All four phones also have a ‘Camera control’ button that you can use as a camera shutter button.
Apple Intelligence is available as a free software update as part of iOS 18 coming in a few weeks – the iPhone 16 won’t even ship with the features installed – but the catch is very few other iPhone models will actually be able to run it at all. Only the new four iPhone 16 handsets as well as the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will be able to use these new AI smarts.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing if you aren’t bothered about what these tools bring to the iPhone. If that sounds like you, this could be the perfect time to invest in a slightly older iPhone like the iPhone 14. First launched in 2022, the iPhone 14 is still being sold by Apple and it has just had its price slashed in the wake of the iPhone 16 announcement.
The iPhone 14 now costs £599, and Apple continues to sell it on its website in the UK. This is a big £250 saving from the phone’s original price of £849. Apple recently sold it for £699, so now at £599 it is a great deal.
The larger iPhone 14 Plus is now sold for £699, also a £250 price cut from its original £849, though it has sold for less since the iPhone 15 came out in 2023.
Despite not being eligible for Apple Intelligence, the iPhone 14 will get all the other updates in iOS 18, which include being able to move app icons anywhere on the iPhone home screen for the first time, change the colour of app icons, and enjoy a redesigned Control Centre and Photos app.
Apple keeps its iPhone models up to date with the latest software several years after launch, and even 2018’s iPhone XS is getting iOS 18. That’s a full six years of software support. Given the iPhone 14 is only two years old at this point, if you buy one today you can reasonably expect another four years of updates till 2028 (Apple doesn’t officially promise a certain number of years unlike most Android manufacturers).
That’s not the only iPhone to see a price drop though, with Apple also continuing to sell 2023’s iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus at a discount. These premium phones now cost £699 and £799 respectively – that’s £100 less than their original prices of £799 and £899. Apple no longer sells the iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max.
If you want the latest cutting edge features on the iPhone 16 and handy new additions such as the Camera control shutter button then you’ll have to pony up at least £799 for the latest handset. But if you don’t need those bells and whistles and just want a solid, dependable iPhone, then going for the iPhone 14 or 15 at a greatly reduced price could represent excellent value for money.