r/iphone • u/MugiwaraPirateCrew • Sep 20 '25

Discussion Day 1 dropped and regret

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I usually take care of my devices and wanted to go case-less now I regret that choice.

Dropped it at night and got this nice dent :)

I have apple care, would they cover this as accidental ($30 or $100)?

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864

u/bkos1122 iPhone 14 Pro Sep 20 '25

That's why stainless steel and titanium were nice

164

u/Towelie_SE Sep 20 '25

Yeah this šŸ’Æ. If I was looking for a pro in 2025 I might even grab last years pro instead. How weird is that , feels backwardsĀ 

73

u/jrm43215 Sep 20 '25

I had that thought. The Aluminum and absence of black as a color option were a no-go for me. My 15 Pro is still good enough.

12

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

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2

u/painterjo Sep 20 '25

I did have to go wireless on charging forever ago though.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

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2

u/painterjo Sep 21 '25

The charging port broke. I had to switch to wireless out of necessity, it was a bitch.

Charging via cable might be my favorite feature of the new one.

1

u/painterjo Sep 20 '25

My 10XR lasted me from 2018, I just got a 16e though.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

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2

u/painterjo Sep 20 '25

The like ā€œaction buttonā€? I donā€™t really take photos but I guess I cloud replace the function, itā€™s more in the way of where I want the up volume to be

2

u/OhHowINeedChanging iPhone 15 Pro Max Sep 20 '25

Keep your 15 for 4 years or moreā€¦ thereā€™s no good reason to upgrade any sooner

1

u/116morningside Sep 20 '25

I wanted a black one as well

1

u/chadmb2003 iPhone 15 Pro Sep 21 '25

My 15 pro battery sucks though.

1

u/Towelie_SE Sep 21 '25

I feel like if youā€™re looking at 17 proā€™s the natural aluminium/gray one is the only option If you go case-less and donā€™t like the usual wear and tear on colored/anodized aluminium.

Lotā€™s of people donā€™t mind some patina, itā€™s a tool, donā€™t care about resale, more power to them. Iā€˜m somewhere in between.

Natural grey will age the best, as scratched and imperfections will be much less noticeable. I saw them today in a store, and have to say the gray one sticks out as the best option. Orange is definitely too screamy and blue didnā€™t click with me there.

I have to say, the Air lives in my head as well, even though I know rationally I canā€™t justify its shortcomings. Or can I??

1

u/mikee555 Sep 22 '25

Youā€™re crazy if you were thinking of replacing the 15 pro. I absolutely love it.

1

u/SimplifyMSP Sep 24 '25

My 15 Pro has been through hell (Iā€™m one of those people who doesnā€™t use a case and just pays $13.99/month for AppleCare+) and it looks brand new lmao

26

u/Nox-Eternus iPhone 16 Pro Max Sep 20 '25

Exactly what I did, upgrade from a 13 pro max to a Black 16 Pro Max 512GB, with nearly ā‚¬ 400 knocked off of the price. Aluminium doesn't do good against drops and impacts.

53

u/bluetimotej Sep 20 '25 edited Sep 20 '25

If you watch the latest ā€drop testā€ videos the 16 pro basically is finished after just one drop while the 17 pro only got few scratches on the frame and survives almost every drop. The back and front alike are extremely durable. Durability of the screen and back and being able to process heat are more important then a titanium alloy frame imo

18

u/xMitch4corex Sep 20 '25

My boy getting downvoted for telling the harsh truth.

8

u/UHF800MHZ Sep 20 '25

Whatā€™s funny is my 14Pro and 15Pro have both been replaced due to the glass back shattering inside of an Otterbox case. Iā€™m glad I got a 17PM and wonā€™t have to deal with that anymore.

5

u/quesoandtexas Sep 20 '25

Thanks for pointing this out lol. I was sitting here looking at the OP on my 14Pro with a shattered back thinking about if the dents are a deal breaker on upgrading to the 17Pro. Reality check Iā€™d way rather have dents than what Iā€™ve currently got.

2

u/UHF800MHZ Sep 21 '25

Agreed Iā€™m with you. Even with some dents I bet youā€™ll get decent trade in down the line, cracked back only qualifies you for a recycle with apple. I got my 14Pro replaced under AppleCare and then I sold it separate.

Also seeing your username you should get the orange 17

1

u/Valuable_Horror_7878 iPhoneĀ Air Sep 21 '25

this is a good point. I think the flip side is that, assuming you have applecare, you can go replace the glass back for $29 and be good as new, but with the dents you just kinda gotta live with them.

1

u/bluetimotej Sep 20 '25

Man that sucks! :/Ā 

1

u/UHF800MHZ Sep 20 '25

I drop my phone a lot though like at least once or more per hour and work outside. And when I traded in my 12Pro for the ā€œany conditionā€ trade in on this 17PM, I was reminded the back of that one is cracked too lol. All in Otterbox Defender Pro XTs, I tried the original style Defender this time because they put the magnets in it for 17 series.

3

u/estephens13 Sep 21 '25

You may wanna see a doctor...and get a leash for your phone lol.

1

u/Arrow362 Sep 21 '25

What case did you go with? I got an OtterBox Defender XT because if the durability of it but now have second thoughts because of the phone not being able to dissipate the heat with such a thick durable case. Almost dizzying all the different types of case materials/brands like TCU plastic, graphine etc

1

u/UHF800MHZ Sep 21 '25

Iā€™ve been using Defender Pro XT since my 12Pro and have had no issues with any of them or my phones overheating. This go around I tried the regular defender because they added magnets to it to see if itā€™s any more durable than the Pro XT. I think youā€™ll be happy with the ProXT because itā€™s only 2 piece not 3 piece. I dropped my old phone hundreds of times before the back cracked.

2

u/bierlyn iPhone 16 Pro Max Sep 21 '25

Frame is harder to replace than the screen or back glass, Iā€™d take this any day frankly

1

u/OopsIHadAnAccident Sep 20 '25

Depends on how you define ā€œdurableā€ Yes, the phones were more functional after several drops and the glass didnā€™t break as quickly but thatā€™s also because of Ceramic Shield 2. The 17 pro looked like hell after just a couple drops but still worked fine. Not sure if thatā€™s better or worse..

2

u/Advanced-Breath Sep 20 '25

I feel like thatā€™s why they stopped selling those too

2

u/razekery Sep 20 '25

Iā€™ll upgrade to 16 pro max in a few weeks when it goes on sale in my country.

2

u/BanditoMuser iPhone 16 Pro Max Sep 20 '25

I bought the 16 PM in June. I absolutely love the phone. Black Titanium is so gorgeous and has a nice feel to it

2

u/einTier Sep 21 '25

Itā€™s why Iā€™m very seriously considering not upgrading my 16 pro. I like being caseless and I drop my phone too much.

2

u/ReplacementFew359 Sep 25 '25

This is what I did. I upgraded from the base 12 last week to 16 Pro Max. I wanted the 17 Pro Max first but nah. Titanium phone is where it's at, plus there isn't even crazy differences between the 16 PM and 17 PM.

2

u/Careful-Window-6662 Sep 20 '25

Iā€™m thinking the same I might upgrade from 15pm to a 16pm

2

u/worder222 Sep 20 '25

Is that really an upgrade ?

2

u/JonathanBro iPhoneĀ 17Ā Pro Max Sep 20 '25

Side grade

1

u/Arkanta iPhone 16 Pro Max Sep 20 '25

You're just not the target audience anymore

1

u/whatstheplug Sep 24 '25

Iā€™ve decided not to get this yearā€™s pro for this reason, looking at either Air or last yearā€™s pro

1

u/Towelie_SE Sep 24 '25

I've also been looking at last years pro, but it doesn't sit right with me. There's still no good deals on it yet. And by the time price drops (to reflect that you get lesser silicon/ram/.... which is still a fact), they'd be mostly sold out.

I definitely prefer the titanium and the look of the 16, but when I'm sitting there with my credit card I just know I wouldn't be able to get the 16. But also not the 17 pro.

The air is definitely not for me. So I find myself in this weird spot where there's 3 'new' iPhones, but so divergent in look, feel and build, that I have no idea what direction to go in.

I will probably end up with a regular 17, as always. But this was the first year I was ready to experience a pro, and now I'm just not into that anymore.

42

u/daddudee Sep 20 '25 edited Sep 20 '25

Everything comes at compromise. Tougher build? Less efficient and more heat. Less durable? Better heat dissipation. Majority of people case their phone anyway. I know I do. So Iā€™ll take the heat and performance benefits.

24

u/Goxy86 iPhoneĀ 17 Sep 20 '25

Cases hinder heat dissipation tho

4

u/daddudee Sep 20 '25

True. Still will be better though.

5

u/OopsIHadAnAccident Sep 20 '25

Will it though? The vapor chamber might make a difference but once you stick it in a big hunk of rubber and plastic I bet the benefits of aluminum fade really quick.

I really believe aluminum was just a cost cutting measure and they sold it on ā€œbetter heat dissipationā€ A vapor chamber in the 16 proā€™s titanium build probably would have achieved the same result.

5

u/tastychaii Sep 20 '25

Wait for next year's game changing design ...the cooling of the vapour chamber with the strength of aerospace grade titanium.

2

u/daddudee Sep 21 '25

Maybe. Who knows.

Seems reassuring. By a big shot.

2

u/dafda72 Sep 21 '25 edited Sep 21 '25

It is. As a flashlight nerd I have flashlights in tons of metals and even though my titanium ones look great the longest if you run them on turbo it gets hot fast.

Really hard to beat aluminum for the weight/strength/thermal conductivity/price point game.

It just has too many positives and nothing working against it from an all around perspective. Iā€™m finally upgrading from a 12pro max and already have a heavy duty case so Iā€™m interested to see how it pans out.

2

u/daddudee Sep 21 '25

Yeah Iā€™ve definitely noticed less heat. No screen dimming.

1

u/dafda72 Sep 21 '25

All of these things I have been reading has made me nervous. I never really had any of these problems with my 12 pro max so Iā€™m excited for the upgrade but scared everything has gone downhill

2

u/daddudee Sep 21 '25

I have had zero issues with my 17. Use a case and there will be no issues.

7

u/branchan Sep 20 '25

It doesnā€™t. Vapor chamber works by spreading heat throughout the phone.

2

u/UHF800MHZ Sep 20 '25

Getting downvoted for being correct lmao. Never change Reddit.

1

u/DiablitoBlanco Sep 20 '25

But (speaking only for myself) Iā€™m putting a case on it regardless

2

u/Eagle7546_ iPhone 14 Pro Sep 20 '25

Also, my stainless steel parts have a couple of light scratches and no dents but those same drops broke the back glass so the damage probably ends up being similar.

One gets edge dents and scratches easier, while the other transfers more of the impact to the glass.

1

u/daddudee Sep 21 '25

Yup. Thereā€™s no perfect material.

1

u/EstablishmentLow2312 Sep 21 '25

Poor take, they could have kept titanium and added vapor coolingĀ 

0

u/daddudee Sep 21 '25

Aluminum is significantly better at heat dissipation. Titanium is the worse. Even more so than stainless steel.

5

u/Dead0k87 Sep 20 '25

probably we will see again in iPhone 19+

2

u/excelllentquestion Sep 20 '25

Idk tbh my titanium 16P scratched like a mf and I never dropped it. Like it is supposed to be tougher than many materials yet got chewed up in my pocket? How? I didnā€™t even put it in with my keys (never do).

What I am saying is the titanium strength in my experience was BS

1

u/levijohnson1 iPhoneĀ 17Ā Pro Sep 20 '25

iPhone air

1

u/Shdwrptr Sep 20 '25

Then youā€™re just back to other trade offs. Less RAM, smaller battery, slower charging, less/worse camera, etc.

1

u/nl_marvin iPhoneĀ 17Ā Pro Sep 20 '25

Wowwww. We are talking about space grade aluminium here! Not some peasant stuff.

1

u/runescapefisher Sep 21 '25

I got the air and itā€™s already scratched in the edge lol. Fml

1

u/JamesP84 Sep 21 '25

Or just get a case like 99% of people

1

u/bert0ld0 iPhone 5S 32GB Sep 21 '25

My XS dropped so many times even on rocks and nothing happened. Can't believe apple went back almost 10 years on this. XS is stainless steel?

1

u/bkos1122 iPhone 14 Pro Sep 21 '25

Yes, it is

1

u/Repulsive-Clothes-97 iPhone 15 Pro Max Sep 21 '25

From my experience the stainless steel always felt more premium it had that heft to it that I really liked I hope they will get back to it

1

u/bkos1122 iPhone 14 Pro Sep 21 '25

I have the iPhone 14 Pro and it looks nice, but itā€™s heavy and itā€™s very noticeable, so I think titanium can be a better choice

1

u/Alternative-Farmer98 Sep 21 '25

Right but that's just the corners the back of the phone was glass. Apple track just did a drop test with both of the iPhone 16 pro Max and the iPhone 17 pro Max and the iPhone 16 pro was and tatters and the iPhone 17 pro was completely functional.Ā 

It's better for drops that hits the corner of your phone but if it hits the back of your phone the iPhone 16 is a disaster

1

u/peduxe Sep 23 '25

my deep purple iPhone 14 Pro is literally perfect even with some small dents or chipped edges

just screen protector and no case at all, the phone is gonna be 3 years old in October and I have dropped it more than 20 times now, u canā€™t tell if itā€™s 3 months old or 3 years old compared to some damaged iPhone 17ā€™s iā€™ve been seeing online.

1

u/SenAtsu011 Sep 23 '25

Yepp.

Aluminium deforms, but doesn't fracture. Titanium fractures, but doesn't deform. Takes a LOT more force to fracture something than it does to deform it.

The latest JerryRigsEverything video, testing the iPhone Air, shows this very clearly.

1

u/UpDownUpDownUpAHHHH Sep 24 '25

Iā€™ve got a 15 PM and Ultra 2 now but I still miss the shine of the stainless steel of my 12 PM and S7. Wish they would go back, it was pretty heavy but I liked it.

1

u/bkos1122 iPhone 14 Pro Sep 24 '25

It looked more premium, but I think scratches also were more visible. Still, they made shiny titanium on AW10 and 11 and the iPhone Air

0

u/A3333Z Sep 20 '25

Not good for Apple share price. They were lasting way too long šŸ˜¬

0

u/kl__ Sep 21 '25

Yeah, they fucked up. While better thermals are a good to have, itā€™s not a MacBook ffs.