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

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

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

Additionally: Apple iPhone 17 event live blog: The biggest announcements we’re expecting on Sept. 9

Having examined each major smartphone release over the previous a number of years and helped quite a few household and associates overcome this precise dilemma, here is the choice tree I take advantage of that works each single time.

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

Fairly easy, proper? Should you’re at present utilizing a handset that is severely broken or defected in a manner that stops it from finishing your each day duties, then it is time to purchase a brand new telephone proper now.

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

Additionally: You can download iOS 26 public beta right now – how to install (and which iPhones support it)

So, what’s anticipated to be per week’s wait time can simply turn out to be a month or extra, relying on which configuration and mannequin you purchase. That is to say, if you happen to want a brand new telephone at this time, 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) finances also needs to be thought-about as you resolve which mannequin to purchase. Apple’s accomplished a commendable job stabilizing iPhone costs over time, 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 collection will value about the identical.

However there are just a few 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 contains a thinner and lighter design than the usual variant. If it follows Samsung’s value technique with its ultra-thin Galaxy S25 Edge, we could be taking a look at an iPhone that is priced slightly below the Professional fashions.

Additionally: Should you buy a refurbished iPhone 15 from Apple? Only if these factors matter to you

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

If the potential value enhance offers you pause, then it might 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 (starting at $599). Apple usually reduces the value of the last-generation iPhone mannequin by $100 when a brand new one is launched, so there is a good likelihood you can purchase the iPhone 16 for as little as $699 later this month — do you have to select to attend issues out.

Additionally: How to clear your iPhone cache (and why you should do it before installing iOS 26 public beta)

Lastly, whereas carriers and retailers usually provide aggressive trade-in and buy-one-get-one offers when a brand new telephone is launched, these offers will not be with out their catches and high quality print. 

Most “free phone” gives by main carriers normally are available in change for locking right into a long-term contract or upgrading to a pricier information plan. That is to not say that the offers aren’t price it; for the correct buyer, they will actually internet 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 offer us a glimpse of the following iPhone’s potential. This is a listing of anticipated modifications this 12 months, pulled from business consultants, 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 seemingly exchange the iPhone 17 Plus with the iPhone 17 Air, as shoppers have proven the least curiosity within the former mannequin.
• The iPhone 17 might undertake a smaller “metalens” expertise 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 telephone’s bezels and enhance the display measurement to six.3 inches.
• Solely the iPhone 17 Professional fashions may have a brand new scratch-resistant, antireflective show panel. Like Apple’s nanotexture choices for MacBooks and iPads, it might come at an additional value.
• 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: Latest News 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?

Should you want a brand new telephone 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, Digital camera 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 a great likelihood that you’re going to discover a deal or value drop on the iPhone 16 at this time.

Additionally: We tested iOS 26 on the iPhone 16 Pro – these 5 features make the update worthwhile

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