Here are a few thoughts on the new iPhones and considerations for those thinking of upgrading, based on yesterdays Apple’s presentation.
As I describe below, this was a presentation filled with oldies but goodies. Things that worked in the past, such as another AIr product, a structure reminiscent of the MacBooks, and a long list of incremental improvements.
- The new iPhone Air is a very slim phone with many limitations. I think it could be disappointment for both Apple and its customers for a number of reasons.
- A small battery – In spite of Apple saying it will get you through the day, all signs contradict that. Apple is already offering a optional MagSafe attached battery for up to 60% more battery. Note that an external battery is about 20% less efficient compared to one hard wired because of poorer transfer efficiency.
- Something so thin is more fragile so it’s likely you’ll want to get a case for it, losing some of the benefits of such a thin phone.
- The camera is much more limited and is not as good as the phones on the last few gerations of the Pro models.
- It’s not designated as an iPhone 17, so it may remain in the line with few changes beyond one year.
- The iPhone 17 Pro models would be the ones to consider if one wanted to upgrade. The benefits are incremental from what we can tell
- Improved cameras that provide marginal benefits to already stellar cameras on its predecessors.
- An unspecified battery life improvement. Apple never states the capacity so we will need to wait for teardown reports to see just how much more capacity it has. If it’s significant (>15%), that would be a major reason to upgrade. Not only does a larger battery last longer between charges, but that means fewer charges, which means the battery will last longer before a replacement is needed.
- Lots of discussion about housing manufacturing and materials, an Apple regular talking point. iPhone 6, 7, and 8 were all aluminum, and then went to stainless steel and titanium. Now we’re back to aluminum, although machined like the MacBooks rather than stamped. Seems as if Apple is trying to recreate the impact of the MacBooks’ machined aluminum housing, which revolutionized the notebook market in its time. But this time, it’s less important. Aluminum is more prone to scratching, especially around the edges, than the titanium housings of the series 15 and 16.
- Does it really matter when most everyone buries their phone inside a plastic case?
- The overall form factor is a big change with the raised bar across the back of the camera that Apple calls a plateau. It’s very similar in appearance to the Google Pixels of the past few years. Nothing striking or unique.
- Apple will be rolling out their new software soon, and that may be more interesting than the hardware. Your older phones from the past few years will all benefit.
- One noticeable omission yesterday was a mention of AI, something last year’s rollout featured. That just confirms that Apple is a couple of years behind Google’s new Pixel 10 lineup that does much of the computation on the phone. It’s expected Apple will now partner with Google to play catchup. What this means is if you want the latest, most significant and powerful new phones, you should consider the Google Pixel 10 Pro.
- If you want to stay in the Apple ecosystem, upgrade if your phone is old, if you want to give your phone to a relative, or if you want to have the latest. Don’t upgrade to get the most advanced phone ever.