This week all eyes were on Apple and the new iPhone 16 series. Pre-orders began this Friday and will last for a week – shipping and open sales begin next Friday.

You can pre-order now at Apple.com, and if you do, be sure to check out the trade-in offers. Are you planning on buying an iPhone 16? If so, here are the prices for the new models, which will be available starting Friday next week.

But before you commit, there are some alternatives to consider. The obvious place to start is other iPhones, so we looked at some new and refurbished units from Amazon.

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus keep the same 6.1” and 6.7” displays as their 15-series counterparts. Yes, they still have 60Hz panels. So what’s changed? The more powerful Apple A18 chipset and the Extra RAM allow 16 series phones to run Apple Intelligence, the 15 and 15 Plus will not be supported. The new models also have faster loading and new ultra-wide cameras with macro mode. Perhaps the biggest upgrade is the Camera control and the Action Button, which allows for a series of new shortcuts.

But looking at the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, they have the same displays. The same 48MP main cameras and 12MP selfie cameras as well.

The iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max have larger displays at 6.3” and 6.9”. That’s a good thing for those who like big screens, but a bad thing for those who think the new models are too big. Faster charging and new buttons are also present on the 16 Pro duo. There’s also a new 48MP ultrawide camera, and this year the smaller Pro has the same 5x periscope as the Pro Max (the 15 Pro has a 3x lens).

Unlike the vanilla models, the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max will be updated with Apple Intelligence (coming next month). The main and selfie cameras are the same, and the 15 Pro Max even has the same periscope.

You can switch to Android this generation. All Galaxy S24 models have 120Hz LTPO displays, and they all have AI (mostly powered by Google).

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has a 5x periscope (with a 50MP sensor to boot, not 12MP like on the iPhones) and also a 3x lens. The main camera has a 200MP sensor. There’s also the S Pen, which gives this phone tablet-like abilities.

The new iPhone 16 Pro is bigger than the Galaxy S24. And with no new Xperia 5 this year and no tiny Zenfone 11 in sight, these are the last small flagships standing. The tiny S24 also has a 120Hz LTPO display, a 3x 10MP telephoto camera, all things Apple charges extra for.

Note that the Galaxy S24 and S24 Ultra come with a discount, an additional discount at checkout, some Galaxy Store credit for apps (or wallpapers, whatever), and a free Samsung Galaxy Book Go.

The Google Pixel 9 may not have an LTPO display, but at least its 6.3-inch OLED panel runs at 120Hz. The Tensor G4 isn’t very fast at normal tasks, but it has a robust NPU (and for things that can’t be run locally, Google’s servers make up for it). The phone is equipped with a 50MP main camera and a 48MP ultrawide, while the iPhone 16 only has a 12MP ultrawide.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro weighs exactly the same as the iPhone 16 Pro at 199g, but it’s a bit taller and a fraction of a millimetre wider and thicker than Apple’s phone. This time around it’s a 48MP ultrawide vs. a 48MP ultrawide, but the Pixel Pro also has a 48MP 5x telephoto camera, while the iPhone Pro only has a 12MP sensor behind the 5x periscope. Additionally, the Pixel Pros have 42MP selfie cameras, dwarfing the 12MP selfie modules Apple uses.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is slightly smaller than the iPhone 16 Pro Max. What we said about the 9 Pro’s cameras applies here (they use the same hardware). Additionally, both Pixel Pros have 120Hz LTPO displays, unlike the vanilla Pixel 9. And in case you’re wondering, Google don’t think Qi2 is a big problemthen you’ll have to do wireless charging without magnets. Speaking of charging, this year Google has increased both wired and wireless speeds, as has Apple, and they’re very close on paper. The real race will be decided when we do the iPhone reviews.

Let’s also take a look at what Motorola has to offer. The Moto Edge 50 Ultra features the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, which isn’t the most exciting choice, but it’s faster than the Tensor G4. It has a 6.7-inch 144Hz OLED display and a small 4,500mAh battery with super-fast charging – 125W wired and 50W wireless. The camera also looks impressive, with a 50MP main (1/1.3”), 64MP 3x telephoto and 50MP ultrawide shooters, plus a 50MP selfie shooter. They take great photos, but the videos are pretty poor.

The new Motorola Edge 50 Neo isn’t quite as small as the iPhone 16, but with a 6.4-inch display it’s smaller than most Androids. And it’s a 120Hz LTPO panel, which is great to see at this price point. Don’t let the vegan leather back fool you – like the Ultra, this one is IP68 rated. This one is even MIL-STD-810H compliant. The camera isn’t quite as capable as the Ultra’s, but you do get a 10MP 3x zoom camera in addition to the 50MP main (1/1.5”) and 13MP ultrawide. The selfie module has a 32MP sensor.

The Dimensity 7300 chipset isn’t great, but something had to give to hit this price point. The phone also sports solid charging, 68W wired and 15W wireless, for the 4,310mAh battery. And did we mention Motorola committed to 5 years of support? Not bad for a mid-ranger (we know Moto doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to software, but this is how it can turn things around).

You can even buy a foldable for around the price of an iPhone 16 Plus. The Motorola Razr 50 Ultra, for example, unfolds to offer a 6.9-inch display and closes up to a fairly compact but still usable device with its 4-inch 165Hz cover display (both have LTPO panels). This one isn’t lacking in power with a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, but the camera situation won’t be for everyone – the 50MP main snapper has a small sensor (1/1.95”) and there’s no ultrawide, Moto opting for a 50MP 2x portrait camera instead. The battery offers very good stamina at 4,000mAh capacity and is quick to charge at 45W via USB-C (there’s also 15W wireless).