When you go to share something on your iPhone, iOS tries to be helpful by displaying a row of suggested contacts at the top of the Share menu. Keep reading to learn how to get rid of them.
Whenever you go to share something on your iPhone or iPad using the Share button, iOS brings up a Share menu – often called the Share Sheet – at the top of which is a row of suggested contacts with whom you’ve interacted recently. Swiping along this row reveals more contacts, and the icon in the corner of each profile picture indicates the app that you often use to communicate with that person.
These suggested contacts are useful if you share a lot of things with the same people, but there may be times when you’d prefer not to see specific contacts there, for example if someone is a duplicate suggestion over multiple apps, or if you don’t want to draw attention to your regular comms with a certain someone. Whatever the reason, you can actually steer these sharing suggestions to appear less often, or not at all. Here’s how.
Make Contacts Appear Less Often in the Share Menu
Tap the Share button (the box with an arrow pointing out) in any app to bring up the Share Sheet.
Long press on the suggested contact that you want to see less often in the Share menu.
Tap Suggest Less in the popover menu.
Bear in mind, doing this won’t guarantee that the contact doesn’t appear in the Share Sheet again in future, but if you keep repeating it whenever they do show up, iOS will eventually get the message.
Remove All Contacts From iPhone Share Menu
Short of deleting their contact in the Contacts app, the only way to guarantee that someone doesn’t keep turning up on your Share Sheet is to disable the contact suggestions row completely.
Open the Settings app.
Scroll down and tap Siri & Search.
Under the “Suggestions From Apple” section, toggle off the switch next to Show When Sharing.
That’s all there is to it. Now the next time you invoke the Share Sheet, you won’t see any contact profiles at the top. You can reverse the change just as easily by switching on the Show When Sharing toggle again.
Apple today said it is working on a fix for an iPhone software bug that has resulted in some alarms in the Clock app failing to play a sound at the set time for some users recently, according to NBC‘s Emilie Ikeda and The Wall Street Journal‘s Joanna Stern.
The issue was highlighted by the TODAY Show on NBC this morning after gaining traction on social media platforms like TikTok. It is unclear how many iPhone users have experienced this issue, but not everyone is affected. While some TikTok users allege that the iPhone’s Attention Aware feature has contributed to the problem, Apple did not reveal a specific cause.
A rude awakening for some iPhone users 🚨⏰⏲️
Apple says it’s working to fix an issue causing some alarms NOT to play a sound. Here’s what we know —> https://t.co/cNYMgudgXC
— Emilie Ikeda (@EmilieIkedaNBC) April 30, 2024
The promised fix could be included in a future software update, such as iOS 17.4.2 or iOS 17.5, but Apple did not provide a timeframe for a resolution.
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman outlined some of the new products he expects Apple to announce at its “Let Loose” event on May 7. First, Gurman now believes there is a “strong possibility” that the upcoming iPad Pro models will be equipped with Apple’s next-generation M4 chip, rather than the M3 chip that debuted in the MacBook Pro and iMac six months ago. He said a …
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman today said that iOS 18 will “overhaul” many of Apple’s built-in apps, including Notes, Mail, Photos, and Fitness. Gurman did not reveal any specific new features planned for these apps. It was previously rumored that the Notes app will gain support for displaying more math equations, and a built-in option to record voice memos, but this is the first time we have…
Apple’s upcoming iPad Pro models will feature “by far the best OLED tablet panels on the market,” according to Display Supply Chain Consultants. Set to be announced on May 7, the OLED iPad Pro models will feature LTPO (a more power efficient form of OLED), a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate, and a tandem stack and glass thinning that will bring “ultra-thin and light displays” that support high…
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of “Let Loose” and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more …
Apple is set to unveil iOS 18 during its WWDC keynote on June 10, so the software update is a little over six weeks away from being announced. Below, we recap rumored features and changes planned for the iPhone with iOS 18. iOS 18 will reportedly be the “biggest” update in the iPhone’s history, with new ChatGPT-inspired generative AI features, a more customizable Home Screen, and much more….
New iPads are coming, and Apple is holding a virtual event to introduce them! While it appears likely to be a relatively short video event, we should be seeing new iPad Pro and iPad Air models, some new accessories, and perhaps some additional surprises. Other Apple news and rumors this week included word that Apple is FINALLY planning to introduce a native Calculator app for the iPad later…
Samsung introduced several AI-powered features with the Galaxy S24. Samsung called the Galaxy S24 its first AI Phone. It is the first smartphone brand to go big with AI, seeing the AI boom. And Apple will soon follow Samsung, but its approach will be a bit different compared to its South Korean rival.
Apple could only bring on-device AI features to iPhones with iOS 18
According to a report from Mark Gurman (via 9To5Mac), AI features on iPhones will be powered entirely by a Large Language Model (LLM) developed by Apple, and all the AI processing will happen on-device. We can expect Apple to heavily market the privacy and speed benefits of using on-device AI processing. These AI features will reportedly debut with iOS 18 and will be showcased during WWDC 2024.
While on-device AI has privacy and speed benefits, it isn’t as powerful as AI processing offered by dedicated servers in the cloud. However, it is possible that Apple will only introduce AI features that work well with on-device AI processing. For example, it could offer better auto-replies and Siri requests.
This differs from Samsung’s approach of using a mix of on-device and cloud-powered AI features. Samsung uses a mix of its own LLM and Google’s Gemini for AI processing. Users have to option to process AI data locally on the device with a simple toggle. As seen on the Galaxy S24 and older phones that have received One UI 6.1 with AI features, some AI features work fast, while others are slow, depending on the workload and complexity.
While Apple hasn’t revealed any AI feature that could debut with iOS 18, it could bring better language translation, more reliable autocorrect while typing, and advanced image editing features. A few weeks ago, it was revealed that Apple was in talks with Google about using Gemini to power some AI features in iOS 18. However, it isn’t clear if that deal has been agreed upon.
Apple has announced that iPhone and iPad users can wirelessly stream videos, music, and photos from their device to their hotel room TV via AirPlay at select IHG Hotels & Resorts properties in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico starting today, including select Kimpton, Hotel Indigo, Candlewood Suites, and InterContinental locations.
Apple says IHG has made AirPlay available at more than 60 hotels so far, and additional hotels will support the feature “in the coming months.”
The feature allows you to scan a unique QR code on the hotel room TV to establish an AirPlay connection, allowing you to wirelessly stream content from your iPhone or iPad to the TV. After the pairing process, your device will also automatically be connected to the hotel’s Wi-Fi network. The device must be updated to iOS 17.3 or iPadOS 17.3 or later.
In addition to services like Apple TV+ and Apple Music, AirPlay on hotel room TVs works with Apple Arcade for gaming and Apple Fitness+ for workouts.
Apple emphasized the privacy and security of the AirPlay feature. When a guest checks out of the hotel, the company says their connection to the TV is erased, preventing future guests and hotel staff from accessing the user’s activity.
Apple first announced this feature at WWDC 2023 last June, in partnership with LG. Google already offers a similar Chromecast streaming feature on many hotel TVs that works with both iPhones and Android devices, so Apple has a lot of catching up to do on this front, but AirPlay support is certainly a useful addition for iPhone users.
iOS 18 is expected to be the “biggest” update in the iPhone’s history. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. iOS 18 is rumored to include new generative AI features for Siri and many apps, and Apple plans to add RCS support to the Messages app for an improved texting experience between iPhones and Android devices. The update is also expected to introduce a more…
Game emulator apps have come and gone since Apple announced App Store support for them on April 5, but now popular game emulator Delta from developer Riley Testut is available for download. Testut is known as the developer behind GBA4iOS, an open-source emulator that was available for a brief time more than a decade ago. GBA4iOS led to Delta, an emulator that has been available outside of…
The first approved Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) emulator for the iPhone and iPad was made available on the App Store today following Apple’s rule change. The emulator is called Bimmy, and it was developed by Tom Salvo. On the App Store, Bimmy is described as a tool for testing and playing public domain/”homebrew” games created for the NES, but the app allows you to load ROMs for any…
Apple today said it removed Game Boy emulator iGBA from the App Store for violating the company’s App Review Guidelines related to spam (section 4.3) and copyright (section 5.2), but it did not provide any specific details. iGBA was a copycat version of developer Riley Testut’s open-source GBA4iOS app. The emulator rose to the top of the App Store charts following its release this weekend,…
Last September, Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro models debuted with a new customizable Action button, offering faster access to a handful of functions, as well as the ability to assign Shortcuts. Apple is poised to include the feature on all upcoming iPhone 16 models, so we asked iPhone 15 Pro users what their experience has been with the additional button so far. The Action button replaces the switch …
A week after Apple updated its App Review Guidelines to permit retro game console emulators, a Game Boy emulator for the iPhone called iGBA has appeared in the App Store worldwide. The emulator is already one of the top free apps on the App Store charts. It was not entirely clear if Apple would allow emulators to work with all and any games, but iGBA is able to load any Game Boy ROMs that…
Could Apple finally solve the flaring issue on iPhone photos and videos? Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Lens flare has been a longtime issue with the iPhone’s camera. Apple could finally solve this issue on the iPhone 16 Pro with a new lens coating technology.
It’s common for flares to show up in photos or videos taken from an iPhone’s camera. The issue has been around for years, and Apple has made little improvement in this area over generations.
New ALD coating can help reduce lens flare
A rumor originating from China by leaker @Yeux1122 says Apple is testing new Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) equipment for a special coating that will help reduce lens flares. The company will seemingly only use the coating on the iPhone 16 Pro lineup.
Lens fare on iPhones has been an issue since the 2012 iPhone 5. Over the years, Apple has used various coatings and improved glass lenses to enhance light transmission and reduce flares. But despite the company’s best efforts, the issue remains and is mainly prevalent while recording videos. The new ALD coating might help Apple reduce flaring to a large extent, if not fix it entirely.
Besides reducing glare, the coating can help improve light transmission and unwanted flaring.
Apple working on big anti-reflective upgrades for future iPhones
The new coating could be one of the many camera upgrades Apple is planning for the iPhone 16 Pro. A previous leak indicates the iPhone’s camera module could get a radical redesign, helping it stand out from the previous generation of the phone.
Given this leak’s timing, there’s a possibility of the ALD coating not being ready for use in the iPhone 16 Pro series. In that case, Apple could use the coating on the iPhone 17 Pro in 2025.
Apple today announced that customers and independent repair shops will be able to repair select iPhones with used genuine Apple parts starting later this year. Alongside the announcement, Apple’s hardware engineering chief John Ternus spoke with TechCrunch about the iPhone’s controversial “parts pairing” process.
Repair website iFixit criticized Apple’s parts pairing process last year, and Oregon recently passed a law that would ban Apple from using a “parts pairing” process in the state for devices manufactured after January 1, 2025.
Ternus argued that iPhones still work with most third-party parts:
“‘Parts pairing’ is used a lot outside and has this negative connotation,” Apple senior vice president of hardware engineering, John Ternus, tells TechCrunch. “I think it’s led people to believe that we somehow block third-party parts from working, which we don’t. The way we look at it is, we need to know what part is in the device, for a few reasons. One, we need to authenticate that it’s a real Apple biometric device and that it hasn’t been spoofed or something like that. … Calibration is the other one.”
One exception is third-party parts related to Face ID and Touch ID, which do not work in iPhones for security reasons, according to Ternus:
“You think about Touch ID and Face ID and the criticality of their security because of how much of our information is on our phones,” says Ternus. “Our entire life is on our phones. We have no way of validating the performance of any third-party biometrics. That’s an area where we don’t enable the use of third-party modules for the key security functions. But in all other aspects, we do.”
Apple does alert customers if an iPhone part is not genuine. If an iPhone has been repaired, a “Parts and Service History” section appears in the Settings app under General → About, and it shows if non-genuine Apple parts have been installed.
Ternus said this transparency surrounding repairs is important:
“We have hundreds of millions of iPhones in use that are second- or third-hand devices,” he explains. “They’re a great way for people to get into the iPhone experience at a lower price point. We think it’s important for them to have the transparency of: was a repair done on this device? What part was used? That sort of thing.”
Apple says it will be expanding the “Parts and Service History” section to show whether a used part is a genuine Apple part later this year. For more details about used parts being allowed for repairs, read our earlier coverage.
It has been nearly a year and a half since the current Apple TV was released, so the device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade. Below, we recap rumors about the next Apple TV, including potential features and launch timing. The current model is the third-generation Apple TV 4K, announced in October 2022. Key new features compared to the previous model from 2021 include a faster A15…
Apple’s upcoming iPhone 16 lineup will feature bigger battery capacities compared to previous-generation models with the exception of the iPhone 16 Plus, which will have a smaller battery than its predecessor. That’s according to the Chinese Weibo-based leaker OvO Baby Sauce OvO, a relatively new source of supply chain leaks with an as-yet unproven track record for accuracy. The iPhone 16 …
While rumors have been focused on new iPad Pro and iPad Air models, some Apple customers are wondering when the next iPad mini will be released. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said new iPad mini and entry-level iPad models will be released in late 2024 at the earliest. “The company is also working on new versions of the low-end iPad and iPad mini, but those…
Following a few notable discounts on MacBooks yesterday, Best Buy today introduced a sale on the 10th generation iPad, including numerous all-time low prices on the tablet. Prices start at $349.00 for the 64GB Wi-Fi model, and include $100 markdowns on both Wi-Fi and cellular devices. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may…
Apple’s iPhone 16 Plus may come in seven colors that either build upon the existing five colors in the standard iPhone 15 lineup or recast them in a new finish, based on a new rumor out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker Fixed focus digital, Apple’s upcoming larger 6.7-inch iPhone 16 Plus model will come in the following colors, compared to the colors currently available for the…
Microsoft will advertise that its upcoming Windows laptops with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite processor are faster than the MacBook Air with Apple’s latest M3 chip, according to internal documents obtained by The Verge. “Microsoft is so confident in these new Qualcomm chips that it’s planning a number of demos that will show how these processors will be faster than an M3 MacBook Air for CPU…
Apple is “unlikely” to hold an event to announce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models, according to sources cited by Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman already said Apple was not planning to hold an event for the new iPads, but he made this claim back in early March, before it was reported that the devices were postponed due to manufacturing delays. With the…
Google next month will make its latest AI-powered photo editing feature available to all users of Google Photos on iOS, the company has announced.
Magic Editor, which featured heavily in last year’s Google Pixel 8 series marketing blitz, uses generative AI to perform complicated photo edits, such as filling in gaps in a photo, repositioning subjects, and additional foreground/background adjustments like making a cloudy, grey sky look blue.
The edits mimic the kind of possibilities afforded by more professional editing tools like Photoshop, except Magic Editor achieves its automated results via AI, rather than the user having to do them manually.
To editing tool debuted as one of the headline AI features on the company’s flagship phone when it launched six months ago, and has since been exclusive to Google Pixel 8 owners and Google One subscribers. The tool will become available to all users of Google Photos starting May 15.
Google Photos for iOS and Android will include 10 Magic Editor saves per month. To use more than that, users will need to buy a Premium Google One plan, which starts at 2TB of storage for $10 per month or $100 annually.
In addition to Magic Editor, Google is bringing several more editing tools to Google Photos, including Photo Unblur, Sky suggestions, Color pop, HDR effect for photos and videos, Portrait Blur, Portrait Light (plus its add light/balance light features), Cinematic Photos, Styles in the Collage Editor, and Video Effects.
To use the AI features, Apple devices must be running iOS 15 or later. Google Photos is a free download for iPhone and iPad available on the App Store.
China isn’t the only country where iPhone is assembled. Photo: Cult of Mac
Everyone knows iPhone is made in China, right? Well, yes and no. A new report indicates that as many as 14% of Apple handsets are actually produced in India.
It’s part of Apple diversifying where its products are assembled to reduce its dependence on China.
India takes on greater role in iPhone production
Although iPhone components come from around the world, the actual assembly of the devices generally happens in China. But not all of it… Apple has increased the number of iPhones assembled in India in recent years.
And there’s been significant progress in the switch. “The US tech giant now makes as much as 14% or about 1 in 7 of its marquee devices from India,” reported Bloomberg on Wednesday. That’s $14 billion worth of iPhone units in 2023.
About two-thirds of the iOS handsets assembled in India come from Foxconn plants, according to Bloomberg. The remainder is fairly evenly split between Pegatron and Tata Group after Wistron dropped out of iPhone assembly in the country. Foxconn and Pegatron also make Apple handsets in China.
Moving iPhone production to India has been a boon for the economy: 150,000 jobs have been created at Apple suppliers in the South Asian nation.
Apple still depends on China
Despite the growing role of India in iPhone assembly, the majority still come from China. And Chinese consumers are important for the company, too. In the final quarter of 2023, they bought $20.8 billion in Apple products.
But there are calls from both the U.S. political right and left to pull Apple’s production and products out of China. Reasons range from distrust of the country’s authoritarian leadership to China’s human rights record.
Even so, the company may be diversifying iPhone assembly for a more pragmatic reason. China took a very hard line on COVID-19, putting lockdowns on whole cities in hopes of preventing its spread. This reduced the number of iPhone units that could be assembled in the country, hurting Apple’s bottom line. It might have been a reminder of the dangers of putting all of one’s eggs in the same basket.
Apple now produces as much as 14% of its iPhones in India, indicating the company’s accelerating efforts to diversify beyond China (via Bloomberg).
The figure accounts for $14 billion of assembled iPhones in the country, or about 1 in 7 of the company’s flagship devices, a doubling of production compared to the last fiscal year. Models assembled in India include the iPhone 12 through to the latest iPhone 15, excluding premium Pro and Pro Max models.
Apple has been setting up iPhone manufacturing hubs in India ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi began promoting his “Made in India” initiative, which requires that 30% of products sold by foreign companies be manufactured or produced within the country.
The Indian government says the growth in manufacturing has created 150,000 direct jobs at Apple’s suppliers. That’s a boon for Modi’s administration, which has enticed foreign companies like Apple with financial incentives to realize its ambition for the country to become a global manufacturing hub.
Foxconn assembled nearly 67% and Pegatron around 17% of iPhones in India in the fiscal year ending March 2024, according to Bloomberg‘s sources. The remaining devices were produced by Wistron.
While China remains Apple’s largest iPhone assembly base and biggest overseas market, it is also where Apple’s revenues have been plummeting, due to the meteoric rise of local vendors such as Huawei and a government ban on the use of iPhones in state workplaces.
Apple’s diversification away from China hints at the company’s growing awareness of rising geopolitical tensions and the need for supply chain resilience in the face of potential disruption. The pivot to India also likely takes into account its fast-growing smartphone market – last year Apple also opened its first two stores there, in Mumbai and the capital New Delhi.
While rumors have been focused on new iPad Pro and iPad Air models, some Apple customers are wondering when the next iPad mini will be released. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said new iPad mini and entry-level iPad models will be released in late 2024 at the earliest. “The company is also working on new versions of the low-end iPad and iPad mini, but those…
Following a few notable discounts on MacBooks yesterday, Best Buy today introduced a sale on the 10th generation iPad, including numerous all-time low prices on the tablet. Prices start at $349.00 for the 64GB Wi-Fi model, and include $100 markdowns on both Wi-Fi and cellular devices. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may…
Apple will likely launch new iPad Pro and iPad Air models during the second week of May, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. “For those looking for more specific timing, I’m told the launch will probably happen the week of May 6,” said Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today. “Another data point to that end: Apple retail stores are preparing to receive new product marketing materials…
While the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are still months away from launching, there are already over a dozen rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped new features and changes expected for the devices so far. These are some of the key changes rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models as of April 2024:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with large…
Microsoft will advertise that its upcoming Windows laptops with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite processor are faster than the MacBook Air with Apple’s latest M3 chip, according to internal documents obtained by The Verge. “Microsoft is so confident in these new Qualcomm chips that it’s planning a number of demos that will show how these processors will be faster than an M3 MacBook Air for CPU…
Apple’s upcoming iPhone 16 lineup will feature bigger battery capacities compared to previous-generation models with the exception of the iPhone 16 Plus, which will have a smaller battery than its predecessor. That’s according to the Chinese Weibo-based leaker OvO Baby Sauce OvO, a relatively new source of supply chain leaks with an as-yet unproven track record for accuracy. The iPhone 16 …
It has been nearly a year and a half since the current Apple TV was released, so the device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade. Below, we recap rumors about the next Apple TV, including potential features and launch timing. The current model is the third-generation Apple TV 4K, announced in October 2022. Key new features compared to the previous model from 2021 include a faster A15…
Okay, okay, I know that’s a bit of an inflammatory question, and it’s not one that’s easily answered. But it is a question I’ve pondered, on and off, since the iPhone became a somewhat ubiquitous smartphone.
But this has been dead easy, thanks to the simple fact that I’ve been able to use the latest iPhones through my job as a tech journalist, rather than pay for them with cold, hard cash. So while I extolled the virtues of titanium and other upgrades, I am doing so from a position of privilege.
The ultimate question – at least in the phones arena – is ‘would I actually buy a flagship iPhone with my own money?’ Which leads to a second question: ‘would it be an easy purchase, or would I be buying into a product that comes close to ripping people off just because its brand is so strong?’
Yes and no, and yes and no.
Worth it
(Image credit: Future / Roland Moore-Colyer)
Let’s tackle the first yes and no. I love having a flagship phone, and I feel the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are fantastic examples of a top-of-the-line flagship.
The combination of a familiar design that’s been refined over several generations, masses of power, a great battery life, lovely displays with 120Hz refresh rates, a sort-of-customizable Action button, and a trio of great still and video cameras, all wrapped up in a neat user interface thanks to iOS 17, makes these Pro iPhones and their predecessors some of the best phones around.
And while the starting price of $999 / £999 / AU$1,849 for the iPhone 15 Pro is hefty, various contracts (and the fact that iPhones retain their value longer than their counterparts) plus the customer care Apple offers, does translate to a decent amount for a solid chunk of cash.
Deals on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max
Sitting between the Samsung Galaxy S24’s price of $859 / £859 / AU$1,399 for the 256GB model and the Galaxy S24 Ultra with its starting price of $1,299.99 / £1,249 / AU$2,199, the iPhone 15 Pro’s pricing and the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s starting price of $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,199, seems reasonable; maybe a tad too premium for phones with many specs more closely aligned with the standard S24 than the S24 Ultra.
However, having used both the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro Max, I can’t help but err more towards the Apple phone. Sure it’s locked into Apple’s ecosystem and lacks the generative AI bells and whistles. But it’s just so usable and lets me get stuff done without features getting in the way; I reckon the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the ultimate tech tool rather than a slick bit of gadgetry.
With that in mind, I feel if I was no longer a tech journalist, I’d still opt for an iPhone 15 Pro model and not feel ripped off.
Of course, there’s a but.
Not worth it
(Image credit: Peter Hoffmann)
Splashing a grand or more on any bit of tech can feel like a huge outlay, given it’ll have obsolescence built-in by default. As someone who’s recently got into watches, I’m far happier splashing the cash on something that’ll likely outlive me, than a device that has a realistic lifespan of two to four years.
Furthermore, all you need to do is browse our list of the best cheap phones to find a selection of handsets that are very capable for less than half the price of an iPhone 15 Pro.
Take the Google Pixel 7a for example – it may not blow minds with performance but it’s more than fast enough for most things and has rear cameras that deliver flagship-grade photography. It’s hard for me not to recommend such Pixel phones or recent well-priced OnePlus models to anyone who isn’t caught in Apple’s iOS walled garden.
Deals on great iphone alternatives
When it comes to specs, like refresh rates, storage and real-world performance, iPhones can feel like a rip-off, asking people to pay a premium for not much more on paper than what good mid-range phones offer.
And I absolutely think the iPhone 15 is a rip-off and a phone I’d be reticent to swap to let alone buy, as a 60Hz display, a slow USB-C port and a mere two rear cameras for a starting price of $799 / £799 / AU$1,499, isn’t acceptable in my eyes.
Sure, my colleagues on the phones team are in agreement that the iPhone 15 is the best iPhone for most people, but I take that to mean it’s really for people who are too deep in the iOS ecosystem and don’t want to fork out for a Pro model.
I’d go so far to say the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are some of the most disappointing Apple phones of recent years, and fly in the face of the once innovative company Steve Jobs built. Yet that’s the power of good branding; even a lackluster phone in the eyes of tech fans can still sell like crazy.
Go Pro
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
My conclusion to the question in the headline, is an admittedly mealy-mouthed one with caveats. Yes the iPhones are a rip-off compared to other phones. Yet at the same time the Pro models are so good at being both everyday phones to content creation and gaming devices, that their asking price is reasonable.
But what I can say for sure, is if I did go out and buy an iPhone, I’d certainly go for a Pro model. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the current darling of the Apple phone lineup and deservedly so, with the price gap between it and the standard models being justified.
All that being said, I do hope Apple decided to pull out something special for the iPhone 16 range, with big upgrades to the standard models, and exciting features – hardware or software – for the Pro options. Let’s get back some of that generation-to-generation innovation, eh Apple?
