Tim Cook and his team will launch the new iPhone 16 Pro next month and hope it will represent Apple’s first successful steps into the world of generative AI. What will the iPhone 16 Pro offer when it launches? Is the iPhone 15 Pro the smarter choice, given that the new features are mostly limited to software updates that will take months to become available?
Apple CEO Tim Cook takes a selfie at the Apple Store in New York City (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via … (+)
One of the biggest advantages of the iPhone 16 family over previous iPhones is the integration of generative AI. The backronym Apple intelligence suite requires a certain level of performance from the host smartphone that the vast majority of existing iPhones will not achieve.
The only exceptions are the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. These are the only two Apple smartphones that run on the A17 Pro Apple Silicon chipset – the iPhone 15 was held back with the A16, presumably to create a spec difference that would justify the higher price of the Pro model.
This makes it possible to use Apple’s AI software without buying a new iPhone 16.
It’s also worth considering the status of Apple’s AI software. While parts of it are in public beta, Tim Cook’s team will not launch the software alongside the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro family in September. Instead, a limited set of features will be available via an operating system update planned for October, with ChatGPT added by the end of the year.
The full implementation of Apple’s generative AI will not be available until the end of the first quarter at the earliest, almost halfway through the iPhone 16 Pro’s initial product life cycle. This assumes that Apple’s development does not encounter any major issues that would delay updates. Anyone who buys the iPhone 16 Pro is buying the potential of AI, but that potential is far from being realized.
For many, the right time to invest in a new Apple handset is not when AI comes out, but when AI is there. Those who own the iPhone 15 Pro will have the best of both worlds: an iPhone that runs AI as soon as it comes out, and the ability to upgrade to the latest iPhone when the software is updated. At this point, many will consider waiting a few more months to buy the iPhone 17 Pro, knowing that Apple will have fixed all the software issues and met all the hardware requirements in its first attempt at generative AI.
There’s also an argument for holding back a generation of iPhones if you need to upgrade in the current climate. Once the iPhone 16 Pro comes out, prices on the iPhone 15 Pro will drop. Not climate-related, but enough to offer value. While Apple may not offer a huge discount, carriers and online stores will have stock of the 15 Pro and Pro Max that they’ll want to clear so you can get a bargain.
Aside from the iOS updates that will be available for all iPhone models, the main differences between the 15 Pro and 16 Pro appear to be a slightly increased battery capacity and the larger zoom of the telephoto lens. This isn’t an iPhone update that focuses heavily on hardware. Since the iPhone 17 handsets are likely to receive significant hardware updates, those looking for physical changes may be best advised to skip this year’s model.
A man communicates via his iPhone 15 Pro Max in front of the new Apple Store in Kuala Lumpur. … (+)
The iPhone 16 Pro’s hardware upgrades are more iterative than innovative. Apple’s big goal for next year will be to develop unreleased software that will run on the older flagship when it’s finally released. And if you don’t already own the iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max, you’ll soon be able to get attractive discounts.
The iPhone 16 Pro may be the future, but you may want to see what that future looks like before you commit to it.
Read the latest iPhone, iOS and MacBook headlines in Forbes’ weekly Apple Loop digest…
