MacAddress have just released a video where they go through the effort of testing every iPhone camera*, so they could see how it has evolved over the many years. It's pretty amazing to see what the cameras are capable of now compared to the original iPhone. (Although I'd still like to see a little less processing on current iPhones).
One thing they quickly rushed over in the video was that the 3GS is apparently gaining some popularity due to the style of photos that the 3MP camera produces.
PetaPixel published an article "TikTokers are Obsessing Over the iPhone 3GS Camera from 2009" which is also a fascinating read. After looking at the comparisons in that piece, I have to admit, photos taken on the 3GS do have a nice retro/film/nostalgic look to them, that I definitely find pleasing. I think I may have an old 3GS somewhere in my house, so I might need to experiment with that at some point.
*For reasons they explain in the video, this didn't include an iPhone 3G or 5.
Marques Brownlee has made a great video about the iPhone camera, how it's evolved over the years, and it's position in the current landscape of software-based photography advancements.
I don't feel like I have a particularly strong opinion on the iPhone camera, or even more specifically, it's post-processing. However, I do think it would be a good idea if there was a bit more control around this sort of stuff. I've had a few occasions where photos looked a bit odd, usually a sky being strangely blue (for Britain), or a sunset/golden hour scene missing the orange glow. So it would be nice to be able to at least see if turning off the various software tricks would improve that.
I've seen quite a few articles recently that claim that due to worrying sales of the iPhone 14 models, the price of next year's models will likely be lower. While that may seem rather simple to understand, and probably not even require a "leak" to back it up, I'd like to offer two (also obvious) reasons why the 14 may be selling a little less than expected:
I'd argue that even if the 15 models go back to the "normal" (still hugely expensive) prices, it still won't be worth the upgrade if the phones are not substantially better than their predecessors.
I still own a 13 Pro, and I honestly can't think of any reason why I'd want to upgrade to a "better" iPhone. At least going by the improvements that were added in last-year models.
Now, if the next iPhone models are affected by the various E.U. rules that mean it needs to be USB C, have an easily (not sure what that even means) replaceable battery, and a few other improvements like that, then I'd probably be a bit more optimistic. But if it's the usual list of changes like a brighter screen, longer battery, faster chip, and some new cinema-grade camera certification, then I think I'll likely skip another generation. Or perhaps, even switch to a more interesting phone like the Google Pixel.
Joswiak said that the company will comply as it does with other laws. He declined to specify when the iPhone may get the charger to replace Lightning.
[...]
He said Apple and the EU had been at odds over chargers for a decade, recalling how European authorities once wanted Apple to adopt Micro-USB. He said that neither Lightning -- the current iPhone charging port -- nor the now-ubiquitous USB-C would have been invented if that switch had occurred.
I wonder if the EU law works somewhat in Apple’s favour here. Apple were clearly already on a journey to USB-C with the rest of their products. Although some would argue, the iPhone was destined to be port-less. However, this allows Apple to redirect any possible negativity towards the switch to USB-C to the EU.
I wrote about this proposal last September, and it's funny to see how I felt just over a year ago. Especially since my position on it has softened quite substantially. To be honest, I'm now starting to think that it might be a good idea.
When I list all the devices I use, Macs, ThinkPad, Nintendo Switch, iPad, Pixel 6, work phone (it's some Motorola Android phone), and iPhone 13, only one of them uses a port that's not USB-C. I didn't realise it until now, but the same applies for peripherals and accessories. The only non-USB-C (wired) accessory I use is my wired EarPods. And that's only because Apple removed the headphone jack and used Lightning on the iPhone 13.
So I think I'm quite looking forward to it actually. That might not neccesarily mean I'm going to buy the next iPhone, but it being USB-C is definitely a positive for me.
Apple today announced Self Service Repair, which will allow customers who are comfortable with completing their own repairs access to Apple genuine parts and tools. Available first for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups, and soon to be followed by Mac computers featuring M1 chips, Self Service Repair will be available early next year in the US and expand to additional countries throughout 2022. Customers join more than 5,000 Apple Authorised Service Providers (AASPs) and 2,800 Independent Repair Providers who have access to these parts, tools, and manuals.
The initial phase of the program will focus on the most commonly serviced modules, such as the iPhone display, battery, and camera. The ability for additional repairs will be available later next year.
My immediate reaction on Twitter to this was that I thought that this is a good idea, and benefits both Apple and consumers. Because this will surely be good for Apple's reputation, and they'll now gain more control of the iPhone parts market. And that means for consumers, they will have access to official parts that they can trust, and also be able to perform repairs themselves.
I'm not too sure Apple are doing this purely for the benefit of consumers though. I'm starting to wonder if they're introducing this program so that they have a counterargument to the right to repair people.
I'm super curious to see how this is received by people on both sides of the right to repair argument. Will people who support right to repair see this as a win or an empty gesture distracting from their real concerns? Will people who have argued against right to repair because it would mean bulky products be annoyed because this shows that's not really the case?
Even though I'm sure that Apple will be very restrictive to what parts they sell, and what they "allow" you to repair. I would find it incredibly amusing if Apple find a way to support reasonably priced repairs for batteries, screens, cases, etc. Because right now, the only manufacturers I see that are even thinking about this kind of stuff are making big phones that look ugly. And the excuse that "it's repairable" won't hold up as much.
As you may expect, it's by no means the biggest battery pack you can get for your iPhone, with the capacity standing at 1460mAh, and it's not clear what this will mean in terms of actual extra use time. However, when you compare it to the iPhone 12 battery capacities, you can probably get a rough estimate:
iPhone 12 mini capacity: 2227 mAh
iPhone 12/12 Pro capacity: 2815 mAh
iPhone 12 Pro Max capacity: 3687 mAh
So maybe if you've got a 12 or 12 Pro you can expect somewhere near 50% extra battery life? I'd be fine with that. But I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Regarding charging speed, the battery pack can charge an iPhone with up to 5W of power when not plugged in, and up to 15W when plugged into a 20W or higher power source. 5W is the typical rate for a standard wireless charger, so there's no fast charging on the go. However, the benefit of MagSafe is that it simply attaches to the back of the device, so it's not as inconvenient to use online attaching it via a cable to a battery pack.
I can see this as the perfect solution for a travel charger. As when you're out and about, you have an extra punch of battery to get you through the day, but also the battery pack can serve as a wireless charger when plugged in. So I guess in that case, it's two products in one.
Another interesting part of this battery pack is that it can also be charged by the iPhone. So if you need to use a cable directly with your iPhone for whatever reason, your iPhone will then use reverse charging to charge the battery pack. This functionality was reported to possibly exist in the latest iPhones last year, but this is the first I've heard of it being used.
I'll wait until we hear more about the real-world capacity tests, and also when I'm able to travel a bit more, but it certainly looks like something I'm going to end up buying.
If you had any thoughts on how the MagSafe Wallet would like like on each iPhone, then Greg Morris has you covered:
Yeah, I'm that guy this year. I couldn't decide which iPhone size I wanted, so I got them all. It's a weird position to be in but also provides me with some deeper insights into the real differences. I am not talking about specs and all those kinds of figures that people get too caught up in, the real things that make a difference to actually using the device. One of the strangest ones I have had to think about this year is the MagSafe wallet — so here is how it fits with each size iPhone.
I think the MagSafe wallet pairs really well with the new iPhones. It seems to fit all sizes without looking out of place, and also it’s a perfect item to be used with MagSafe.
After seeing Greg’s article, and his video showing the unboxing and answering a few questions, I think I’ll hold off buying one for now. I use a very small card wallet right now anyway, and only use 2 cards, so it seemed like a good fit for me. But seeing as the magnets aren’t as strong as I expected, and you still need to detach the wallet from the iPhone to use it. I think I’ll just wait and see.
Joe Cieplinski, on how the latest iPhone lineup allowed him to choose a capable but smaller model this time round:
For at least a few hours, I was truly torn about which phone to get.
But in the end, how could I not get the mini? There are exactly two sacrifices you make when getting this phone vs the new Pro: Battery life and camera. Everything else—from 5G, to the new Ceramic Shield glass, to the A14 Bionic, to FaceID, to OLED, to MagSafe—is pretty much the same.
The iPhone 12 Pro is basically 100% aimed at photographers and videographers at this point. While I’ve never needed to get a Pro, this year I finally don’t even want to get a Pro. It took me a few hours to realize that, but now that I have, I can’t wait to get my hands on the mini.
While I wasn't looking for a smaller iPhone, I was hoping to get a "normal" sized model, that wasn't hamstrung too much by not being the biggest.
I also wanted a real colour this time, not a boring light grey or dark blue (or green like last years Pro models). But a bright colour, and those are typically only available on the non-Pro models, so you normally have to balance this choice against the tradeoffs of not getting a Pro model.
Everyones priorities when buying an iPhone will be different, and obviously not everyone will have a clear choice on which model is best for them. But this years lineup seems to be a very good fit for a lot of people.
Because, if you want a smaller iPhone, the 12 Mini is a very capable device, if you want something colourful, then the 12 is also very capable. And of course if you really want the best photography capabilities, you can go for the Pro or even Pro Max models. And that's if you want the best photography capabilities, the 12 Mini and 12 still have very good cameras.
The one extra model that I think would be good (Although, 5 models at once doesn't seem like an Apple thing to do), is a "normal" big iPhone. So in this case it would just be a 12 Max. Because I don't think wanting a big phone necessarily mean you need the Pro features.
I’ve always thought of the “S” models as being inherently cooler than their number-only counterparts. Every time I upgraded my phone, it got dramatically better. The iPhone 4s had an 8 megapixel camera, took 1080p video, and came with Siri. The 5s got the A7 chip and TouchID, and the 6s brought 3D Touch, a 12 megapixel camera, 4K video, and Live Photos. There was something exciting about being on that particular cycle and I find myself feeling the loss of that this year. I’m upgrading my phone, but I’m not pumped about it.
I had a similar experience. Maybe it was a big feature, or the annoying focus on 5G, but it just felt like there was no peak.
But, it could also be due to the fact that there's not that much more exciting things that can be done in a phone. Just like Becky mentions:
I will say, it’s getting harder and harder for me to imagine where cellular phones even go from here. If the new iPhones had gotten ProMotion displays and Touch ID sensors this year…like…what is even next? Maybe I’m just out of the loop, but I can’t even begin to envision the “next” thing.
Very true. It just doesn't look like there's a clear next step for phones. Some manufacturers are going with folding phones, but I still think this is a bit of a gimmick.
Maybe what we need is some real innovation. And I mean actual innovation, not adding a known technology to a phone, coming up with something different in order to change the game completely. And it doesn't look like anyone in the industry is really trying to do that.
