1 / 2

People try out iPhone products at an Apple Store in Beijing on Sept. 28, 2021. Apple's annual World Wide Developers Conference on Monday, June 10, 2024, was expected to herald the company's move into generative artificial intelligence, marking its late arrival to a technological frontier that's expected to be as revolutionary as the invention of the iPhone.

Andy Wong, Associated Press

2 / 2

Leslie Meredith

Photo supplied

❮ ❯

At last, Apple will release an iPhone that will be substantially better than previous models. Not since the iPhone X, marking the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, have we seen a radically new design and feature set that caused people to wait in line to get their hands on one. Even the unprecedented price of $999 for the base model was not enough to dampen consumer enthusiasm. With the launch of AI, which stands for Apple Intelligence, the company’s own brand of artificial intelligence, the iPhone 16 is set to reignite enthusiasm for the brand.

Integrating Apple Intelligence is made possible through both hardware and software: a new chip (an A18 Bionic for the base models and an A18 Pro chip for the Pro models) coupled with iOS 18. Unlike previous operating system releases, iOS 18 will work only with the Pro models for iPhone 15 and all models of the new iPhone 16. So if you have anything other than the iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max, you will not be able to update your operating system. And we know that an out-of-date system poses a risk.

Historically, Apple releases security updates for older operating systems for about a year following the release of a new iOS and sometimes longer. However, that is not guaranteed, and iOS 17 will not receive any new features once iOS 18 is available.

If you’re in the market for a new phone now because yours is broken or the battery runs down too quickly, you’ll want to opt for the cheapest replacement possible to get you through to October or so when the iPhone 16s will hit the shelves. A battery or cracked screen replacement should cost around $100. Resellers such as Gazelle sell refurbished iPhones, and you can buy an iPhone SE 3rd Gen for under $200. Remember, this is not your forever phone, just one for a couple of months. Be sure to back up your iPhone to iCloud, especially if the files on your old phone exceed the storage of your temporary phone. You’ll be able to transfer everything to your new iPhone 16.

You may be wonder what’s the big deal about having AI on your phone? Simply put, AI will be built into every computing device and will become an integral part of the way we work, search, shop and more. You’ll want to get in on the ground floor so that you can adopt the new ways of using the internet and the apps you’ve become accustomed to using as AI becomes an integral part of them.

While Apple Intelligence is the headliner for the new iPhones this year, there are other improvements to the phone itself. Tech analysts expect larger screens for the Pro models: The iPhone 16 Pro is rumored to have a 6.3-inch display, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max may feature a 6.9-inch display. It is interesting to note that some experts believe the iPad is being edged out of the Apple family because iPhone screens are getting bigger, shrinking the gap between a phone and a laptop. Indeed, if two pricey devices can do just about everything you need to do, why add a third?

They’re also expecting a new Capture button that will be located on the bottom-right edge, which may offer functions like zooming and focus control for the camera. A second button, the Action button, was first seen on the iPhone 15 Pro models and is expected to be part of the iPhone 16 lineup. The button is a replacement for the mute switch. You use it to change the ringer settings on your phone, but it can also be programmed to turn on the flashlight, open the camera and turn Do Not Disturb on and off.

Like with previous new iPhone versions, improvements to the camera are also expected. Look for a 48 megapixel ultrawide camera and possibly the 5X telephoto camera currently found only on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

The good news is that analysts do not expect a significant price increase over the iPhone 15 line. They anticipate the annual fall Apple event will take place on Sept. 10 and the phones will be available 10 days later. iPhone 16 models will ship with iOS 18, which will be available sometime during the September time frame for those with iPhone 15 Plus and Plus Max units. Not all Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18 will be available with the initial release, according to Apple, but will roll out through the end of the year and into 2025.

Leslie Meredith has been writing about technology for more than a decade. As a mom of four, value, usefulness and online safety take priority. Hae a question? Email Leslie at asklesliemeredith@gmail.com.