Currently playing with the new iPhone Pro and here are my thoughts:

1. Camera is very good. RICOH GR III still feels at least 5-10x better in terms of image quality and performance. But for the most part, the iPhone pro camera is quite solid. I like the noir monochrome mode, but the new UI/UX is extremely complex and overall bad. I’ll have some design simplification suggestions later.
2. The feel and finish (matte) is excellent. The irony is that it doesn’t “feel good”— you just don’t really think about it. Perhaps it feels almost like skin, therefore the feeling of the phone feels invisible? (Nassim Taleb’s quote that the best technology is invisible).
   
3. Haptic feedback feels very solid, clicky, and satisfying. I’m excited to see what new innovations can happen with the haptic feedback. For example when I save a photo or do something, the haptic feedback makes me feel as if I “did something”. I’d prefer haptic feedback on typing, something Android has done well a long time ago.
   

The ultimate device?

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My belief is that the iPhone Pro is the best mobile device created of all time. In theory you can do all your (all day) computing on this.

Should I buy one?

Now perhaps the question is— is it worth it?

I think so. There’s certainly no downside, besides the cost. In my mind, it’s still cheaper than buying a car (or owning a car), 1000x cheaper than buying a home, and much better value than buying an expensive watch, handbag, etc.

In praise of ultra wide

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Now another question — this or iPhone 11?

Honestly either seems a good option. Just get the 11– for the ultra wide angle lens. Super smart idea — the 2x telephoto on iPhone Pro not necessary. But the ultra wide angle lens is a game changer. I believe ultra wide can allow us to make far more innovative and creative compositions. To change up our perspective of seeing the world and embodied reality.

Pixel 4?

The low light on iPhone Pro and 11 seems better than previous generations, but on the Pixel the night sight mode seems to be at least 5x better for low light when compared to iPhone Pro. I’d be curious to compare the cameras of the iPhone Pro and Pixel 4. My gut says the Pixel will be the better camera (they got better computational photography scientists at Google), but in terms of a productivity and creative device, it seems the iPhone will (always) be superior.

An option:

Own BOTH the iPhone Pro AND the Google Pixel (best of both worlds).