iPhone 16 With Apple Intelligence: Do You Really Need It?

Apple’s next-generation smartphone series, the iPhone 16 lineup has been generating significant buzz, especially with the introduction of Apple Intelligence.

However, as Android devices continue to innovate, offering more features and customization options, and iPhone models being a costly investment, Apple may need to do more than just introduce new AI capabilities to maintain its market share. 

Therefore, as consumers weigh the benefits of upgrading let’s try to answer: do you really need the iPhone 16 with Apple Intelligence?

From An iPhone User’s Perspective

From my experience as an iPhone user, the allure of the iPhone 16 lies in its potential to enhance everyday tasks through Apple Intelligence. 

The integration of AI, especially with the expected improvements to Siri and other functionalities, could streamline how I manage my daily activities.

For instance, the anticipated enhancements in text editing and photo management could save me time and effort, making the device feel more like an extension of myself rather than just a tool.

However, considering I have an iPhone 14 Pro Max which was again an expensive investment, I am not completely convinced that the Apple Intelligence features are worth upgrading my iPhone yet. 

Similarly, the iPhone 15 models continue to deliver excellent performance, and for users who own these devices, the incremental improvements in the iPhone 16 may not justify the cost of an upgrade.

One of the more significant reasons behind my decision would be the availability of third-party AI platforms.

While Apple's proprietary AI features are limited to certain iPhone models, third-party AI platforms, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, and Perplexity.ai are all available to use via the web or their apps.

These platforms offer a wide range of functionalities, from writing assistance to task automation, and can be accessed through dedicated apps or web-based interfaces.

And for now, they are more than qualified to satisfy my current AI-related requirements.

Now, An Android User’s Perspective

As a long-time Android user, the flexibility that Google and its smartphone partners have built the platform on over time has made it difficult for me to make the switch away from Android to iPhone. 

Over the years, I’ve used everything from Google’s Nexus (and now Pixel) smartphones to those from OnePlus and Samsung, among others. While the pace of innovation and changes was high five years ago, the broader Android ecosystem has matured and new updates are now iterative, instead of revolutionary.

In light of this, AI has offered Google and its partners a new way to distinguish themselves from rivals, including Apple. Not for nothing has Google gone all-in on integrating its Gemini AI model across the system on the new Pixel 9 series. Everything from live translation to a super-powered virtual assistant and more – there are plenty of very interesting new features on offer.

I’ve had the itch to move away from Android for a while now because of two reasons – Android as an operating system has broadly remained the same for a few years now, and the grass has increasingly looked greener on the other side.

However, after having experienced Google’s new AI features and the overall polished hardware and software experience on the Pixel 9 series, I might give the iPhone a skip this year and look at it again next year, perhaps.

What Analysts Have To Say

Industry analysts have varied opinions on the necessity of the iPhone 16, particularly with the introduction of Apple Intelligence.

Deepwater Asset Management’s managing partner Gene Munster has said that iPhone sales could increase by as much as 15% next year as the iPhone 16 might encourage 10% of users planning to upgrade in 2026 to make the switch sooner.

Bloomberg columnist Mark Gurman has said that while Apple Intelligence will be the big marketing point for Apple, “It's hard to tell how much of an enticement this will be.… I don't think these features alone will be a reason to upgrade.”

In July, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that while Apple Intelligence is expected to boost iPhone 16 orders, its beta release will be limited to U.S. users with English-only Siri support. 

He added that expecting significant upgrades based solely on the beta version may be overly optimistic.

To Conclude

Undoubtedly, Apple Intelligence will be one of the highlights of the iPhone 16 launch.

Although Apple has been a latecomer to bringing consumer-facing AI features to the iPhone, some of the integrations it showed off at WWDC earlier this year have been thoughtful.

From assisting with writing emails to generating summaries so you can get your work done quickly and move on to other things, Apple’s approach has been more about baking AI in the core of the user experience rather than having AI features scream out loud to grab the attention of users.

How useful these features will be in attracting users is something that remains to be seen, although analysts seem to be optimistic about iPhone 16’s prospects thanks to Apple Intelligence.

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