Were you waiting for the iPhone 16 announcement to decide between the new iPhones and last year’s best iPhone, the iPhone 15 Pro? Well, you might be out of luck, as Apple has discontinued the iPhone 15 Pro and its bigger sibling, the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
While this isn’t necessarily a shock, considering Apple discontinues its Pro model iPhones every year, it does handcuff new buyers wanting to use Apple Intelligence, Apple’s suite of AI tools.
Until this week, the only iPhones capable of the upcoming Apple Intelligence features like proofreading, Genmoji, and Siri’s overhaul were the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, but now you can’t buy them from Apple anymore.
Instead, Apple’s lineup of iPhones now includes the iPhone SE, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Of these, only the 16 lineup can use the new AI technology.
It’s worth noting that you’ll be able to pick up the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max for the same price as last year’s 15 Pro and Pro Max, although it would’ve been nice to see Apple include the old Pro devices to offer an extra option for those who don’t want the iPhone 16, but don’t want to fork out for the Pro.
There’s still hope
As it stands, you can still pick up the 15 Pro and Pro Max from carriers, but the offers on the older models might not last for long, with emphasis pushed towards Apple’s new shiny smartphones.
In terms of Apple Intelligence capabilities, expect all but one of the same features on the new iPhones and last year’s offering. Visual Intelligence, Apple’s Google Lens competition, is activated from the new Camera Control side button, which is exclusive to the iPhone 16 line, so iPhone 15 Pro owners will miss out on that particular AI tool.
If you’re unsure about whether to pick up an iPhone 15 Pro for Apple Intelligence or opt for the iPhone 16, check out our hands-on iPhone 16 review and our hands-on iPhone 16 Pro review to see how they fare with Apple Intelligence.