📱iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro pre-orders are live September 13 at 5AM Pacific.
💸 Pricing starts at $799 for iPhone 16, $999 for iPhone 16 Pro.
📷 Key features include all-new Camera Control, Apple Intelligence.
Another year, another iPhone, and another decision to make. Is this year a buy, or is it a skip?
I’ll put it simply: 2024 is a good year to buy an iPhone. If you’re looking to make the upgrade from any iPhone other than the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, or you’re thinking of making the switch from an Android phone, I recommend a buy. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro are shaping up to be excellent for anyone who works from their phone.
Here’s why.
The Camera Control is a big deal
Camera Control is a physical, clickable button.
It can be tapped to snap photos or used to scroll through options.
Third-party apps can also use the Camera Control.
It wasn’t so long ago that the rumor-mill claimed Apple might build a smartphone entirely devoid of ports and buttons, so it’s good fun to see Apple instead go the other direction. And make no mistake: the Camera Control, a new button on both the iPhone and iPhone 16 Pro, is key.
At its most basic, the Camera Control does what it says on the tin. You can tap it to snap a photo or tap longer to record a video. This will prove quicker and less awkward than using the camera button on the iPhone’s display. Photographers and videographers will like it, of course, but it’ll be handy for anyone who frequently snaps photos to share on social media (or any other reason).
The Camera Control has other functions, too. A light tap adjusts focus, and a swipe can be used to scroll through options. I don’t know about you, but I’ve always found swiping on the display to adjust camera features awkward, and borderline impossible if I don’t have both hands free. Shooting with one hand free still isn’t ideal, but it’s improved.
It’s likely to attract a lot of attention from third-party developers, too. At the least, it stands to serve as a secondary shortcut button (alongside the Action button) and a virtual scroll wheel. Both functions could find widespread use in creativity and productivity apps.
Apple’s attempts to add new features don’t always work out: the Mac’s Touch Bar and the iPhone’s 3D Touch are two good examples. But I think the Camera Control will be popular. It doesn’t require customization or ask you to learn anything new. It’s a button, and it works like a button. It doesn’t get much simpler than that.
The camera gets a big upgrade, too
Every iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro has a 48MP “Fusion” main camera.
iPhone 16 Pro models also have a new 48MP ultra-wide camera.
The iPhone Pro now has the same camera system as the iPhone Pro Max.
Every iPhone 16 will have a 48-megapixel (MP) camera. The camera can take 48MP photos or group pixels together to capture more light in a 24MP photo (put more simply, this makes low light photos look brighter). This is basically the same as the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, and while Apple’s computational photography tends to slightly adjust how the camera works year to year, I don’t expect you’ll see much change here.
The ultra-wide camera is where things get interested. The iPhone 16 has a new 12MP ultra-wide with an f/2.2 aperture, which will let in more light than the iPhone 15’s f/2.4 aperture. In short, the iPhone 16’s ultra-wide will perform better in low light.
Upgrade to the iPhone 16 Pro, though, and you’ll get a 48MP ultra-wide which also has an f/2.2 aperture. Because of this, the iPhone 16 Pro’s ultra-wide camera will be the best ultra-wide on an iPhone yet, and it won’t be close.
I think that’s huge for professionals. The ultra-wide camera is essential for capturing good photos in tight spaces. Real estate agents will be pleased. Oh, and the ultra-wide is also used for macro photography. If you’re running a small business and want to take close-up product photos for social media, I think you’re going to like the iPhone 16 Pro.
It’s also worth mention that, unlike the iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 16 Pro has the same camera system as the larger iPhone 16 Pro Max. With the iPhone 15 Pro, only the Pro Max received a 5x optical zoom lens, while the smaller iPhone 15 Pro had only a 3x optical zoom. Now, both have a 5x optical zoom.
This is just a surface-level take on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro camera system: I suggest you check out photography site PetaPixel for all the nerdy details. Sticking with the basics, though, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro camera systems deliver some major improvements, especially if you’re a fan of the ultra-wide lens.
Everyone is underestimating Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence will summarize notifications and emails.
It can also write emails based on your prompts.
Siri with Apple Intelligence will support text in addition to voice.
Apple Intelligence features aren’t live until October 2024.
The reception to Apple Intelligence, Apple’s suite of AI features coming to all its devices, seems mixed. Personally, though, I think Apple Intelligence will prove a huge win (when it finally, fully arrives).
Here’s the thing: working on a smartphone sucks. There’s a reason why every work-from-home setup still centers in a desktop or laptop computer (or, if you’re wild, an iPad Pro). But, for many people, working from a phone isn’t choice. It’s just something that happens. There’s a lot of features in Apple Intelligence that will lessen the pain.
Summarization is an easy win. AI is quite good at this, and AI summarization of emails, texts, and other notifications stands to make our inboxes a lot easier to navigate. It splits the difference between the two, equally unsatisfying options we currently have: either opening emails and notifications to view them in their entirety, which is tedious, or deleting or ignoring those that don’t look urgent in the subject line or first sentence, which is more practical but can mean overlooking the details.
Generative AI text is an even bigger win. Banging out an email or Slack message on an iPhone 15 Pro Max is easier than it was on an iPhone 5c, but it’s still annoying. With Apple Intelligence’s Writing Tools, though, that could largely be a thing of the past. There’s no need to type the whole email yourself: just provide Writing Tools the main points, let the AI write the rest, and edit as needed. The more often you email or text from your iPhone, the more of a game-changer this will be.
Siri will also be enhanced with generative AI, and that’s going to have some big practical implications. First off, its ability to understand what you’re saying will take a quantum leap forward. The days of loudly, carefully yelling at Siri in hopes it will understand what you mean will be gone. You’ll also be able to type requests to Siri, instead of speaking to it, which will be useful when chatting Siri up isn’t an option.
These are just the highlights for professionals: there’s a lot more I could talk about, and perhaps I will once Apple Intelligence is fully live. But that leads me to the one big downside to all of this: Apple Intelligence won’t be working if you pre-order the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro today and receive it September 20th. The first features roll out in October, with more coming into 2025.
Also, the features will launch only for English language iPhones. Oh, and if you’re in the European Union or other parts of the world with more intense AI regulation, well, you’re out of luck.
Is it worth upgrading from the iPhone 15 to iPhone 16? (Or Pro 15 to Pro 16)?
While I’m bullish on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, I don’t think you need to buy the iPhone 16 if you bought last year’s model. That goes double if you have the iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, both of which will receive Apple Intelligence.
The upgrade is easier to recommend if you have an iPhone 14, or older. The iPhone 15 served up several notable features including USB-C, the Action button on the iPhone 15 Pro (which is now standard on both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro), and a new 48MP main camera. The iPhone 16’s upgrades largely reinforce what was great about the iPhone 15 Pro.
Also, there’s no point in fixing what isn’t broken. If you still like your current iPhone and don’t feel compelled by the feature I’ve described, cool. Keep it. Personally, I will be upgrading from an iPhone 12 Mini, and I don’t think most people need to upgrade their iPhone every year, or even every other year. I like small phones and wish Apple still made a “mini,” but that ship has sailed.
Should you buy the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro?
If you’re thinking you want to pull the trigger and buy the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro, you’ve still got a few decisions to make. The first, of course, is between the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro.
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Alright, so: iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro? It’s a good year to buy the basic iPhone 16 (or the larger iPhone 16 Plus), though the Pro model still has its advantages.
It’s a good year for the base iPhone because, this year, it has most features with broad appeal.
The iPhone 16 (and Plus) gets the Action button, previously reserved to the iPhone 15 Pro models, and the new Camera Control.
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are barely smaller than the Pro models. The iPhone 16 has a 6.1-inch display vs. the iPhone 16 Pro’s 6.3-inch display. The iPhone 16 Plus has a 6.7-inch display vs. the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s 6.9-inch display.
The A18 chip in the iPhone 16 is similar to the A18 Pro in the iPhone 16 Pro. The Pro has one extra GPU core and media encoding hardware to power its more esoteric features (like ProRes video recording), but that’s about it.
So, why would you want to buy the iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max instead? Here’s a few reasons.
The 120Hz display, which feels smoother and more responsive, remains exclusive to the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max.
The iPhone 16 Pro models have the 48MP ultra-wide, a big upgrade over the 12MP ultra-wide on the iPhone 16.
Advanced camera features, like ProRes video recording and the ability to record video to an external drive over the USB-C port, remain exclusive to iPhone 16 Pro models.
How much storage should I buy for my iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro?
The iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, and iPhone 16 Pro all start with 128GB of storage, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts with 256GB.
Whether that’s enough depends on how you use your iPhone. Videos and games tend to consume the most storage, so videographers and gamers need to upgrade to at least 256GB. Professional videographers will want to buy the maximum amount of storage available, which is 1TB.
However, many professionals can get by with 128GB. That’s still enough to store thousands of photos, documents, and other files with smaller file sizes. The need to upgrade your storage if also reduced if you’re an iCloud subscriber, since you can upload photos and videos to iCloud to free up space on the phone.
The storage you should buy also depends on how long you plan to keep the phone. If you’re a yearly upgrade kind of person, there’s not as much point in buying the maximum amount of storage. But if you want to keep the phone for five years or more, I’d recommend an upgrade to at least 256GB, and perhaps 512GB, if you store a lot of files on your iPhone.
What about a refurbished iPhone 15?
The arrival of the iPhone 16 implies we’ll soon see Apple release refurbished iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models on the Apple Certified Refurbished store, as well as deeper discounts on older models. These are likely to appear early next year. Apple Certified Refurbished iPhones have the same warranty and product support as a new iPhone, so it’s a safe way to save some cash.
However, I only recommend a refurbished iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, and I don’t recommend a refurbished iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Plus. This is entirely because of Apple Intelligence, which will be available on the iPhone 15 Pro models but not the iPhone 15. I’m convinced that Apple Intelligence will be very useful, and especially useful for people who work from home and on the go. That makes the base iPhone 15 a no-go.
I don’t recommend earlier refurbished iPhones for all the same reasons unless, perhaps, you truly don’t care to work from your phone, and actually just need a simple and inexpensive phone to do basic phone things (like text or *gasp* call your friends). In that case, any ole’ refurbished iPhone will do.
Should I trade in my old iPhone?
Apple has an official trade-in program that can offer a discount on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. Apple offers up to $650 if you trade in an iPhone 15 Pro Max. Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile offer trade-in credits of up to $999 for an iPhone 15 Pro Max.
A trade-in credit of up to $999 sounds sweet, but there’s no free lunch, as you need to sign up (or have) a mobile plan. Mobile plans are often not a great deal, especially if you work from home. Personally, I use a $35 Verizon pre-paid plan that offers up to 15GB of mobile data per month, and I never come remotely close to hitting that cap. Of course, your mileage may vary. The math will be different if you work involves a lot of travel and you go through a few dozen gigabytes of data every month. In that case, a carrier trade-in deal can work to your favor.
The trade-in deals are far less attractive if you’re trading an older phone, such as an iPhone 14, 13, or 12. These models will snag you a discount of a few hundred dollars at most, and as little as $150 for an iPhone 12 mini. Still, it’s better than nothing, and most busy professionals will prefer to trade in their old phone instead trying to sell the phone on Facebook Marketplace or eBay.
Accessories
Apple’s accessory game feels a bit off right now. Last year, Apple introduced a new “FineWoven” case material. It was position as an alternative to leather that would be vegan-friendly and more sustainable. Unfortunately, it also didn’t prove durable.
Well, it seems Apple took the L, because the FineWoven cases are not available for the iPhone 16. Instead, you can choose from a clear plastic case or silicone case, both with MagSafe. But the leather case has not returned, meaning there’s no “premium” case upgrade direct from Apple.
Because of that, it’s a good year to buy a case from a trusted third-party brand like Otterbox, Spigen, and Speck, to name a few. Apple’s own clear plastic and silicon cases are fine, but tend to be rather pricey for what they are. You can get a nice third-party option, like an OtterBox Symmetry case made from “cactus leather” (which, based on user reviews, is much more durable than Apple’s FineWoven), for just $10 more than Apple’s silicone case.
Strangely, while Apple has not introduced new FineWoven cases for iPhone 16 models, it does continue to sell FineWoven MagSafe wallets. I’d avoid those, given the complaints about their durability.
Oh, one more thing: all iPhone 16 models support wireless charging up to 25 watts of power, but you need Apple’s MagSafe charger connected to a 30-watt power adapter to see the full 25 watts and the quickest wireless charging speeds. Older wireless charges will still work, but they’ll charge more slowly than this new charger.
Does it matter when I pre-order?
Yes. You should pre-order an iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro ASAP if you care to use it in the next month or two.
Apple iPhone pre-orders usually become backordered within a few days, and sometimes a few hours, of launch. The iPhone 15 Pro Max sold out within minutes of the pre-order page going live, and backorders quickly backed up into late October.
If the past is any guide, the iPhone 16 Pro Max will be backordered first, followed by the iPhone 16 Pro. Models with entry-level storage go quickest. So, if you want the iPhone 16 Pro Max with 256GB of storage, you’ll have to act fast.
On the other hand, you could just wait. That’s always true, but especially true this year, because Apple Intelligence won’t be available until October, anyway. I’d guess it will take a few months for third-party apps to broadly implement Camera Control support, as well.
If you are the fence, though, I recommend a buy. Every year brings upgrades, but I think the upgrades made available this year, combined with the already solid upgrades in the iPhone 15 models (like the 48MP camera and switch to USB-C), make the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro very attractive. 2024 looks like a good year for an iPhone.