As of writing this article, the iPhone 15 is selling for ₹69,999 on Flipkart, and you can easily expect the price to drop by ₹10,000 after the launch of the iPhone 16. You may also see a further discount of ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 during the Flipkart Big Billion Day sale with some bank discounts. As excited as you may be to get your hands on the iPhone 15, I think you should wait. Here are a few reasons why you might want to hold off on buying the iPhone 15 in 2024 or later.
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No Support for Apple Intelligence
Apple released iOS 18 with loads of cool new features at WWDC 2024. Apple Intelligence was the biggest and most interesting of them all. Unfortunately, it’s only supported on the iPhone 15 Pro models as well as iPads and Macs with M-series chip.
Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones have already upped their AI game, and more will be added over time. If you want to be part of this trend, I recommend skipping the iPhone 15. Even future updates won’t bring AI features to older iPhones. Apple’s AI chief, John Giannandrea, explained that older devices simply don’t have the processing power and RAM needed to run these new AI models.
If you can wait for another year, it might be worth holding off until the iPhone 17 launches and the iPhone 16’s price drops. The iPhone 16 is rumored to feature 8GB of RAM and an A18 chip, which would bring Apple Intelligence to all iPhone 16 models. It doesn’t make much sense to upgrade from an older iPhone to the iPhone 15, as it has almost the same feature set as the previous models.
No Action Button
The iPhone 15 still has the old Ring/Silent switch, which is disappointing since the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max come with the new Action Button. It can be set to perform all sorts of things like toggling silent mode, launching shortcuts, turning the flashlight on and off, opening the camera, and more. Plus, there’s a rumor that in the new iPhone 16 lineup, even the base model will come with the Action Button.
Good Camera, But…
The iPhone 15’s main camera received a significant upgrade with the introduction of a 48 MP sensor. However, AI plays a big role here as well. You may already know how the Samsung Galaxy S and Google Pixel series use AI to enhance photos. In the near future, newer iPhones with Apple Intelligence support might bring even more AI-driven features to the camera, which the iPhone 15 won’t receive.
Additionally, there’s been a buzz online about the iPhone 16’s camera setup. Instead of the diagonal camera layout, you may see a vertical camera design, like a mashup of the iPhone X and 11 styles. This change will make it easier to capture spatial video for the Vision Pro headset.
The vertical camera setup will make it obvious that you’ve got the latest iPhone – something that’s pretty hard to distinguish with the iPhone 13, 14, and 15, all looking so similar.
Heat Management
If you’re into gaming, you might consider skipping the iPhone 15 and waiting for the iPhone 16 to go on sale in the future. Leaker Kosutami claims the iPhone 16 lineup will feature a graphene thermal system, which is better at conducting heat than the copper used in the current iPhone models. If true, the iPhone 16 will handle intense tasks like gaming better than the iPhone 15, making it a solid choice for power users.
Battery Life
The iPhone 15 battery already outlasts other flagship phones like the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Google Pixel 8. But what if I told you the new iPhone 16 could offer even more? According to leaker Majin Bu, the iPhone 16 lineup will feature bigger batteries than the iPhone 15, a claim supported by leaker Baby Sauce on Weibo. If these rumors are true, the iPhone 16 should deliver even better battery life.
Here’s a quick comparison:
| iPhone 15 Lineup | iPhone 16 Lineup | |
|---|---|---|
| [Standard] | 3,349 mAh | 3,561 mAh |
| Plus | 4,383 mAh | 4,006 mAh |
| Pro | 3,274 mAh | 3,355 mAh |
| Pro Max | 4,422 mAh | 4,676 mAh |
Final Thoughts: Should You Upgrade?
I think missing out on Apple Intelligence in the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus is a big deal. Especially, if you plan on keeping your phone for a while, as Apple already provides 5 years of software updates. But hey, if AI isn’t a dealbreaker for you, the iPhone 15 is still a solid option.
