Is the iPhone 16 worth it?

Danna (No)

After sifting through all the hype, the iPhone 16 is not worth the investment. Unless your current iPhone is three or more years old, upgrading to the 16 is not all Apple would have you believe the product to be.

Apple touts that the 16's Siri software will be enhanced by Artificial Intelligence (AI). But this marketed 'update' does not necessarily imply progress. If you narrow down the marketing, Apple’s iPhone 16 holds only two significant improvements. One is the A18 processing chip, the horsepower needed to run the main character, Apple Intelligence. The other upgrade is the camera, a long-ignored and significantly delayed feature notably inferior to competing Androids, such as Samsung and Pixel.

Considering Apple’s iOS18 likely compliance with phones released six years ago and iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max already operating with AI integration, the only truly impressive upgrade offered by the iPhone 16 is the camera. A18 boasts impressive CPU numbers, according to Geekbench, but even with the speed quickly throttled as GPU performance takes over, Apple’s speed from the 16 remains ahead of its competitors. However, the overall consensus among consumers and tech gurus alike is the iPhone 16 is an incremental upgrade that is not worth the investment.

The smarter move is saving your money by waiting out this year’s iPhone release for a more significant upgrade. If your current phone is a few years old and you were looking forward to this year’s model, consider getting the iPhone 15. Unless you’re a content creator, waiting for this promotion out for the likely value of the iPhone 17 is where patience will pay off.

Mark (Yes)

The brand-new iPhone 16 is certainly worth the price. Its state-of-the-art technology consolidates several features into your mobile device. It’s now essentially a Siri-like accessory that allows you to utilize cutting-edge Apple Intelligence and promises to add more features over time. There is literally no other phone on the market that can compare to the iPhone 16 edition. In fact, its developers are still actively discovering the full extent of the phone’s potential. 

One of the biggest concerns of mobile users is a simple but crucial one: battery life. The iPhone 16 has a battery duration that can last up to 4 hours longer than the previous model. Whether you’re a content creator, always on the go, or just love to scroll, this phone won’t be dying on you at the most inconvenient moments. We haven’t even touched on what is perhaps the iPhone 16’s biggest selling point, and that would be its camera. Reviews have rated the iPhone 16 camera to be a 10 out of 10, thanks to its remarkable and, in many cases, cinematic quality. It also allows you to completely cancel out any pesky background noise when filming videos.  

It's great news for people who love to play games on their phone as well. The A18 chip will basically be like having a Playstation 5 on your phone. Up until now, mobile devices simply haven’t achieved that level of quality. Lastly, the new automated button feature allows users to customize their experience and favorite apps like never before. When it comes to the new iPhone 16, it’s safe to say that you get what you pay for.