Buy the iPhone 16 or wait for iPhone 17? My advice after years of phone reviews

Comply with ZDNET: Add us as a most well-liked supply on Google.

Like clockwork, a brand new iPhone has made its approach by means of the rumor mill in August, and customers are starting to surprise if they need to purchase what’s at the moment out there or wait till fall to see how issues play out.

Primarily based on previous traits, there is a good probability Apple will unveil the iPhone 17 sequence subsequent Tuesday. So, do you have to decide up an iPhone 16 out of your native Apple retailer right this moment or play the lengthy (however not that lengthy) sport? 

Additionally: Apple iPhone 17 occasion reside weblog: The most important bulletins we’re anticipating on Sept. 9

Having examined each main smartphone launch over the previous a number of years and helped quite a few household and mates overcome this actual dilemma, this is the choice tree I take advantage of that works each single time.

1. Do you want a brand new cellphone proper now?

Fairly easy, proper? If you happen to’re at the moment utilizing a handset that is severely broken or defected in a approach that stops it from finishing your every day duties, then it is time to purchase a brand new cellphone proper now.

I’ve had mates say that they’d be prepared to energy by means of one other month with a closely cracked iPhone if it meant they might simply purchase the next-generation mannequin. Nevertheless, that does not take into accounts the truth that Apple usually sells its latest iPhones weeks (if not longer) after they’re formally unveiled to the general public.

Additionally: You’ll be able to obtain iOS 26 public beta proper now – the right way to set up (and which iPhones help it)

So, what’s anticipated to be every week’s wait time can simply turn into a month or extra, relying on which configuration and mannequin you purchase. That is to say, when you want a brand new cellphone right this moment, do not wait — purchase one ASAP.

2. How a lot are you seeking to spend?

Each new iPhone launch has a giant unknown: pricing. So, your present (and anticipated) price range must also be thought of as you resolve which mannequin to purchase. Apple’s performed a commendable job stabilizing iPhone costs through the years, with the bottom mannequin usually beginning at $799, the Professional at $999, and the Professional Max at $1,199, so most individuals would assume the iPhone 17 sequence will price about the identical.

However there are a couple of extra variables factoring into this 12 months’s iPhone launch. First, Apple is predicted to launch a brand new iPhone 17 Air (or Slim) mannequin that incorporates a thinner and lighter design than the usual variant. If it follows Samsung’s value technique with its ultra-thin Galaxy S25 Edge, we may be an iPhone that is priced just under the Professional fashions.

Additionally: Must you purchase a refurbished iPhone 15 from Apple? Provided that these elements matter to you

Ongoing tariff and commerce talks have additionally led market analysts to consider that Apple will elevate the worth of iPhones beginning this September. In response to Jefferies analyst Edison Lee, the iPhone 17 Air, Professional, and Professional Max may even see a $50 value enhance, or a 4-5% bump from final 12 months, as a way to offset the price of new elements and exports. This is a snapshot comparability to the iPhone 16 sequence.

If the potential value enhance offers you pause, then it could make extra monetary sense to purchase an older iPhone mannequin just like the 16 or 15, and even the brand new however accessible iPhone 16e (beginning at $599). Apple usually reduces the worth of the last-generation iPhone mannequin by $100 when a brand new one is launched, so there is a good probability you’ll purchase the iPhone 16 for as little as $699 later this month — do you have to select to attend issues out.

Additionally: Find out how to clear your iPhone cache (and why it is best to do it earlier than putting in iOS 26 public beta)

Lastly, whereas carriers and retailers usually provide aggressive trade-in and buy-one-get-one offers when a brand new cellphone is launched, these offers should not with out their catches and advantageous print. 

Most “free cellphone” presents by main carriers normally are available change for locking right into a long-term contract or upgrading to a pricier knowledge plan. That is to not say that the offers aren’t value it; for the best buyer, they’ll actually web you a brand new iPhone with out a lot further work. Simply keep in mind to do your due diligence earlier than agreeing to something.

3. Do the rumored iPhone 17 options excite you?

Whereas none of those rumored options have been confirmed or made official by Apple, they provide us a glimpse of the following iPhone’s potential. This is a listing of anticipated modifications this 12 months, pulled from trade specialists, provide chain analysts, and extra.

• The iPhone 17 Air will characteristic the thinnest and lightest design, with a brand new show measurement, a titanium body, and a revamped digicam bar.
• Apple will probably substitute the iPhone 17 Plus with the iPhone 17 Air, as shoppers have proven the least curiosity within the former mannequin.
• The iPhone 17 could undertake a smaller “metalens” know-how that permits the Face ID sensor and Dynamic Island module to take up much less area on the show. This additionally permits Apple to shrink the cellphone’s bezels and enhance the display screen measurement to six.3 inches.
• Solely the iPhone 17 Professional fashions can have a brand new scratch-resistant, antireflective show panel. Like Apple’s nanotexture choices for MacBooks and iPads, it could come at an additional price.
• The iPhone 17 Professional fashions will characteristic a brand new 48-megapixel telephoto digicam that may seize at 8x optical zoom (up from 5x).

Additionally: iPhone 17 Rumors: Newest Information and Leaks – CNET

The anticipated coloration choices are:

• iPhone 17: Black, White, Metal Grey, Inexperienced, Purple, and Mild Blue
• iPhone 17 Air: Black, White, Mild Blue, and Mild Gold
• iPhone 17 Professional: Black, White, Grey, Darkish Blue, and Orange
• iPhone 17 Professional Max: Black, White, Grey, Darkish Blue, and Orange

Backside line: Purchase now or wait?

If you happen to want a brand new cellphone instantly and can’t wait as much as a month, you can purchase an iPhone 16 (or different current mannequin) proper now. The iPhone 16’s present options, together with an A18 chip that may energy Apple Intelligence instruments, Motion Button, Digicam Management, and Wi-Fi 7 help, will stay related for years to return, so you are not lacking out on a lot by choosing final 12 months’s mannequin. There’s additionally probability that you’re going to discover a deal or value drop on the iPhone 16 right this moment.

Additionally: We examined iOS 26 on the iPhone 16 Professional – these 5 options make the replace worthwhile

If you happen to’re in much less of a rush, wait till subsequent Tuesday to see what Apple has to supply with the iPhone 17 sequence. Maybe the iPhone 17 Aiir/Slim mannequin will attraction to you greater than anticipated, or Apple introduces a digicam characteristic that solves certainly one of your greatest ache factors. Simply be ready for something to occur, together with a better value throughout the board — or none in any respect.