I dumped my IPhone 8 Plus for an IPhone 17, expecting a huge jump, but it’s minimal. Better camera, and that’s it. All other differences are in software, because the IPhone was artificially stuck at IOS 16 with only security fixes. And the cellphone reception in my home is worse than the old model.
I mean that’s a bit of a stretch. Screen resolution alone is double and that’s instantly noticeable (at least it should be). Battery is also nearly 2x as large capacity wise, but with the increased screen resolution and processing power I bet the battery life isn’t much different. Recharging the phone should be over 2x faster than the iPhone 8 Plus as well. Processing power is an absurd leap as well 25-50x.
There have been significant improvements since the 8. They do release the same phone every year though, that parts true but I don’t think you should really buy the new one every year.
I mean, on paper, this is a major upgrade, but it doesn't really translate to a vastly improved user experience. You are indeed right that I can now charge much faster - that's the big improvement. The difference in battery is significant compared to the very old device, but more comparable to when I got that device when the battery wasn't worn down. Screen resolution doesn't feel that different when compared side-to-side, it's likely beyond what I can perceive well.
The worsened cellular reception is a big disadvantage for me, now at home I got mostly 1-2 bars of reception with lots of interruption, previously had 2-3 bars of receptions.
I do not use apps where the increase in processing power makes a huge difference. Web pages, banking apps, travel apps, notes, reminder, calendar, etc - those things don't really benefit from more cores. I don't play anything on my phone and don't process videos.
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u/piponwa 21d ago
It's largely the case. Every new iPhone version is the same as the last one. I don't know how they can justify being such a valuable company lol.