iPhone 16, new AirPods and other highlights from Apple’s product presentation

Apple clearly put a spotlight on artificial intelligence as it unveiled its highly anticipated iPhone 16 along with a slew of new features that will come with the device’s next operating system update. While the new phone lineup headlined Monday’s presentation, the tech giant also shared updates to its smartwatch and AirPods lineups.

Here are all the biggest announcements from Apple’s “Glowtime” event.

Apple Information

Apple’s core AI offerings are grouped together and billed as Apple Intelligence, first revealed 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 queries and be aware of on-screen actions happening on the phone, hopefully making it more useful.

What sets Apple apart from competitors Samsung and Google? The company is trying to uphold its long-standing commitment to privacy by adapting its AI so that most of its functions are handled on the device itself rather than in remote data centers. When a task requires a connection to a data center, Apple promises that it will be done in a tightly controlled manner to ensure that no personal data is stored remotely.

Most of Apple’s AI features will be rolled out as part of a free software update to iOS 18, the operating system that will power the iPhone 16, which will roll out from October to December. U.S. English will be the primary language at launch, but an update to support other languages ​​will come next year, Apple said.

iPhone 16 and the camera button

The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will feature slightly larger displays and variants of the powerful A18 chip, which gives Apple the computing power its devices need to run AI functions.

The iPhone 16 “was designed from the ground up for Apple Intelligence,” CEO Tim Cook said at Monday’s event.

At the other end of the spectrum, the biggest physical change to the iPhone 16 lineup comes in the form of a dedicated camera control button. The button responds to taps and gestures, allowing users to quickly take photos, preview a shot, or start video recording.

The button also allows owners to use something called Visual Intelligence, which will tell the iPhone 16 to automatically look for things you’re taking photos of.

The phones will go on sale starting September 20. The iPhone 16 will retail for $799, the Plus model for $899. The iPhone 16 Pro will cost $999, while the Pro Max will sell for $1,199.

Apple Watch Upgrades

The Apple Watch Series 10 features a larger, brighter wide-angle OLED display that will allow users to better view the watch from an angle. But Apple focused much of its presentation on the device’s ability to detect signs of sleep apnea.

The new device is also offered for the first time in a titanium finish, joining a long-standing trend in the watch industry to offer a stronger, lighter and perceived higher quality alternative to traditional materials.

The Series 10 watch starts at $399 and will be available on September 20.

Airpods turn into a listening device

The new AirPods 4 series will feature an improved chip for better audio quality and will feature more active noise cancellation.

If you frequently misplace your earbuds, the new AirPods will also play a sound when you locate them via the Find My app.

In a medical-focused update to the AirPods Pro 2, Apple said it will upgrade the devices so they can function as an over-the-counter hearing aid. A free software update will provide the upgrade and also include options to help protect hearing and the ability to administer a clinical-grade hearing test.

The AirPod 4 model costs $129, while the version with active noise cancellation will cost $179. They will both ship on September 20.

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