According to industry experts, the iPhone 16s are not smartphones worth owning.
As the iPhone 16 launch draws nearer, the excitement surrounding them is starting to wane. That’s because rumors suggest the 2024 iPhones will have minimal upgrades over the current generation and Apple’s Intelligence won’t be compelling enough to entice buyers.
Concept photo of iPhone 16 quartet.
This was reiterated by Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman in a recent note.
Accordingly, Gurman listed all the major changes expected this year. The iPhone 16 will have a design quite similar to the current iPhone 15 and they will not have any impressive new features.
Standard iPhone models will have the Action button — which debuted on the iPhone 15 Pro. With iOS 18 introducing a more customizable Control Center and a changeable Lock screen, the button is almost redundant.
Illustration photo.
The new Shutter button, on the other hand, will be standard across the iPhone lineup. Gurman says it will function like a DSLR camera button, allowing users to perform actions like activating autofocus, zooming in/out, and taking a photo.
On the other hand, the screen on the iPhone 16 Pro will expand from 6.1 inches to 6.3 inches, the screen of the iPhone 16 Pro Max will increase in size from 6.7 inches to 6.9 inches.
Apple will also equip all new iPhone models with the same chip and all with 8GB of RAM. This will ensure that Apple's Intelligence features run smoothly on the new iPhone models.
These changes are enough to earn the iPhone 16 a spot on our list of the best phones of 2024, and they might be enough to get older iPhone owners to upgrade, but they won’t be enough to spur a major upgrade cycle.
In the most adverse of situations, the ability to contact emergency services via the iPhone’s satellite SOS feature can make all the difference in dealing with unexpected situations. One recent incident at the Macbeth Icefields in British Columbia, Canada, where a group of hikers became trapped in a wildfire, illustrates just how important this tool can be.
iPhone 14 is the first iPhone to support SOS via satellite
Four hikers were reportedly trapped in the Macbeth Icefields by a rapidly spreading wildfire. With the fire closing in and weather conditions inclement, rescue teams were faced with an extremely dangerous situation. However, thanks to the satellite emergency SOS feature, the hikers were able to send out a distress signal and share their exact location.
Search and rescue director at the scene, Mark Jennings-Bates, described the search conditions as being like a war zone. Thanks to precise signals sent from the victims' iPhones, rescue teams were able to quickly locate them and bring them to safety.
The satellite Emergency SOS feature on iPhone allows users to send text messages to emergency services even when there is no cellular network coverage. This technology is especially useful in remote areas or during natural disasters where traditional communication may be disrupted. In addition to sending messages, users can also share their location with friends and family through the Find My app.