Apple held its annual iPhone occasion again in late September and debuted the iPhone 16 line. A lot of the presentation was devoted to exhibiting off the entire synthetic intelligence (AI) options coming to the smartphone. Whereas the longer term AI improve was definitely spectacular, is the iPhone 16 sufficient of an improve to warrant a brand new $1,000+ fee?
As an iPhone 14 Professional Max consumer, I am not satisfied that the brand new AI-enabled iPhone 16 Professional is definitely worth the improve. Nonetheless, the USB-C charging, the motion button, or new digicam options might make the improve worthwhile. If you happen to’re making an attempt to determine, learn on to study why it is best to improve or why it might be price holding off till the iPhone 17.
Specs
Options | iPhone 16 Professional | iPhone 14 Professional |
---|---|---|
Beginning worth | ||
Show | 6.3-in Tremendous Retina XDR OLED | 6.1-in Tremendous Retina XDR OLED |
Weight | 199 g (7 oz) | 206 g (7.3 oz) |
Processor | Apple A18 Professional | Apple A16 |
RAM | 8 GB | 6GB |
Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
Battery | 3,355 mAh | 3,200 mAh |
Digicam | 48MP Vast | 12MP Tele | 48MP UW | 12MP Selfie | 48MP Vast | 12MP Tele | 12MP UW | 12MP Selfie |
You can purchase the iPhone 16 Professional if…
1. You need Apple Intelligence
Apple’s synthetic intelligence ecosystem, aptly named Apple Intelligence, is at the moment accessible on the iPhone 16 lineup and iPhone 15 Professional fashions, however it is not going to be coming to the iPhone 14 Professional. Though the iPhone 14 Professional helps iOS 18, it lacks the {hardware} to run the most recent Apple Intelligence options. If you would like to remain up-to-date with the most recent AI options or already use different AI instruments in your day-to-day life, the iPhone 16 Professional is probably going a worthy improve.
To run easily, the Apple Intelligence options require an A17 chip or newer and not less than 8GB of RAM, however the iPhone 14 Professional has the A16 chip and solely 6GB of RAM. The iPhone 16 Professional options an A18 Professional chip and 8GB of RAM, making it a superb system to run Apple’s AI options.
2. You’d prefer to get your palms on the larger display
Apple has thinned out the iPhone 16 Professional’s bezels to the naked minimal and stretched the Professional fashions’ shows to six.3 and 6.9 inches for the 16 Professional and 16 Professional Max, respectively. This provides customers extra display actual property to observe movies, play video games, view and edit paperwork, and browse shared screens on video conferences.
The bigger smartphone additionally implies that the iPhone 16 Professional has a bigger battery than the 14 Professional, at 3,355 mAh in comparison with 3,200 mAh. However even with out the welcome battery improve, the brand new Professional fashions help sooner charging than ever. The iPhone 16 Professional helps 40W wired charging and 20W of MagSafe charging, so for those who discover the iPhone 14 Professional’s charging sluggish, it may very well be time to improve.
3. You like taking stunning images
The iPhone 16 Professional options among the greatest digicam enhancements, together with the improved ultrawide digicam. The UW digicam moved to align with a bigger, improved Sony sensor, so it is going from a measly 12MP to 48MP.
If you happen to love taking images along with your smartphone, the digicam upgrades alone could also be sufficient to improve to an iPhone 16 Professional. The optical zoom is now 5x, an improve from the iPhone 14 Professional’s 3x zoom. The iPhone 16 Professional may even function Apple’s new seize button, which helps you to management the digicam with gestures, like transferring your finger and tapping the touch-enabled button.
You can purchase (or preserve) the iPhone 14 Professional if…
1. You’d relatively look forward to larger upgrades
Even with the Apple Intelligence options, the iPhone 16 appears to be an incremental design change relatively than a revamp. The design and performance aren’t a radical departure from the iPhone 14 Professional. If you happen to’re content material with the look, really feel, and efficiency of your iPhone 14, getting the iPhone 16 Professional possible will not really feel like an enormous improve, particularly since most of the AI options will come months after you get the system.
Rumors counsel the iPhone 17 might function extra dramatic design and performance updates, making it a worthwhile soar. In addition to, upgrading after two generations might be pricey, which brings me to my subsequent level.
2. You simply completed paying it off
One of many largest causes to carry off on an improve is monetary. The iPhone 14 Professional began at $900 at launch, which is not pocket change. Most consumers select a 12-, 18-, or 24-month financing choice via a service or Apple on a brand new iPhone. If you happen to’re one in every of them and simply completed paying off your iPhone 14 Professional and really feel such as you’re not financially able to commit to a different fee plan, it might be price passing on the brand new iPhone 16 Professional.
As an iPhone 14 Professional Max consumer, I am nonetheless fairly pleased with how my iPhone performs, its battery life, and charging time. Whereas USB-C charging could be handy, I do not see myself springing for the brand new iPhone 16 Professional, although I’ll go for the iPhone 17 when it is launched.