With the summer wrapping up, you know that it's time for Tim Cook and co. to bring us another keynote. This year, Apple's "It's Glowtime" event unveiled the iPhone 16 family of devices, Series 10 of the Apple Watch, and new AirPods. The company also took some time to run through some of the changes and quality-of-life updates in iOS 18 and watchOS 11.
iPhone 16
Both the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models see substantial changes across the board. Both levels of the lineup include the brand-new innovated camera control button, which incorporates a tactile button with touch gestures to capture photos and videos quickly. The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have maintained screen sizes of 6.1 and 6.7-inches, respectively, keeping in line with the previous models. Meanwhile, iPhone 16 Pro sports a 6.3-inch display, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max has a large, 6.9” display, the largest display to date.
A18 Bionic Chip
The iPhone 16 models feature a generational jump with the A18 Bionic chip, while the Pro and Pro Max feature the all-new A18 Pro, all of which are designed to accommodate the new Apple Intelligence feature. Leveraging the power of the latest processors, Apple Intelligence changes the ways you interact with your device by providing you with extended writing tools, summarize your notifications, and even help you find that long-lost photo. Additionally, Siri has seen even more improvements thanks to Apple Intelligence, making the experience more natural, relevant, and personal.
A More Pro Camera
iPhone camera enthusiasts will be pleased to learn the cameras have been slightly reworked across both models. The base models still feature two cameras (Main and Ultra-Wide), but the lenses are stacked vertically instead of diagonally. The Pro models get an additional Telephoto lens thrown into the mix and a nice spec bump for the Ultra-Wide, going from 12MP to 48MP. While you'll still have to get the more expensive models if you want the best camera system, the Pro Max and Pro models now share identical camera systems which is great news for anyone that wanted a better camera but didn't want to upgrade to the bigger phone.
Apple Watch
This year Apple is planning on releasing the new Series 10 Apple Watch models. Like the iPhones, the biggest change this time around are the displays. The smaller watch is getting a bump from 41 to 42mm and the larger watch is going from 45 to 46mm, making it roughly the same size as the Apple Watch Ultra. New Sleep Apnea detection, reengineered speaker system, and new wide-angle OLED display makes the Series 10 a compelling device for all users.
Under the hood, Series 10 will come equipped with the new S10 SiP chip, which delivers significant performance and efficiency with a 64-bit dual-core design with four-core Neural Engine.
The Apple Watch Ultra, the "Pro" model aimed at serious athletes and professionals, received an update, too. This year's model, simply called the Watch Ultra 2 is equipped with the same internal S9 SiP chip from last generation but now comes in a sleek Black colorway.
AirPods 4
Apple brought the H2 chip to the AirPods 4 lineup. The AirPods 4 also features a redesign for all-day comfort. Using Apple Intelligence and ingrained improvements, the AirPods 4 has a new acoustic architecture giving you better sound with Personalized Spatial Audio capabilities.
Apple also announced the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, which reduces interruptions from noise. Transparency mode and adaptive audio controls work together to optimize your experience with minimal input on your part. Conversation Awareness reduces media volume once you start talking. Additionally, this particular model is compatible with Apple Watch or Qi chargers and includes a speaker for use with Find My proximity view.
The AirPods Pro 2 also saw some additional features including improved health benefits to work seamlessly with more applications. A new Hearing Aid feature will be deployed to assist with hearing loss.
AirPods Max also saw an improvement, adopting the USB-C charging port and coming in a series of new colors including Midnight, Blue, Purple, Orange, and Starlight.
Everything announced at today’s event will be available starting September 20th with preorders expected to go live shortly after the keynote.
What are your thoughts on today’s announcements? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to be on the lookout for more in-depth coverage once we’re able to spend more hands-on time with today’s announced devices.