Many would intentionally opt for the iPhone 16 when buying a new phone at this time, especially considering the seemingly enticing upgrades Apple has to offer. However, Philip Michaels of Tom’s Guide decided to purchase the iPhone 15 two months prior, despite all the alluring advertisements. Here’s why.
Timing is Everything
I was well aware that the iPhone 16 this year would be a significant update with features to make owners of older iPhones envious. I also knew that Apple would release new devices in September, but I bought an older iPhone right before the iPhone 16 launch.
In July, my wife needed a new phone, and my daughter was at an age where having her own device made sense. We debated waiting for the iPhone 16, which was just a few months away, but when we got to the store, we were presented with an offer we couldn’t refuse — a half-price iPhone 15 with a trade-in, along with a free iPhone 14 for my daughter.
Not a bad deal, except that the brand-new phone you just bought will become outdated in a matter of weeks.
Buying any piece of technology — especially a smartphone — is inviting regret into your life. You’re always haunted by the notion that something better will come along shortly after.
Phone manufacturers are diligent about introducing exciting improvements to their devices each year. And the iPhone 16 is no exception.
Nonetheless, I don’t regret joining the iPhone upgrade bandwagon a few months early. This isn’t a reflection of whether the iPhone 16 is worthy or not. It’s about determining what you want from a phone and being content with what you get.
Why Not the iPhone 16?
The right time to buy a new phone isn’t when a flashy new model is released; it’s when you genuinely need a new device to use.
If that timing coincides with your favorite phone manufacturer’s new release, great. But if not, there’s no need to stubbornly hold on to a battered old device just to wait a little longer for a better product to come along.
We bought an iPhone in July because my wife needed an iPhone in July. Could we have held out for another two months and gotten an iPhone 16 instead? Maybe, but why endure that?
A larger screen, improved camera hardware, impressive video recording features, and the A18 Pro chipset are upgrades you’ll find on the iPhone 16 Pro. While these improvements look fantastic, my wife would never spend $999 or more on a new phone.
There are people in this world who would gladly pay tens of millions for a phone without batting an eye, but we are not those people.
The iPhone has interesting changes, but they don’t address what my wife is looking for in a phone.
Many praise the addition of the Action button and Camera Control on the iPhone 16, but my wife doesn’t consider either of these must-have features.
Similarly, the new ultra-wide lens and its larger sensor will enable the iPhone 16 to challenge the best camera phones, but what my wife – an iPhone XR user – really wanted was the 48MP main camera, which the iPhone 15 already has.
My wife also doesn’t play graphics-intensive games that would benefit from the new A18 chip inside the iPhone 16. The A16 Bionic chip has more than enough processing power for what she does on her phone.
What About Apple Intelligence?
By choosing the iPhone 15, my wife essentially forfeited any opportunity to utilize the AI features Apple advertised. But after previewing these features, she felt there wasn’t anything too groundbreaking.
Both my wife and I have been professional writers for nearly three decades. The idea of her needing an AI bot to help write something sounded quite ridiculous. She also has no interest in creating Genmoji or images in Apple’s Image Playground. Even Siri is only used for setting timers.
In short, my wife hasn’t seen anything in Apple Intelligence that she deems necessary for her iPhone usage.
It would have been fantastic to own Apple’s newest and greatest hardware by waiting for the iPhone 16 before upgrading. And who knows, maybe there would have been an Apple Intelligence feature that changed her mind.
But in the end, we have an iPhone 15 that delivers exactly what she wants at a price we’re happy with. Maybe we’ll wait for the next upgrade.
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