The iPhone 16 is coming out next week, and I’ll order one of the four models as soon as preorders go live. I’ve been looking forward to the iPhone 16 series, mainly for Apple Intelligence features. But plenty of exciting upgrades are coming my way, including the Capture button, which I’ll surely put to good use once it comes out.
However, I also realize there’s a case for keeping my iPhone 14 Pro for another year. The handset is almost two years old, which means it’s still a great phone that can rock a couple of years of updates. It’s the equivalent of the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, models that will surely stay in Apple’s lineup for another year.
How long do people keep their iPhones?
I got the iPhone 14 Pro when preorders started nearly two years ago. At the time, I was upgrading from a five-year-old iPhone X, which I purchased as soon as it came out in the fall of 2017. As a reminder, the iPhone X was slightly delayed compared to the iPhone 8 versions. Therefore, the iPhone X didn’t reach its fifth birthday. But what I’m saying here is that I’m not new to keeping iPhones for a while.
It’s not just me. Smartphone users keep their devices for two to three years, according to data from BankMyCell. But the average lifspan has dropped from 2.96 years in 2019 to 2.53 years in 2024. As for iPhones, they have a lifespan of four to ten years.
When I transitioned to the iPhone 14 Pro, I realized immediately that I could have purchased a non-Pro model without any issues. I’d have lost the Dynamic Island design the iPhone 14 Pros introduced and the better camera module. But the base iPhone 14 model would have met my needs.
Fast-forward to the present, and I have to say the iPhone 14 Pro is still an amazing device. It sustained no damage since I got and it didn’t need any servicing of any kind.
It runs everything flawlessly, and the camera is still good enough for most things. But yes, it could do better in low-light photography. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 Pro will also feature an ultrawide camera and a tetraprism zoom camera.
My iPhone 14 Pro is too old for Apple Intelligence
I’ve been running iOS 18 in beta since WWDC, and the iPhone 14 Pro had no issues running it. The only thing I can’t experience is Apple Intelligence.
First, the iPhone 14 Pro has only 6GB of RAM, which is insufficient for Apple’s AI. The chip’s Neural Engine might not be strong enough, but the RAM is a bottleneck.
Secondly, Apple Intelligence isn’t available in the European Union. It’ll take a while until Apple launches it here. On that note, the iPhone 16 will probably not run any Apple Intelligence at launch. Instead, you’ll have to wait until October for the iOS 18.1 update to start using Apple Intelligence.
Even then, not all the AI features Apple unveiled at WWDC will be available on the iPhone 15 Pros and iPhone 16. Some will come out via successive iOS 18 upgrades. The list includes ChatGPT integration and the smart Siri we saw at WWDC.
If Apple finishes Its Intelligence deployment in early 2025, the EU will likely get the full suite of features several months later. I’m only speculating here, but I could always wait for the iPhone 17 instead.
Staying with the iPhone 14 Pro for another year would be equivalent to getting a cheaper iPhone 15 or iPhone 14 variant next week. I would be in a non-AI world. That’s not a problem for iPhone users who are uninterested in AI. iOS 18 has plenty of new features that have nothing to do with generative AI that are worth taking advantage of.
The problems
The only thing that worries me at this point is battery life. After almost two years, the iPhone 14 Pro is at 88% battery health. Unlike others, I’ve had great battery life until I switched to iOS 18. The iPhone would last more than a day with a lot of use. Daily charging is a must now.
The iPhone 16 phones will all feature larger battery packs. More interestingly, the iPhone 16 Pros might introduce new battery tech that could improve battery life and battery health.
I could always have my battery serviced once it reaches 80% health. I’d still save money compared to getting an iPhone 16 model. On that note, I’ll buy a new Apple Watch even before I order the iPhone 16. The battery health of the former is the reason why.
Since I’m complaining, I have another issue with my iPhone 14 Pro, which I keep randomly experiencing when roaming in Europe. The phones sometimes struggle to connect to a network, though carriers certainly have a role to play in that. The iPhone 16 should feature newer modems. Hopefully, connectivity issues will disappear.
That said, I can’t ignore all the other iPhone 16 upgrades I’ll get once I leave my iPhone 14 Pro behind. They have nothing to do with AI, though I want Apple Intelligence in my iPhone experience, even if that means waiting for it.
