Other What is the purpose of the "Plus" model phones

[JPack]

I have both and actually enjoy holding the 14 Plus a bit better. Why? It's a tad thinner, and I notice. I think it's also a tad wider, and I like that. It's about fit.

The 15 Plus is great, though. They're very similar, to the point that the 14 Plus cases can (almost) fit the 15 Plus.

The 14 Plus is literally the same thickness as the 15 Plus.

 

[Tyler O'Bannon]

A non-pro larger phone. The price difference isn’t all that much though. Now the max is $100 more because of 256Gb starting, but still, it’s bigger for less money than the pros

 

[janeauburn]

My wife doesn't give a **** about Promotion or 3 cameras. All she want is a big ass screen for watching Youtube.

The Pro Max is not only much heavier than the Plus, it's also way more expensive.

The Plus is perfect for her. And for many others as well.

I have the Plus and the Max here. Side by side, I can tell a tiny bit of difference in screen speed/smoothness with the Promotion, but I really have to look for it. Placebo? When scrolling on a normal screen while reading text, I see no difference at all.

Promotion, to reference the great bard, is much ado about nothing, IMO. It's certainly not worth any sacrifices in portability (meaning the Max is heavier) or battery life (meaning the Max doesn't last as long as the Plus, presumably because of the Promotion).

 

[Ralfi]

Maybe it is something I am missing and can consider for next year as I really honestly realized I dont even use the camera powers of my PM or even the normal Pro like i should

I suppose if Apple does make a plus model in 2024, i will take a look at it as I dont really need or use most of the specs in my PM nor do i care about things like telephoto.

There you go. You’re someone who the Plus is aimed for. You just didn’t know it 🙂

Also, going into a phone store & using the 15 & 15 Plus side by side, for me it’s less about font size/eye sight assistance, but more about the extra data you get on screen - you scroll less because you see more webpage in Safari, more photos in your camera roll, more text in notes, more of your timeline in social media Apps etc. Less scrolling means less strain on your hand & arguably less battery use (though this would apply more on the high refresh rate screen of the PM).

 

[Barbareren]

1. Price (it's not that much more than a base)
2. If i want a bigger screen like the plus, I can also then pony up the money to get the Pro Max and get more features with it.


The Plus, in my opinion, is redundant.

1. The price difference (and the prices of ALL Apple products) is significantly higher for everyone living outside of the US.
2. Not everyone cares about the extra features offered by the Pro Max. Why is that so hard for you to understand? Also, like mentioned by several people in this thread already, the Plus has some benefits over the Pro Max, like weight, battery life and not having to deal with the massive camera bump.

Your opinion, in my opinion, is redundant.

 

[Amplelink]

1. The price difference (and the prices of ALL Apple products) is significantly higher for everyone living outside of the US.
2. Not everyone cares about the extra features offered by the Pro Max. Why is that so hard for you to understand? Also, like mentioned by several people in this thread already, the Plus has some benefits over the Pro Max, like weight, battery life and not having to deal with the massive camera bump.

Your opinion, in my opinion, is redundant.

Is the price difference really that much if you can just pay monthly. Even outside of the US, a lot of carriers let customers pay in installments these days.

 

[kp98077]

I have always wondered since the 14 and now the 15, what exactly is the point of a plus model phone?

1. I got the mini(it's smallest)
2. I get the base model (it now is the cheapest PREMIUM)
3. I even get the Pros (it's really a matter of Screen size and camera)

But the Plus models do not make sense to me lol. At our christmas party last night (Whew too much whiksey, i am still hurting and this is only Part 1 lol), our Boss was asking me about which iPhone should he upgrade to since he is going to the store this weekend. He mentioned the plus model. I didn't really know the difference so i more or less pushed him towards the PM.

Isn't a plus Model essentially the base 14/15 but the size of a Pro Max. That seems more redundant since you already have a 6.1 model base and a 6.7 Premium line and the standard Pro is also still better. Even the Mini could be justified but i am confused as to what purpose the Plus model is for? Maybe it is something I am missing and can consider for next year as I really honestly realized I dont even use the camera powers of my PM or even the normal Pro like i should

you have an iphone 15 and you really dont know what a 15 plus is??

 

[Barbareren]

Is the price difference really that much if you can just pay monthly. Even outside of the US, a lot of carriers let customers pay in installments these days.

I wouldn't know as I don't buy anything on credit, but all Apple products are significantly more expensive outside of the U.S.

 

[kp98077]

I think the appeal of the Plus has next to nothing to do with price. After all, we're talking, what, $100 or $200 difference, depending on the configuration?

No, the appeal of the Plus phones is carryability: It's a big phone that's both lighter and thinner (and therefore more comfortable) than the Max phones. A lot of people carry phones in their pants, and with the Max you feel like you have a brick in there--even w/ the "lighter" 15 Pro Max. It's just too damn heavy.

I agree with this, most can easily afford a max, myself included but just not interested in that bulk..

 

[jaehaerys48]

This is a bit like wondering why there is a 14" MBP and a 16" MBP. Some people like the 14, some people like the 16. Narrowing down the product line to one size would risk alienating the fans of the other.

Apple doesn't always make the right decision, but they are very good at making money and they have all the sales data. If we do get a 16 Plus then I think it is clear that their sales data points to there being enough customers who want the big screen but don't want to pay for the Pro Max.

It seems like Apple's product line as a whole is starting to kinda reflect this. They introduced a 15" MacBook Air for people who want a big MacBook without paying for the Pro, and apparently it seems like they're going to be introducing a bigger iPad Air option as well. Some consumers just want big screen but don't want to pay a ton more for beefier specs. The big PC manufacturers for years have offered an array of products covering different sizes for this reason.

 

[Greenmeenie]

I think the appeal of the Plus has next to nothing to do with price. After all, we're talking, what, $100 or $200 difference, depending on the configuration?

No, the appeal of the Plus phones is carryability: It's a big phone that's both lighter and thinner (and therefore more comfortable) than the Max phones. A lot of people carry phones in their pants, and with the Max you feel like you have a brick in there--even w/ the "lighter" 15 Pro Max. It's just too damn heavy.

Depends on who you talk to. For some people, $100 or $200 is a lot of money for some people. Especially since the iphones are already pretty expensive. So for those people, that is reason for them to go with the iPhone plus. For others it may be for the reason you mentioned. Both are valid reasons for some to go with the iphone plus over the pro max.

 

[scorpio vega]

What is the purpose of the "Plus" model phones​

Make phone calls?

There are different product variants that target different customer needs, simple as that

Thank you for that riveting and detailed response. truly builds discussion, love it.

Shouldn't be difficult to understand.

This represents U.S. unit sales in the 12 months ending in September 2023. Many people are buying 14 Plus even before the 15 was available. Some people want big display, some people want cameras, and some people want both.

lol it's not about not understanding. I was mainly curious from a saales standpoint as to the purpose of the 15 plus in relation to the other 6 (SE, 13, 14, 15 base, 15 Pro, 15 pro max) iphones sold.

Though it is crazy that the mini model only sold 1 percent of total iphones. If apple sold 90 million iphones for the year that is literally less than 1 million minis so i guess that explains why they dropped it.

The Pro Max is not only much heavier than the Plus,

I actually dropped into the local Apple store earlier today and got to handle one. I honestly think i like the Pro Max feel a lot better.

Promotion, to reference the great bard, is much ado about nothing, IMO. It's certainly not worth any sacrifices in portability (meaning the Max is heavier) or battery life (meaning the Max doesn't last as long as the Plus, presumably because of the Promotion).

I can notice it between my 11 and 15 PM but I also can greatly live without it as I felt like it was just an overhyped addition that people criticized Apple not having because Android already has it. Aka adding features just for the sake of having them (like most android phones usually do)

Your opinion, in my opinion, is redundant.

LOL this is weirdly aggressive.

1. The price difference (and the prices of ALL Apple products) is significantly higher for everyone living outside of the US.

I am not aware of the price difference outside US because i dont shop outside the US.

2. Not everyone cares about the extra features offered by the Pro Max. Why is that so hard for you to understand? Also, like mentioned by several people in this thread already, the Plus has some benefits over the Pro Max, like weight, battery life and not having to deal with the massive camera bump.

I never said it was hard for me to understand. In fact, several posts above yours I already basically said i got it.
It is a forum, where discussion is encouraged. Not sure why me asking the question has you feeling some kind of way but okay lol. Feliz Navidad and all that jazz <3 lmao

you have an iphone 15 and you really dont know what a 15 plus is??

When did I say I didn't understand what a 15 plus was? I even ran back to my oriinal post and never implied i didnt know what it was. I asked what its purpose was for in the overall line up of the current sold models. Thankfully, most people here RESPECTFULLY answered the question.

 

[Tsepz]

I mean i have an 11 and 15 PM and i really dont notice a size difference that is that monumental. The weight and feel holding it of course is different from 11 and 15 PM but i have not noticed anything monumentally different screen size (resolution and screen display of course are different).

a 6.1 to a 6.7 isnt that big of a change like an Se/mini to a 6.7 would be.

The 15 PM in itself is slightly shorter and narrower than both 13 PM and 14 PM while being significantly lighter. Then Apple also reduced the bezels on 15 PM. The 15 PM is actually not much larger than an 11 PM due to how it is packaged, the 15 PM is just 5grams heavier than 11 PM, hence you are not feeling a significant change.

I went from 11 PM to 13 PM and that change was pretty dramatic due to how much larger and heavier the 13 PM was, so when I then went from 13 PM to 15 PM, the reduction in size and weight along with smaller bezels really felt significant. The 15 PM feels more “compact” to me, lol!

As for 15 Plus, as said before, the Mini tanked on sales, it seems the market voted with their wallets for larger screens and I am sure Apple saw that some people want a Pro Max sized iPhone but not all the Pro features, so they increased the size of the standard iPhone to.

What I would like to see in future is the Plus getting a slight edge up on features versus standard iPhone e.g. the Plus gets a 90Hz Promotion display along with the LiDAR sensor, make the Plus a sort of “iPhone Air”.

 

[kp98077]

Thank you for that riveting and detailed response. truly builds discussion, love it.

lol it's not about not understanding. I was mainly curious from a saales standpoint as to the purpose of the 15 plus in relation to the other 6 (SE, 13, 14, 15 base, 15 Pro, 15 pro max) iphones sold.

Though it is crazy that the mini model only sold 1 percent of total iphones. If apple sold 90 million iphones for the year that is literally less than 1 million minis so i guess that explains why they dropped it.

I actually dropped into the local Apple store earlier today and got to handle one. I honestly think i like the Pro Max feel a lot better.

I can notice it between my 11 and 15 PM but I also can greatly live without it as I felt like it was just an overhyped addition that people criticized Apple not having because Android already has it. Aka adding features just for the sake of having them (like most android phones usually do)


LOL this is weirdly aggressive.

I am not aware of the price difference outside US because i dont shop outside the US.

I never said it was hard for me to understand. In fact, several posts above yours I already basically said i got it.
It is a forum, where discussion is encouraged. Not sure why me asking the question has you feeling some kind of way but okay lol. Feliz Navidad and all that jazz <3 lmao


When did I say I didn't understand what a 15 plus was? I even ran back to my oriinal post and never implied i didnt know what it was. I asked what its purpose was for in the overall line up of the current sold models. Thankfully, most people here RESPECTFULLY answered the question.

I was sorta kidding lol.. do get too mad over it! It seemed to me that you didn't know - which surprised me I am fairly entitle to my opinion and or interpretation..

 

[scorpio vega]

The 15 PM in itself is slightly shorter and narrower than both 13 PM and 14 PM while being significantly lighter. Then Apple also reduced the bezels on 15 PM. The 15 PM is actually not much larger than an 11 PM due to how it is packaged, the 15 PM is just 5grams heavier than 11 PM, hence you are not feeling a significant change.

I went from 11 PM to 13 PM and that change was pretty dramatic due to how much larger and heavier the 13 PM was, so when I then went from 13 PM to 15 PM, the reduction in size and weight along with smaller bezels really felt significant. The 15 PM feels more “compact” to me, lol!

As for 15 Plus, as said before, the Mini tanked on sales, it seems the market voted with their wallets for larger screens and I am sure Apple saw that some people want a Pro Max sized iPhone but not all the Pro features, so they increased the size of the standard iPhone to.

What I would like to see in future is the Plus getting a slight edge up on features versus standard iPhone e.g. the Plus gets a 90Hz Promotion display along with the LiDAR sensor, make the Plus a sort of “iPhone Air”.

That makes sense.

I do wish apple would simplify their product lines (ipad is way too messy and iPhone is getting there), Because as you said there is not much differentiation between the base and plus models aside from screen size and I also think a bit reason that the mini failed is the price and perception of you are getting less for more even if the mini and base models were similar aside from screen size (and really you were getting less with an inferior battery life).

 

[svish]

Plus models are great for those who just want a bigger screen and are not so interested in other features like the 120Hz or the superior camera on the Pro Max models.

Always good to have more options. Just like the 15" MacBook Air. It is a great option for those who just want a bigger screen but not requiring the power of a 16" MacBook Pro.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Is the price difference really that much if you can just pay monthly. Even outside of the US, a lot of carriers let customers pay in installments these days.

But for some, why pay £300 more if they don’t have to? Not everyone wants a Pro iPhone, which is why these standard devices exist in the first place.

 

[JustAnExpat]

Two of the largest markets are in India and China. These countries use their phone as their main computer, and large displays are valued. However, they are also somewhat poor countries, and a lot of people can't afford the iPhone Pro Max. So the Plus model provides a large screen AND a somewhat low price.

 

[boss.king]

I have always wondered since the 14 and now the 15, what exactly is the point of a plus model phone?

1. I got the mini(it's smallest)
2. I get the base model (it now is the cheapest PREMIUM)
3. I even get the Pros (it's really a matter of Screen size and camera)

But the Plus models do not make sense to me lol. At our christmas party last night (Whew too much whiksey, i am still hurting and this is only Part 1 lol), our Boss was asking me about which iPhone should he upgrade to since he is going to the store this weekend. He mentioned the plus model. I didn't really know the difference so i more or less pushed him towards the PM.

Isn't a plus Model essentially the base 14/15 but the size of a Pro Max. That seems more redundant since you already have a 6.1 model base and a 6.7 Premium line and the standard Pro is also still better. Even the Mini could be justified but i am confused as to what purpose the Plus model is for? Maybe it is something I am missing and can consider for next year as I really honestly realized I dont even use the camera powers of my PM or even the normal Pro like i should

It seems fairly obvious to me - some people want a Pro Max sized display but not at a Pro Max sized price.

 

[SakManDoo]

My reasons for upgrading from 13 mini to 15 Plus:
1. Largest display available for my aging eyes, plus lighter weight and the green color 😀
2. Don’t care about the pro features
3. Awesome battery life
This checked all the boxes and money wasn’t a factor.

 

[Barbareren]

It is a forum, where discussion is encouraged. Not sure why me asking the question has you feeling some kind of way but okay lol. Feliz Navidad and all that jazz <3 lmao

I only 'feel' the pointlessness of this thread. It's like asking: "What's the purpose of variety?" or "why do we need choices?".
Gracias. Felices fiestas/Feliz navidad 🎄

 

[scorpio vega]

Always good to have more options.

I'd definitely want a mini option with pro features more than a plus simply being a bigger base model(which is largely what it is...just a bigger base) but the market has spoken

My reasons for upgrading from 13 mini to 15 Plus:
1. Largest display available for my aging eyes, plus lighter weight and the green color 😀
2. Don’t care about the pro features
3. Awesome battery life
This checked all the boxes and money wasn’t a factor.

Wow that is a big jump from a mini to a Plus I am sure it definitely is a big improvement. Pun intended.

I only 'feel' the pointlessness of this thread. It's like asking: "What's the purpose of variety?" or "why do we need choices?".
Gracias. Felices fiestas/Feliz navidad 🎄

Well the beauty is when we find things pointless we can just as well scroll past <3

 

[Ralfi]

I'd definitely want a mini option with pro features

The dilemma here is the battery won’t be big enough to accommodate those Pro features, so the whole experience is brought undone by the constant need to charge the thing.

Could be the reason why Apple haven’t bothered.

 

[geta]

I'd definitely want a mini option with pro features

Dont care about the pro features, just bring back a Mini size option.

 

[gtjacket123]

Going off reviews, the Plus gives users more screen real estate with the best battery life in the range. It’s also a lighter 6.7” variant due to the cameras. Cameras which are no slouch as they’re the same as those in the 14 Pros last year.

If it had split screen multitasking & landscape Home Screen App Support it’d be a huge winner in the range imo. Still a good value option for those who can both handle it & pocket it.

I have the 15 plus after having tried 15 pro max for a couple of weeks. In the past I have had and appreciated 12 mini, 13 mini, 14 pro (and other iPhones before then). This poster NAILED it. Wow.

• I get the biggest screen, which is something that became more important to me over time (as you can see I appreciated/had the minis earlier on for 2 full generations),
• with the best battery life possible (my own experience comparing to the PM, this is debatably the most important “feature” for me now),
• save $200 (this was not a factor in my decision, but hey),
• the camera now has 2x zoom (which I prefer over 3x for a “shortcut” within the camera app),
• It is of course lighter than the pro max like multiple other iPhone models, but I want to clarify that it’s weirdly light-feeling- because the weight is distributed across a larger device sitting on your palm. Sort of like how an iPad mini 5 feels magically light. I didn’t like the weight of the 14 pro for a full year, though I appreciate for some people that heft is a sign of quality.

I still giggle sometimes when I pick up my 15 plus and notice how light it feels (after 2 months or however long of ownership). This device brings me joy in a way phones haven’t in a few years.