There comes a point in every year where the question is whether to buy a current-generation iPhone or wait for the next model. In this case we’re talking about the iPhone 15 verses the iPhone 16.
As someone who’s been covering Apple products for many years now, the easy answer to that – at the time of writing, being mid-July – is to wait.
Going by conventional wisdom, we’re some six to eight weeks away from what’s very likely to be a September Apple event that’ll see the debut of the iPhone 16 family, comprising the standard model, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
While rumors around the iPhone 16 specs and iPhone 16 camera don’t point towards vast upgrades, the rise of Apple Intelligence means these could be phones worth waiting for.
On top of that, I predict the price of the iPhone 15 will drop, meaning even if the next-generation Apple phones don’t catch your eye, then you’d still be better off waiting to get an iPhone 15 model at a lower price.
Wait for the next-generation iPhone
If you have an older iPhone, say an iPhone 13, then it’s definitely worth waiting for the iPhone 16 and seeing what upgrades the phones bring to the table. Even if they are minor compared to the previous generation or two, they’ll likely be a solid step up from what you currently have; you can expect better cameras and overall performance, improved battery life and a refined design.
And if you tend to upgrade your phone on a two-year cadence then it makes total sense to hold fire and upgrade from an iPhone 14 to an iPhone 16.
My prevailing feeling is that once one passes the Amazon Prime Day iPhone deals, which tend to take place in July year-to-year, it’s time to batten down the hatches and stick with the iPhone – or indeed one of the best Android phones – until the new iPhones arrive.
It’s simply not worth getting a new current-generation iPhone when a new one is such a short time away and will be extremely likely to bring with it price cuts for the current iPhones.
If you must buy an iPhone right now...
But you may have ended up in a situation where you must buy a new iPhone; maybe your one took a tumble from a table onto a hard concrete floor and now has a ruined display, or perhaps an impetuous dog thought your iPhone 14 Pro was a high-tech chew toy…
If that’s the case, I can recommend three things.
First off, look at buying an older iPhone to tide you over, perhaps one that’s been refurbished and is available on Amazon; the iPhone 13 is still a great phone, and features in our list of best iPhones. Also an iPhone SE makes for a good stop-gap Apple phone and can then be used as a secondary smartphone if and when you make a move to an iPhone 16.
The second option is to buy a pre-owned iPhone 15 or iPhone 14, as these phones are often refurbished to a near-new level but can be had significantly cheaper than they are when new.
Thirdly, if you can’t stomach the above options, simply go and check out our ongoing best iPhone deals page, which will flag attractive discounts on class-leading iPhones. And do see the widget below, which should flag the latest iPhone deals wherever you’re reading this article.
