CUPERTINO, California — Apple shifted its focus entirely to artificial intelligence with the unveiling of its highly anticipated iPhone 16, along with a slew of new features coming with the device’s next operating system update. While the new phone line led Monday’s showcase, the tech giant also shared updates to its smartwatch and AirPod lines.
Here are the biggest announcements from Apple’s “Glowtime” event.
Apple’s core artificial intelligence offerings are packaged and billed as Apple Intelligence, which was first unveiled at the company’s developer conference in June.
These features include the ability to search for images in your library by describing them, create custom emojis, summarize emails, and prioritize notifications. Apple Intelligence will also upgrade Apple’s virtual assistant Siri to better understand requests and make it somewhat aware of on-screen actions happening on the phone, hopefully making it more useful.
What sets Apple apart from what rivals Samsung and Google offer? It’s trying to maintain its longstanding commitment to privacy by tailoring its AI so that most functions are processed on the device itself, rather than in remote data centers. When a task does require a connection to a data center, Apple promises that it will do so in a strictly controlled manner so that no personal data is stored remotely.
Most of Apple’s AI features will roll out as part of a free software update to iOS 18, the operating system that powers the iPhone 16, rolling out from October through December. The native language at launch will be U.S. English, with an update enabling other languages coming next year, Apple said.
The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max get slightly larger screens and feature variants of the powerful A18 chip, which gives Apple the processing power needed to run AI functions.
The iPhone 16 “was designed from the ground up for Apple Intelligence,” CEO Tim Cook said during Monday’s event.
On the other end of the spectrum, the biggest physical change to the iPhone 16 line comes in the form of a dedicated camera control button. The button responds to clicks and gestures, allowing users to quickly take a photo, preview a shot, or start recording video.
The button also lets owners tap into Visual Intelligence, which allows iPhone 16 to automatically search for things you take a photo of.
The phones will ship starting on September 20. The iPhone 16 will retail for $799, while the Plus model will retail for $899. The iPhone 16 Pro will cost $999, while the Pro Max will retail for $1,199.
The Apple Watch Series 10 has a larger, brighter OLED display with a wide viewing angle, allowing users to better view the watch from an angle. But Apple’s main focus of its presentation was on the device’s ability to detect signs of sleep apnea.
The new device is also offered in a titanium finish for the first time, following a long-standing trend in the watch industry to offer a stronger, lighter, and higher-quality alternative to traditional materials.
The Series 10 watch starts at $399 and will be available from September 20.
The new AirPods 4 series comes with an improved chip for better sound quality and features more active noise cancellation.
If you often misplace your earbuds, the new AirPods will also play a sound when you locate them via the Find My app.
In a medically focused update to the AirPods Pro 2, Apple said it will upgrade the devices to function as an over-the-counter hearing aid. A free software update will provide the upgrade and also include options to protect hearing and the ability to perform a clinical hearing test.
The AirPod 4 model will cost $129, while the version with active noise cancellation will cost $179. They both ship on September 20.