6 Reasons to Buy the iPhone 16 (and 3 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t)
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It’s official: the iPhone 16 lineup is here, and you can upgrade to it now. Apple’s website is ready for you to purchase the best iPhone yet, and it will be landing in stores tomorrow.
Of course, the new iPhone 16 models bring all the best and latest features Apple has to offer. Not only do you get a more powerful device, but you’re also getting ready for all the new software features that Apple will introduce thanks to Apple Intelligence.
And, of course, every year, we all start to ask the same question: should we upgrade our old iPhone?
The truth is that the new iPhone 16 lineup does bring a lot to the table, especially if you have an older iPhone. But it might not be for everyone. If you’re still on the fence, here are a few reasons why you should make the upgrade (and a couple of reasons why you shouldn’t).
1. Upgrade if You Want to Try Apple Intelligence
AI is the hottest new topic in the tech world this year, and it will probably stay that way for a while. Like every other tech company, Apple has already introduced its own version of AI: Apple Intelligence.
Apple Intelligence is a new technology that makes your iPhone smarter and more useful than before. For instance, with it, you can ask your iPhone to craft a professional message to send to your boss or even to identify a specific breed of dog with the help of Visual Intelligence.
Granted, not every Apple Intelligence feature that was announced will be available on the iPhone 16 as soon as you get it, but there’s no doubt that this is what Apple plans to focus on in the foreseeable future. And if you want to try it out, you’ll need the iPhone 16 — or at least an iPhone 15 Pro.
2. Buy It if You Have an older iPhone
If you’ve had your current iPhone for a while now and are waiting to buy the perfect product, the iPhone 16 might be your best option.
For instance, if you have an iPhone 12 or an older model, this might be a good year to make the jump. Even if your iPhone still supports iOS 18 and will probably support iOS 19, an older device might not run newer software updates as smoothly as before.
Not only that, but you won’t be able to make the most of all the features that come in the future. Besides Apple Intelligence, there really isn’t any new feature that an older iPhone won’t support, but if you want to get ready for future upgrades and features, this might be the best chance to upgrade your old iPhone.
3. Buy an iPhone 16 if You Love Taking Pictures
Apple introduced a brand new button on the iPhone called Camera Control. You use it to open the Camera app, take pictures, and shoot short videos. You can also use it to change specific camera settings like your zoom or other camera modes.
If you love taking pictures or are always trying to snap the perfect shot, you know it can be annoying to try to tap the shutter when taking pictures with your iPhone.
Not only that, but now it’s quicker than ever to change your camera settings thanks to the Camera Control button. Whether you’re a professional photographer or just like taking pictures as a hobby, having an iPhone 16 might make it easier and more comfortable to take pictures in a flash.
4. Buy the iPhone 16 Pro if You Want to Record Videos
Likewise, if you’re an aspiring cinematographer but don’t have enough money to buy an extra high-quality camera, getting the iPhone 16 Pro or the iPhone 16 Pro Max might be your best choice.
The reason is that these two new iPhones can now shoot in 4K at 120 frames per second (fps), making them one of the best options to shoot anything from a short film to a new music video for The Weeknd.
This year, the iPhone 16 Pro is just as good as the iPhone 16 Pro Max because Apple also added a 5x optical zoom to the telephoto lens, which makes it a great choice for taking pictures or recording video even if the subject is far away.
5. Buy the New iPhone if You Want a Bigger Phone
In an attempt to make the new iPhone 16 Pro models stand out, Apple made both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max bigger this year. In fact, they’re the biggest iPhones that have ever existed. That is if you don’t count a homemade 88-inch iPhone made by YouTubers.
Some people like having a larger screen, and the new iPhone 16 Pro models deliver on that. The iPhone 16 Pro has a 6.3-inch display instead of the usual 6.1-inch display the regular iPhone 16 features.
On the other hand, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is the biggest iPhone ever, with a 6.9-inch display. For comparison, the iPhone 16 Plus features a 6.7-inch display, which is still pretty big but not the biggest.
If you use your iPhone for reading or watching movies, or you simply like having more screen real estate, getting the iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max might be your best choice.
6. Buy an iPhone 16 if You Don’t Want to Worry About Price Hikes in the Near Future
One of the biggest surprises from Apple’s iPhone keynote was the fact that the company didn’t increase the price of any iPhone 16 model this year. We were all expecting Apple to increase the price for at least the iPhone 16 Pro. models.
Fortunately, that didn’t happen, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen in the future. Of course, this is pure speculation, but everything has increased in price in recent months, including the materials in the iPhone.
Apple might increase the price of the iPhone next year or the year after that. We don’t know for sure, but what we do know is that the current iPhone 16 models are still the same price, and if you don’t want to worry about spending more money on a new iPhone in 2025, you should consider buying it right now.
1. Don’t Buy the iPhone 16 if You Don’t Want to Deal With Apple Intelligence
As we mentioned, Apple Intelligence is here to stay, but that doesn’t mean you need to deal with it, at least not for now.
If you don’t care for or really don’t want to implement AI in your daily life, you’re better off skipping the iPhone 16 this year.
After all, Apple Intelligence is still very new, and a lot of the features Apple announced this year aren’t available yet.
What’s more, we all know we’re bound to find bugs when using Apple Intelligence. If you don’t want to deal with these issues and just want to use Apple Intelligence once it’s actually good, then waiting might be the right choice.
2. Don’t Buy It if You Have a New iPhone
If you have already bought a new iPhone in recent years, that is, if you purchased an iPhone 14 or iPhone 15, you probably should wait before getting a new one. And if you have one of the iPhone 15 Pro models, then you really want to wait a few more years before you upgrade.
Yes, unless you have an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, you won’t be able to enjoy all the new AI features that are coming with iOS 18. But you probably don’t want your initial investment to go to waste.
The iPhone 13, 14, and 15 still have a lot of good years left. Depending on which iPhone you have and how well you take care of it, you might not need to upgrade to a new iPhone until at least 2025, which gives Apple more than enough time to release an iPhone 17 for you to buy.
Yes, it’s tempting to get the latest iPhone every year, but you probably won’t miss any new life-changing features.
3. Don’t Buy the iPhone 16 If You’re Looking for a Better Deal
It’s no secret that once the new iPhone drops, the previous-generation iPhones drop in price almost immediately.
And if you don’t really care about any of the new features or hardware and you just want to save some money, then getting an older iPhone might be better.
Apple itself still sells the iPhone 14 for $599 and the iPhone 15 for $699. This means you can save up to $200 just by going for an older model, which, as we already mentioned, has at least four to five years of software updates left.
What’s more, you probably can get the iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max at a much better deal, which means you’ll save money and still have access to all the new AI features Apple announced this year. If money is an issue, going for a cheaper model is the smarter choice.
Is the iPhone 16 Worth It?
There’s no doubt that the iPhone 16 has many good things going for it, but it’s still far from perfect. Even if the biggest selling points are the Camera Control button and Apple Intelligence, not everyone needs those features.
Or maybe you do. Consider whether getting the iPhone 16 is the right choice for you or if you might be willing to wait another year before you upgrade.
