Hi all. Just a quick reminder that Apple’s new iPhone 16 line goes on sale today, both online and in retail stores. The models are:

• 16 (base model)
• 16 Plus (same thing, larger screen)
• 16 Pro (slightly larger than base model, superior camera)
• 16 Pro Max (same as Pro, with largest screen)

While online backorders are over a month for some models, retail stores will get some new shipments in daily if you don’t want to wait. Also, carriers have different inventory and availability than Apple does.

Configurations range from 128 GB storage to 1 TB storage. If you’re not sure, 256 GB is a safe bet, unless you shoot a lot of video or download a lot of movies, in which case, opt for 512 GB. 1 TB is probably not necessary, unless you like the security of knowing that you’ll have the very best performance possible because you will always have plenty of free space on your iPhone, which allows the device to perform at its best.

If you want to save money, and don’t mind committing to your new phone for three years and dealing with bureaucracy, the cheapest way is to get the phone through a carrier, such as Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile. They have promotions where they offer up to $1,000 when you trade in your old phone — in some cases a very old or even broken phone — which is much more (like, double or more) than Apple will give you. How this works is that you pay off the cost of the phone in 36 monthly installments; they give you a corresponding credit every month. (If you want to replace your phone before the term ends, you have to pay off the remaining cost of the phone, and you forfeit the rest of the promotional credit.)

The major benefits of the iPhone 16 line are a new dedicated multifunction camera button, and the Pro model now acquires a 5x optical zoom, up from 3x, which was previously only available on Pro Max models. Later in the year, “Apple Intelligence” features will become available for all iPhone 16 models (as well as for the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max). The 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max also have slightly larger screens than their predecessors.