Need some help from the Apple guys - Iphone 14 Pro v. 16 Pro

Joined
Apr 13, 2017
Messages
539
Location
PA
I tend to keep phones for a while - and my Iphone 8 is about useless.

I'm looking at an Iphone 14 Pro refurbished on the apple site for $929. Is a 16 Pro worth the upgrade? (I want a good camera for photos - I am blown away by the quality my buddy gets out of his older pro model).

I do not usually buy the current version - a 15 would be ideal - but I can't find one that isn't an amazon refurb.

It would be nice to have USB-C, but I guess I can hold off.

Any help appreciated...
 
I'd say your 8 has given you it's money's worth.

Any of the last few years Pro models are going to blow away what you have. The USB-C deal is a double edge, for me, my 13 Pro Max is the last of the lightning items I have, but upgrading just for a different port isn't worth it yet.

The non-pro version is even going to blow away the camera on the 8, but the real goodies are saved for the pro.

If you're willing to be indebted to your cell carrier for 2-3 years, see what deal they're offering. In my opinion, if you're wanting the most life out of a device, you should be looking at the latest and greatest for the year that you're buying it. Apple generally supports devices with software updates for a long time so there isn't as much risk buying a 1-2 year old iPhone as there would be buying an Android device of the same vintage. For example, iOS18 will run on devices as old as the iPhone Xr.
 
How much more is the 16 pro? If not much more (couple hundo), go for the newer model.

It also depends on what you need the phone for. I have a 13 Pro Max and my wife has a 13 Pro. Both take amazing pics and videos, especially compared to my old XR. I have no issues gaming either.

A 16 should; however, be supported with new iOS updates for a couple of years longer than the 14, though the 14 is a ways off from being obsolete.

Finally, don’t discount the regular iPhones. The 16 plus looks like what I would get if I were in the market today.
 
I have a 14 Pro and my wife has a 14 max, both were purchased new. Incidentally, both use lighting cords, the 15 and up use USB-c. We are very pleased with them and the cameras are excellent.
 
As someone who just upgraded from an iPhone 8 to a regular 16. I would say go with the iPhone 16, doesn’t matter if it’s the pro or not. The upgrade was night and day difference for me.
 
$1k for a two generation old device seems quite steep IMO.
I would go for the latest 16 pro. It starts at $999 so really why even go for an old refurbished phone?

$929 for a 2-model old, refurbished phone or $70 more for a brand new, absolute newest model. You're really asking this ?
I just checked Apple's website.

The $929 iPhone 14 Pro is for one with 512GB of storage. That's why the price is so close to a new "base model" 16 Pro. A comparable 16 Pro is $1299.

Apple's refurbished offerings are not where you find deep discounts. But it's where you find a guaranteed Apple refurbished device for less than retail. It'll come with a new battery, warranty and the ability to purchase AppleCare if you desire.
 
The $929 iPhone 14 Pro is for one with 512GB of storage. That's why the price is so close to a new "base model" 16 Pro. A comparable 16 Pro is $1299.
Fair enough, but IMO, 512gb of storage really isn't necessary. Of course I cant' convince my wife of this.... I've never had more than 128gb and have been fine. I'm sitting at 48 gb used out of 128 gb available. That said, a 256gb model is $1099.
But it's where you find a guaranteed Apple refurbished device for less than retail. It'll come with a new battery, warranty and the ability to purchase AppleCare if you desire.
They are excellent options if the price is right. They are effectively new phones other than the motherboard. They even get a new screen/digitizer.
 
Last edited:
I got $800 trade in with Verizon toward an iphone 16 for my daughter (her 13 charge port broke) and then the same for a 16 Pro Max for my wife (using an old galaxy S8). Upgrading wife's to give my mom the 13 pro max for larger screen and newer IOS for her hearing aid app. Did you check with your carrier?
 
I regularly buy Apple Refurbished products, have for years. They are as good as new imo. That being said, that is way too expensive for a 14 Pro. Go with the 16 Pro.
 
Fair enough, but IMO, 512gb of storage really isn't necessary. Of course I cant' convince my wife of this.... I've never had more than 128gb and have been fine. I'm sitting at 48 gb used out of 128 gb available. That said, a 256gb model is $1099.

They are excellent options if the price is right. They are effectively new phones other than the motherboard. They even get a new screen/digitizer.
I agree with you and I do the same and purchase the min 128gb iPhone memory.

There is one thing that can really use up storage and that is if you want to do a lot of video in 4k. I use standard 720 a 30 FPS but check out this chart if you use 1080p to 4k it really starts getting crazy. I dont produce anything so the smaller (if you can call it that) files are easier to handle, process and send to people. On the small screens you wouldn't be able to tell the difference unless you were getting up to large TV size screens and still the 720 will be acceptable. If I had a new iPhone pro, I might be tempted to bump up the storage but it may already come with that, not sure. If not 256 for sure.

I am not saying what I need or do is right for other people. If you're for example an influencer or producer you might as well go for the whole deal. 60 seconds of 24fps to 60fps 4k video uses between 270 and 400mb of storage respectively. (every 60 seconds!)

IMG_0449.webp
 
I just checked Apple's website.

The $929 iPhone 14 Pro is for one with 512GB of storage. That's why the price is so close to a new "base model" 16 Pro. A comparable 16 Pro is $1299.

Apple's refurbished offerings are not where you find deep discounts. But it's where you find a guaranteed Apple refurbished device for less than retail. It'll come with a new battery, warranty and the ability to purchase AppleCare if you desire.

Only the memory is comparable, the rest of the phone isn't. And we're not even comparing a brand new vs brand new. I don't care who refurbishes the device, it is still used and refurbished. The $999 iPhone 16 pro has 128gb of internal memory, more than enough for an average user. The iPhone14 pro, on the other hand, is already two years into being cut off from major OS updates and the likelihood of each update messing it up just goes up dramatically the older the device gets. Just look at the apprehension of some iPhone 13 and 12 users to upgrading to iOS18.

The price difference simply makes no sense in this particular scenario IMO.
 
With technology products, and especially mature categories that mostly see incremental upgrades, the time to buy is when actual shifts, or changes occur that serve as demarcation points. Those also serve as cutoff points when internal decisions are made as to what hardware is going to receive continued support going forward. Especially for Apple. You want to buy when their products make discernible steps…like Touch ID, then Face ID, OLED, and so on, and hopefully land on the "right" side of those lines that will become clearer only as time passes.

The 16/16 Pro has at least two of these, compared to the 14 Pro.

Apple Intelligence. It, and general AI's utility still have to be proven, but what is certain is that only hardware introduced this year will support it. And to support it requires a capable processor and sufficient memory, both of which only the 16/16 Pro possess. The necessary requirements have made the former a beefier model than it might have been, if not for the push for such a feature, due to its potential importance going forward.

Larger camera sensor and periscope lens (Pro). Bench racing doesn't tell the whole story, especially with cameras (recall the megapixel race), but the 16s have better hardware. The potential issue here is that smartphone cameras rely heavily on processing to help overcome the limitations of their camera hardware, and the newer models have been criticized for looking too processed. But, the better hardware can capture more raw data, and be processed manually.

USB-C. It seems like an easy thing to live without for the time being, but it is the modern and versatile standard, and the only standard going forward. Lighting is a legacy standard that will fade, with no reason to buy into it, or an Intel-based Mac.

In the end, the line between pre-AI, and post-AI, is one that shouldn't be ignored. How much practical utility the features will have will depend on the user, and how well they end up working, but at least internally, the thinking and decision making is going to be heavily influenced by that line.

The newer hardware is just at the beginning of its support cycle, and the hardware upgrades it has also make it more likely that it will be supported for a longer period, and not reach the support EOL point sooner. In short, the old "buy the best you can afford" mantra, especially for those who follow a long term ownership cycle.

As others have pointed out, the 16 might be a good compromise, lacking only some flashier features that many might not find essential.

Personally, I have an XS that still does what I need it to do, and decent battery capacity; I don't play carrier games so it was fully out of pocket. Touch ID never worked well for me, but Face ID has been smoother and better than I ever hoped for. The X represented a big shift, and the XS a more polished version. It shipped with iOS 12, and if 18 ends up being the last supported version, will have had six major OS updates.

I'd buy a 16 Pro if it broke, or my hand was forced today. But I can afford to hold out for the 17, and the second generation of the hardware that Apple deems necessary in an AI future, and hope that a similar ownership cycle repeats itself.
 
I tend to keep phones for a while - and my Iphone 8 is about useless.

I'm looking at an Iphone 14 Pro refurbished on the apple site for $929. Is a 16 Pro worth the upgrade? (I want a good camera for photos - I am blown away by the quality my buddy gets out of his older pro model).

I do not usually buy the current version - a 15 would be ideal - but I can't find one that isn't an amazon refurb.

It would be nice to have USB-C, but I guess I can hold off.

Any help appreciated...
I'm selling my 256gb 15 Pro for less than the $929, but yes, half the storage. I'm listing on FB marketplace with an Apple MagSafe case, the original box, etc.

I just picked up the 16 Pro from Boost Mobile, having moved my Mint Mobile line there, I get a year of free service for buying the phone outright.

I don't even use 1/2 of 256GB, so that works for me.

I purchased a 256GB 13 Pro Max last year on Black Friday from an eBay reseller for $530 shipped to my home with a 1 year Allstate warranty.

Upgraded my MIL's XR and she couldn't be happier.

I'd consider some of eBay sellers. I purchased from directauth last year and the phone arrived will packed and shipped in a timely fashion.

I see ads for places like BackMarket and Gazelle, but have no experience with them.
 
There is one thing that can really use up storage and that is if you want to do a lot of video in 4k.
I agree with you there but for the average person, for as rarely as they might record a longer, HD video, they can easily offload it. 90% of people don't though and that's why they run out of space or "need" a 256/512 gb model.
 
I agree with you there but for the average person, for as rarely as they might record a longer, HD video, they can easily offload it. 90% of people don't though and that's why they run out of space or "need" a 256/512 gb model.
As Americans, we are hoarders 🙃
We save stuff that nobody is going to want once we leave this earth.
I try to keep it under control and I have thousands of photographs and hundreds of videos that I know no one is going to ever want and I do go and try to keep going through stuff and deleting it
Because in reality, just a couple of these images turned into photographs and maybe five different photograph holder books is enough for any family member to want.

Same goes for the storage facilities. Oh my God in the coastal Carolinas there’s like one on every corner. It’s retarded. LOL
We are burning our children with having to throw all this junk away because we can’t make up our mind too. I haven’t given in on the storage facility. That is just crazy.
 
Thanks folks - appreciate all the comments. My current phone was an apple refurb they gave me as a warranty replacement at the apple store. (They warrantied a refurb I originally bought on ebay - which they didn't have to do - so they earned a customer). I may have gotten lucky, but it has worked out great.

Most of my photos / videos are icloud now, unlike years past where storage was a major issue.

My one potential gripe is the photo button on the 16 (possibly pro model only?) - some reviews say it is easy to trip by mistake.

I think my choice is down to a 16 base or 16 pro.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top