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Apple simply dropped the iPhone 16 on the Sept. 9 “Glowtime” event on Monday — and curious customers are asking, “Ought to I improve?”
There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all reply to this query. It relies upon. Whereas the iPhone 16 lineup — which incorporates the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max — received unveiled with a handful of latest options, the query is, do they profit you?
I will break down 5 classes of customers who will achieve probably the most benefit from upgrading for each the entry-level iPhone 16 variants and iPhone 16 Professional fashions.
This fashion, you may decide if you happen to ought to make the acquisition plunge — or wait until the iPhone 17.
iPhone house owners with XS and older
Earlier than I dive into the niches that can profit from an iPhone 16 improve, it is vital to notice that the new iOS 18 update will formally roll out to iPhone customers on Sept. 16.
iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max
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Nonetheless, this new replace is not rolling out to everybody. That mentioned, when you have something older than iPhone XR, together with iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, iPhone X, and iPhone 8, and extra, you would be higher off upgrading — Apple’s new updates will not help your telephone transferring ahead.
In case you have the unique iPhone SE, you need to contemplate upgrading, too. It won’t be supported by iOS 18.
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Having a telephone that helps common iOS updates implies that your gadget stays protected against safety vulnerabilities — and you will get the latest-and-greatest software program options Apple has to supply. Plus, when you have an iPhone 15 Professional and iPhone 15 Professional Max or newer, you may profit from Apple Intelligence, the company’s new suite of AI features.
Wish to know what you would be lacking with the following main replace? Try a number of the wildest features coming out of iOS 18.
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus: Do you have to improve?
Now that we received that out of the best way, let’s dive into which customers will profit from upgrading the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.
The entry-level fashions within the new iPhone 16 lineup are arguably probably the most enticing they’ve ever been in years. Apple sometimes reserves a number of the enjoyable new options for the upper-tier fashions.
Zoom in with the iPhone 16’s new Digital camera Management characteristic
Credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
For instance, final 12 months, with the iPhone 15 collection, solely the iPhone 15 Professional and iPhone 15 Professional Max fashions received the cool new “Action Button,” a customizable facet button that permits you to assign apps and different options to it so you may conveniently launch them.
Credit score: Apple
For the iPhone 16, Apple debuted the brand new Camera Control button. However this time, Apple did not make this cool new perk unique to the iPhone 16 Professional and iPhone 16 Professional Max fashions. Yow will discover it throughout all iPhone 16 fashions.
The brand new Digital camera Management not solely gives instantaneous entry to image taking and video seize, but it surely helps you to rapidly do issues like zooming in, swapping to the ultrawide lens, altering Photographic Kinds, and extra, with easy gestures. (To study extra about Camera Control, check out our hands-on experience with it.)
You need that ‘Motion Button’
As talked about, solely 2023’s iPhone 15 Professional and iPhone 15 Professional Max had the Motion Button, however now you will discover it on the iPhone 16.
iPhone 16 Motion Button
Credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
You possibly can assign one in all your favourite apps, whether or not its Gmail, Calendar, Slack, Instagram, or TikTok, to the Motion Button, permitting you to entry it with only a press of a button.
Mashable Mild Velocity
You need a extra sturdy show
The up to date Ceramic Protect on the brand new iPhone 16 fashions is, based on Apple, 50% more durable than the unique variant that debuted on the iPhone 12. Plus, the corporate claims that the new-generation Ceramic Protect has twice the sturdiness of different smartphone glass shows.
iPhone 16 in Teal
Credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
So when you have a cracked display screen, and also you are inclined to have butterfingers, contemplate upgrading to the iPhone 16. You may get a model new, uncracked display screen — and it ought to be extra immune to your clumsiness (inside motive, in fact.)
You are getting ‘FOMO’ on AI options
Apple introduced Apple Intelligence for the iPhone 15 Professional and iPhone 15 Professional Max, however all the iPhone 16 lineup is getting Apple Intelligence, too.
Credit score: Apple
Get pleasure from perks like creating your individual AI-created emoji with a textual content immediate, a new-and-improved Siri, summarized notifications, the Clean Up tool, and extra.
You like daring, vivid colours
It appears to be like like Apple lastly heard our suggestions to stop all of the pastel-esque, refined colorways for the iPhone. (Mashable’s Elizabeth de Luna begged Apple to roll out a deep pink color, and it appears to be like like she received her want.)
iPhone 16 in Pink colorway
Credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
The iPhone 16 is available in Ultramarine, Teal, and Pink, and as somebody who has seen these colours in particular person, they’re as beautiful as they sound.
iPhone 16 in Ultramarine colorway
Credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
The iPhone 16 additionally is available in White and Black; good for many who like their telephone colours as thrilling as a tax type. (And sure, that was sarcasm.)
iPhone 16 Professional and iPhone 16 Professional Max: Do you have to improve?
With the iPhone 16 Professional fashions, you get all of the aforementioned options, in addition to some up to date digital camera options (i.e., new 48MP ultrawide sensor), improved studio-quality mics, and extra.
For my part, the iPhone 16 Professional fashions are a more durable promote for Apple. Why? The audiences that can profit from the iPhone 16 Professional and iPhone 16 Professional Max are extra area of interest.
You need a mega show
The iPhone 16 Professional Max has a whopping 6.9-inch show. For reference, I do know of tablets which have 7-inch screens. (Therefore why I jokingly known as the iPhone 16 Pro Max a phablet in my hands-on).
Credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
It’s possible you’ll be pondering, “If the iPhone 16 Professional Max’s show is almost 7 inches large, will it really feel awkward in my arms?” The reply is not any. I clutched the iPhone 16 Professional Max round my fingers and it felt pure and ergonomic, settling into the contours of my hand with ease.
It additionally has ultra-thin bezels, supplying you with extra display screen actual property than ever.
You need tremendous lengthy battery life
If an extended battery runtime is among the largest promoting factors for you, you will doubtless get some satisfaction with the iPhone 16 Professional Max.
Credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
In accordance with Apple, the iPhone 16 Professional Max has the longest battery life ever seen on an iPhone. (However in fact, we’ll have to check these claims to know for certain.)
For reference, the iPhone 15 Pro Max lasted almost 15 hours once we examined it in-house. This telephone was the battery life champ for months — till the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL knocked it off its throne.
You are an on-the-go content material creator
The content material creator house (e.g., YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram) is aggressive. In case your movies aren’t sharp, it will be tough to construct an viewers. As such, you will profit from the truth that the iPhone 16 Professional and iPhone 16 Professional Max can now shoot 4K movies at 120Hz.
Credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Because of this you will get higher-quality movies that seem smoother and zippier to your followers. Plus, enhancing your movies to get that cool slow-mo impact is less complicated than ever on the Professional fashions.
You report movies in loud environments
For example you report a video and there is an excessive amount of happening within the background: wind, facet conversations, and the rustling of leaves.
Audio Combine on iPhone 16 Professional fashions
Credit score: Apple
The iPhone 16 Professional fashions are able to decreasing undesirable noise, because of an easy-to-use slider helps you to flip down the background cacophony to your liking.
You like to mess around with music
Within the Voice Memos app, when you have an present recording, you may layer one other observe on prime of it.
New Voice Memos characteristic on iPhone 16 Professional fashions
Credit score: Apple
For instance, if you wish to sing on prime of a beforehand recorded beat, you are able to do that by merely including one other layer and hitting report.
The iPhone 16 entry-level fashions start at $799. The iPhone 16 Professional variants start at $999. Pre-orders begin on Friday, Sept. 13 — and can begin delivery on Sept. 20.
