It’s a good year to buy the standard iPhone 16 (and avoid the SE at all costs)

Every year, the decision of which iPhone to get becomes more and more frustrating. Do you go for the standard iPhone? Do you splurge on the latest and greatest Pro model that may not fully pay for itself for two years? Or should you just buy a slightly older used or refurbished model to get the best deal possible? And of course, there’s still the safest option: save your money and keep your current phone for as long as possible.

After spending a day following Apple’s announcements, one thing has become clear: The bare-bones $799 iPhone 16 is a pretty solid offering, at least compared to the base iPhones of the past few years. It actually has a new processor, Apple’s A18, rather than reusing an older chip. It takes the action button from the iPhone 15 Pro And It also features Apple’s new camera button. The iPhone 16 is also relatively future-proof as it supports Apple Intelligence, which is not the case with the non-Pro iPhone 15 and older models.

While the $999 iPhone 16 Pro has an additional camera and supports more powerful photo and video features, the line between this device and the standard iPhone 16 is blurrier than ever.

It certainly makes more sense to invest in the iPhone 16 today rather than the poor, beleaguered iPhone SE. That device has an aging A15 chip, the tiny 4.7-inch screen of yore, and still costs $429 like it did in 2022. Rumor has it we’ll see a new iPhone SE sometime next year, but the current model is simply a terrible option in Apple’s current lineup.

If you don’t care about Apple intelligence and are looking to replace an older device, you can currently find a refurbished iPhone 15 for $500 to $600 on Amazon and elsewhere. But if you’re really willing to spend that much money on a used device with a limited warranty, it might make more sense to get an iPhone 16 and pay it off over time through your carrier. Trade-in offers can also shave a significant chunk off the price of a new phone. Verizon, for example, is currently offering $800 off a Pixel 9 or iPhone 15 if you trade in an older device.

To be clear, all of the above advice only applies if you need to replace a broken iPhone or want to experiment with Apple Intelligence. According to the latest rumors, we’re likely to see an iPhone 12 Pro Max (similar to the ), so it might make sense to keep your existing device. And don’t forget that Apple’s AI features won’t be available immediately at launch – you’ll have to do that for the first features, and Siri won’t get its new smart features until the first half of 2025.

Apple

The iPhone 16 is Apple’s latest smartphone designed with Apple Intelligence in mind.

$799 at Apple