You can now pre-order the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro phones from the Apple Store. From now, September 13, until the shipping date of September 20 you can pre-order your phone to get an advance on the model you want.
But what if you're not sure that you want to buy a phone this year?
Is it worth buying the iPhone 16 or should I wait for the iPhone 17?
Well, of course, the upgrade cycle never stops. In some regards, this is an especially good year because it seems Apple has rushed to boost tech to be ready for the demands of Apple intelligence. The iPhone 16 (the lower teir) has benefited especially by moving forward two generations in processor tech, from A16 to A18.
In terms of photography, cameras have take a front seat this time thanks to the arrival of the camera control button, which is new to both iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro – but we can assume it'll still be there on the 17 series!
Improvements expected for iPhone 17
At the moment, rumors suggest that the iPhone 17 Pro – certainly the Pro Max – will have one significant sensor upgrade which will appeal to photography lovers, and server other significant upgrades:
• 48MP telephoto camera for iPhone 17 Pro models – The Pro phones have a third eye, the zoom lens, which, at the moment, is a relatively poor 12 megapixels (as it was in the iPhone 15 Pro) compared to 48 megapixels in both other cameras. This is the biggest disappointment in the iPhone 16 Pro for many, and the difference is obvious when you use zoom, especially past 2x. (Some say this will only be on the Pro Max model).
• 24MP front-facing (FaceTime) camera for all iPhone 17s. You might not have noticed, but there was no mention at all of the FaceTime camera in the iPhone 16 presentation; it will get the same 12MP model we're used to, but we covered this selfie upgrade recently.
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• 12GB RAM for Pro Max – At the moment the iPhone 16 Pro Max has 8GB RAM. This seems a bit pitiful compared to many Android phones, but rarely if ever seems to be an issue in iOS.
• Smaller dynamic island But only for some phones, again probably starting with Pro or even just Pro Max.
• iPhone 17 Air – This rumor comes and goes, but MacRumors take it seriously, and suggest it might have one camera like the iPhone SE but a dynamic island and a 6.6-inch screen.
An iPhone 17 generation is, of course, expected like clockwork in September 2025, but it's also worth noting that the economy iPhone – the iPhone SE – might well be renewed before then. Apple don't like to draw as much attention to the cheaper option.
Don't forget the aesthetics, too. Sure, choosing the best camera phone might be very technical, and the best iPhone 16 Pro Max cases will direct the appearance your way, but every year Apple tends to introduce a new tone. If 2024 isn't your year, perhaps next year – or the mid-season bonus shade – will be! (My favourite of recent years was the Greeen iPhone 11 Pro Max).
