Apple event is scheduled for next week and the Cupertino giant is preparing to launch several products this year. I have already covered everything we know about the upcoming event. But let’s talk about the iPhone 16 and why I might buy an iPhone 15 instead of the iPhone 16 this year.
Table of Contents
AI or Apple Intelligence Is Overhyped
Apple showcased the Apple Intelligence in their WWDC2024 event a few months ago. I saw and used some of the AI features that Apple showcased. As expected, AI is integrated deep into the Apple ecosystem, Siri, and iOS 18 itself. However, none of the AI features was mind-blowing.
I have already used and tested most of these AI features on the Pixel 9 series. Now you will argue that Apple Intelligence won’t be supported on iPhone 15 and older models and that is true. Not all old Apple devices will be getting AI but guess what? There are ways to get most Apple Intelligence features on any iPhone. Some examples include ChatGPT, Gemini, Grammarly, and more.
So why do I need to shell out more when I can get last year’s still awesome iPhone 15 on sale?
60Hz Display… Again
I don’t know how to say this but common on, Apple! 2024 and 120Hz display is still not standard on the iPhones. Apple will ship the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus with 60Hz displays. That not only means a bad UI experience, but also no AoD (always on display), worse battery life, and slightly worse gaming performance.
I will get an iPhone 15 if I want an iPhone that has a 60Hz display. Thanks.
Who Needs Spatial Video Support
The world got really excited when the Vision Pro was unveiled. It was beautiful and immersive, but also bulky and expensive. People forgot about it just as quickly. So what about it?
iPhone 15 and 15 Plus cannot record videos in spatial mode because of the way cameras are fitted. Apple will be reverting to the vertical camera lens setup so iPhone 16 base models can record spatial videos that you can then watch on Vision Pro.
The problem? Most like me don’t own Apple’s VR headset and it remains unreleased in many countries like India. So no reason to upgrade to iPhone 16 just yet.
Volume Button > Capture Button
With the iPhone 15 series, Apple introduced the Action button. With the iPhone 16 series, Apple will introduce the Capture button. The capture button will help you, well, capture shots using your camera. A dedicated button to take photos or initiate/stop video recording. There are rumors that the capture button will also support gestures for zoom, focus, etc.
The volume button already does that. I can use the volume down button as a shutter and enable a setting to take burst shots using the volume up button. Sure I will miss a few features like zoom that will come with the Action button but I can live with that. Why pay a premium for something so simple?
A16 Is Still Good
Throw any app on A16 and it will handle it just fine. That includes demanding games too. A18 and A18 Pro may look powerful on paper and they are, but do you really need such a powerful chip in your phone? Not everyone does. Unless you are editing videos and stuff on your phone or playing heavy games for long long hours, you will do just fine.
iPhone 15 Still Rules
So far, I feel iPhone 15 will be a great deal for most users. iPhone 16 series is still a solid buy but for those who either don’t need to worry about money or are professional and heavy users. You can shell out an additional few hundred dollars for better screen and cameras, bigger display, new features, and better performance that iPhone 16 will provide.
I know I don’t need them but that’s just me. But hey! Apple might pull a rabbit out of its hat and surprise us all. So stay tuned for the event before buying.
