Is it time for you to upgrade and buy the new iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro? Both models bring significant improvements to the cameras and will support all the Apple Intelligence features. The Pro phones have bigger, brighter displays and the longest battery life ever.
With the products available to preorder on Friday morning, you might be wondering whether it’s worthwhile to upgrade. That depends on what devices you have, so I put together a buying guide with charts and a video to help you decide.
Should you buy the new iPhone 16 or 16 Pro?
The four new models — iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max — are the same as in last year’s iPhone 15 lineup. All four iPhone 16 models support Apple Intelligence, the suite of AI features Apple showcased at WWDC24. No other models pack enough processing power to handle Apple Intelligence except for iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. So if you desperately want Apple Intelligence on your iPhone, the decision might prove simple.
However, there are other things to consider.
Table of contents: Should you buy the new iPhone 16 or 16 Pro?
Should I buy the new iPhone 16?
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
If you’re considering whether to buy the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Plus, it makes sense to start the comparison with the most recent “regular” iPhone models.
If you own an iPhone 14 or iPhone 15, only upgrade to the iPhone 16 if you really want Apple Intelligence. It will enable system-wide writing tools, a smarter Siri, image clean-up in the Photos app, Visual Intelligence from the camera, smart summaries, Image Playground and Genmoji, among other things. This powerful new set of machine learning features only runs on the latest hardware.
If you own an iPhone 12, iPhone 13 or the third-generation iPhone SE, get an iPhone 16 or 16 Plus if you can. In addition to Apple Intelligence, you will enjoy significantly improved cameras, battery life and speed. New features in the iPhone 16 models include a higher-resolution Fusion camera and ultrawide camera, the Camera Control button, the Action button, a USB-C connector, precision finding and emergency satellite communication. Unfortunately, if you like your iPhone 12 or 13 mini, you can no longer pick a small smartphone.
If you own an iPhone 11 or earlier, you should upgrade to the iPhone 16. In addition to everything mentioned above, you will join the world of MagSafe chargers, wallets, batteries and car stands. (Read our roundup of the best MagSafe cables and chargers for iPhone 16 to see what you’re missing.)
Should I buy the new iPhone 16 Pro?
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
If you’re wondering whether you should buy the iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max, the comparison starts with older pro models.
If you still use an iPhone 11 Pro or earlier, you will really love upgrading to the iPhone 16 Pro. And if you’re considering jumping up from a regular phone to the pro tier, I’d even recommend it to iPhone 12 and 13 owners.
If you own the iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro, go for this year’s upgrade if you can. However, your device will probably hold steady for another year if you don’t go for the iPhone 16 Pro.
Upgrading from all these devices, you will gain the upcoming Apple Intelligence features. Plus, the iPhone 16 Pro’s higher-resolution and higher-frame rate cameras, with the new Camera Control feature, will make it easier to take better pictures. The always-on displays on this year’s phones are bigger and brighter, with the Dynamic Island (introduced with iPhone 14 Pro) and ProMotion. And Apple’s powerful new A18 Pro chip will run faster with longer battery life, the company says.
If you own an iPhone 14 Pro, you already enjoy many of the niceties of this year’s models (Camera Control not included). Only upgrade to iPhone 16 Pro if you really want Apple Intelligence.
And if you’re rocking an iPhone 15 Pro, you can comfortably sit out this year’s upgrade. That way you can start saving up for next year’s model.
Get ready to upgrade
If you’re going to upgrade to iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro, here’s your to-do list:
