.


So I handled all the phones today and the camera array looks virtually the same size. So between last year and this year nobody can really tell that you have last years model when in a case. They will have to get real close to see the old mute switch and even harder for USB-C.


I have to say the plain SS does edge out the titanium in the premium feel and this is almost all due to the PVD coating. If they just left one model with plain titanium I could have said that one was now premium - but we don’t get that apparently.


And I said it before, all the time handling the phones I never noticed the weight difference. And I mean I never thought about it at all till I left the store and realized I didn’t purposely check out the weight issue.


I may stick with my 14PM until the big change next year.

 

[smirking]

I personally don’t understand the whole SS feels more premium. For me, premium is the features rather than the feel of a very small part of the phone, the sides! The weight reduction is very welcome because my phone is an everyday tool.

I think for lots of people, weight is synonymous with premium build quality because with lots of everyday products it's true. The cheap version is light because it's made with plastic parts whereas the high end one is precision machined metal that can take a beating. That only gets you so far of course.

The OP just might just find that the heavier phone is more pleasing or easy to handle in the way that it's balanced. A friend of mine who's a circus performer told me that when you're learning his act, you learn to balance a chair before you learn to balance a feather because you're more likely to lose your handle on the feather.

So maybe the 14 just feels more secure and easy to handle to the OP and I can understand why someone would prefer the device that just feels right in their hand. There are so many ways to look at this.

Personally, though? I'm with you. I'm happy that my 15 Pro went on a diet.

 

[rkuo]

Indeed, on the surface of things Aluminium and titanium look very similar. It’s amusing when so many people here have criticised aluminium to looking and feeling ‘cheap’ in the past, but are now fully behind a similar looking titanium framed phone. Titanium an odd choice of material for me in the iPhone due to this very reason, it’s quite a bit stiffer than aluminium which goes in its favour, but has a soft surface finish and I doubt many people would truly tell the difference.

I remember when the Apple Watch first launched with a black titanium at doubly the price of the sport model, yet visually they looked very similar.

Doesn't the black titanium watch have a diamond like carbon coating? That's a very different proposition ... it would be amazing if that was somehow on an iPhone. I'm actually wearing one right now and it looks essentially new despite being years old.

The iPhone 4 and 4S were my favorite iPhone designs ... but the stainless steel weight was hardly an issue in a phone of that size. In the days of oversized phones, titanium is an amazing advancement in material construction that I really wasn't sure would ever come to the iPhone. I thought it might come as a 3rd tier in an iPhone Ultra.

I'm curious in what way you think titanium is an odd choice of material for the iPhone Pro tho. Is it not clearly better for its use in the iPhone than stainless steel ... as well as being more expensive? Better, that is .... apart from the somewhat irrational feeling of density == quality/luxury. To be fair, all feelings of luxury are a commentary on our society and subjective to begin with, so maybe irrational isn't quite the right word.

 

[Paul1980]

Genuine question. I’ve been on iPhones since the very first one and now have the 15 PM. Do Samsung users have this same debate about materials used? Their flagship is made of aluminium so wondered if anyone knew how the Samsung users felt about that and if they feel the s23 ultra felt cheap being made of aluminium?

 

[Torty]

I personally thought the weight of the iPhone 15 Pro Max felt "premium" to me. Was super light weight and in the end, normally you pay extra for less weight.

If Apple made an iPhone out of carbon fibre, reducing the weight even further, Apple would increase the price as carbon fibre is more expensive.

They told the same about titanium and in the end the phone was much cheaper than the 14p (in Germany)

 

[dantay]

I much prefer the feel and look of the titanium, I always thought stainless steel was an odd choice for a phone due to the weight and then an impractical polished finish on top of that made it a doubly odd choice.

I understand wanting to differentiate the two product lines but I always preferred the matte aluminium of the non pro’s.

I really do now feel this is the optimal combination of materials and finishes for both look and utility, to the point I am considering going caseless.

 

[smirking]

I really do now feel this is the optimal combination of materials and finishes for both look and utility, to the point I am considering going caseless.

Everytime I get a new phone, I plan to go caseless, but then I realize how slippery it is and I end up buying a thin case to make it easier to grip. I deliberate so hard on which color I want to get and in the end you can't really see it anyway because even with a clear case, you mostly just see the case.

All of y'all who go caseless, how do you grip your phones? Is it slippery to you? Is it awkward to handle when you have difficulty gripping it securely with one hand?

 

[ofarlig]

Everytime I get a new phone, I plan to go caseless, but then I realize how slippery it is and I end up buying a thin case to make it easier to grip. I deliberate so hard on which color I want to get and in the end you can't really see it anyway because even with a clear case, you mostly just see the case.

All of y'all who go caseless, how do you grip your phones? Is it slippery to you? Is it awkward to handle when you have difficulty gripping it securely with one hand?

I always go careless and think it’s fine, I just grip it with my pinky under the phone for extra support. But I honestly think the Pro Max size I use is best used two handed when typing even when using it with a case.

 

[Mity]

They told the same about titanium and in the end the phone was much cheaper than the 14p (in Germany)

apple.de is showing that the 256GB 15P is 1330€ ($1420) and the 15PM is 1450€ ($1550) but these prices include tax. Taxes in the US depend on location but the average across all states is 5.1%. The equivalent prices in the US are $1155 and $1260, respectively.

How much were the 14P and 14PM? I can only see the prices on mediamarkt since Apple removed them from the official store.

DE



USA

 

[Falhófnir]

It's all just marketing and spin. since the iPhone X and apple watch, Apple has marketed the stainless models as higher end. Before that though, the early iPod touches were made out of stainless steel as it was a cheaper option than the aluminium they used for the iPhone 2G, and iPhone 5-8. FWIW it takes a whole lot more engineering effort to make something surprisingly light, but solid and rigid than it does to make it heavy though, so I suppose it depends on if you can value that. Personally I do value the effort they put into making it lighter, like the brushed look a whole lot more than the high shine finish on the SS models as well, though that's a finish choice not linked to the material (they could have had brushed stainless or shiny titanium if they'd wanted).

 

[Torty]

apple.de is showing that the 256GB 15P is 1330€ ($1420) and the 15PM is 1450€ ($1550) but these prices include tax. Taxes in the US depend on location but the average across all states is 5.1%. The equivalent prices in the US are $1155 and $1260, respectively.

How much were the 14P and 14PM? I can only see the prices on mediamarkt since Apple removed them from the official store.

DE
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USA

View attachment 2279545 View attachment 2279548

So the 14PM 1TB is now 150euros cheaper. I feel rippped off but it is how it is.

 

[C. Robert]

Apple could have taken my 14 pro, re-boxed it in a new box and sold it to me as a 15 pro and I would have paid for it. 😂

 

[Mity]

So the 14PM 1TB is now 150euros cheaper. I feel rippped off but it is how it is.

That screenshot shows the price of the 14 Pro on Sep 4 was 1580€ for the 256GB model, which is indeed more than 1330€ for the 15 Pro. But the good news is that mediamarkt has it for 1230€...

It could be because EUR strengthened 11.5% against USD over the last year. Apple prices their phones in USD first and then converts to local currency (probably using derivatives like forwards/swaps). So, for last year's sales, they couldn't change the price but for this year, they probably locked in an exchange rate that makes the phones cheaper for Europeans.

 

[Manzana]

I agree with OP. I upgraded from 12 PM to 15 PM and the 15 just doesn’t feel as premium. It’s not a weight issue, the 15 PM is only 7 g lighter than 12 PM. I’m not sure what it is, but definitely there is not a premium feel to it. One thing I do notice is that the edges do feel nice and don’t dig into my hands as much.

It is an upgrade for sure, I appreciate all the new goodies but mostly they are “under the hood” so to speak.

I upgrade every 2-3 years and every Pro has felt super premium and looked and fit the part: 5s, 7 Plus, X, 12 PM. The 15 PM does not give me the “feels” like those did.

We will see how it holds up with time. Maybe it is just a more utilitarian phone.

 

[smirking]

I agree with OP. I upgraded from 12 PM to 15 PM and the 15 just doesn’t feel as premium. It’s not a weight issue, the 15 PM is only 7 g lighter than 12 PM.

It was written that the way the weight was distributed may make it feel lighter in the hand than it actually is. In comparison to the iPhone 14, the 15 has more of its weight in the center.

 

[smirking]

It's wild how one of the cheapest and flimsiest-feeling lenses Canon makes also makes some of the sharpest photos with the most amazing bokeh. It's a freaking legend.

Nope, but I do know about that legendary Canon nifty fifty.

I absolutely adore my lightweight and entirely plastic Tamron 35-150mm. It feels entry level, but doesn't shoot like one at all. It admittedly does feel cheap, but I've come to love how light it is because I'm shooting events for hours on end with it and the lighter weight is so much easier on my hands.

 

[Torty]

That screenshot shows the price of the 14 Pro on Sep 4 was 1580€ for the 256GB model, which is indeed more than 1330€ for the 15 Pro. But the good news is that mediamarkt has it for 1230€...

It could be because EUR strengthened 11.5% against USD over the last year. Apple prices their phones in USD first and then converts to local currency (probably using derivatives like forwards/swaps). So, for last year's sales, they couldn't change the price but for this year, they probably locked in an exchange rate that makes the phones cheaper for Europeans.

the euro was very weak for a short time period. But we also had inflation for last year. And according to many media the production was more expensive now for the 15pm.
The 14 PM was overpriced at least in Germany don’t know the prices in other countries. It’s ok because no one forced me to buy it. companies can sell overpriced products to customers but only if they have their strong market position. Maybe in future we will get some mandate to open the ecosystems. One OS to rule them all. The charging port was only the first srep.

 

[waquzy]

Went to my local Apple Store in Highcross today to check out the new phones and I must say when I compared the Natural Titanium side by side to my Deep Purple 14P it didn’t look anywhere near as premium as mine with stainless steel. I don’t want to sound harsh, but it looked like one of those cheap Chinese fake iPhones. Blimey. Having said that, it did feel lighter and the rounded corners do make it more comfortable to hold.

All in all, I’m glad I didn’t upgrade.

 

[Asiatic Black Hebrew]

I agree OP. I was ready to upgrade and even took the day off to get the new iPhone. But i changed my mind when I saw the phones. The titanium is indistinguishable (in look and feel) from the aluminum iphones, which is disappointing. I personally feel that the shiny stainless steel has a premium, almost jewelry-like feel. This is also why I always buy the stainless steel watches. The titanium does not stand out at all and the colors are boring. I’m disappointed this year. I’ll be keeping my deep purple iPhone 14 pro max, which I’m legitimately sad about, as I’m bored of the color. Hopefully next year they’ll figure out how to make the titanium edges glossy. If the edges are going to be fingerprint magnets as they are now, they might as well be glossy, which will make the phone stand out.

I’m not sure why you’re being attacked for expressing your opinion.

He's being attacked because some posters who upgraded felt personally attacked by his opinion. That is usually the case whenever anything other than absolute praise is shown for the latest model iPhone.

 

[parajba]

Bring it on, current PM14 owner here, will be upgrading to the 16PM if they keep reducing the weight. I like everything about my phone apart from its weight. But, they need to keep the battery at least as big as the current model.
So in short, I think it's great that the PM15 is lighter than the 14.

 

[Jann89]

The same here. Today I bought 14 PM because I also much prefer stainless steel instead of aluminium or new titanium body.
As already someone mentioned - similar situation was with iPhone 4s and 5. For me iPhone 4s was more solid and feel like it is more premium product.

 

[JRoDDz]

Stainless Steel dissipates heat better than titanium. Maybe that's why there are several threads about heat issues on the 15 pros?