A recent survey conducted by SellCell suggests that a significant majority of iPhone users are planning to upgrade to the upcoming iPhone 16 series, with many expressing a preference for a better thermal design to prevent overheating issues.
The survey, which polled over 2,000 US-based iPhone owners (1,000 males and 1,000 females), found that 61.9% of respondents plan to purchase an iPhone 16 model upon release.
Competitive pricing emerged as the most crucial factor, with 30.9% of respondents citing it as the primary influence on their decision to upgrade. But it was improved heat management that turned out to be another key area of interest, with 26.8% of users hoping for better thermal performance to prevent overheating issues.
Shortly after the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max were released last September, some customers began to experience an issue with the devices overheating. Apple eventually mitigated the problem with an iOS 17 update, but iPhone 16 models are expected to be equipped with a new thermal design to address potential overheating.
The SellCell survey also revealed significant interest in Apple Intelligence capabilities for the iPhone 16. A striking 82.1% of respondents expressed willingness to wait up to a month after release for the AI features to be fully implemented. Apple plans to release Apple Intelligence features in an iOS 18.1 update that is expected to arrive in October.
Another intriguing finding was the interest in larger displays for the iPhone 16 series. Despite the current iPhone 15 Pro Max already boasting a 6.7-inch screen, over half of the respondents (54.9%) indicated they would welcome even bigger iPhones. The finding chimes with expectations that the iPhone 16 Pro models will have slightly bigger displays.
However, there was a notable gender divide on the issue of display size. The majority of men (62.1%) were in favor of larger displays, while women are more evenly split, with 47.8% expressing interest in bigger screens. Some female respondents cited concerns about handling and holding larger devices comfortably.
For those who said they won't be buying the iPhone 16, most people (34.2%) cited the expense as the reason, closely followed by people who won't invest because they are keeping their existing phone (34.1%).
Apple is expected to announce its new iPhone 16 lineup next month at an event that could take place on Tuesday, September 10, although Apple has not yet provided official confirmation of the date.
