Are iPhones a rip-off?
Okay, okay, I know this is a bit of a inflammatory question, and it’s not an easy one to answer. But it’s a question I’ve pondered from time to time since the iPhone became a somewhat ubiquitous smartphone.
Now I’m using an iPhone 15 Pro Max and I’m quite impressed with it, despite it being a pretty boring phone overall. After years of using some of the best Android phones, I’ve completely fallen for the “it just works” nature of Apple’s iterative smartphones.
But this was dead easy, thanks to the simple fact that my work as a technology journalist has allowed me to use the latest iPhones, instead of paying for them with cold, hard cash. So while I extol the virtues of titanium and other upgrades, I do so from a position of privilege.
The ultimate question – at least when it comes to phones – is, “would I actually buy a flagship iPhone with my own money?” That leads to a second question: “Would it be an easy purchase, or would I buy a product that almost turns people off just because the brand is so strong?”
Yes and no, and yes and no.
Worth the effort
Let’s tackle the first yes and no. I love having a flagship phone, and I think the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are fantastic examples of a top flagship phone.
The combination of a familiar design refined over several generations, tons of power, great battery life, beautiful displays with 120Hz refresh rates, a more or less customizable action button, and a trio of great still and video cameras, all packaged in Thanks iOS 17 in a neat user interface, these Pro iPhones and their predecessors are some of the best phones out there.
And while the starting price of $999 / £999 / AU$1,849 for the iPhone 15 Pro is hefty, different contracts (and the fact that iPhones hold their value longer than their counterparts) plus the customer service Apple offers translates into a hefty sum. for a lot of money.
Offers for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max
Sits between the Samsung Galaxy S24’s price of $859 / £859 / AU$1,399 for the 256GB model and the Galaxy S24 Ultra with a starting price of $1,299.99 / £1,249 / AU$2,199, the price of the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max starting price of $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,199 seems reasonable; perhaps a tad too premium for phones with many specs that are closer to the standard S24 than the S24 Ultra.
However, having used both the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro Max, I can’t resist leaning more towards the Apple phone. Of course, it’s stuck in Apple’s ecosystem and lacks the generative AI bells and whistles. But it’s just so usable and lets me get things done without the features getting in the way; I think the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the ultimate tech tool and not a nifty piece of gadgetry.
With that in mind, I think if I were no longer a technology journalist, I would still opt for an iPhone 15 Pro model and not feel ripped off.
Of course there is a but.
Not worth it
Spending a dollar or more on a piece of technology can be a huge expense as obsolescence is built in as standard. As someone who has recently gotten into watches, I’m much happier spending the money on something that will likely outlive me than on a device with a realistic lifespan of two to four years.
Plus, all you have to do is browse our list of the best cheap phones and find a selection of handsets that are highly capable for less than half the price of an iPhone 15 Pro.
Take the Google Pixel 7a for example: it may not be mind-blowing in terms of performance, but it’s more than fast enough for most things and has rear cameras that deliver flagship-quality photography. It’s hard for me not to recommend such Pixel phones or recent, well-priced OnePlus models to anyone not trapped in Apple’s walled iOS 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 have to offer.
And I definitely think the iPhone 15 is a rip-off and a phone I wouldn’t want to trade, let alone buy, as it has a 60Hz display, a slow USB-C port, and only two rear cameras for a starting price of $799 / £799 / AU$1,499, is not acceptable in my eyes.
Sure, my colleagues on the Phone team agree that the iPhone 15 is the best iPhone for most people, but I assume that means it’s really aimed at people who are too deep in the iOS ecosystem and can’t get there for wanting to spend a Pro model.
I’d go so far as to say that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are some of the most disappointing Apple phones in recent years, and are a contradiction to the once-innovative company that Steve Jobs built. Yet that is the power of good branding; even a lackluster phone can still sell like crazy in the eyes of tech fans.
Go Pro
My conclusion to the question in the headline is admittedly a weak conclusion with caveats. Yes, the iPhones are a ripoff compared to other phones. But at the same time, the Pro models are so good as an everyday phone for content creation and as a gaming device that their asking price is reasonable.
But what I can say for sure is that if I were to buy an iPhone, I would definitely go for a Pro model. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the current darling of the Apple phone range, and rightly so, as the price difference between it and the standard models is justified.
That said, I really hope Apple has decided to release something special for the iPhone 16 range, with major upgrades to the standard models and exciting features (hardware or software) for the Pro options. Let’s get some of that generational innovation back, eh Apple?