Ya’ll have the shortest attention spans…… this is *roughly* two episodes of a popular tv show…. This is just slightly over the length of a movie. It’s amazing info. It’s not just running through specs, it’s opinions and perspectives. It’s nice so far.
I remember being 15 and thinking the iPhone X was magic. The gap between my 13 Pro and current 15 Pro is minimal, and the gap from my old 6s-8, 8-XS, and XS-13 Pro all felt like true generational leaps.
same bro I was 15 in highschool and I remember wishing I had the money to buy it then. Looking back at it now my 15 pro doesnt even feel the same. Technology back then was just something else
The peak is probably between the 5( Touch ID), the 6( phablet) and 7(IP67/no headphone). The iPhone X could be included in this, but for conciseness it’s really just those three. Also, most people would probably be perfectly happy with Touch ID again.
My peak iphone was my beloved green 11 Pro. Never had any problems with it, the battery was still at 93% after 3 years moderate to heavy use, great camera, and I even sold it once and quickly bought it back because I missed it too much.
@adegbenroagoro5180the battery health is fake, my 11 pro max that I love and still use had 90% battery health stuck for 3 years only 1. That physically impossible 2. It would last 4 hours tops of normal use when years ago it made it through the whole day and night So yeah just replaced the battery 1 week ago and it’s as good as new
The iphone X (10) is the LaFerrari of the Iphone. It was a breath of fresh air. It had a gorgeous design, great camera and really good processor. Even tho the 8 had the same specs, the screen on the 10 was just something to behold at the time. (This comes from a long time android user)
It is my belief that the XS was truly the epitome. It improved in a few key areas (especially performance and that oh so desirable gold color) that makes it still run the latest OS smoothly. And it offered a Max version. To me, the XS gen is peak iPhone.
2017 was indeed a singular point of smartphone since 2007. I remember since 2017 til around 2020, phones from all brands, including Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, and Oppo, began not only following the trend of all-screen design but also trying many different new ideas for the design. The iPhone X was not the first all-screen smartphone, but it definitely led the trend.
@dingenmetminecraft2169I almost agree. I upgraded from the 7 Plus -> X -> XS Max. I was excited when upgrading to the X except I didn’t like its size. It was actually smaller than the 7 Plus, which is the size I always like. I was very happy when the XS Max was announced. It was definitely a refinement of the X. However, I feel that the 13 Pro series was the peak, and the XS/11 Pro is the second great after that.
I purposely kept my iPhone 8 Plus to retain the home button. It was smoking modern phones in Covid when the masks hit. I hate my iPhone 15 Pro Max layout. Constantly hitting the corners w/my palm and activating mics. Love the 120Hz refresh but hate not having some bezel at the bottom. Even miss my home button to be honest. I refused to buy another iPhone with lightening. Data transfer was pathetic. Even the iPhone 14 USB C ports still did USB 2.0 speeds. The iPhone 15 Pro Max was the first iPhone to finally get that right. USB 3 data speeds were necessary long before that. It made me insane waiting. If not for the EU forcing them, we might have waited even longer.
I was a salesperson at AT&T from 2012 to 2018 at the busiest store in Texas at the time, and you absolutely nailed why the iPhone 10 was the peak. Great video. Truly great. Thanks man.
For me the 4/4S era will always be peak iPhone. Were they the best iPhones ever? No, but at the time, they were so ahead of the competition that it was crazy. The gorgeous timeless design, high resolution screens, the build quality, the user experience. It was just better. Now every new iPhone is just a slightly different flavour of smartphone with the smallest spec bumps and way too much bloat. (Android phones are suffering from the same problem). We need another halo phone like the iPhone X to hopefully switch things up again.
@MrDarkSide21Idk man, around the time the Galaxy S4 came out I got one but still had my iPhone 4S and despite the s4 having more features, I vastly preferred the 2 year old 4S. Turns out, more features didn’t automatically equal a better phone.
@MrDarkSide21Nonsense. People forget how bad older Android phones were. They may have won the back of the box featureset checklist award, but the experience left a lot of be desired.
The iPhone peaked when there was still room for innovation. Sadly, we've hit peak smartphone (like we have laptops) and apart from boring stuff like folding screens and small bezles there really isn't anything left to add or quite as innovative as TouchID or FaceID.
Exactly. The touch screen smartphone is a mature technology and has been for many years. Incremental improvements are all that can really be expected. It is true for a lot of our technology. You mentioned laptops, but pretty much anything that is computerized has reached that point: desktops, tablets, smartwatches, digital cameras, and smart televisions are also in that boat.
@seanrife4168 I wouldn't go that far. Stagnation is not something most people would find ideal. Moore's Law, when it comes to semiconductors, appears to be ending this decade and people should temper their expectations. That does not mean something won't be discovered or invented that changes the whole paradigm again.
The question is, do we really need more whistles and bells on smartphones? Most people barely use a fraction of a phone's features and power, so not so sure that more is better. Perhaps less is more by doing it better. ;)
13 pro was and still is the best iPhone ever. 3 years later newest iPhones struggle to surpass it. Yes, they are better but marginally. For half the price it's still the best iPhone to get.
Almost agree. Although I ended up upgraded to the 14 Pro Max -> 15 Pro Max, I believe if I still had my 13 Pro Max, it would work almost perfectly today. Except I have a higher demand on video recording, and the 15 Pro Max has better video recording experience with zooming between three cameras in 4K 60fps mode. I probably should’ve skipped the 14 Pro, though. The 15 Pro Max is the best phone, but the 13 Pro Max remains one of my favorite phones.
@Alexpsy1 Yeah, even if I’m still using my 13 Pro Max today, I would see it as a flagship phone that tops today’s non-pro models. Just the extra camera features and ProMotion could beat them all.
The peak is definitely the iPhone 13 pro line which is the last iPhone you really need to get in terms of true practical functionality. I wager that anyone who got the 13 pro line will have no issue running it into the ground compared to all the other models.
@brynx24 The 14 pros are widely considered to be a disappointment and actually worse in some regards (less battery life and running hot) compared to the 13 pros. There were hardly any hardware upgrades either aside from the 48mp camera and dynamic island.
Having not upgraded my iPhone 13pro yet even though I can get a iPhone 16 pro for free. I can confirm. Dynamic Island and other little “upgrades” they put aren’t worth switching. I knew once they released the iPhone with a 120hz display it was over for me. I had got the iPhone 12 which was almost peak but I knew we still needed the 120hz display. Once the 13pro came with it and I waited for the alpine green color. That was truly peak iPhone.
My first iPhone was a 6s. My second iPhone was an iPhone X. You are certainly not wrong about the hype surrounding the iPhone X, and I agree that it perhaps is Peak iPhone.
My order of phones are the 5C, 6s, XS, 13 pro and now soon to be 16 PM. The jump between my 5C and 6s was something, but from that to the XS was phenomenal.
iPhone 6S was peak iPhone. It had everything! A headphone jack, Home button, slimness without sacrificing rigidity, and a reasonably large screen (with a Plus model available for anyone who wanted bigger). Everything since then has been an upgrade in computing power, but a downgrade in everything else.
iPhone SE 1 was peak iPhone for me - the most advanced tech features that used Steve Job’s fully realized vision of the iPhone’s aesthetic design (5, 5S)
I'm 26 and Apple and the iPhone have been in my immediate life since my Sophmore year of high school. I distinctly remember a freshman in my class getting the new iPhone 6 Plus and everyone was in awe of it. An iPhone that is the size of a small book. Then in 2017 as a freshman in college, I watched the September keynote on my 2016 Macbook Pro I got for college when the iPhone X came out. For me, the “Peak” of iPhones is not a singular iPhone but the continual progression from the iPhone 5s to the iPhone X. The two most iconic designed iPhones to come out. The most technological progress and risk occurred during that time frame. But, the greatest aspect we don't have insight from is the man himself, Steve Jobs. The 2007 introduction of the iPhone is one of the greatest product announcements to ever occur. Watching this following the iPhone 16 announcement makes the innovation of earlier years apparent, with the minuscule upgrades that this generation has from my iPhone 13. So much so, that I may wait until the iPhone becomes revolutionary again until I upgrade. Great work. Enjoyed the retrospective.
For me it stopped around iPhone 11, after that everything was just more icing on top of more icing. Nothing really new to make you say hey I really need to upgrade even if your current phone is still working well...
Yup. The battery life and raw performance it had were simply unmatched at the time. Apple focused on perfecting the basics with that phone and it really paid off.
@oxaile4021I just got one for my mamaw. she just upgraded from a moto G pure 😂 I broke the screen so I owed her a new phone. It took a while for me to save up so I made sure to get her a good one. I couldn’t come up with the cash for a brand new 16 but I had a 13, It was my favorite phone outside the 5S and I think she’s going to do fine with it. It’s brand new too. From a retailer.
I can only remember getting excited about getting the iPhone 3G(my 1st iPhone), 5/5s and the X. I have the iPhone 15 pro max now and when I got it I wasn’t all that excited especially coming from a 14 pro max. I would say the X is where it peaked.
I don’t usually watch a 2hr video on youtibe, nor I don’t even watch a 2hr video at all on youtube in my entire life, but yours is the first time! Thank you for all the information. I can’t imagine how long you’ve made the editing of this video. All iPhone enthusiasts need to see this.
11 Pro I’d say. Still the best comfort without a case, 3 cameras, night mode, gorgeous back design, great battery, no 5G in my area so don’t care… It’s the phone I can come back today and use it no issue. Going back to a 5s in the iPhone X era would feel archaic.
Peak for me has to be 2017. I think the line up presented itself as the best of what we all knew in the 8 and 8 plus and the excitement and innovation of the X. My iPhone 8 Plus was a fantastic upgrade over my standard iPhone 7 and honestly I did not need to upgrade to the standard XS when that came out. What we consider the peak is slightly influenced by nostalgia though. Side note, appreciate the effort gone in to this video!
Objectively the “normal” iPhone peaked at 12 with the flat sides, great camera and an amazing OLED screen that the 10, 10s and 11 pro had. But for the pros they peaked with iphone 13 with “promotion”.
I'm still using the XS Gold 6 years after its release and it still works and looks like it did in late 2018, and it will receive iOS 18 as well! For me, the XS in Gold is PEAK iPhone!
I still daily an XS Gold as well! It's the perfect iPhone in my opinion. Love the size, screen, and user experience. Cameras still hold up today too! Unfortunately my battery is finally giving out (69% health lol) so I did just order the 16 Pro, but I'll probably put a new battery in my XS and keep it around as a dedicated work phone and music player. It's just that good that I can't fully let go of it.
@StratozfearzI feel you. I had an X for 6 years and it was my favorite. The battery life got pretty bad and then one day I dropped it and got pixelated lines in the screen. I just got my 16 Pro and so far I miss my X. It sucks too cause I had to trade mine into Verizon so I can’t even keep it for nostalgia sake. Oh well
1:22:08 it definitely impacted the enjoyment for me. There was a game that released while the iPhone X was out and it used 3-D touch to accelerate and use the brakes at different pressures, depending on how hard you pressed.
The 5S, the X, and the 12. Those were the major iPhone peaks. I think the next peak will be the 17. Edit: Looks like I was right! The iPhone 17 not only matches but BEATS every Android in it's class in performance AND value. The S25 and Pixel 10 didnt stand a chance. Double the storage, 120hz, $799.
@RideFreestyleOhio 11 has stainless steel as well. They just changed it to a more square design and added Lidar but 11 was still the standard until now
@Clasam09 Honestly, I think it's actually not that bad. It's literally an iPhone 16 Pro with worse zoom for hundreds of dollars less. The Air is a gimmick sure, but it's a feat of engineering. The Pro? Colors could have been better
iPhone 13 Series was definetly the peak for me. There were no real innovations but they just perfected every single thing and offered a phone for everyone.
Just wanna say your videos are really well produced. The visuals are great, especially the stuff you put in the background. That orange Gamecube in particular is fantastic :)
I remember the hype around the iPhone 4 and the leaks, to me that was the most exciting iPhone launch. The 12 taking cues from that phone is why I finally made the jump to iPhone.
Before I owned an iPhone, I never owned any kind of smartphone beforehand. I started off with a few basic phones from Verizon and then when I switched to Straight Talk 10 years ago, I’ve had iPhones ever since. The very first one was an old 4 that my dad used which was on its last legs but I knew I’d be fine when I was able to upgrade. My first brand new iPhone was the 5S which felt like a huge upgrade over the 4 just from basic functions alone but I felt excited back then about the fingerprint scanner. When I got the 6 I needed a phone with more memory so I went from 16 GB to 32 GB but for the past four years I’ve owned an 8 Plus with 128 GB which now looking back I’m glad I didn’t go for 64 GB. I was mainly looking for a bigger phone at the time alongside more memory. For somebody like me who has been used to older iPhones even for the times I got each of them, I still feel pretty impressed with how far iPhones have gotten. I’m going for a 15 this year and I know it’s going to be a massive upgrade when I get it.
I honestly miss the late 2000s/early 2010s when it comes to smartphones. I remember at school when someone got the latest phone everyone would crowd around that person in the lunch hall in awe 😂 I got the iPhone 4 on Xmas (my birthmas) 2010 when I turned 14 and I distinctly recall finding out I was getting one a month beforehand. I was so excited, I remember getting all the magazines featuring the phone and just staring at the iPhone. Beforehand I was saying to myself “ah who wants a phone that constantly loses signal?” But that completely went out the window when my mum said “do you want the new iPhone for Xmas? But remember that’s going to be your birthday and Xmas present as well since it’s expensive” It meant a lot as we were fairly poor, but my mum was great at saving money and was a hardworking person. Obviously I didn’t really think about it at the time but as each passing year (especially since my mum Passed) I always think about the sacrifices she made just to make me feel like everyone else, especially my friends that came from better off backgrounds. That’s why the IPhone 4 holds a special spot in my heart. You just don’t get that anymore. The IPhone 5s is probably the peak “on paper” but the iPhone 4 was my favourite
imo, modern iphone functionality from 10 and onwards could be lumped together as one big peak, with the iphone 5s era being the peak of outer design. if only there was some combination of both of those that they offered
Good job on the video. It was detailed and thoughtful, even when I didn't necessarily agree with your conclusions. I watched the whole thing. You got a new sub.
Josh, I absolutely love your approach to B roll. You have a great eye for it, whether interior or exterior, good framing and composition. Love the old console stuff sneaking into them as well.
looking at your introduction, my first iphone as a 14 pro max, same situation as you and your iphone x. last year i upgraded to the 15 pro max and it felt kind of hollow, this year im keeping the 15 pro max and i'll probably use it until it dies or becomes obsolete, whatever comes first. dont get me wrong i love new tech but these phones i had felt basically the same
Great job, Josh! I truly enjoyed this journey in the past watching the video, so nostalgic and warm, brought so many bright memories about iPhones from my youth ❤
1:35:18 explains the broken red iphone from earlier 😢 I never thought that i was watching the whole thing, but damn it was good!! Thanks you very much for this grad Video!
one of the greatest videos i've ever watched about tech. meta, insightful, and the last minutes are really something to think on about not only just tech itself, but the way people, companies included cause they are people too, has gotten today. passion is not mainstream anymore
Imo, the 11 pro was the peak. It achieved everything that the prior models lacked. Battery, cameras, face id, high brightness screen, compact and palm-friendly shaped, durable and water resistant to a really high level, fast charger in the box etc. And it’s still perfectly usable today on the latest ios version. Every other iphone has a “drawback”, the 6-8 has bad battery life, the newer 12-14 pros are really bulky and heavy
That shot of the original iPhone next to the Galaxy S shows just how far ahead Jony Ive and Apple’s design team were in the 2000s. It looks like it came from a different era.
My peak for apple was the 4S. It was my first phone and made me fall in love with apple. It was so great of a design that iPhones now are a massive version of it. I just wished apple go ahead and finish the copy and make the camera bump go away(into) the phone.
All the iPhones with the home button starting from the 5C. For me the peak phone would be the first SE. I had that phone for 11 months until it broke (I dropped it and it cracked really badly) and it was the last ever iphone that had a decent speaker to it. Every other iPhone I used since the audio quality declines within a few months. I loved the Touch ID function on it, the size. It was perfect. It’s the only phone that I regret not looking after properly. I kinda miss it and that era.
That green 11 pro was magnificent. Size, camera and battery life were all 10/10. Or at least it felt like that at that time. I haven’t been truly impressed since. Hoping the 🍊 17 pro can reignite that feeling.
My 6S was my favorite iPhone. 3D Touch, and was a real upgrade from my first iPhone, a 4, that was outdated and didn’t receive updates shortly after I got it
I was always an android user until the 14 pro. But the iPhone 5 was the one that saw as peak. It looked so good in gold and i felt like everybody around me was jumping on board
Insightful overview, thanks. Still have a functioning original iPhone, plus a 6S, 7 and 13 Pro. Outside of USB C and a better camera, I don't have a huge need to upgrade and may well just make it to the grave with these.
I have had the iPhone 4(only used it for games I was young) the iPhone 6 16GB (was my favorite out of all of them perfect for daily use and power) then the Xr (the biggest upgrade I’ve noticed it was amazing for me being the cheaper model and now I have a 13 base model, it’s boringly reliable
iPhone 11 Pro Max. The FIRST iPhone that i considered good enough for me to buy. iPhone users before it's arrival were notorious for always looking to charge their iPhone. It was also the first iPhone with an AMOLED Z SCREEN. Finally the internal storage was attractive as the very first iPhone Pro Max.
I believe the 14 was actually a later local peak for the series…base model seemed like the final iteration of its generational design … I have a 14 plus which is great with leather case - 14 pro also was very decent - but these last couple years with the ‘titanium’ and ‘fine woven’ to name a few gimmicks seem to have fallen off imo
I don't accept that everyone needs a smartphone as you say. I haven't had one in two years and I have never considered going back. I enjoyed this video though :)
Weirdly enough pretty much everyone I know had a 5C. The reason being one they liked the colors and secondly for most it was their first iPhone and they wanted to just kinda try it out so they didn’t wanna pay the extra for the 5S.
I honestly just wish the iPhone SE got an upgrade to the main camera sensor. Everything else I loved about it. The form factor was perfect for me, I love the home button/touch ID, performance was very good, 5G connection was fine. The only shortcoming was the camera.
My favorite iPhones that I have owned are: - 4S (first 64 GB model and a camera that was good enough to replace my pocket camera) - 6+ (have had the large screen size ever since) - XS Max (Face ID was so easy to use) - 13 Pro Max (Has aged very slowly, camera is so awesome that I rarely use my mirrorless or DSLR anymore). I have a 15 Pro Max now only because the XS Max started having issues, mostly from my wife's constantly dropping it. She got the 13 with a bright pink case on it! My oldest kid had the XS Max fixed and still uses it.
3:55 the iPhone X moment for me was the original Moto 360. I was 18, at college, and did some paid work experience at a Mercedes dealership (I was studying auto) and I was able to buy it with my own money. Absolutely everyone that saw it had to ask about it, see what it did, or try it on. They were all Apple users, but it was exciting, made people smile. Now? Yeah. Tech has reached its peak, even foldables.
42:49 this seems like not a big deal but that $100 difference mattered to parents only first buying their kid a smartphone at that time That was why I had a 5C and honestly I loved it, design and function-wise; in a year where a nicer iPhone came out, my teenage self was not being given the more premium option, and I didn’t mind: the color choices could better reflect who I am through the phone I use, compared to just polished metal options It def made the 6S I got later on a nice upgrade too, it had those features debuted with the 5S but coupled with a significant redesign Edit: not sure about the X as the peak of their phones, but I also don’t have a strong feeling towards what else might be so maybe I at least understand where you’re coming from, maybe it is I just remember skipping the X because I didn’t like the notch and did really like TouchID, I’m used to it and FaceID now but don’t necessarily like them still they’re just kinda there Will really be interested to see if they stick the landing on the first edge-to-edge screen iPhone; if rumors about that phone debuting portless (wireless charging / audio only) hold, I will confidently pass lol 1:25:15 still love my 11 Pro so much, I wish the green Pro colors became standard, I have to upgrade this year cause of the battery and other aspects wearing out :’( he will be missed, I’ll replace the 16 Pro soon as green is back on the menu
I think from what you presented, the 11 is the peak, at least to me. But the 10 was basically already the little field that is technically not the highest point, but everyone is having their lunch there. And when it comes to the excitement - the 7+ was the first iPhone I got, as close to launch as possible and it always kills me to hear how you disregard it as the 6Ss 😂. The 10 on the other hand didn’t excite me as much (as I didn’t get it), I was just suffering with iOS 11 (it was probably the shock of going from iOS 10 to 11 on a
“A Brief retrospective” - is 2 hours long 😂😂😂
I had to hold myself back with this one
This could have been an email
Lmao literally! I was like oh I’m down to watch it! Then I saw it was 2 hours long lmaoooo
Ya’ll have the shortest attention spans…… this is *roughly* two episodes of a popular tv show…. This is just slightly over the length of a movie. It’s amazing info. It’s not just running through specs, it’s opinions and perspectives. It’s nice so far.
@NotGarrettG agree
I remember being 15 and thinking the iPhone X was magic. The gap between my 13 Pro and current 15 Pro is minimal, and the gap from my old 6s-8, 8-XS, and XS-13 Pro all felt like true generational leaps.
same bro I was 15 in highschool and I remember wishing I had the money to buy it then. Looking back at it now my 15 pro doesnt even feel the same. Technology back then was just something else
Facts bro I remember upgrading from my 6s to the XS and the upgrade was so good
The peak is probably between the 5( Touch ID), the 6( phablet) and 7(IP67/no headphone).
The iPhone X could be included in this, but for conciseness it’s really just those three. Also, most people would probably be perfectly happy with Touch ID again.
Jump from 5 to 6 was massive too even tho the 5 was really good
iPhone X was the last generational phone. Maybe the 13 pro. After that, it’s been the same phone
My peak iphone was my beloved green 11 Pro. Never had any problems with it, the battery was still at 93% after 3 years moderate to heavy use, great camera, and I even sold it once and quickly bought it back because I missed it too much.
My iPhone 11 Pro Max 256 GB ROM has 87% battery health after 4 years and I'm still using it
@adegbenroagoro5180mine from launch is at 75%, planning on keeping it longer
@adegbenroagoro5180the battery health is fake, my 11 pro max that I love and still use had 90% battery health stuck for 3 years only 1. That physically impossible 2. It would last 4 hours tops of normal use when years ago it made it through the whole day and night
So yeah just replaced the battery 1 week ago and it’s as good as new
Wow !!!! 😂
bro i have 89% health in less than a year howwww😭😭
The iphone X (10) is the LaFerrari of the Iphone. It was a breath of fresh air. It had a gorgeous design, great camera and really good processor. Even tho the 8 had the same specs, the screen on the 10 was just something to behold at the time.
(This comes from a long time android user)
It is my belief that the XS was truly the epitome. It improved in a few key areas (especially performance and that oh so desirable gold color) that makes it still run the latest OS smoothly. And it offered a Max version. To me, the XS gen is peak iPhone.
2017 was indeed a singular point of smartphone since 2007. I remember since 2017 til around 2020, phones from all brands, including Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, and Oppo, began not only following the trend of all-screen design but also trying many different new ideas for the design. The iPhone X was not the first all-screen smartphone, but it definitely led the trend.
@dingenmetminecraft2169I almost agree. I upgraded from the 7 Plus -> X -> XS Max. I was excited when upgrading to the X except I didn’t like its size. It was actually smaller than the 7 Plus, which is the size I always like. I was very happy when the XS Max was announced. It was definitely a refinement of the X. However, I feel that the 13 Pro series was the peak, and the XS/11 Pro is the second great after that.
I purposely kept my iPhone 8 Plus to retain the home button. It was smoking modern phones in Covid when the masks hit. I hate my iPhone 15 Pro Max layout. Constantly hitting the corners w/my palm and activating mics. Love the 120Hz refresh but hate not having some bezel at the bottom. Even miss my home button to be honest. I refused to buy another iPhone with lightening. Data transfer was pathetic. Even the iPhone 14 USB C ports still did USB 2.0 speeds. The iPhone 15 Pro Max was the first iPhone to finally get that right. USB 3 data speeds were necessary long before that. It made me insane waiting. If not for the EU forcing them, we might have waited even longer.
I was a salesperson at AT&T from 2012 to 2018 at the busiest store in Texas at the time, and you absolutely nailed why the iPhone 10 was the peak.
Great video. Truly great. Thanks man.
I had an iPhone 5s as a kid & id say around that 5s - 6s era was probably the peak
Love the iPhone 5S. I use the iPhone 12 now but wish I could get a 5S with the specs of the 12 or newer but with the home button with Touch ID.
The iPhone 11 series was the last iPhone I got truly excited about and the Pixel 6 was the last smartphone I truly got excited about.
I had the 5s for year and a half. Never iPhone again.
after 20 years : iphone 15 16 era was probably the peak
after 40 years :....
after 80 years:......
5s best looking iPhone ever imo
For me the 4/4S era will always be peak iPhone. Were they the best iPhones ever? No, but at the time, they were so ahead of the competition that it was crazy. The gorgeous timeless design, high resolution screens, the build quality, the user experience. It was just better. Now every new iPhone is just a slightly different flavour of smartphone with the smallest spec bumps and way too much bloat. (Android phones are suffering from the same problem). We need another halo phone like the iPhone X to hopefully switch things up again.
About the last sentence, it's probably gonna be a full screen phone with no compromises on the selfie camera
iPhone has never been ahead in anything since they introduced the iPhone in 2007… now, new iPhones are like 4 year old galaxys
@MrDarkSide21Idk man, around the time the Galaxy S4 came out I got one but still had my iPhone 4S and despite the s4 having more features, I vastly preferred the 2 year old 4S. Turns out, more features didn’t automatically equal a better phone.
@MrDarkSide21they are way ahead even now Samsung still needs to catch up to match their optimization and hardware
@MrDarkSide21Nonsense. People forget how bad older Android phones were. They may have won the back of the box featureset checklist award, but the experience left a lot of be desired.
The iPhone peaked when there was still room for innovation. Sadly, we've hit peak smartphone (like we have laptops) and apart from boring stuff like folding screens and small bezles there really isn't anything left to add or quite as innovative as TouchID or FaceID.
Exactly. The touch screen smartphone is a mature technology and has been for many years. Incremental improvements are all that can really be expected. It is true for a lot of our technology. You mentioned laptops, but pretty much anything that is computerized has reached that point: desktops, tablets, smartwatches, digital cameras, and smart televisions are also in that boat.
@seanrife4168 I wouldn't go that far. Stagnation is not something most people would find ideal. Moore's Law, when it comes to semiconductors, appears to be ending this decade and people should temper their expectations. That does not mean something won't be discovered or invented that changes the whole paradigm again.
Lol, people have been saying this since the iPhone 4
The question is, do we really need more whistles and bells on smartphones? Most people barely use a fraction of a phone's features and power, so not so sure that more is better. Perhaps less is more by doing it better. ;)
@futtt_buckerson Because it's true
13 pro was and still is the best iPhone ever. 3 years later newest iPhones struggle to surpass it. Yes, they are better but marginally. For half the price it's still the best iPhone to get.
Almost agree. Although I ended up upgraded to the 14 Pro Max -> 15 Pro Max, I believe if I still had my 13 Pro Max, it would work almost perfectly today. Except I have a higher demand on video recording, and the 15 Pro Max has better video recording experience with zooming between three cameras in 4K 60fps mode. I probably should’ve skipped the 14 Pro, though. The 15 Pro Max is the best phone, but the 13 Pro Max remains one of my favorite phones.
@JunshuLiu Fair enough. Of course it's better at specific areas but for most users a 13 pro/max feels like a flagship iPhone still.
@Alexpsy1 Yeah, even if I’m still using my 13 Pro Max today, I would see it as a flagship phone that tops today’s non-pro models. Just the extra camera features and ProMotion could beat them all.
@JunshuLiu exactly...I could never understand people buying new base iPhones instead of getting last years pro model.
Only the notch is annoying if it had Dynamic Island I would’ve gotten it
im starting this 1 hour after its upload knowing if someone started watching it when it came out is still watching
The peak is definitely the iPhone 13 pro line which is the last iPhone you really need to get in terms of true practical functionality. I wager that anyone who got the 13 pro line will have no issue running it into the ground compared to all the other models.
exactly why im still not upgrading.
14 pro*
@brynx24 The 14 pros are widely considered to be a disappointment and actually worse in some regards (less battery life and running hot) compared to the 13 pros. There were hardly any hardware upgrades either aside from the 48mp camera and dynamic island.
@oxaile4021also 13s notch better than dynamic island
Having not upgraded my iPhone 13pro yet even though I can get a iPhone 16 pro for free. I can confirm. Dynamic Island and other little “upgrades” they put aren’t worth switching. I knew once they released the iPhone with a 120hz display it was over for me. I had got the iPhone 12 which was almost peak but I knew we still needed the 120hz display. Once the 13pro came with it and I waited for the alpine green color. That was truly peak iPhone.
My first iPhone was a 6s. My second iPhone was an iPhone X. You are certainly not wrong about the hype surrounding the iPhone X, and I agree that it perhaps is Peak iPhone.
My first and ironically last iPhone was the 6s+
My order of phones are the 5C, 6s, XS, 13 pro and now soon to be 16 PM.
The jump between my 5C and 6s was something, but from that to the XS was phenomenal.
iPhone 6S was peak iPhone. It had everything! A headphone jack, Home button, slimness without sacrificing rigidity, and a reasonably large screen (with a Plus model available for anyone who wanted bigger). Everything since then has been an upgrade in computing power, but a downgrade in everything else.
3D touch is the most underrated thing that apple has done. I hope they put it back and implement it to future smartphones.
For me a home button is a negative and I don’t care about headphone jacks since I have AirPods and I love them
Home button isn't a good thing
@ger-f1byou have 3D Touch without putting the tech under the display that costs money
@laussethecat lies
4/4s is most iconic. iPhone 6s series was the general peak
Yeah the 6/6s and X I think were the peak
@blakepizarro1105you’re broke
iPhone SE 1 was peak iPhone for me - the most advanced tech features that used Steve Job’s fully realized vision of the iPhone’s aesthetic design (5, 5S)
I decided to give it 5 minutes to see if it was engaging enough to spend 2 hours on it.
It was.
I'm 26 and Apple and the iPhone have been in my immediate life since my Sophmore year of high school. I distinctly remember a freshman in my class getting the new iPhone 6 Plus and everyone was in awe of it. An iPhone that is the size of a small book. Then in 2017 as a freshman in college, I watched the September keynote on my 2016 Macbook Pro I got for college when the iPhone X came out. For me, the “Peak” of iPhones is not a singular iPhone but the continual progression from the iPhone 5s to the iPhone X. The two most iconic designed iPhones to come out. The most technological progress and risk occurred during that time frame. But, the greatest aspect we don't have insight from is the man himself, Steve Jobs. The 2007 introduction of the iPhone is one of the greatest product announcements to ever occur. Watching this following the iPhone 16 announcement makes the innovation of earlier years apparent, with the minuscule upgrades that this generation has from my iPhone 13. So much so, that I may wait until the iPhone becomes revolutionary again until I upgrade. Great work. Enjoyed the retrospective.
For me it stopped around iPhone 11, after that everything was just more icing on top of more icing. Nothing really new to make you say hey I really need to upgrade even if your current phone is still working well...
The iphone 13 line up was the peak.
100%
Yup. The battery life and raw performance it had were simply unmatched at the time. Apple focused on perfecting the basics with that phone and it really paid off.
Yes
@oxaile4021I just got one for my mamaw. she just upgraded from a moto G pure 😂 I broke the screen so I owed her a new phone. It took a while for me to save up so I made sure to get her a good one. I couldn’t come up with the cash for a brand new 16 but I had a 13, It was my favorite phone outside the 5S and I think she’s going to do fine with it.
It’s brand new too. From a retailer.
Fr tho
Still using a 1st gen SE in 2025
Ngl. 91Tech is the only channel where I'm willing to watch a 2 hour long video
I can't blame you - Flossy Carter doesn't often drop 2-hour long videos! 😝💯
I can only remember getting excited about getting the iPhone 3G(my 1st iPhone), 5/5s and the X. I have the iPhone 15 pro max now and when I got it I wasn’t all that excited especially coming from a 14 pro max. I would say the X is where it peaked.
Agreed! I was very excited when I got my X back then. Good ol days
I don’t usually watch a 2hr video on youtibe, nor I don’t even watch a 2hr video at all on youtube in my entire life, but yours is the first time! Thank you for all the information. I can’t imagine how long you’ve made the editing of this video. All iPhone enthusiasts need to see this.
11 Pro I’d say.
Still the best comfort without a case, 3 cameras, night mode, gorgeous back design, great battery, no 5G in my area so don’t care…
It’s the phone I can come back today and use it no issue. Going back to a 5s in the iPhone X era would feel archaic.
I can’t believe I watched the whole thing. God, I love Apple.
-->> this way to the sheep ranch
THE PERSONA MUSIC AHH IT'S SO GOOOD!!!!
5s-8. Best iphones!! I'm still using my iphone 8.
Hell yeah. I don't mean this in any derogatory sense, but I love these longer vids because they help me sleep lol.
Me too😂
Still waiting for the "When did 91tech peak?" vid to drop 👀
Peak for me has to be 2017. I think the line up presented itself as the best of what we all knew in the 8 and 8 plus and the excitement and innovation of the X.
My iPhone 8 Plus was a fantastic upgrade over my standard iPhone 7 and honestly I did not need to upgrade to the standard XS when that came out.
What we consider the peak is slightly influenced by nostalgia though.
Side note, appreciate the effort gone in to this video!
Objectively the “normal” iPhone peaked at 12 with the flat sides, great camera and an amazing OLED screen that the 10, 10s and 11 pro had. But for the pros they peaked with iphone 13 with “promotion”.
I'm still using the XS Gold 6 years after its release and it still works and looks like it did in late 2018, and it will receive iOS 18 as well! For me, the XS in Gold is PEAK iPhone!
Absolutely agreed! Best color of iPhone ever, and the XS still runs amazingly well?!
Specifically in gold. The XS in white is garbage lol
I still daily an XS Gold as well! It's the perfect iPhone in my opinion. Love the size, screen, and user experience. Cameras still hold up today too! Unfortunately my battery is finally giving out (69% health lol) so I did just order the 16 Pro, but I'll probably put a new battery in my XS and keep it around as a dedicated work phone and music player. It's just that good that I can't fully let go of it.
@StratozfearzI feel you. I had an X for 6 years and it was my favorite. The battery life got pretty bad and then one day I dropped it and got pixelated lines in the screen. I just got my 16 Pro and so far I miss my X. It sucks too cause I had to trade mine into Verizon so I can’t even keep it for nostalgia sake. Oh well
similar situation here but the battery is COOKED and the keyboard is completely burned into my phones screen lol
1:22:08 it definitely impacted the enjoyment for me. There was a game that released while the iPhone X was out and it used 3-D touch to accelerate and use the brakes at different pressures, depending on how hard you pressed.
The 5S, the X, and the 12. Those were the major iPhone peaks. I think the next peak will be the 17.
Edit: Looks like I was right! The iPhone 17 not only matches but BEATS every Android in it's class in performance AND value. The S25 and Pixel 10 didnt stand a chance. Double the storage, 120hz, $799.
12? More like 11
@blakepizarro1105 The 12's design and build quality set a new standard. The stainless steel 12 Pro is durable af too
@RideFreestyleOhio 11 has stainless steel as well. They just changed it to a more square design and added Lidar but 11 was still the standard until now
Well, 17 was announced earlier today...I'm underwhelmed. You?
@Clasam09 Honestly, I think it's actually not that bad. It's literally an iPhone 16 Pro with worse zoom for hundreds of dollars less. The Air is a gimmick sure, but it's a feat of engineering. The Pro? Colors could have been better
There were a few distinct peaks…iPhone 4s, 6s, X, and 13 Pro.
iPhone 13 Series was definetly the peak for me. There were no real innovations but they just perfected every single thing and offered a phone for everyone.
Just wanna say your videos are really well produced. The visuals are great, especially the stuff you put in the background. That orange Gamecube in particular is fantastic :)
I really worked out to this whole video. Incredible! Just subscribed.
I remember the hype around the iPhone 4 and the leaks, to me that was the most exciting iPhone launch.
The 12 taking cues from that phone is why I finally made the jump to iPhone.
Only just got this recommended now! Love your channel.
Before I owned an iPhone, I never owned any kind of smartphone beforehand. I started off with a few basic phones from Verizon and then when I switched to Straight Talk 10 years ago, I’ve had iPhones ever since. The very first one was an old 4 that my dad used which was on its last legs but I knew I’d be fine when I was able to upgrade. My first brand new iPhone was the 5S which felt like a huge upgrade over the 4 just from basic functions alone but I felt excited back then about the fingerprint scanner. When I got the 6 I needed a phone with more memory so I went from 16 GB to 32 GB but for the past four years I’ve owned an 8 Plus with 128 GB which now looking back I’m glad I didn’t go for 64 GB. I was mainly looking for a bigger phone at the time alongside more memory.
For somebody like me who has been used to older iPhones even for the times I got each of them, I still feel pretty impressed with how far iPhones have gotten. I’m going for a 15 this year and I know it’s going to be a massive upgrade when I get it.
I honestly miss the late 2000s/early 2010s when it comes to smartphones. I remember at school when someone got the latest phone everyone would crowd around that person in the lunch hall in awe 😂
I got the iPhone 4 on Xmas (my birthmas) 2010 when I turned 14 and I distinctly recall finding out I was getting one a month beforehand.
I was so excited, I remember getting all the magazines featuring the phone and just staring at the iPhone. Beforehand I was saying to myself “ah who wants a phone that constantly loses signal?” But that completely went out the window when my mum said “do you want the new iPhone for Xmas? But remember that’s going to be your birthday and Xmas present as well since it’s expensive”
It meant a lot as we were fairly poor, but my mum was great at saving money and was a hardworking person. Obviously I didn’t really think about it at the time but as each passing year (especially since my mum
Passed) I always think about the sacrifices she made just to make me feel like everyone else, especially my friends that came from better off backgrounds.
That’s why the IPhone 4 holds a special spot in my heart. You just don’t get that anymore. The IPhone 5s is probably the peak “on paper” but the iPhone 4 was my favourite
imo, modern iphone functionality from 10 and onwards could be lumped together as one big peak, with the iphone 5s era being the peak of outer design. if only there was some combination of both of those that they offered
Great video!
Good job on the video. It was detailed and thoughtful, even when I didn't necessarily agree with your conclusions. I watched the whole thing. You got a new sub.
13, legendary battery life on my Pro. Still on the fence about upgrading.
Amazing work 👍
I watched all 2 hours. Great insight, great work.
Great 3 minute video. Good luck moving forward.
When I saw your passion.
I subscribed immediately 😅
Josh, I absolutely love your approach to B roll. You have a great eye for it, whether interior or exterior, good framing and composition. Love the old console stuff sneaking into them as well.
looking at your introduction, my first iphone as a 14 pro max, same situation as you and your iphone x. last year i upgraded to the 15 pro max and it felt kind of hollow, this year im keeping the 15 pro max and i'll probably use it until it dies or becomes obsolete, whatever comes first. dont get me wrong i love new tech but these phones i had felt basically the same
Great Video! 👍
I love your videos, they are such high quality
Great job, Josh! I truly enjoyed this journey in the past watching the video, so nostalgic and warm, brought so many bright memories about iPhones from my youth ❤
Amazing Video Josh ☮️💯
This was a fantastic video.
1:35:18 explains the broken red iphone from earlier 😢
I never thought that i was watching the whole thing, but damn it was good!! Thanks you very much for this grad Video!
Your videos are so good.
one of the greatest videos i've ever watched about tech. meta, insightful, and the last minutes are really something to think on about not only just tech itself, but the way people, companies included cause they are people too, has gotten today.
passion is not mainstream anymore
Imo, the 11 pro was the peak. It achieved everything that the prior models lacked. Battery, cameras, face id, high brightness screen, compact and palm-friendly shaped, durable and water resistant to a really high level, fast charger in the box etc. And it’s still perfectly usable today on the latest ios version. Every other iphone has a “drawback”, the 6-8 has bad battery life, the newer 12-14 pros are really bulky and heavy
The iPhone SE had a 2017 32GB revision as you referenced. I'm still using mine
That shot of the original iPhone next to the Galaxy S shows just how far ahead Jony Ive and Apple’s design team were in the 2000s. It looks like it came from a different era.
I fell asleep 2 times & had a dream! Thanks 😊 😊
The 5c was the first smart phone i bought with my own money
My peak for apple was the 4S. It was my first phone and made me fall in love with apple. It was so great of a design that iPhones now are a massive version of it. I just wished apple go ahead and finish the copy and make the camera bump go away(into) the phone.
Awesome video❤
Excellent video
All the iPhones with the home button starting from the 5C.
For me the peak phone would be the first SE. I had that phone for 11 months until it broke (I dropped it and it cracked really badly) and it was the last ever iphone that had a decent speaker to it. Every other iPhone I used since the audio quality declines within a few months. I loved the Touch ID function on it, the size. It was perfect. It’s the only phone that I regret not looking after properly.
I kinda miss it and that era.
That green 11 pro was magnificent. Size, camera and battery life were all 10/10.
Or at least it felt like that at that time. I haven’t been truly impressed since. Hoping the 🍊 17 pro can reignite that feeling.
Solid Retrospective
My 6S was my favorite iPhone. 3D Touch, and was a real upgrade from my first iPhone, a 4, that was outdated and didn’t receive updates shortly after I got it
You truly are an entertainer and very very intelligent.i enjoy these videos very much.
that was amazing
Watching this on peak
I was always an android user until the 14 pro. But the iPhone 5 was the one that saw as peak. It looked so good in gold and i felt like everybody around me was jumping on board
Waiting several generations (I’d say about 5 to 6 before considering) is honestly the best move now.
Now i want the long version.
See people smile at animoji - bruh...
Worth sitting for 2 hours. Well done!
That last S.J. quote was the best and really made your point.
Totally excellent.👏
Epic video
I truly think the 5S design is my favorite
Good video
Insightful overview, thanks. Still have a functioning original iPhone, plus a 6S, 7 and 13 Pro. Outside of USB C and a better camera, I don't have a huge need to upgrade and may well just make it to the grave with these.
i would like to argue that the "3D touch" is not dead, it has reincarnated into the camera button on the new 16.
I have had the iPhone 4(only used it for games I was young) the iPhone 6 16GB (was my favorite out of all of them perfect for daily use and power) then the Xr (the biggest upgrade I’ve noticed it was amazing for me being the cheaper model and now I have a 13 base model, it’s boringly reliable
The ending is sad but true :/. Longest RUclips video I ever watched thanks for the content!
iPhone 11 Pro Max. The FIRST iPhone that i considered good enough for me to buy. iPhone users before it's arrival were notorious for always looking to charge their iPhone. It was also the first iPhone with an AMOLED Z SCREEN. Finally the internal storage was attractive as the very first iPhone Pro Max.
I believe the 14 was actually a later local peak for the series…base model seemed like the final iteration of its generational design … I have a 14 plus which is great with leather case - 14 pro also was very decent - but these last couple years with the ‘titanium’ and ‘fine woven’ to name a few gimmicks seem to have fallen off imo
I don't accept that everyone needs a smartphone as you say. I haven't had one in two years and I have never considered going back. I enjoyed this video though :)
Weirdly enough pretty much everyone I know had a 5C. The reason being one they liked the colors and secondly for most it was their first iPhone and they wanted to just kinda try it out so they didn’t wanna pay the extra for the 5S.
I honestly just wish the iPhone SE got an upgrade to the main camera sensor. Everything else I loved about it. The form factor was perfect for me, I love the home button/touch ID, performance was very good, 5G connection was fine. The only shortcoming was the camera.
My favorite iPhones that I have owned are:
- 4S (first 64 GB model and a camera that was good enough to replace my pocket camera)
- 6+ (have had the large screen size ever since)
- XS Max (Face ID was so easy to use)
- 13 Pro Max (Has aged very slowly, camera is so awesome that I rarely use my mirrorless or DSLR anymore).
I have a 15 Pro Max now only because the XS Max started having issues, mostly from my wife's constantly dropping it. She got the 13 with a bright pink case on it! My oldest kid had the XS Max fixed and still uses it.
3:55 the iPhone X moment for me was the original Moto 360. I was 18, at college, and did some paid work experience at a Mercedes dealership (I was studying auto) and I was able to buy it with my own money. Absolutely everyone that saw it had to ask about it, see what it did, or try it on. They were all Apple users, but it was exciting, made people smile.
Now? Yeah. Tech has reached its peak, even foldables.
The Peak of iPhone - The Movie
thank you for this, I appreciate this video and understand and agree to your reasoning. Great video.
42:49 this seems like not a big deal but that $100 difference mattered to parents only first buying their kid a smartphone at that time
That was why I had a 5C and honestly I loved it, design and function-wise; in a year where a nicer iPhone came out, my teenage self was not being given the more premium option, and I didn’t mind: the color choices could better reflect who I am through the phone I use, compared to just polished metal options
It def made the 6S I got later on a nice upgrade too, it had those features debuted with the 5S but coupled with a significant redesign
Edit: not sure about the X as the peak of their phones, but I also don’t have a strong feeling towards what else might be so maybe I at least understand where you’re coming from, maybe it is
I just remember skipping the X because I didn’t like the notch and did really like TouchID, I’m used to it and FaceID now but don’t necessarily like them still they’re just kinda there
Will really be interested to see if they stick the landing on the first edge-to-edge screen iPhone; if rumors about that phone debuting portless (wireless charging / audio only) hold, I will confidently pass lol
1:25:15 still love my 11 Pro so much, I wish the green Pro colors became standard, I have to upgrade this year cause of the battery and other aspects wearing out :’( he will be missed, I’ll replace the 16 Pro soon as green is back on the menu
nice~~
I think from what you presented, the 11 is the peak, at least to me. But the 10 was basically already the little field that is technically not the highest point, but everyone is having their lunch there.
And when it comes to the excitement - the 7+ was the first iPhone I got, as close to launch as possible and it always kills me to hear how you disregard it as the 6Ss 😂. The 10 on the other hand didn’t excite me as much (as I didn’t get it), I was just suffering with iOS 11 (it was probably the shock of going from iOS 10 to 11 on a