Ok, so thanks to input from others in this thread as well as me comparing iPhone 15 and 16s for me personally this is my take.
I would be tempted for fun to try a less expensive iPhone. Really nothing to lose. $599 - $250 (trade in pice expires in April 2025) for trading in my iPhone 13 from Apple brings it to $450.
Being I like electronics it would have been fun to try an entry level Apple phone, one that has really beefed up some specs to their flagship phones. Such as the main camera, processor, longer battery life than even the more expensive iPhone 16, same type of screen, exact same camera but just one, not two of the 16 and a selfie. I mean really, I love that simplicity thought! I also like the price, meaning, if I get bored with it, I can justify selling it and getting another a year down the road.
I like well constructed more basic stuff. I find in a lot of devices that I do not use all the marketing options (fluff) anyway.
I just want great well made phone with
world class camera (very important), great screen this checks all the boxes. I dont need multiple lens, not bad to have but if the main camera is world class I could care less almost.
(now the negatives for me) EXCEPT - the screen although the same will be slightly more dim in direct sunlight and will not turn down as much in complete darkness. I would question if most people would notice unless comparing side by side. But the biggest problem for me is lack of "Precision Finding" for AirTags.
My wife and I have a LOT of AirTags and the 16e will still work with them but it will only show the location. With precision finding of the main iPhones, once you get near an item it will actually point you in the direction of the air tag and tell you approx. how many feet away you are.
1. True story, its not like we use them a lot but recent trip last Nov 2024 one of our luggage did not arrive at the airport turnstile when we arrived home, fired up the iPhone and showed the missing luggage still at the tarmac of the airport we left hours before. In this case the 16e would work exactly like the other iPhones.
2. Restaurant this past weekend, we were eating dinner and my iPhone sent me a message that my wallet was no longer in range (this never happens typically) I nearly had a heart attack! So I got up and walked the parking lot, as I got close to the car the iPhone 13 zero'd in, pointed at the car and there is was in the front seat. The 16e would have shown the parking lot but not the car. Sounds like not a big deal but if I dropped the walled in the parking lot the regular iPhone 13 would have steered me to it if it was laying on the ground someplace and the 16e would only show the parking lot.
AS far as things like this It wouldnt matter to me. This is a phone, with a 6 inch screen, even if you were near a tower, you cant use the bandwidth anyway and at home? Same deal. As far as cameras, yeah, that is a bit more an issue but one must keep in mind, one really good camera is to me way better then multiple cheaper cameras.
I cold care less about the two below.
<a href="
https://www.apple.com/au/airtag/#footnote-1">1</a>
SO I pretty much left with do I wait until the 2017 models come out? Im thinking no (maybe), I will let you know but I may pull the trigger on a iPhone 15plus direct from Apple simple because they make the process easy and will give me $250 for my iPhone 13. Im not sold on the iPhone 16plus for the extra $100, really a $100 is nothing but brings me to close to what I think is an insane amount of money for what I need. But the new 16 series come with "Apple Intelligence" Well remember me not liking "fluff" the Intelligence is a work in progress and not that important to me. Have Apple get back to me in 2 years when it is more complete. I actually shocked in the way they market it when its not even complete.
For those in the Android world (as well as those who hate Apple) I would look no further than the Google Pixel 8A and soon to be released 9A in the mid priced range and seems to me more complete than the 16e but I know nothing about them except FANTASTIC reviews. For Android that is all I would get, no others. Since I distrust and hate Google everything its not for me BUT if my wife and I were not fully in Apple Ecosystem it would be my go to phone if I went Android. For fun, if it was possible to integrate all my Apple stuff with google I might be tempted to try one of those too. I dont think you can go wrong with those in the Android
world. Personally Im not thrilled about the looks of the Pixel but I would get over it.
