The iPhone 16 will be one big "it's coming later" sell
Apple is about to launch the iPhone 16 on September 9 and this announcement is meant to be a pivotal point for the company, marking the first iPhone in history to truly adopt the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and use it as a foundation for the iOS user experience.
But Apple might have leaned on AI a bit too much as a selling point for its upcoming flagship phone lineup. Besides the rumored shutter button, a new 48MP ultra-wide camera and faster charging for the Pro models, not much else is expected as a meaningful upgrade that would draw buyers in.
Given the recent developments surrounding Apple's AI features, there are several compelling reasons to consider postponing your purchase of an iPhone 16.
The most apparent issue is the delay for the marketed AI features, which in my opinion is the phone’s main selling point. Apple has confirmed that its highly anticipated AI enhancements, collectively known as Apple Intelligence, will not be available at the initial launch of the iPhone 16. Instead, some of these features will be introduced in a subsequent update, iOS 18.1, scheduled for October.
If you are not particularly interested in a better ultra-wide camera and a dedicated shutter button for taking photos and recording video, then you might want to consider the iPhone 15 Pro if you are looking to upgrade from an older model.
But Apple might have leaned on AI a bit too much as a selling point for its upcoming flagship phone lineup. Besides the rumored shutter button, a new 48MP ultra-wide camera and faster charging for the Pro models, not much else is expected as a meaningful upgrade that would draw buyers in.
The problem is that, like Bloomberg’s reputable Mark Gurman has stated on multiple occasions, Apple doesn’t appear to be ready with Apple Intelligence just yet. Gurman even calls Apple Intelligence “underwhelming” when comparing it to Google’s Gemini that the new Pixel 9 phones launched with.
Why it is not a great idea to pre-order the iPhone 16
The most apparent issue is the delay for the marketed AI features, which in my opinion is the phone’s main selling point. Apple has confirmed that its highly anticipated AI enhancements, collectively known as Apple Intelligence, will not be available at the initial launch of the iPhone 16. Instead, some of these features will be introduced in a subsequent update, iOS 18.1, scheduled for October.
In fact, the iPhone 16 owners won’t get the full advertised suite of new AI features and functionality until the first half of next year. More importantly, the update that is arguably most anticipated, Siri 2.0, is said to not be part of the iOS 18.1 update, meaning that you will get the same old and slow Siri.
Of course, it is safe to say that this delay indicates that Apple is taking extra time to address any potential bugs or stability issues. But while this can be seen as commendable, it is also a clear sign that the tech giant is not ready for this great shift that’s coming to iOS and the iPhone. It also wouldn't be too surprising if we saw serious bugs following each new patch.
Sadly, there is no information on when each of the new AI features will be introduced and with which iOS update. The only reason we think the new and improved Siri won’t be included in iOS 18.1 is the fact that none of them are present in the beta version of that patch, even though Apple might surprise us with the official release.
The chances of Apple releasing an update timeline showcasing when to expect the new AI features is also highly unlikely, or at least it would be very out of character for the company. It would also be a major risk for Apple to give exact dates as if any further delays occur they would surely bring more scrutiny.
Here are some of the iPhone 16 AI features that you won’t get immediately:
But this will not be the first time Apple hyped up an exciting and eye-catching new feature, only to release it much later. Apple has a history of late delivery on early promises throughout the years.
- Natural Conversations
- Prioritizing key notifications
- Integration of OpenAI’s ChatGPT
- Enhanced writing tools
- Summaries of web pages, voice notes, and email threads
- Generative Images
One such feature was also the now very popular Cinematic Mode, which Apple announced alongside the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max on September 14, 2021, but released a month or two later. Other similar instances include features that are an integral part of the iOS experience nowadays, such as AirDrop, Portrait Mode, FaceTime Group calls.
The iPhone 15 Pro might be the better purchase decision this year
Just like the iPhone 16 series, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will support Apple Intelligence, and even if you don’t get all of the new AI features you will probably get the most important ones. This way you will save some money and, for the most part, get the same experience as you would if you go for the newer models.
Frankly, the one big downside with going for last year’s Pro models instead of the new ones is that you won’t get the rumored faster charging and increased battery life. Apple is said to be bringing major upgrades in those areas that might become game-changing, such as 40W of wired and 20W of wireless charging speeds.
The batteries are also said to significantly increase in size by 9% with the iPhone 16 Pro and almost 6% for the 16 Pro Max. Not to mention that Apple is rumored to have redesigned the batteries to make them more power efficient.
Apart from that, however, the delay of Apple Intelligence features is making the iPhone 16 series sound like a really weak sell, especially considering that Google and Samsung already offer many similar AI features on their latest flagships, with the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Pixel 9 Pro XL being the prime examples.
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