September is here, and like clockwork, so are the new iPhones. Apple unveiled its latest iPhone models at its event in Cupertino today, and as expected, the iPhone 16 handsets largely repeat last year’s models. While the focus was on the standard and Pro versions of the smartphone, Apple also showed off the new Apple Watch Series 10, two new pairs of AirPods, and detailed hearing aid features coming to the second-generation AirPods Pro. The company also detailed the latest mobile chipsets powering the new iPhones, and gave folks a sneak peek at what to expect when iOS 18 launches later this month, courtesy of Apple Intelligence. If you weren’t able to watch the announcements live, Engadget has you covered. Check out everything Apple announced at its iPhone 16 event here.
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus
Apple unveiled the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus at the event, featuring a water and dust resistant design and new colors including navy blue, turquoise, and pink. The iPhone 16 has a 6.1-inch display, while the iPhone 16 Plus has a 6.7-inch display. Both can achieve up to 2,000 nits of brightness, which can be dimmed to 1 nit in the dark. The action button is also introduced to this iPhone series and is customizable, just like we saw on last year’s Pro model iPhones.
There’s also a new, handy camera control “button” that lets you quickly control the camera by swiping your finger. This tool takes advantage of Visual Intelligence, an AI-powered feature coming in iOS 18, to learn more about everything you point your camera at. It looks a lot like Google Lens, and can do things like point your camera at a flyer you see on the street and add the date of a live event to your calendar. The camera array on the standard iPhone 16 models includes a 48-megapixel Fusion main camera, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens, and a new ultra-wide camera with autofocus. This array can also capture spatial photos, as seen in Apple’s Vision Pro.
Both standard iPhone 16 models run on the new A18 chip, which features a 16-core Neural Engine optimized for generative models. Inside, there’s a six-core CPU and a five-core GPU, both of which are essential to powering all the new Apple Intelligence features coming to iOS 18.
According to Apple, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will have larger batteries than previous models, which, combined with the added efficiency from the A18 chipset and iOS 18 improvements, will result in significantly longer battery life overall (though Apple didn’t provide a precise estimate). The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are available for pre-order today starting at $799 and $899, respectively, and will be widely available on September 20.
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iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max
The Pro series iPhones include the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max this year, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch ProMotion Always-On displays, respectively. Both are made of grade 5 titanium, which Apple claims is lighter than stainless steel. The handsets come in four new colors: black, white, natural, and desert, the latter of which resembles a dusted gold.
According to the company, the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max are built from the ground up for Apple Intelligence to take full advantage of all the new features coming with iOS 18. The handsets run on the new A18 Pro chipset, which utilizes 3nm transistors and is faster and more efficient than the standard A18 chip found in the regular iPhone 16 lineup.
The rear camera array on both models includes a 48MP Fusion camera, a 48MP ultra-wide shooter, and a 12MP telephoto lens. Improvements to the main camera allow for 4K, 120fps video and slow-motion recording. Both phones also feature a new camera control button for easier access to the camera and all of its tools for capturing and editing. Both smartphones feature four built-in studio-quality microphones for improved audio capture, and are also capable of spatial audio recording.
The iPhone 16 Pro series and the standard iPhone 16 handsets both support Qi2 wireless charging, and Apple will release a new MagSafe charging case that takes into account the new camera control button. The iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will be available for pre-order on Friday, September 13, starting at $999 and $1,199, respectively. They will be widely available on September 20.
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AirPods 4
The AirPods 4 were reportedly released today at the iPhone 16 event. They feature a redesigned bud shape that’s supposedly more comfortable and fits more ear shapes. There’s an H2 chip inside, which should provide improved audio quality and enable features like personalized spatial audio. The charging case has a USB-C port and is the smallest AirPod charging case yet.
In addition to the regular AirPods 4, there’s a second model that supports active noise cancellation and transparency mode. A conversation-aware feature will automatically lower the media volume level when the buds detect someone is talking to them. The standard AirPods 4 will cost $129, while the AirPods 4 with ANC will cost $179. Both are available for pre-order today and will be widely available on September 20.
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AirPods Max New Colors
Apple didn’t reinvent the wheel with the updated AirPods Max. Instead, they come in a few new colors (midnight, blue, purple, orange, and starlight) and support USB-C charging. The new colors are available for pre-order today for $549 and will be widely available on September 20.
New hearing aid features in AirPods Pro
Apple has announced new features coming to the second-generation AirPods Pro that are designed to prevent hearing loss (and raise awareness about hearing loss). A feature called “Hearing Protection” will be turned on by default, and users can take a clinically validated hearing test to determine if they already have hearing loss. Additionally, AirPods Pro will feature clinically grade hearing aids that work with a hearing profile created after the user takes a hearing test.
Apple Watch Series 10
Apple today introduced the Apple Watch Series 10, the natural successor to last year’s Series 9. It features the largest display and thinnest design ever in an Apple Watch, with a wide-angle OLED display that’s slightly larger than the Apple Watch Ultra. The case has more rounded corners and a wider aspect ratio, both of which, combined with the larger screen, give you more room to interact with graphics and text on your Watch. Apple claims the display is 40 percent brighter when viewed at an angle, and the second hand is still visible when your wrist is down.
The Apple Watch Series 10 is powered by the new S10 SiP chip, which Apple claims is built for performance, power efficiency, and intelligence (aka Apple Intelligence). One example of Apple Intelligence at work on the Series 10 is the new Photos watch face, which automatically presents you with the best photos from your library.
In terms of fitness features, Apple announced that the latest version of watchOS will allow the Series 10 to detect signs of sleep apnea, provided you wear the Series 10 regularly while you sleep. Apple is waiting for FDA approval, and the sleep apnea detection feature is expected to be available in more than 150 countries. Elsewhere in the activity realm, the Series 10 will feature scuba tracking and support the new Tides app in watchOS 11.
Another new feature is the ability to play audio directly from the Watch speaker, which can be helpful if you don’t have AirPods or other Bluetooth earbuds. Apple Watch Series 10 comes in a new polished jet black aluminum finish and a new polished titanium finish. It’s available for pre-order starting today and will be widely available on September 20.
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Apple Watch Ultra 2 New Finishes
There have been many rumors about the next version of the Apple Watch Ultra, but the company did not reveal the third-generation sports watch today. Instead, Apple revealed a new finish for the Apple Watch Ultra 2, Satin Black. There are also new Milanese bands that go with the new Hermes finish and the new Satin Black finish.
Catch up on all the news Apple’s iPhone 16 Event!
