Top 3 Cutting-Edge Features of the New iPhone 16 That Make Upgrades Worth It

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

The iPhone 16 is almost here. Pre-orders for the iPhone 16 are live on Apple’s website, and the release date is scheduled for tomorrow, September 20. During the company’s recent ‘It’s Glowtime’ event , we looked at everything the next-generation device offers.

Also: We’ve used every iPhone 16 model and here’s our best buying advice for 2024

We saw refreshed designs, extra buttons, generative AI features, a new camera system, the A18 chipset, and more. Apple inundated its audience with so many reveals that it’s difficult to cover everything in detail.

However, the question remains: Is it worth upgrading to the iPhone 16? Below is a short list of the three features that’ll make you eager to upgrade as soon as possible.

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1. Camera Control button

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

The iPhone 16 receives a substantial update to its camera system. The device possesses a 48MP Fusion lens capable of taking wide-angle photographs and far-away shots, thanks to its 2X telephoto option. But what really caught my attention was the Camera Control button .

The button acts as a camera shortcut of sorts. Pushing it takes a photo, but the button also supports gesture controls. Swiping on the button with your thumb or finger lets you zoom in or out, while a double light-press presents you with various shooting modes, zoom lengths, photographic styles, and more. It’s a fun and intuitive way to take photos. The best part about the button is that it’s a great way to introduce more people to photography.

2. Siri 2.0 is arriving very soon

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Back during WWDC 2024 , Apple announced Siri would receive a much-needed upgrade. The company said Siri would gain conversational context, so it remembers what you just told it, and would soon be able to “take actions across apps”. As it turns out, the AI is obtaining exactly those features – and a whole lot more.

The new Siri can engage in more natural conversations. Users no longer need to constantly say the AI’s name over and over again to issue a command. Just saying “Siri” once is enough and you can then continue talking to the AI like you would a regular person. What’s more, Siri can understand you better – even if you make a mistake. Stuttering or mispeaking won’t ruin the input.

Also: Apple Intelligence will improve SIri in 2024, but don’t expect most updates until 2025

Everything mentioned so far is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s been reported that next year Siri will be able to find and act on items on-device based on your context. For example, you could ask the AI what time your mom’s flight is landing and Siri will pull together information from texts and emails, and then present this insight to you in a brief response.

3. A new AI-powered chipset

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

The iPhone 16’s new A18 chipset is powerful. The device’s spec sheet shows the hardware includes a 6-core CPU that is 30% faster than the iPhone 15’s processor. The A18 also has a “desktop-class GPU architecture” well-suited to “graphics-intensive games”.

Similarly to the processing unit, the graphics card inside the iPhone 16 is 40% faster than the iPhone 15’s GPU. What’s more, the A18 uses 30% less power than the A16.

Also: Why Apple’s new A18 chipsets make the iPhone 16 models worth upgrading to

In short, Apple’s next-generation device includes many improvements – and they are needed. Apple Intelligence , which is an important component of iOS 18, enables a wide array of AI features, from object removal in photographs to generative functions. The AI platform will be a major element of iPhones for the foreseeable future – and the right hardware to support these features will be essential.

Besides Apple Intelilgence, the A18 chipset should enable faster processing speeds and better power efficiency. We’ll know if that’s the case when we get the iPhone 16 for a future review. Be sure to stay tuned for our upcoming coverage.