Apple Event: Apple Glowtime Event, where the iPhone 16 will be launched, is scheduled for September 9
Los Angeles, California:
Apple Inc.’s flagship event of the year takes place on Monday, when the company rolls out its latest iPhones, paving the way for a new artificial intelligence platform.
The event kicks off on September 9 at 10am local time from Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. Apple doesn’t normally hold this event on Mondays, but the earlier timing means the company could be in for an eventful Tuesday: there’s a US presidential debate that day, and the European Commission is expected to announce a decision on whether Apple will receive $14 billion to pay taxes resulting from a long-standing agreement with Ireland.
The main product announcement will be the iPhone 16 line, but the company is also preparing major updates for both the Apple Watch and AirPods. Apple Intelligence – a new suite of AI tools that includes an updated Siri digital assistant – will also feature prominently. The event’s theme, “It’s Glowtime,” is a reference to Siri’s new interface.
The stakes are high for Apple, which appears to be proving to both consumers and Wall Street that it is now a major player in the field of generative artificial intelligence. But the company’s AI technology is still a work in progress. Apple Intelligence has suffered numerous delays, and many key features won’t be available until next year. For now, the technology is focused on summarizing messages and notifications, rather than matching the dazzling interactivity of competing systems.
Still, Monday’s updates will breathe new life into products that form the core of Apple’s device lineup and generate about 60% of the company’s annual revenue. They also stimulate consumer spending on services, an increasingly important source of revenue. Apple’s finances could use a boost. The company is just beginning its longest sales decline in decades.
Here’s everything expected to be announced during Monday’s presentation:
Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro. (Photographer: David Paul Morris / Bloomberg)
iPhone
In line with recent years, Apple is introducing four new iPhone models: the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max.
As in 2023, the changes to the non-Pro iPhones will be minor. The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will look like last year’s versions, including 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screen sizes and aluminum casings. They get faster processors and have a total of 8 gigabytes of memory (up from 6). That memory will help support Apple Intelligence and other features.
Those cheaper phones will get the same Action button currently on the Pro models, as well as vertically stacked rear cameras that support spatial video recording – the 3D clips viewable with Apple’s Vision Pro headsets.
The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, meanwhile, retain the design of the iPhone 15 Pro line, except for one notable change: the screens. Screen sizes increase to 6.3 inches from 6.3 inches on the smaller model (from 6.1 inches) and to 6.9 inches from 6.7 inches on the Max version. While the changes on both models represent an increase of less than 5%, the shift will come with bezels that are now about a third thinner. That should provide a sleeker overall appearance.
Like the iPhone 15 Pro line, the 16 Pro models will support Apple Intelligence with the addition of 8 gigabytes of memory. They also get faster chips with an improved neural engine that Apple says is optimized for AI.
Both iPhone 16 Pro models also get camera upgrades, including a move to a 48-megapixel lens from a 12-megapixel lens for the ultra-wide-angle camera. That corresponds to the megapixels of the standard wide-angle camera of last year’s model. The smaller iPhone 16 Pro also gets 5x optical zoom on the telephoto lens, up from 3x, matching the Max version.
The most significant camera improvement for both models: a dedicated, touch-sensitive button on the right side of the phone for taking photos and video. This button will be the biggest selling point for the new iPhones, aside from AI. It works similarly to a shutter button on a DSLR camera, allowing a user to press it lightly to focus on a subject and then press harder to take a photo. It will also be capacitive, allowing a user to swipe on it to switch between photo and video modes and zoom in and out.
While the phones will all look largely the same as last year, Apple is shaking up its color palette. The Pro models will now come in gold titanium replacing blue titanium, while the black, white and natural options will still be available. The non-Pro versions trade yellow for white and get new shades of green, pink and blue.
An AirPods display in an Apple store. (Photographer: Hollie Adams / Bloomberg)
AIRPODES
Apple is preparing two new AirPods models to replace the entry-level second-generation model and the mid-range third-generation model. Both new versions will resemble the AirPods Pro and include a new casing, USB-C charging, and improved audio quality.
Apple will differentiate the two models by giving the new mid-range version a more expensive casing with a speaker – making it easier to find with Apple’s Find My feature – and noise cancellation to match the AirPods Pro.
A few weeks ago, Apple discovered a bug in the upcoming AirPods that quickly drained the earbuds’ battery life. This issue was determined to be software related and was resolved before the factories shipped the products.
An important new feature is a greater boost for hearing health. Apple has been working to make the AirPods a hearing aid replacement as well as a hearing test device. The company is preparing to announce the improvements – codenamed Yodel – but they have been somewhat delayed and may not be available until later.
A new version of the AirPods Pro is still in the works, including an improved design and improved noise cancellation. It should be ready next year.
And Apple has been working on updated AirPods Max headphones that will come in new colors and switch the Lightning connector to USB-C to comply with the latest European Union laws. But there’s still plenty of current AirPods Max inventory on hand, suggesting the update could come later.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2. (Photographer: David Paul Morris / Bloomberg)
APPLE WATCH
For the first time in two years, the company is preparing to update all its Apple Watch models at once. There will be a new low-end Apple Watch SE, a mid-range Series 10 model and an Ultra 3.
The Apple Watch Ultra only gets minor tweaks, with an emphasis on internal upgrades rather than external changes.
The biggest upgrade to the Apple Watch line will come with the Series 10 model, which marks the tenth anniversary of the product’s introduction in 2014. For the first time since the Series 7, the flagship Apple Watch is getting a refreshed look.
The overall design will be similar to the Apple Watch Series 9, but the company will now offer slightly larger screen sizes and the watch case itself will be noticeably thinner.
While new AI features are coming to the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, don’t expect the watches to have major Apple Intelligence capabilities. Each AI technology will likely be specifically linked to a future health coaching service.
Earlier this year, Apple was forced to remove the blood-oxygen sensor from new watches due to a lawsuit with Masimo Corp. about patents. There’s no evidence that the feature will return in time for the latest models, and that could impact whether users want to upgrade their existing watches to versions that don’t have the feature.
However, there will be an important new health feature: sleep apnea detection, which will build on the existing sleep tracking. This feature attempts to determine if a wearer has sleep apnea and then suggests further testing with a medical professional. Although Apple is preparing to announce it, the improvement may not be available on the first day the new model goes on sale.
On the other hand, while Apple aimed to bring hypertension (or high blood pressure) detection to the Apple Watch this year, signs point to that feature being delayed and no longer in the cards for an immediate release.
Apple’s MacBook Pro. (Photographer: Samsul Said / Bloomberg)
OTHER PRODUCTS
Apple is working to transition its entire Mac line to M4 chips, starting with the MacBook Pro, Mac mini and iMac. But any Mac upgrades will likely come at a follow-up launch – no sooner than October – rather than at the September event.
Although the company has been working on an update for the Apple TV set-top box since this year, no new model has been released yet, and the device’s stable inventory suggests a new version isn’t immediately on the horizon.
A new iPhone SE with an OLED display, edge-to-edge screen and no home button is currently being extensively tested, but a release is not planned until next year. A new AirTag is also in development, although Apple is also not planning a release until next year.
There are also new iPads in the works, including an upgraded mini version. They’ll be on deck along with the M4 Macs for Apple’s October event.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)