Should I go for the 14, 15 or 16?

I’ve been using a 3rd gen SE for a while now. Other than the battery draining faster lately, it’s been working fine. I had no plans to upgrade, but my dad wants to gift me a new phone (a late Xmas gift). Can’t say no to that, right?

My needs are pretty simple: good camera, plenty of storage, and solid battery life. All three options seem to check those boxes. I don’t care for the new AI feature in the 16 and would probably turn it off anyway. Also, the prices are high, but I can get a 14 with 512GB for about the same cost as a 16 with 256GB. More storage sounds nice (also, the purple and yellow colours are cool).

I’m not super tech-savvy and don’t fully get all the specs. I just know the latest isn’t always the best. Are these phones mostly the same, or is it really worth it to get the newest one?

Get the 16

Skylar said:
Get the 16

Is there any specific reason for picking the 16? Is it way better in performance than the others?

Val said:

Skylar said:
Get the 16

Is there any specific reason for picking the 16? Is it way better in performance than the others?

Price-wise, I’d say go for the 16. The only real difference between the 14 and 15 is the dynamic island, but the 16 has the action button, a camera upgrade, and a fresh design.

@Skylar
What’s a dynamic island? I’ve never heard of that feature before.

Val said:
@Skylar
What’s a dynamic island? I’ve never heard of that feature before.

It’s basically a little area around the front camera that shows notifications and other stuff. It’s handy, but nothing major if you’re not into that.

What about the iPhone 16 Plus?

Ainsley said:
What about the iPhone 16 Plus?

I’m not a fan of the Plus models. They’re too big for my pocket and feel awkward to hold.

Val said:

Ainsley said:
What about the iPhone 16 Plus?

I’m not a fan of the Plus models. They’re too big for my pocket and feel awkward to hold.

Fair enough, I can see why that would be a dealbreaker.

Get the 16 and keep it for a long time. It’s the newest, so it’ll stay updated longer than the others.

The 15 Pro is better than a basic 16. I’d recommend that.

Gale said:
The 15 Pro is better than a basic 16. I’d recommend that.

I don’t like the colours for the Pro. Plus, it’s over $2k in my country, which is ridiculous for a phone.

Val said:

Gale said:
The 15 Pro is better than a basic 16. I’d recommend that.

I don’t like the colours for the Pro. Plus, it’s over $2k in my country, which is ridiculous for a phone.

Then maybe get the regular 15? I’m using it now and love the pastel colours. It works great, and since you don’t care about the new AI features, it might be a good pick.

At this point, you could just wait for the 17.

15 Pro, no question.

Go with the 16 for sure. It has 8GB RAM compared to 6GB on the others, plus a newer CPU that’ll keep it relevant longer.

Anything above the 15 is good, but I’d go with the 15 for the USB-C port. Welcome to the USB-C family.

If the 15 Pro is cheaper than the 16, go for it.

I think the base 15 or 15 Pro is a solid choice. They’re still pretty new.

Jace said:
I think the base 15 or 15 Pro is a solid choice. They’re still pretty new.

Yeah, they’re only what, two years old? I’m not worried about having the latest tech. I just want something that’ll last so I don’t need to upgrade again anytime soon. Honestly, if the SE had a better camera, I’d stick with it.