This week all eyes were on Apple and the new iPhone 16 series. Pre-orders started this Friday and will last a week – shipments and open sales start next Friday.
You can pre-order from Apple.com and, if you do, make sure to check the trade-in deals. Are you getting an iPhone 16? If yes, here are the prices of the new models, which will be available from 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 kept the same 6.1” and 6.7” screens as their 15-series counterparts. Yes, they still have 60Hz panels. So, what changed? The more powerful Apple A18 chipset and the extra RAM allow the 16-series phones to run Apple Intelligence, the 15 and 15 Plus will not be supported. The new models also have faster charging and new ultra wide cameras with macro mode. Perhaps the biggest upgrade is the Camera Control and the Action Button, which enable a host of new shortcuts.
But looking back at the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, they have the same screens. The same 48MP main cameras and 12MP selfie cameras too.
The iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max get larger 6.3” and 6.9” displays. That’s good for those who like large displays, but bad for those who think that the new models are too big. The faster charging and new buttons are also present on the 16 Pro duo. Also, there is a new 48MP ultra wide camera and this year, the small 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 both 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 is the S Pen too, which gives this phone tablet-like skills.
The new iPhone 16 Pro is larger than the Galaxy S24. And with no new Xperia 5 this year and no small Zenfone 11 in sight, these are the last small flagships standing. The small S24 also has a 120Hz LTPO display, a 3x 10MP tele camera, things for which Apple charges extra.
Note that the Galaxy S24 and S24 Ultra come with a discount, an additional discount at checkout, a bit of Galaxy Store credit for apps (or wallpapers, whatever) plus a free Samsung Galaxy Book Go.
The Google Pixel 9 may not have an LTPO display, but at least its 6.3” OLED panel runs at 120Hz. The Tensor G4 isn’t very fast on normal tasks, but it does have a beefy NPU (and for things that can’t run locally, Google’s servers pick up the slack). The phone is equipped with a 50MP main camera and a 48MP ultra wide, while the iPhone 16 only has a 12MP ultra wide.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro weighs exactly the same as the iPhone 16 Pro, 199g, but it is slightly taller and a fraction of a millimeter wider and thicker than the Apple phone. This time it’s 48MP ultra wide vs. 48MP ultra wide, but the Pixel Pro also has a 48MP 5x telephoto camera, while the iPhone Pro has only a 12MP sensor behind the 5x periscope. Also, the Pixel Pros have 42MP selfie cameras, topping the 12MP selfie modules that Apple uses.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is a bit smaller than the iPhone 16 Pro Max. What we said about the cameras of the 9 Pro applies here (they use the same hardware). Also, both Pixel Pros have 120Hz LTPO displays, unlike the vanilla Pixel 9. And in case you were wondering, Google doesn’t think that Qi2 is a big deal, so you will have to do wireless charging with no magnets. Speaking of charging, this year Google boosted both wired and wireless speeds, as did Apple, and they are very close on paper. The actual race will be decided when we do the iPhone reviews.
Let’s also have a look at what Motorola has to offer. The Moto Edge 50 Ultra features the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, not the most exciting pick, but it is faster than the Tensor G4. It has a 6.7” 144Hz OLED display and a small-ish 4,500mAh battery with super fast charging – 125W wired and 50W wireless. The camera looks impressive too with a 50MP main (1/1.3”), 64MP 3x tele and 50MP ultra wide, plus a 50MP selfie. These take great photos, but the videos were quite poor.
The new Motorola Edge 50 Neo is not quite as small as the iPhone 16, but with a 6.4” display it is smaller than most Androids. And it is 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 rated IP68. This one is even MIL-STD-810H compliant. The camera is not quite as capable as the Ultra, but you do get a 10MP 3x camera for zooming in, in addition to the 50MP main (1/1.5”) and 13MP ultra wide. 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 boasts solid charging, 68W wired and 15W wireless, for the 4,310mAh battery. And did we mention that Motorola has committed to 5 years of support? Not bad for a mid-ranger (we know that Moto doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to software, but this is how it can change things).
You can even buy a foldable for around iPhone 16 Plus money. The Motorola Razr 50 Ultra, for example, unfolds to offer a 6.9” screen and closes down to a fairly compact but still quite usable device with its 4” 165Hz cover display (both have LTPO panels). This one isn’t lacking on power with a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, but the camera situation is not for everyone – the 50MP main has a small sensor (1/1.95”) and there is no ultra wide, Moto chose a 50MP 2x portrait camera instead. The battery offers pretty good endurance with 4,000mAh capacity and is fast to charge at 45W over USB-C (there’s also 15W wireless).
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