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Should you wait for the iPhone 16?

By Daniel Petrov

Published: Aug 04, 2024, 7:30 AM

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There is plenty to look forward to when Apple takes the stage to hold the iPhone 16 series announcement event on September 10. At long last, and for the first time in the history of the iPhone franchise, we will be having four different models with four different sizes to suit every taste and hand.

Will the iPhone 16 series be worth upgrading to from the iPhone 14, though, let alone the iPhone 15 models that were released last year, longer screen diagonals or not? Let's see if you should wait for what Apple will bring with the iPhone 16 models.

Should I buy the iPhone 16?

Apple A18 chipset
6.1-inch 60Hz LTPS OLED display
Apple Intelligence support
8GB RAM
48MP main and 12MP ultrawide cameras in vertical arrangement
Camera Control button
New colors like yellow or white

Yes, if you are looking for the smallest and most affordable 2024 iPhone that can run Apple Intelligence features. Expected to be priced at the same $799 starting tag as last year, the iPhone 16 will be powered by the same Apple A18 processor that the iPhone 16 Pro will run on, unlike previous years.

Moreover, it will be the most compact 2024 iPhone affair, what with the screen remaining 6.1 inches, so if you want a compact but powerful Apple handset to take advantage of all the options that Apple Intelligence offers, the iPhone 16 will be a good bet.

iPhone 16 dummies | Image credit – Sonny Dickson

This year, this will be valid even if you are coming from the iPhone 15 for a change, since the latter only has 6GB RAM and can't run Apple Intelligence software, while the iPhone 16 will come with 8GB RAM, just as its more expensive siblings.

Also read: Apple iPhone 16 Review: A Step Forward, But Not a Giant Leap

Should I buy the iPhone 16 Plus?

Not really, even though it will have a larger, 6.7-inch display and will be able to run Apple Intelligence. If you really need a larger iPhone display, you will be way better off with the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Having a slow 60Hz display on a $899 phone was inexcusable in 2023, but in 2024 it is an abomination.

For just three more Benjamins, the iPhone 16 Pro Max would offer an even larger, 6.9-inch display, and a brilliant one at that, with higher peak brightness and 10Hz-120Hz dynamic refresh rate.

Its virtues won't stop here, though, as it will also offer the Tetraprism folded optics zoom camera that the 16 Plus will lack, and a giant battery that will return the best battery life on an iPhone despite the larger display with high refresh rate, because of the LTPO panel technology.

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs iPhone 16 Plus differences to expect

iPhone 16 Pro Max	iPhone 16 Plus
Faster with Apple 18 Pro 3nm chipset	Using the old Apple 17 Pro chipset, still very potent
New 48MP ultrawide camera plus tetraprism telephoto lens	Using the old 12MP ultrawide, and no tertraprism zoom, only sensor crop from the main camera
Frugal 6.9-inch LTPO OLED screen with 1-120Hz ProMotion	Smaller 6.7-inch LTPS OLED, possibly with a fixed 60Hz refresh rate
Bigger 4,676mAh battery and longer battery life	4,006mAh battery
8/256GB base memory configuration	8/128GB base memory configuration
Capture and Action buttons	Action button
Around $1,200 starting price	~$900 for the base model

Should I buy the iPhone 16 Pro?

Apple A18 chipset
6.3-inch 120Hz LTPO Pro Motion display
Apple Intelligence support
8GB RAM
48MP main / ultrawide and 12MP 5x Tetraprism zoom cameras
New colors like bronze/pink
Capture Button

Resounding yes, but only if Apple keeps the excellent $999 price tag of its predecessor. Somehow we doubt that, though, given that the Tetraprism optical zoom camera will find its way into the iPhone 16 Pro as well, and it will have a larger 6.3-inch display, not to mention the new capacitive Capture Button exclusive to the Pros.

For all other intents and purposes, even if Apple raises the iPhone 16 Pro price with just $100, you'd be better off going a Benjamin more and getting the iPhone 16 Pro Max, unless you really want a more compact phone with fast display and folded optics zoom. Well, that and the largest battery capacity increase of the iPhone 16 line, though it won't beat what will be in the 16 Pro Max.

Should I buy the iPhone 16 Pro Max?

Yes, as usual. This year, just like last year, Apple has saved the best it can offer for the iPhone 16 Pro Max. It should cost less than a Galaxy S24 Ultra, and come with the same big 6.9-inch screen, as well as a folded optics Tetraprism zoom camera, the fastest Apple A18 mobile processor with raging graphics, and will run Apple Intelligence.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max would be a real no-brainer at its expected $1,199 price, and not only because it would have the largest display and longest battery life Apple has ever graced an iPhone with.

If Apple raises the price of the titanium iPhone 16 Pro Max, though, the buying decision should be more carefully calibrated against what will inevitably be a rather significant footprint, or, should we say palmprint of the largest and heaviest ever iPhone.

At the rumored 6.42 x 3.06 x 0.33 inches (163.0 x 77.58 x 8.26 mm) dimensions and 7.94 oz (225 g) of weight, the iPhone 16 Pro Max will be a chunky monkey and that may be the only thing to make you go hmm about buying it.

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.