Purchasing New iPhone

[Neutron]

I saw that Tim Cook is quoted as saying that the next iPhones will have higher prices due to the increase in RAM costs. So it might make sense to buy now at the price you know versus waiting for the next iPhone with a $100-300 higher starting price tag. There's also the Siri requirement for 12 GB of RAM internally to support on-phone A.I.

This right here is the main reason I am looking to upgrade right before the next release cycle. Say the price increase is an average of $200; that makes the entry iPhone 18 Pro Max $1399 instead of $1199 for the iPhone 17 Pro Max, or approximately a 16% increase. We keep our phones for 5 years on average which is why getting the iPhone 17 Pro Max now doesn't sound so bad to me, even if that means one less year of support down the road.

 

[navychop]

My 15 Pro Max Ultra-Dultra with Retsin is serving me just fine, thank you.

I also have an unused with new battery XS Pro whatever that works fine, save for certain apps. Sigh. I was happy with that phone…..

Gave it to my MiL and "upgraded" - only to find her facility installed a new required app that needed a more recent smartphone. Devil take the hindmost, these people being the ones without smartphones.

 

[Neutron]

My 15 Pro Max Ultra-Dultra with Retsin is serving me just fine, thank you.

I also have an unused with new battery XS Pro whatever that works fine, save for certain apps. Sigh. I was happy with that phone…..

Gave it to my MiL and "upgraded" - only to find her facility installed a new required app that needed a more recent smartphone. Devil take the hindmost, these people being the ones without smartphones.

If I had a 15 Pro Max I would be keeping it for a while as well. One feature I'm certainly looking forward to is the USB-C port which means I can finally ditch the USB-C to Lightening cable in my travel bag since my work laptop and iPad Pro are also USB-C. In fact, when the 15 Pro Max came out, I was tempted due to the USB-C port but thought against it as not compelling enough to spend the money.

 

[Foxbat]

When I was evaluating the upgrade from my iPhone 13 earlier, the 17 made the most sense, feature and price-wise. I actually got to use the Satellite text capability (introduced with the iPhone 14) when I was texting to my Sister while in the middle of Lake Michigan. Otherwise, I don't really notice the faster processor. The Battery Life seems comparable, too.

The iPhone 17 is a pretty solid generation. And yes, having USB-C adds certain enhancements like USB accessories like thumb drives.

 

[Neutron]

I placed the order for the phones last night and picked them up from the Verizon store little bit ago and am now in the process of setting up my daughter's phone. My wife's, son's, and my phone will be setting up tomorrow once the new cases arrive from Amazon. I have no regrets purchasing the 17 Pro and Pro Max this late in the current cycle and they should be good phones for several years to come.

 

[Neutron]

So far so good with the iPhone 17 Pro Max. I know the screen goes further around the bezel than the 13 Pro Max, but it feels like a larger screen phone to me, more than the .2 inch difference. Battery life so far hasn't super impressed me as it will use over 35% of the battery just with casual use throughout the day, which is what my 13 Pro Max did just a year or two ago before the battery degradation got worse. Part of me thinks part of that is the craptastic Verizon Wireless signal in my area as we have noticed the signal bars even on the 13s drop a bar, and in my basement it will flip from SOS to 1 bar, and 1 bar on my main and 2nd floors, and it only gets better once I'm about a mile from home. I have reported this to Verizon but I'll believe it when I see it and right now I have the calls over Wi-Fi enabled since I work from home and our basement includes the home office. The dynamic island is really neat!

Overall I am very happy with the iPhone 17 Pro Max and my wife and kids are liking their Pros. My wife says her battery now lasts her all day and she still has plenty of charge left when she gets home. For the last 6-12 months she would have to charge her 13 Pro at work at least once.