Do You Get What You Pay For When Buying the Newest iPhone? What You Need To Know
Written by
Laura Bogart
Edited by
Kristen Mae
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For many Americans, the decision to purchase an iPhone is a major financial investment. As one of the leaders in the smartphone space, Apple promises a lot of power and convenience in the palm of your hand — but it often isn’t cheap, especially when buying a new iPhone. The iPhone 16 Pro can retail for over $1,000, while the standard iPhone 16 starts at around $800.
That’s a major chunk of change, which makes it a decision worth careful consideration. Are the bells and whistles of the newest iPhone really meaningful enough to offset the cost, or are they just a trap for your wallet? The answer ultimately depends on what you need and want from your phone, though experts obviously have their own opinions.
GOBankingRates took a balanced look at the iPhone 16’s features to help you decide.
Enhanced Battery Power and Smarter Features
It’s undeniable that the iPhone 16 costs a lot of money. However, some reviewers suggest that a lot of money also brings a lot of life — specifically, battery life. According to MacRumors, the iPhone 16 Pro Max comes with the longest battery life ever seen in an iPhone, boasting an impressive 33 hours of video playback. This could be ideal for people who are always on the go, are frequently without access to chargers, or rely heavily on audio or video features.
The iPhone 16 also offers a larger screen size that makes reading and scrolling easier on the eyes. Despite this, many reviewers note that the model feels lighter. Michael Hansen, a reviewer with the AppleVis blog, praised its performance and accessibility features.
“There is a lot to like with all of the iPhone 16 models: support for Apple Intelligence, a new Camera Control Button, and increased battery life across the board,” he wrote. “And for the first time in recent years, the lower-cost models also have significant feature parity with their Pro counterparts — which is great for consumers and makes more technology accessible to more people.”
A Friend to Photographers
If you use your phone to take a lot of photos, whether as an amateur or a professional, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have plenty to offer. PetaPixel highlighted the Camera Control button as a standout feature since it functions as far more than a mere shutter button — it also brings up the camera app instantly, ensuring you don’t have to search for it as the perfect photo op passes you by.
Experienced photographers will also love that these models allow them to manually adjust exposure and zoom using an interface modeled after a traditional camera dial. That said, writer Chris Niccolls notes that he doesn’t see a massive leap from the iPhone 15.
“From a photographic standpoint, not much has changed in a way that will ‘wow’ iPhone 15 Pro users,” Niccolls wrote. “If you just upgraded last year, you can stand to wait for next year’s changes before considering an upgrade if photography is your main and most pressing consideration.”
Some Users Might Not See Much of a Difference
Other reviewers share Niccolls’ opinion that the tweaks and improvements to the iPhone 16 are well-done, but not substantial enough to justify the high price tag for existing iPhone 15 users.
Writing for Wired, Julian Chokkattu put it bluntly: “There are no sweeping changes to the iPhone 16 over its predecessor.” He acknowledged the more robust battery capabilities and other useful features, but added that the lack of groundbreaking updates means that for most people, there’s simply no reason to upgrade — especially if their current iPhone is functioning well.
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