5 things the iPhone 16 needs to do to beat the Samsung Galaxy S24
Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series, consisting of the standard Galaxy S24 Plus and the mighty Galaxy S24 Ultra, are among the best phones you can buy right now. And they’re legitimate rivals to the iPhone 15 family.
I’d go so far as to say that the Galaxy S24, and especially the S24 Ultra, beats Apple’s phone in terms of hardware. And I say that as an iPhone 15 Pro Max user.
So the question is, what can the iPhone 16 lineup rumors do to keep Samsung’s Galaxy phones at bay? Well, I have some ideas.
Faster charging
The Galaxy S24 phones can’t match the OnePlus 12 in terms of fast charging, but they are faster than the iPhone 15.
While I advocate for well-timed charging to preserve battery life, I do think the iPhone 16 could deliver more charging wattage. The iPhone 15 Pro Max can charge at best at 27 watts with a compatible charger, but a Galaxy S24 Ultra can charge with a 45W charger. So I think it’s time for Apple to take some inspiration from its South Korean rival and implement some faster charging.
Integrated AI
An obvious one, but with the AI features on the Galaxy S24 phones – and indeed the new range of Google Pixel 9 phones – Apple is lagging behind in the smart smartphone department.
What’s important here is to see truly integrated AI – not nice-to-have features. Apple’s iOS and its ecosystem are pretty seamless to use, so I expect all the AI features to be the same. While it seems unlikely we’ll see a barrage of Apple intelligence features in the next generation of iPhones, I do hope we see some clever tools; for example, custom auto-responders to calls and texts, or the ability for Siri to come up with a clear agenda of someone’s week by pulling in email and calendar data, then integrating it with Maps to come up with ideas for where to grab lunch on Tuesday between meetings, and so on.
More professional cameras
I think Apple has the best camera phones, despite TechRadar’s overall preference for the Galaxy S24 Ultra. For me, the iPhone cameras have offered a consistently high level of performance across both photos and video, which makes the phones fantastic.
However, I think the options to fine-tune a recording are limited. Maybe it’s just me, but I think Apple could do more here.
And with all the Neural Engine processing being touted by the Cupertino crew, I’d like to see Apple’s computational photography take another step forward – say, better handling of highlights and shadows without sacrificing contrast. Or smarter shot guidance so people can better capture what they see or expect to see in a photo.
Push gaming more
With the A17 Pro chip in the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, Apple touted the ability to run console-quality games like Death Stranding. And the phones were able to do just that, albeit imperfectly.
I still think there’s untapped potential, especially with Apple Arcade. So I’d like to see all four predicted iPhone 16 models get powerful chips that can run games normally designed for PS5 or Xbox Series X.
Add to that Apple’s developer ecosystem and we could see a new generation of mobile games that rise above other games and offer experiences that other devices, including even the best Android phones, can’t provide.
Pro potential
Speaking of power, the current Pro iPhones don’t lack for it, but outside of some limited gaming, I found it difficult to make use of all that power. The Galaxy S24 phones, on the other hand, can offer Samsung DeX, with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip capable of powering a pseudo-desktop experience; while not perfect, it could serve as a passable work machine in a pinch.
It’s wishful thinking, knowing Apple, but I’d like to see something similar. We’ve seen iPads become increasingly similar to MacBooks, so I see no reason why an iPhone couldn’t run a semi-desktop version of iOS via a wired or wireless connection to a monitor – Apple could even offer a dedicated hub so it has something to sell alongside that option.
If anything, such an option would make editing photos and video captured on a Pro iPhone a lot more refined than trying to tap a screen. I’ll live in hope that somewhere, an Apple engineer will read this…
And since iPhones are iPhones, the iPhone 16 models are going to be popular regardless of whether Apple adopts my wishes.
However, the competition from Android phones has never been stronger, so I think Apple could use something special for the next generation of iPhones to keep smartphone enthusiasts’ eyes firmly on the house that Steve Jobs built.
