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 on Apple.com, and if you do, be sure to check out the trade-in offers. Apple made a big deal about them during its keynote. Here are the U.S. prices for all four iPhone 16 models without trade-in (they cost the same as last year’s 15 series).
| iPhone 16 | iPhone 16 Plus | iPhone 16 Pro | iPhone 16 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | $799 | $899 | $999 | $1,199 |
Are you buying an iPhone 16? While you’re mulling that over, here are some alternatives. The obvious place to start is other iPhones, so we’ve looked at some refurbished units from Amazon. Partly because they’re cheaper, but also because you can no longer buy a new iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max from Apple (though Apple.com still stocks new 15s and 15 Pluses).
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 there’s 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 Samsung Galaxy S24+ has a 6.7” display, the same size as the iPhone 15 Plus and 16 Plus. But as we noted above, instead of an outdated 60Hz panel, you get a 120Hz LTPO panel. This model also has a telephoto camera (3x 10MP).
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 and a 3x 10MP telephoto camera, things Apple charges extra for.
Apple doesn’t have any foldables yet, so there’s no direct competitor to the Galaxy Z Fold6. But we couldn’t pass it up after seeing the $400 discount. It’s still expensive, but maybe now is the time to upgrade to a foldable.
Flip foldables are probably a better alternative to iPhones, and there are plenty to choose from. Starting with the Galaxy Z Flip6, which can be yours for $950, which is less than a new iPhone 16 Pro (note: we linked the 512GB Z Flip6 since the 256GB model had a smaller discount, so they both ended up costing the same).
Then there are the Motorola Razrs. They range from pretty cheap — the Razr 2023 is just $400, which is a mid-range price (and to be fair, it is a mid-range one) — to not-so-expensive, with the Razr+ 2024 costing $900. If you’re not sure which one is right for you, we recommend the Razr+ 2023 — it’s well-priced (at $600, it’s $100 less than the Razr 2024), but still offers good performance (Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1) and a large, functional display (3.6”, 144Hz).
That’s it for foldables, and we have one more phone to offer – the Motorola Edge (2024). It costs $450, but the 6.6-inch 144Hz curved OLED display and vegan leather back give it a premium look. It has a 50MP main camera and a 13MP ultrawide on the back. The 5,000mAh battery supports 68W wired and 15W wireless fast charging. The Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset is pretty slow for this price range, but the phone has Ready For (Moto’s desktop environment).
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