is a reviewer with over a decade of experience writing about consumer tech. She has a special interest in mobile photography and telecom. Previously, she worked at DPReview.
The wait is over — kind of. Apple’s iPhone 16 series is now widely available, including the kinda affordable 16E, and its much-hyped Apple Intelligence has arrived courtesy of iOS 18.1. But if you’re expecting a new kind of iPhone experience, well, I have some bad news for you. The AI features introduced in iOS 18.1 and more recent updates, including the writing tools and ChatGPT integration, are standard fare at this point. And although Siri has a new coat of paint, it’s basically the same old Siri.
Apple has promised much more, but the Apple Intelligence rollout is going to be a slow burn that lasts well into the fall. This is all to say that if you don’t have any complaints about how your current phone is working, you definitely shouldn’t rush out and get a new one just for Apple Intelligence.
What we’re looking for How we test smartphones Collapse There’s no shortcut to properly testing a phone; I put my personal SIM card (physical or otherwise) in each phone I review and live with it for a minimum of one full week. I set up each phone from scratch, load it up with my apps, and go about living my life — stress testing the battery, using GPS navigation on my bike while streaming radio, taking rapid-fire portrait mode photos of my kid — everything I can throw at it. Starting over with a new phone every week either sounds like a dream or your personal hell, depending on how Into Phones you are. For me, switching has become so routine that it’s mostly painless. Overall value Collapse The most expensive, souped-up iPhone isn’t automatically the best one for everyone. What I look for is a happy medium — features that will satisfy most people at the best price. Sometimes, that’s last year’s model. Battery life Collapse Battery performance can vary significantly between current iPhone models, primarily due to the size of the phone. Everyone wants a phone that can last a full day, and these recommendations reflect that. Screen size Collapse One size does not fit all. Some people like a small phone, others want the biggest screen money can buy. This list includes iPhones for people in both camps.
That’s actually the gist of our phone buying philosophy: hang on to the one you’ve got. If you’re not the type of person to get excited about a new camera button, updated photo processing options, or incremental performance upgrades, then there’s no reason to run out and buy an iPhone 16.
But if you’re questioning whether it’s the year to replace your iPhone 11 or 12 (or you’re concerned about a price increase as a result of the current tariff situation), then I think the answer is an easy yes. There are real gains this time around, especially in the basic iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, without even considering AI. And if Apple Intelligence turns out to be something special eventually, well, you’ll be ready for it.
The best iPhone for most people
Screen: 6.1-inch, 2556 x 1179 OLED, 60Hz refresh rate / Processor: A18 Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.6 main with sensor-shift IS; 12-megapixel ultrawide; 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: Not advertised / Charging: 27W wired, 25W wireless MagSafe, 15W Qi2, 7.5W Qi / Weather-resistance rating: IP68
Apple’s basic iPhone enjoyed a significant hardware boost this time around, playing an overdue game of catch-up to the Pro series. The iPhone 16 includes the Action Button from 2023 Pro models — handy if there’s an app in your life you want to access at the touch of a button — and the new Camera Control. So if buttons are anything to go by, this phone is two better than the last-gen model.
There’s more going on under the hood, too. The A18 chipset is in the same generation as the processor on the Pro models, which hasn’t been the case for the past couple of years. That bodes well for the 16 series staying on the same update schedule. And there’s extra RAM in this year’s base model, which can only be a good thing.
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