September is here and, like clockwork, so are new iPhones. Apple unveiled its latest iPhone models at an event in Cupertino today, and as expected, the iPhone 16 handsets are largely iterative of last year’s models. While the smartphones took center stage (per usual), Apple also showed off the newest version of the Apple Watch, plus two new pairs of AirPods. The company also went into detail on its latest mobile chipset that powers the new iPhones, and reminded folks what they can expect when iOS 18 launches later this month. If you weren’t able to catch the announcements live, Engadget has you covered; here’s everything announced at Apple’s iPhone 16 event.
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus
Apple
Apple unveiled the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus at the event, which feature a water- and dust-resistant design and new colors including ultramarine, teal and pink. The iPhone 16 has a 6.1-inch display, while the iPhone 16 Plus has a 6.7-inch display. Both of those can achieve up to 2,000 nits of brightness, and can go all the way down to one nit in the dark. The Action button has found its way to this series of iPhones as well, and it’s just as customizable as the one we saw on last year’s Pro-model iPhones.
There’s also a new easy-access camera control “button” of sorts, which allows you to quick access and control the camera with a slide of your finger. Users can also use this tool to access Visual Intelligence, an AI-powered feature coming in iOS 18 that can tell you more about anything you point your camera at. It appears similar to Google Lens, and it can do things like add live event dates to your calendar after you point your camera at a flyer you see on the street. The camera array on the standard iPhone 16 models includes a 48-megapixel main shooter, a 12MP telephoto lens and a new ultrawide camera with autofocus. This array will also be able to capture Spatial Photos that can be viewed on Apple’s Vision Pro.
Both standard iPhone 16 models run on the new A18 chip, which has a 16-core neural engine optimized for generative models. The internals feature a 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU, both of which will be crucial for powering all of the new Apple Intelligence features coming to iOS 18.
According to Apple, both the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have larger batteries than their predecessors, and when combined with the efficiencies added from the A18 chipset and iOS 18 improvements, should make for a much longer-lasting battery lives overall (although Apple did not provide an exact estimate). Both the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are available for preorder today starting at $799 and $899, respectively, and will be widely available on September 20.
AirPods 4
Apple
AirPods 4 launched today during the iPhone 16 event, as rumors suggested. These new buds have a redesigned bud shape that’s suppose to better fit more ear shapes and be more comfortable overall. They have the H2 chip inside, which will provide improved audio quality and enable features like Personalized Spatial Audio. The charging case has a USB-C port, and it’s the smallest AirPods charging case to date.
In addition to the regular AirPods 4, there will be a second model that includes support for active noise cancellation and Transparency mode. Conversation Awareness will also automatically lower your media volume level when the buds detect you start talking to someone. The standard AirPods 4 cost $129 and the AirPods 4 with ANC cost $179; both are available for preorder today and will be widely available on September 20.
AirPods Max new colors
Apple didn’t reinvent the wheel with the updated AirPods Max. Instead, they’ll be available in a few new colors and support USB-C charging. The new colors can be preordered today for $549 and will be widely available on September 20.
AirPods Pro new hearing features
Apple announced new features coming to the second-gen AirPods Pro that are designed to help prevent and increase awareness around hearing loss. A feature called “Hearing Protection” will be turned on by default, and a users will be able to take a clinically validated hearing test to see if they already have some hearing loss. On top of that, AirPods Pro will have a hearing aid feature built-in as well and will work with a hearing profile created after a user takes the hearing test.
Apple Watch Series 10
Apple
Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 10 today, the natural successor to last year’s Series 9. It has the biggest display and thinnest design ever on an Apple Watch, and the wide-angle OLED display is even a bit larger than that on the Apple Watch Ultra. The case has more rounded corners and a wider aspect ratio, both of which, combined with the larger screen, should provide more space to interact with graphics and text on the watch. Apple claims the screen is 40 percent brighter when looked at from an angle, and it’ll show a second hand even when your wrist is down.
The Apple Watch Series 10 is powered by the new S10 SiP, which Apple claims is built for performance, power efficiency and intelligence (i.e. Apple Intelligence). One example of Apple Intelligence at work on the Series 10 is the new Photos watch face, which will curate the best photos from your library and serve them up to you automatically.
When it comes to fitness features, Apple announced that the latest version of watchOS will allow the Series 10 to detect signs of sleep apnea, provided you’re wearing your Series 10 to sleep regularly. Apple claims it’s awaiting FDA clearance, and it expects the sleep apnea detection feature to launch in more than 150 countries. Elsewhere in the activity sphere, the Series 10 will have scuba tracking features and it will support the new Tides app in watchOS 11.
Another new feature is the ability to play audio directly from the Watch’s speaker, which could be helpful if you don’t have AirPods or another pair of Bluetooth earbuds handy. The Apple Watch Series 10 be available in a new polished, jet-black aluminum finish and a polished titanium finish that comes in silver, gold and slate gray. It’s available for pre-order today and will be widely available on September 20.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 new finish
While there have been a bunch of swirling rumors about the next iteration of the Apple Watch Ultra, the company did not reveal the third generation sportswatch today. Instead, Apple revealed a new finish for the Apple Watch Ultra 2: satin black. There are also new Hermes finishes, and a new Milanese band to accompany the new satin black finish.
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Catch up on all the news from Apple’s iPhone 16 event!