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The iPhone 16 launch brings the first iPhone designed to support on-device generative AI. But should you buy it? Are the core improvements worth the money?
While the new model has notable improvements, it is an evolutionary smartphone. The iPhone 17 is shaping up to be a revolutionary model, with hints and whispers pointing towards a ProMotion 120Hz display and a?‘Slim’ edition.
Join us as we explore 6 reasons to buy the iPhone 16 — and 6 reasons to wait for the iPhone 17.
Key Takeaways
- The iPhone 16 brings AI features, a new Action button, and improved cameras, making it a solid smartphone choice for now.
- However, the iPhone 17 promises a revolutionary upgrade with under-panel Face ID, a 120Hz ProMotion display, and a slimmer design.
- Waiting for the iPhone 17 may also be worth it for features like 12GB of RAM and a better camera.
- While the iPhone 16 is available now with notable improvements, its AI capabilities are still in the early stages.
- Unless you need a phone immediately, it may be better to wait for the iPhone 17, which will be released in 2025.
6 Reasons to Buy the iPhone 16
If you don’t already own the iPhone 14 or iPhone 15, there are a few reasons why you may want to buy the new iPhone 16. Apple’s latest is the phone to beat for the year, and there are good reasons to buy one.
1. On-device AI Capabilities
Among the top iPhone 16 features is the inclusion of on-device artificial intelligence capabilities — “Apple Intelligence” or “Visual Intelligence,” as Apple calls it.
This includes using AI to write texts and emails, using your camera to ask for information about literally anything, and enhanced natural language processing (NLP) conversations with Siri.
It is not available on devices yet but will be rolled out before the end of 2024.
2. Action Button
The iPhone 16 features an Action button (previously only found on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max), which will enable users to create voice notes and access in-app functionalities with a hardware click.
3. Capture Button
Apple’s iPhone 16 also features a new Camera Control button on the side of the device, which users can press to take pictures without touching the screen.
The touch-sensitive button allows presses for focusing, or you can swipe to change settings such as the aperture and zoom level.
4. 48MP camera
The new iPhone 16 has a 48MP camera, up from a 24MP camera on the iPhone 15. If that wasn’t enough, the Pro models will also offer users a 5x optical zoom, opening the door to many more photo opportunities.
Along with the primary camera, the iPhone 16 has a 12MP front camera and upgraded ultrawide cameras for macro photography. It’s a good year for improved photography on the iPhone 16.
5. Video Recording Improvements
A new twist is that the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus can support both spatial photography and spatial video (the iPhone 15 supported spatial video only), allowing you to create 3D content that you can view with the Apple Vision Pro.
The Pro Max line is able to capture 4K resolution videos at 120 frames per second.
6. It’s Available Now
Arguably, the biggest advantage of the iPhone 16 is that you can buy it now. You don’t need to wait until 2025; you can just take the plunge and get one of the best smartphones on the market.
Should iPhone 14/15 Owners Upgrade to iPhone 16?
For iPhone 14 and 15 owners, you may want to wait a year.
First, let’s compare the stand-out features of the four major iPhone variants over the last three generations.
In general, the base iPhone model is by far the most popular. The Plus model brings the same specs at a larger screen. The Pro model brings higher specs to the base mode, and the Pro Max wraps everything together with the best specs and the largest screen size.
iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 15 vs. iPhone 16
If you own an iPhone 15, we believe the new iPhone 16 is an incremental upgrade, and it is not worth making the leap unless your desire for the latest model outweighs the cost.
For the iPhone 14, the benefits become more apparent — you move up two generations of processors and switch to USB-C, which is becoming more dominant as the years go by. You are also likely facing the dreaded drop in battery life and the resultant battery anxiety that comes with it.
One factor that holds true for iPhones is that prices generally remain the same until the next model is released. So, if you are thinking about buying an iPhone 16, you might as well buy one sooner rather than expect massive discounts in six months.
However, we suspect the 2025 launch of the iPhone 17 will be one of Apple’s landmark years and that the jump between iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 will be larger than between 15 and 16.
Why? Let’s find out.
6 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17
While there are many improvements to get excited about with the iPhone 16, with our favorites being the on-device AI potential and the new Capture button, there are also plenty of reasons to wait for the iPhone 17 in 2025.
1. Under Panel Face ID Technology
Analyst Ross Young initially expected that the iPhone 17 would feature under-panel Face ID technology and cameras. This would mean that Face ID’s facial recognition capabilities won’t obscure the display as much as they have on recent models.
2. Always-on ProMotion Display
The iPhone 17 is expected to feature an always-on ProMotion display to the iPhone 17, which can shift its refresh rate from 120Hz to as low as 1Hz? — offering a true low-power Always On Display across the entire line-up.
The “LTPO” (low-temperature Polycrystalline oxide) displays, which have occasionally appeared on Apple’s Pro models, will be a true jump in display technology for all models.
3. 24MP Selfie Camera
A report from Apple analyst Ming Chi-Kuo suggests that the iPhone 17 will feature a 24MP front-facing camera with a six-element lens.
The big advantage here is that the quality of images will be better maintained even if the user crops or zooms in on them.
4. Memory Upgrades
Arguably one of the biggest improvements coming with the iPhone 17 is upgraded RAM compared to the iPhone 16. While the iPhone 16 will have 8GB of RAM, the iPhone 17 will reportedly have 12GB of RAM, enabling it to better support AI workloads.
5. Slimmer Design
If that wasn’t enough, analysts also expect that Apple will release a “significantly thinner” iPhone in 17, perhaps targeting a depth of as low as 5mm (from the iPhone 16’s depth of 7,8mm).
New iPhone 17 ‘Slim’ details
– 6.6” display
– 2740 X 1260 resolution
– Dynamic Island
– ultra-slim design
– titanium-aluminum frame
– A19 chip
– Apple-designed 5G chip
– Single rear camera (wide)Source: @mingchikuo pic.twitter.com/asfQgzNDF3
— Apple Hub (@theapplehub) July 24, 2024
6. 48MP Telephoto Lens
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, in an investor note, says that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature three 48MP telephoto lenses capable of capturing sharper details than the iPhone 16.
The Bottom Line: Should You Buy Now or Wait for a Year?
The iPhone 16 is another superb Apple product, but unless you are in serious need of an upgrade, we’d advise skipping the purchase for now. It is not a flop, but we expect the next iPhone to be the one to get excited about.
Hardware refinements do make the iPhone 16 the best in class at the moment, and the start of on-device AI is likely the standout feature (when it arrives), but everything says that Apple’s 2024 smartphone range is an evolutionary upgrade right now.
With the iPhone 16’s on-device AI experience being embryonic right now, it may be another reason to hold off until the iPhone 17 and wait for these features to be more clearly defined and developed.
A slim iPhone 17 with under-panel Face ID technology, a battery-efficient 120Hz ProMotion display, and more RAM appears a class above what the iPhone 16 has to offer at the moment, so we’d say it’s best to wait unless you absolutely need a new phone in 2024.
FAQs
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References
- Apple Hub on X (Twitter)
