iPhone 16 launching soon: Why you should skip iPhone 15 even on sale

iPhone 16 launch is just a little over a month away, and this means the iPhone 15 model is now available at discounted prices across various platforms. But is this enough reason to purchase an iPhone 15—nearly 11 months after its release? I don't believe so. I think the iPhone 16 will bring several upgrades over the iPhone 15, including some transformative ones. For this reason, most people should consider postponing their purchase of a new iPhone. That's the brief answer; if you want to know the reasons behind this, read on.

iPhone 16 Will Feature Apple Intelligence—A Reason to Wait

iPhone 15 won't get Apple Intelligence, as confirmed by Apple. If advanced AI features are what you're seeking in your next iPhone, the iPhone 16 will have them. The iPhone 15 is limited by hardware constraints; it likely lacks sufficient RAM and uses the A16 Bionic chip from 2022, which, according to Apple, may result in a less responsive experience. However, the iPhone 15 Pro, which has the A17 Pro chip and 8GB of RAM, will include all the Apple Intelligence features and I would recommend it even now because of this. You can read more about why I still recommed the iPhone 15 Pro here.

 iPhone 16 is expected to come with an A18 chipset, which means it will have all the necessary technology to support Apple Intelligence features smoothly, including an advanced Neural Engine and increased RAM across the board.

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iPhone 16 Might Introduce a New ‘Capture Button'

Although this should be taken with caution, many reports and experts suggest that Apple's next generation of iPhones might feature a new ‘Capture Button' to enhance the photo-taking experience. Picture it as a professional camera-like shutter button. While we have little information on its exact operation, imagine it being capable of focusing when you partially press the shutter button, offering subtle haptic feedback from the Taptic Engine. This could be a dream come true for mobile photographers. For me, this is a compelling reason to wait, especially considering the iPhone 15 lacks the Action Button found on the iPhone 15 Pro.

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Vertical Camera Layout To Facilitate Spatial Video

Rumour has it that Apple will revert to a vertical camera layout for the wide and ultra sensors in the iPhone 16. The main reason for this is to enable the base iPhone model to shoot Spatial Videos for the Vision Pro headset, a feature currently exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro. The alignment of the cameras is crucial here; the wide sensor needs to be positioned directly below the ultrawide sensor for this functionality to work. Given that Apple is expanding the Vision Pro to more markets, it makes sense for the company to make this significant feature accessible to those with the latest base iPhone.

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A More Future-Proof Device

Don't get me wrong here—Apple will continue to support the iPhone 15 for a long time, and with its USB-C port, most users should have no issues using the device for the foreseeable future. However, if you have been holding off on purchasing a new iPhone 15 and are now considering it, it would be wise to wait for the aforementioned reasons. They will make the iPhone 16 more future-proof and aligned with the AI-related features Apple plans to introduce across its platforms in the future. 

That said, I'm sure many of you will be tempted to buy the iPhone 15 during sale offers. Personally, I wouldn't purchase it now unless I urgently needed a new phone.