Forget The New iPhone 16 Pro, Apple Has Something Much Better

Updated August 27 with details on the new telephoto lens and its supplier.

Tim Cook and his team will launch the new iPhone 16 Pro next month, hoping it represents Apple’s first successful steps into the world of generative AI. What will the iPhone 16 Pro offer when it is launched? With new features limited primarily to software updates that will take months to arrive, does the iPhone 15 Pro represent the smarter choice?

One of the biggest advantages the iPhone 16 family will have over previous iPhones is the inclusion of generative AI. The backronymed Apple Intelligence suite will require a certain level of performance from the host smartphone, a level that will be beyond the vast majority of existing iPhones.

The one exception is the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. These are the only two Apple smartphones to run the A17 Pro Apple Silicon chipset—the iPhone 15 was held back with the A16, presumably to manufacture a specs gap that would justify the higher price of the Pro model.

This means there is an option to use Apple’s AI software without buying a new iPhone 16.

It’s also worth considering the state of Apple’s AI software. While parts of it are in public beta, Tim Cook’s team will not launch the software alongside the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro family in September. Instead, a limited feature set will be available through an OS update scheduled for October, with the addition of ChatGPT by the end of the year.

The full implementation of Apple’s generative AI will not show up until late in Q1 at the earliest, nearly halfway through the first-run lifespan of the iPhone 16 Pro. This assumes that Apple’s development will not encounter significant issues that would delay any updates. Those buying the iPhone 16 Pro handsets are buying into the potential of AI, but that potential will not be delivered for a long time.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is reporting on the training that Apple’s retail staff are getting ahead of the launch of the iPhone 16 Pro, and two important points are raised.

The first is the date of the training. In previous years, Apple has called in its staff for mandatory training sessions during the weekend before the launch but has been brought forward to either Thursday or Friday, depending on the store. This lines up with the launch date of Monday 9 September, which is earlier than expected and would be too close to comfort to conduct staff training less than 24 hours before.

The second is the contents of the training. Gurman notes that “Apple is also planning to make Apple Intelligence a key part of the iPhone sales pitch in stores this fall and has started training retail employees on the features.” Generative AI has been a key software feature on smartphones since Google announced the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro as the first AI smartphones in 2024. The iPhone 16 family is Apple’s first foray into this space, and the retail teams will push this heavily in Apple Stores worldwide.

Even if the first baby steps of Apple Intelligence won’t be available when the handsets launch.

Update: Tuesday August 27: One area where Apple is upgrading the hardware, and one that the older smartphone can’t quite match, is the new tetraprism equipped telephoto lens for the iPhone 16 Pro. This will offer x5 optical zoom for those buying the new Pro-level iPhone. The Elec not only confirms the specifications but also that LG will be the supplier of the lens for the first few months of the iPhone’s retail life:

“LG Innotek is expected to supply the module for the initial stock of the phones Apple manufactures, which will be over half of the iPhones it produces by the end of the year. Around the fourth quarter, once the initial stock runts out, Cupertino is expected to use its secondary vendors Foxconn and Cowell to manufacture folded zoom as well to drive down costs.”

This telephoto lens is available on the larger iPhone 15 Pro Max, but the regular iPhone 15 Pro only comes with an x3 telephoto lens. If the main camera’s zoom level is a dealbreaker, your only choice for an older iPhone that can run Apple Intelligence will be the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The question may come down to how much you prize the difference between x3 and x5 in your pictures.

For many, the time to invest in a new Apple handset is not when AI is coming but when AI is here. Those with the iPhone 15 Pro are sitting with the best of both worlds: an iPhone that will run AI once it arrives and the option to upgrade to the latest iPhone when the software is updated. At this point, many will consider holding off a few more months to get the iPhone 17 Pro, knowing that Apple will have addressed any software issues in its first attempt at generative AI, and any demands on the hardware will have been addressed.

It’s also an argument to hold back a generation of iPhones if you must upgrade in the current climate. Once the iPhone 16 Pro does show up, prices on the iPhone 15 Pro will drop. Not climatically, but enough to offer value. While Apple may not offer a deep discount, network carriers and online stores will have 15 Pro and Pro Max stock they’ll be looking to clear out so you can bag a bargain.

Beyond the updates to iOS—which will show up across the full range of iPhone models—the key differences between the 15 Pro and the 16 Pro look to be a slight increase in the battery capacity and the increased zoom on the telephoto lens. This is not an iPhone update that focuses heavily on the hardware. Given the iPhone 17 handsets are likely to see significant hardware updates, those looking for physical changes would best skip over this year’s model.

The hardware upgrades for the iPhone 16 Pro are iterative rather than innovative. Apple’s big play for the next year will be in unreleased software that will run on the older flagship when it is eventually released. And if you don’t already own the iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max, they are about to get some attractive discounts.

The iPhone 16 Pro may be the future, but you might want to see what that future looks like before you commit to it.

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