In many ways, you probably already knew the answer to the question, “Are iPhones overrated now?” It would be a yes, and a resounding one at that. But things ended up not being as simple as I first thought.
I posed the question to TechRadar readers in a simple poll with the options: yes, no, and on the fence, with a little color added for fun. And according to the results, 47% of respondents answered affirmatively, 17% believe that iPhones are not really overrated and a good 36% are undecided but recognize that iPhones are iterative smartphones that “just work.”
There definitely still seems to be a healthy appetite for new Apple phones, although part of this could be because we’re committed (or trapped) in the iPhone ecosystem.
“I remember queuing at 5:30am on iPhone 3G morning outside my local O2 store, excited by the newness of the design compared to my Nokia. I diligently upgraded every year for the 4, then the 5, then the 6 Plus and then… I got a little bored…” said a commenter called Andrew.
“They seemed to stop a little bit, but with the [Z] Double 5. It is brilliant and innovative. The applications are basically the same. [but] It feels more interesting.
“I think Apple is a good example of a lazy brand that knows that loyalty will allow them to make profits while they can ignore the need to innovate.”
That journey is similar to mine, as I started with an iPhone 4S, then moved to Android, and finally returned to the iPhone in 2021, when I felt like Apple had caught up to Android on the hardware front. Likewise, I’m now a little bored with recent iPhones, despite really enjoying how well they work; Something new and special seems to be missing from Apple’s recent smartphone portfolio.
It also seems that the updates that Apple tends to make a song and dance about, like an improved camera system, don’t always impress in real-world use. Sure, photos may be sharper and more dynamic than before, but the differences are arguably negligible unless you really look for them.
I’m not the only one thinking along these lines, as iPhone 17 user and reviewer ‘Altema22’ pointed out: “The disappointing thing is all the fuss about the camera, only to find out that no one in the house can easily tell which photos are from the 17 and which are from a $400 HTC U24 Pro.”
In essence, then, while I don’t think people will stop buying Apple phones, we seem to be heading towards a point where iPhones no longer excite people; I’ve posited that we may have reached peak iPhone after the launch in September.
You could say that this is all to be expected, as other phones have also become quite iterative, but I think Apple still has the ability to excite and revolutionize things in the realm of phones and in the world of technology in general. And where Apple goes, others tend to follow.
So I hope future iPhones can bring back some of the excitement of yesteryear, including making phone cameras exciting again.
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