Well, this is a predicament. A couple of years ago, I bought an iPhone 14 Pro Max. The phone works just fine, and that would be a part of the problem. Today, Apple unveiled the iPhone 16 lineup, and with that will come a number of features that my 14 Pro Max doesn’t have. However, at $1,200USD – I would need to draw on a credit card to pay for it. This will mean that I will be paying interest as long as I carry a balance. This will mean that my $1,200 phone will cost more than $1,200. Obviously, I will perform the same tactic that I would always do with debt and that would be to attack it with a vengeance. This will mean to throw ALL of my discretionary spending at the debt. With all of this in mind, and the fact that my iPhone 14 still works just fine, and expected to work just fine with the iOS 18 updates (except the higher features), there is no way I can justify buying a brand new phone that starts at $900, and only go up from there. So what are the features that would be something I will look forward to? Here they are:
USB-C
It would seem silly, but USB-C is a new concept for iPhone users. It came out in the 15 series to comply with EU regulations. The iPhone 14 Pro continued to use Lightning which for me was fine since my mouse, earphones, and phone all used Lightning. If I wanted to move to USB-C exclusively, I will have to pay an extra $750 on top of the phone to replace my earphones, and headphones. In addition, I will have to replace my mouse which is also extra cost. However, USB-C is a start to a complete USB-C charging.
Action Button
The 14 series phones had a DND switch. Turn it on, and Do Not Disturb activates. This will silence all incoming calls. However, I almost never use this feature instead – relying on the Focus feature built into iOS 17. With the action button, I can make that part of the phone do something completely different, and not just turn on DND. On another note, there is also a camera shutter button, but I never take photos, so this button is a waste of resources for my consideration.
Apple Intelligence
Not coming out immediately on iOS 18, I am guessing this capability will actually improve Siri which I never use because it never worked well enough for me. Maybe with Apple Intelligence, there will be that artificial intelligence that other phone manufacturers are bragging about. However, Apple Intelligence is only compatible on iPhone 15 Pro, or 16 lineup. I think this limitation is artificial, and think that my iPhone 14 Pro will support it, but I might be wrong. Still, keep in mind that my phone is only 2 years old, so I am not asking for much.
Bigger Screen
The iPhone 16 Pro Max will go from 6.7″ to 6.9″. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but every tenth of an inch means something when viewing your phone’s screen real estate. This is the reason why I opted for the max when I bought my last iPhone was for the significantly larger screen when compared to the standard iPhone 14 Pro.
Well, that is my reasoning for wanting to buy the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Again, I don’t see myself buying it, and if everything works out the way I want to, I won’t get a new iPhone until the 19 lineup. If you have any thoughts about this post, consider leaving a comment.