BGR’s Chris Smith offers a different perspective on the upcoming iPhone 16 release. While excited about the new device, he believes his current iPhone 14 Pro is still worth holding onto for at least another year. Here’s his take.
I’m Buying the iPhone 16
I will be purchasing the iPhone 16 when it drops next week, and I will be getting one of the four models as soon as Apple opens up pre-orders. I’m mostly looking forward to the iPhone 16 because of the Apple Intelligence features and fun upgrades like the Capture button, which I know I’ll use a lot.
However, I also see the reasoning behind sticking with my iPhone 14 Pro for another year. This phone is almost two years old now. It’s still a fantastic device that can go strong and get updates for a few more years, even matching the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus – models that Apple will still be selling for another year.
I bought the iPhone 14 Pro as soon as pre-orders were available almost two years ago. Back then, I was upgrading from a five-year-old iPhone X that I bought in the fall of 2017. That should tell you I’m not a stranger to holding onto an iPhone for a long time.
I’m not alone in this. According to data from BankMyCell, smartphone users typically hold onto their devices for two to three years. This number has decreased from 2.96 years in 2019 to 2.53 years in 2024. For iPhones, they tend to be used for four to ten years.
When I moved to the iPhone 14 Pro, I realized I didn’t necessarily need to go for the Pro model, and a regular iPhone would have sufficed. I would miss out on the Dynamic Island design and the higher-quality camera. But the regular iPhone 14 still ticked most of the boxes for me.
Fast forward to today, and I have to say the iPhone 14 Pro is still a fantastic device. It hasn’t had any issues since I bought it, and I’ve never had to take it for servicing. It performs flawlessly, and the camera is still good enough for most needs.
iPhone 14 Pro Misses Out on Apple Intelligence
I’ve been testing the iOS 18 beta to try out the new features, but the only thing I’m missing out on is Apple Intelligence. The iPhone 14 Pro only has 6GB of RAM, which isn’t enough to run Apple’s AI. The Neural Engine on the chip isn’t powerful enough, and the RAM becomes a bottleneck.
However, Apple Intelligence won’t be available until at least October when the iOS 18.1 update drops. Also, not all the AI features that Apple announced at WWDC will be on the iPhone 16. Some will be coming through iOS 18 updates spread out over several months.
It’s possible that Apple won’t finish rolling out Intelligence until early 2025. If that’s the case, I might as well wait for the iPhone 17 instead of rushing to get the iPhone 16.
Sticking with the iPhone 14 Pro for another year is a significant savings, but you’ll be in a world without AI. That’s not a problem for iPhone users who aren’t into that trend, as iOS 18 has plenty of new non-AI features worth using.
The only concern I have is battery life. After almost two years, my iPhone 14 Pro’s battery is at 88%. Unlike other models, I had great battery life up until I moved to iOS 18. The phone could go for more than a day with heavy usage. Daily charging is now mandatory.
All the iPhone 16 models will have larger batteries. On top of that, the iPhone 16 Pro might introduce new battery technology that could improve battery health and performance.
But once again, I can easily get my iPhone 14 Pro’s battery replaced when it reaches 80%. I’d still be saving money compared to buying the iPhone 16.
Of course, as much as I rave about my old device, I can’t hide my excitement about upgrading to the iPhone 16, with or without AI. It’s just that, for many, the iPhone 14 Pro is still worthy of being a daily driver for at least another year.
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