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iPhone 15 vs. iPhone 16 Buyer's Guide: 30+ Upgrades Compared

switz said:
I again did the side by side comparison on Apple's web site of the iPhone 15 Pro Max and my iPhone 14 Pro Max both with 1TB of memory. There were actually too few changes to justify spending close to $1,800 when including sales taxes and Apple Care Plus.

There needs to be some earth shattering changes in the iPhone 16 Pro top model to justify that cost plus the forecast price increases. One can not even get a real leather case from Apple but for the same price they offer a cheap fabric one.

My current iPhone takes photos and makes and receives calls, messages and emails just fine.

Maybe this could be the year where Apple has iOS perfect from day one, but I doubt that will happen. It takes until the following spring to get the most recent onerous bugs worked out. There are still persistent issues iOS dating from years back still not addressed.

I wonder if the phrase by Sarah Palin of "putting Lip Stick on a pig results in the animal still being a pig" applies here as well.

A side button change is not the carrot for me to upgrade.
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What "earth shattering changes" are you looking for?

This is what the smart phone market is at this point; incremental changes/improvements. Its not an Apple thing...
 
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victorvictoria said:
Let's be honest here. No one with an iPhone 14-15 needs an iPhone 16.
No one with an iPhone 14-15 Pro needs and iPhone 16 Pro.

If you want it, buy it, just like everything else. The kids can pay for their own college educations!🤣
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I will be upgrading from my 15 pro max to the 16 pro max. The Apple Upgrade Program is great for me. Always have the latest tech and don’t worry about selling older devices.
 
iPhone 16 is a phone for future proofing going forward due to the memory requirements for AI. If you have a 15, 14, or 13, I would upgrade if you are into and plan to use AI features. Otherwise, wait a year or two and jump right in.
 
I’m likely upgrading to the 16 (not sure if I’ll go pro or not yet) because I’m rocking an 11 pro so I’m starting to be due. But overall this has to be one of the most modest upgrade ever compared to the 15. Not sure if these will be big sellers.
 
CloneBB said:
I will be upgrading from my 15 pro max to the 16 pro max. The Apple Upgrade Program is great for me. Always have the latest tech and don’t worry about selling older devices.
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Good for you. But as I pointed out, you don't need it, you just want it. That instant gratification urge is hard to shake, isn't it?
 
Black Magic said:
iPhone 16 is a phone for future proofing going forward due to the memory requirements for AI. If you have a 15, 14, or 13, I would upgrade if you are into and plan to use AI features. Otherwise, wait a year or two and jump right in.
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I agree. iOS 18.x will function on the iPhone XR and new models up to iPhone 15 but except for the iPhone 15 Pro, the Apple Intelligence function will not work. That's why I plan to get an iPhone 16 Plus 512 GB.
 
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iPhone 15 user here. I don't really care about Apple Intelligence as I don't think there's a Apple Intelligence feature I would actually ever use. I also don't have a Vision Pro and don't plan to get one... My 15 still has 100% battery health thanks to the 80% charging limit so I think I'll just hang onto it for another year!
 
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I have an 11. It's a no brainer for me to just go with the 16 at this point.
Plus with no one wanting to update, I am guessing I'm going to have the ability to update when I want and not have to pre-order it or have to wait for a stock to replenish.
 
I don’t think the article should represent the new ram upgrade to 8GB as “future proofing”. It is Apple’s current minimum ram requirement for AI features. Ideally they would’ve given us some headroom…
 
Minor improvements compared to the 15. Action button and Apple Intelligence are the main changes.
 
I have an almost launch XR (got it brand new a few months after release). The 16 lineup isn't compelling one bit, especially cause in Europe we won't get the AI stuff (that doesn't interest me much anyway).

I was actually looking forward to upgrade this year cause my phone is starting to show its age a bit but after seeing that 16 is still 60Hz... In 2024 I won't spend a premium amount for that, no thanks. I will either wait another year since XR supports iOS 18 or just switch to Android. Good job Apple.
 
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These ‘previous model v new model’ comparisons - although good for spec differences - are pointless to most buyers.

I think iPhone 12, 13 & 14 v 16 comparisons would be more what typical consumers are interested in.
 
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