In many ways, I probably already knew the answer to the question: ‘Are iPhones now overrated?’ would be a yes, and a resounding one at that. But things ended up not being quite as cut and dry as I first thought.
I posed the question to TechRadar readers in a simple poll where the options were yes, no and on the fence with a little bit of color added for fun. And based on the results, 47% of respondents answered in the affirmative, 17% believe that iPhones are not actually overrated, and a good 36% are unsure, but acknowledge that iPhones are iterative smartphones that ‘just work’.
There certainly still seems to be a healthy appetite for new Apple phones, although some of this may be due to being committed to – or stuck in – the iPhone ecosystem.
“So I remember queuing at 5.30am with the iPhone 3G outside my local O2 store, excited about the new design compared to my Nokias. I diligently upgraded every year to the 4, then 5, then 6 Plus and then… I got a bit bored…” said a commenter named Andrew.
“They seemed to stall a bit but with the X I was back! I loved that phone and eventually upgraded to the 13 Pro Max but then got bored again. Last year I sold that phone and moved to a Galaxy [Z] Fold 5. It’s brilliant and innovative. Apps are basically the same [but] it feels more interesting.
“I think Apple is a great example of a lazy brand that knows loyalty will keep them in profit while they can ignore the need to innovate.”
That journey is similar to my own, starting with an iPhone 4S and moving to Android, then finally back to iPhone in 2021 when I felt Apple had caught up to Android on the hardware front. Likewise, I’m now a little weary of the latest iPhones, despite greatly enjoying how well they work; it feels like something fresh and special is missing from Apple’s latest smartphone portfolio.
It also feels like the upgrades Apple tends to make a song and dance about, such as an upgraded camera system, don’t always impress in the real world. Sure, the images may be sharper and more dynamic than before, but the differences are arguably negligible unless you’re really looking for them.
I’m not alone in thinking along those lines, as iPhone 17 user and commenter ‘Altema22’ noted: “What’s disappointing is all the hype about the camera, only to find that no one in the house can easily pick out which shots are from the 17 and which are from a $400 HTC U24 Pro.”
Basically, so while I don’t think people will stop buying Apple phones, it seems like we’re heading towards a point where iPhones no longer really excite people; I’ve argued that we may have reached peak iPhone after September’s launch.
All of this is no doubt to be expected as other phones have also become quite iterative, but I feel that Apple still has the capacity to excite and shake things up in the phone arena and in the tech world as a whole. And where Apple goes, others tend to follow.
So I hope future iPhones can bring back some of the excitement of years past, including making phone cameras exciting again.
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