Super weapon but disappointing... I don't want to bore you, but I think I should give a more detailed review. Having the phone for 2-3 months, I believe I have a comprehensive opinion.
Context: I have always been an Android user, but I found myself in need of a new phone and decided to step up to a flagship since mid-range phones have reached a low point (for me). After getting my MacBook some time ago (which I have fallen in love with), I thought it was time to switch to an iPhone solely because I consider Samsung's UI/OS to be awful and I couldn't bring myself to spend 1k on a Xiaomi (my last 3 phones were Xiaomi and I got tired of it). There was no way we would settle for the base model because I consider 60hz to be a joke, as I had phones worth 300 euros with 120hz and I really can't go back, it makes me dizzy.
I'll start with the positives and then move on to the negatives because I believe the negatives outweigh the positives.
POSITIVES:
- Display. Guys, it's top of the line. If you put it next to an S23, you would say that Samsung has the cleanest display, but for me, the 6.1 inches here is perfect. When you see a slipper in front of you, you don't appreciate the display as much, I believe. Personal opinion, however, regardless of that, the display is top-notch (clearly improved from the previous 14 Pro).
- Cameras. Obviously, the photos are perfect, but many other phones (e.g. Pixel, Samsung) can match it now, but guys, the video is MAGICAL. I'll leave the specs out for us geeks and just say that it has the most accurate aesthetics I have seen. I never understood the hype around the 20,000x zoom, and I don't think it's lacking in that department. 3x is more than enough, and if you want, you can play with digital zoom for the 5 photos you'll take with that much zoom in a year.
- iOS. For me, it's the best software. I understand that it's a matter of taste, but in terms of performance and user experience, no Android phone has given me that. Obviously, it has to do with the fact that Apple designs it specifically for these phones, but what can we do? You feel premium, end of story. (However, it's a bit restrictive, and I'll explain below)
- Build quality/UX. If you haven't held it, you won't understand, but now I pick up my old Android and it feels like a toy. The money Apple spends on R&D and UX is evident.
- Size. I believe we have reached the peak at 6.1 inches, anything above that is too big. Finally, I can sit comfortably when wearing jeans.
Now let's move on to the negatives because this is where it gets interesting.
NEGATIVES:
- Battery. The worst I have ever seen in my life in the past 15 years of owning a phone. Seriously, it's UNACCEPTABLE. Maybe it would have been more useful to send photos with real usage, screen time, etc., but I'll just give you examples. In the first few days, I felt like the battery was draining rapidly, but I told myself it was because my previous phone had a 5000mAh battery. However, the battery has 100% health and the phone was purchased from an official sealed retailer. So, the day before yesterday, I took a trip for two and a half hours and used maps and Spotify during that time. It went from 100% to... 59%. Then, with taking photos and doing Google searches for stores, it went down to 30%. Before the afternoon, I had dropped 20%. It's FORBIDDEN for international trips where you rely on maps/Uber photos, etc. I really felt a great remorse for my purchase. To have spent 1.2k and have to put it in saver mode by 7... Also, for anyone who says that I use it too much, on a random day when I listen to Spotify for a bit, watch a YouTube video, and scroll through TikTok and Instagram, I have around 30% by 9/10 PM. If you go to a party and stay until 2-3 am, your phone will shut down. It doesn't even last one and a half days, as some people claim. Not even as a joke. And obviously, when you spend so much money on a phone, you want to use it, right? Some people say, "Turn off the always on display, set it to 60hz, turn off Bluetooth if you're not using it, and so on." Wait a minute, guys, I didn't know that in 2024 I would have to carry 4 power banks with me just to have a beer and enjoy the experience of the 12 pro. I know, I'm tired, but it really ruined the whole experience for me and I will proceed with a return if they agree to refund me. It's unusable for me.
- Integration. We all know that Apple doesn't have any good connection with any other device that is not Apple. But guys, what am I asking for? To connect my phone to the car with a couple of headphones and that's it. In the car, the screen of my car shows what song I'm listening to whenever it wants, sometimes it disconnects. Sometimes the sound stops coming out of the car and comes out of the phone. I'm not even talking about Siri, which goes into call mode when you talk to her in the car (?). And let me anticipate those who will say that the car has a problem, I've had it for 10 years and I've connected 10+ phones. NONE of them had such an issue. Moreover, the most annoying thing is that it doesn't happen all the time, sometimes everything works fine. This makes me feel like I have a lower quality and underdeveloped phone (which it's not). It's annoying how Apple handles these things that are clearly done on purpose. "If you want a good experience, get AirPods and a car with CarPlay."
- Keyboard. Inconvenient and poorly designed for Greek. All the perks are only for English. I'm used to writing with the slide-to-text feature of Gboard and I was looking for it on this phone (I had seen that it has it). What I hadn't seen is that it's only for English (classic, I thought). I've been struggling for two months, guys, I can't do it, I'm downloading Gboard again.
There are other things that annoy me, but there are also things that I find very interesting, which I think are a bit subjective and I won't mention them here so as not to tire you further.
Bottom line: It may be a really good phone, powerful and all that, but it definitely does not meet expectations and its price.