When should you change your “old” iPhone?

The iPhone 16 is out, we’ve tested it and now it’s time for comparisons with older models. What is the iPhone 16 worth if we compare it to its “old” comrades? Comparison with iPhone 15 to iPhone 12.

Which iPhone to choose? Should we take the very last one, theiPhone 16or will a slightly older model do the trick? And what would you gain by upgrading from an “old” iPhone to the latest one? We will try to untangle this together by looking at the different additions that you will obtain if you take a more or less recent model. We start with theiPhone 15that of 2023.

iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15

Generally speaking, we will never advise you to change your smartphone if you have the one from the previous year. We only indicate the differences between iPhone 16 and 15 for information purposes for those who are hesitating between the two models.

We carried out a a little more complete comparison between the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 15 if the subject interests you.

One of the key points to take into account is the notable improvement in autonomy between the two models which we were able to confirm with our own measurements of the 01Lab.

Here are the concrete elements that the iPhone 16 adds compared to the iPhone 15:

• The A16 Bionic chip instead of the A18;
• 8 GB of RAM versus 6 GB of RAM;
• The promise of Apple Intelligence;
• Wireless charging at 25W (only 15W on the iPhone 15);
• No Action button;
• No Camera button;
• Spatial Video;
• WiFi 6 instead of WiFi 7;
• A larger aperture going from f/2.4 to f/2.2 on the wide-angle module;
• A new anti-reflective coating on photo lenses;
• New photographic styles;
• Tone mapping;
• Macro mode on ultra wide angle;
• Audio Mix;
• QuickTake in Dolby Vision goes to 4K/60 FPS

If we take stock, there are some fairly substantial elements such as the new chip allowing access to Apple Intelligence, much better autonomy, two new buttons and some new software features.

iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 14

Let’s now move on toiPhone 14. Here are the technical sheets of the two devices put side by side.

The new features are much more fleeting between the iPhone 15 and the 14. But there are still important elements if you go from an iPhone 14 to 16:

• All the aforementioned new features on the iPhone 15;
• The USB-C port introduced with the iPhone 15;
• No Dynamic Island, but a notch to hide Face ID and the selfie camera;
• The A15 Bionic chip;
• The sensor on the wide angle goes to 12 Mpx instead of 48 Mpx.

iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 13

Let’s now move on toiPhone 13undoubtedly the best choice of iPhone for those who currently have a slightly more limited budget.

Here are the additional elements if you prefer an iPhone 16:

• All the aforementioned new features with the iPhone 15 and 14;
• We go to 4 GB of RAM;
• No more satellite alert (the functionality is not available in France however);
• No accident detection;
• Charging goes down to 20W;
• Various sensors are less advanced such as the gyroscope, the accelerometer or the brightness sensor;
• No dual eSIM support.

iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 12

Last contender, the iPhone 12, here is the technical sheet compared to that of the iPhone 16. There is obviously starting to be a small gap.

Although it may at first glance seem very close to the iPhone 13, the iPhone 12 still loses some fairly crucial points which we detail below:

• All the aforementioned new features on more recent models;
• A14 Bionic chip;
• Battery life significantly worse than the iPhone 13;
• Starts at 64 GB of storage;
• Optical image stabilization for video without sensor shift;
• No Action, Cinematic mode.

So which one should you choose?

You will have understood, the iPhone 16 still represents a nice improvement compared to its predecessors, and even compared to the iPhone 15, it manages to multiply the new features.

Does this mean that you absolutely have to grab the latest iPhone? Not necessarily. If your budget is unlimited, there is of course no doubt and you will clearly have a more complete experience with the addition of Apple Intelligence and therefore a smartphone that will last longer over time.

But if you want to buy an iPhone and not break the bank, we would rather recommend the 15 and 13 models which in our eyes have the most interesting elements. The iPhone 15 integrates Dynamic Island and a 48 Mpx sensor, but above all, it has a USB-C port which also allows it to last a little over time.

The iPhone 13 for its part is more or less the same as the 14, but for less money. The iPhone 12, even if it can remain a good choice for low budgets, still seems to us to have some delays that are a little too disabling to be recommended.

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