Apple Debuts iPhone 17 • Hacker News Board

Re: Apple Debuts iPhone 17

#111

Post by devrand » Tue, Sep 09, 2025, 8:16 PM UTC

burnt-resistor wrote: post #70

devrand wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's the concern here? Can the phone not just be bought outright?

With inflation such as it is, finance it and don't be concerned about a temporary lock. Most carriers will unlock it after X months and/or for travel. Let the phone carrier eat it and conserve capital.

It seems like you can also finance it interest free through Apple themselves without being locked to a carrier.

Re: Apple Debuts iPhone 17

#112

Post by nabeards » Tue, Sep 09, 2025, 8:41 PM UTC

temp0826 wrote: post #64

Sigh, the only upgrade for my 12 mini is still the 13 mini?

Same here. I’m going to get a new battery soon, so that’ll give me a few more years. I’m hoping something comes along in that time that I want. Otherwise, I may just go to a Japanese eInk phone.

Re: Apple Debuts iPhone 17

#113

Post by dang » Tue, Sep 09, 2025, 8:53 PM UTC

Related ongoing threads:

Compare the New iPhone Models - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45186294 - Sept 2025 (95 comments)

iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45186044 - Sept 2025 (42 comments)

iPhone Air - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45186015 - Sept 2025 (431 comments)

Re: Apple Debuts iPhone 17

#114

Post by eloisant » Tue, Sep 09, 2025, 8:53 PM UTC

BurningFrog wrote: post #37

Each new model has an asymptotically smaller feature bump. In 10 years we may have converged on the complete cell phone. Maybe the recent introduction of foldable phones indicates the opposite. Is it the final blip, or will something similarly disruptive happen every 5-7 years? Discuss.

We converged already 5 years ago, the feature bumps we're getting now are artificially created for marketing reasons.

Re: Apple Debuts iPhone 17

#115

Post by toastercat » Tue, Sep 09, 2025, 8:57 PM UTC

I always have a hard time swallowing the price of modern smart phones. Having something so ridiculously expensive and fragile as an everyday carry seems absurd to me. For reference, you can buy two Steam Deck LCDs for the price of one iPhone 17.

Re: Apple Debuts iPhone 17

#116

Post by doctoboggan » Tue, Sep 09, 2025, 8:59 PM UTC

I am looking to upgrade my phone, and at the same time leave my carrier (Verizon). The price I pay for 2 people compared to the price I see out there for other carriers is just too large.

Any suggestions for me while I shop around for "tier 2" carriers? I am primarily concerned with price, and then network coverage second (I am OK with sometimes being throttled, but would prefer to avoid large gaps in any coverage).

Re: Apple Debuts iPhone 17

#117

Post by samename » Tue, Sep 09, 2025, 9:00 PM UTC

doctoboggan wrote: post #116

I am looking to upgrade my phone, and at the same time leave my carrier (Verizon). The price I pay for 2 people compared to the price I see out there for other carriers is just too large. Any suggestions for me while I shop around for "tier 2" carriers? I am primarily concerned with price, and then network coverage second (I am OK with sometimes being throttled, but would prefer to avoid large gaps in any coverage).

I use Visible which uses Verizon’s network, at a steep discount. Never had any issues.

Re: Apple Debuts iPhone 17

#118

Post by _aavaa_ » Tue, Sep 09, 2025, 9:00 PM UTC

giancarlostoro wrote: post #8

I have a 12 Pro, I am definitely going to be upgrading, I've had my phone for 5 years now (since 2020) that's actually longer than I've owned any other cell phone without upgrading. I think I could probably squeeze more life out of my phone, but the 17 has a nicer camera, me and my wife are noticing our relatives with newer iPhones have photographs that look slightly (I meant to write NOTICEABLY here) better. As we r…

If you want another big bump in image quality I recommend you use Adobe’s Project Indigo app instead of the default camera app.

Difference is especially startling for HDR and portraits, particularly backlight ones where the stock app does some hideous segmentation-based “enhancements”.

Re: Apple Debuts iPhone 17

#119

Post by Tankenstein » Tue, Sep 09, 2025, 9:01 PM UTC

tra3 wrote: post #26

doublepg23 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The iPhone Air is definitely a testing ground for folding phone technologies.

How so? That would be great either way.

Foldables need to have very thin construction as when folded, you essentially have two phones on top of each other. There's speculation online that the air was launched off the back of their internal foldable R&D.

Re: Apple Debuts iPhone 17

#120

Post by doctoboggan » Tue, Sep 09, 2025, 9:01 PM UTC

tra3 wrote: post #26

doublepg23 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The iPhone Air is definitely a testing ground for folding phone technologies.

How so? That would be great either way.

Presumably because a folding phone needs each half to be quite thin to still produce a reasonably normal phone thickness when folded.