Price, not AI, is the deciding factor for potential iPhone 16 buyers
The biggest trend in smartphones right now is AI, an example of which is the AI-filled Google Pixel 9 line. For iPhone owners, however, AI might not be such a big deal.
This is evident from a survey among more than 2,000 American adults who own an iPhone, conducted by SalesCell (via 9to5Mac).
While Apple made a concerted effort to promote Apple Intelligence earlier this year, the survey found that only 21.9% of respondents considered AI to be the most important factor in whether they would upgrade, with 82.1% saying they would be happy to wait an extra month after launch for AI features to roll out.
So what are the key things that might entice people to upgrade to an iPhone 16? Well, according to this research, the most important factor is affordability, which – given that Apple has never been known for competitive pricing – could be a bad sign for its upcoming phones.
However, for only 30.9% of respondents this is still the most important factor. So there is no clear consensus on the most important aspect.
Secondly, there’s hope for a new thermal design to combat overheating. This is likely a response to the overheating issues that some iPhone 15 Pro models initially experienced.
Third is AI, so there’s at least some interest there. Then comes a faster chipset and the rumors of larger screen sizes on the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
But while just 19.3% of respondents consider larger screen sizes to be the top rumored iPhone 16 line, 54.9% said they’d like a larger iPhone, while just 12.9% said they’d wait for a new compact model.
Buttons seem boring
The rumors of the Capture button and the likely presence of the Action button on all four upcoming phones apparently didn’t excite many potential buyers. Only 19% said the latter was the most important factor in their purchase, while 17.7% said the former was the most important factor.
It might not come as a surprise to see even less interest in Wi-Fi 7 or a vertical camera lens array for the standard models, but the potential for new iPhone 16 colors was the thing that the fewest respondents saw as the most important factor in a potential purchase decision. That’s fair enough, especially if you’re going to put the phone in a case anyway.
Despite the fairly muted responses to some of the more high-profile feature rumors, 61.9% of respondents said they would likely purchase a model from the iPhone 16 line. The top reasons cited by those saying they wouldn’t include cost and being happy with their current iPhone.
Still, while there’s some interesting data here, it’s worth remembering that this is a small sample size relative to all the people considering an iPhone 16, and it only applies to the US – Apple’s largest market – and only to existing iPhone owners. So it certainly doesn’t tell the whole story.