Visuals, Words, AI, nothing new in iPhone 16 lineup!

Tim Cook (CEO of Apple) proudly said (more than once) that the new iPhone 16:

“has been designed for Apple Intelligence from the ground up,”

And he was right for all the wrong reasons.

This time, it is just a gimmick as the device looks the same as its predecessor "iPhone 15 lineup" with an extra button to make it work like a digital camera rather than just a smartphone.

A few other updates software-based updates and tweaks like:

1. Camera Control Button: New physical button for camera interactions and other app functions, including Google searches and ChatGPT prompts.
2. A18 Chip: Up to 30% faster than the iPhone 15.
3. Pro Models: iPhone 16 Pro with a 6.3-inch screen, and Pro Max with a 6.9-inch screen, both featuring the A18 Pro chip, faster shutter speeds, and 4K video at 120 fps.
4. Camera Control Features: Light presses show previews, hard clicks take photos, and sliding fingers adjust settings.

Yes, it sounds like a huge leap forward (at least in Apple's words) but actually, it is nothing new for a company that's famous for releasing a smartphone once every year.

A whole year? and what are they bringing? check here:

1. Same sizes
2. Same designs
3. Same overall look
4. Added one more button with the same old features
5. The so-called "Dynamic Island" is still there while others are launching tri-fold smartphones
6. Bringing AI "Apple Intelligence" (from ChatGPT and Google APIs)
7. Few more colors (never needed)
8. Smaller packaging
9. Camera lens upgrades with the same camera setup

So basically, it is nothing more than the iPhone 12 or iPhone 15 (which is different from than iPhone 12) but with just that camera notch, everything else is pretty same from the design point of view.

In my opinion, if you already have an iPhone 14, iPhone 15 and even iPhone 12 or iPhone 13, you don't have to upgrade.

However, if you are looking to make your peers feel you own an iPhone 16 Pro, you can buy an iPhone 15 Pro Max and they will not be able to spot the difference.

Well, there's some good news as well:

iOS 18 Compatibility: Launching September 16, compatible with iPhones from XR and SE (2nd gen) onward.

iOS 18 would be awesome, but that's not a thing for which I would buy an iPhone 16, it's nothing to force me for this.

Are you thinking about prices?

Here's a quick overview of that:

Starting Prices: iPhone 16 starts at $799, 16 Plus at $899.

Sorry Apple, but I am not convinced this time and I prefer buying the Google Pixel 9 instead as it is far more classy than this iPhone coming with the same design for at least the last 4 years (if not more).

Yes, I own an iPhone 12 Pro Max and that's really enough to make others think that I own the latest iPhone.

Is this not enough?

I will talk more about it in a new blog post.