During yesterday’s Glowtime event in Cupertino, Apple introduced its iPhone 16 lineup with Apple Intelligence features, A18 chip, and new camera control button to access “visual intelligence” functionality. The company also unveiled a redesigned Apple Watch with polished titanium option and new S10 chip; a new Satin Black color for the Apple Watch Ultra 2, alongside a collection of updated bands with darker hues; and two new versions of AirPods wireless earbuds, one touting active noise canceling. The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus models feature aluminum bodies while the 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max bodies are made of titanium. The first Apple Intelligence features for the new iPhones will launch in beta next month.

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, starting at $799 and $899 respectively for the 128GB versions, are available in five different colors and feature ceramic shield displays said to be 50 percent tougher than previous iPhone displays.

“The 6.1-inch iPhone 16 and 6.7-inch iPhone 16 Plus now have the ‘action’ button seen on the iPhone 15 Pro, allowing more versatile functionality than the mute slider previous iPhones have had,” reports Tom’s Guide. “There’s also a new ‘camera control’ key, which can be used to help with photography or open up the ‘visual intelligence’ feature for speedy searches.”

“There’s now a 48-megapixel main camera, which can produce a 24-megapixel photo after pixel binning and a 2x telephoto via sensor crop,” writes CNET. “A new 12-megapixel, 13mm ultrawide camera has autofocus and better light sensitivity, plus support for macro. The new side-by-side camera design now lets you capture spatial photos and videos.”

The 6.3-inch iPhone 16 Pro (starting at $999) and 6.9-inch 16 Pro Max ($1,199 ) include a new texture with new colors and reportedly dissipate heat better and tout a larger battery. “On top of the tech in the A18,” notes CNET, the flagship models have “larger caches and the new advanced display engine for faster encode/decode and more. Camera control for these adds a two-stage shutter for things like exposure lock.”

The Pro models feature “a new 48-megapixel camera with a faster sensor readout” and “a 5x, 12-megapixel telephoto lens with on-pixel focus,” CNET adds. “For video, there’s now 4K 120fps slow-mo, more pro color grading control and HDR editing, selectable speed preview playback, camera control button grid framing” in addition to quad mics with improved capture quality and spatial audio capture.

The phones include Siri enhancements, a faster processor, and the new camera control feature with a side button that provides access to visual intelligence functions. “For example, after clicking the camera control, a user can point the camera at a restaurant and the iPhone 16 will pull up information like reviews, the menu and how to make a reservation,” CNN explains. “It can also be used to identify things like dog breeds or landmarks and to add things to your calendar.”

All of the new iPhone models will be available for pre-order on Friday and in stores on September 20.

The Apple Watch Series 10, which touts an updated design, polished titanium option and a new S10 chip, is thinner than its predecessors while expanding screen sizes to 42mm and 46mm. “Apple says the new display is 40 percent brighter and that its always-on mode will now refresh once every second, up from once every minute on older devices,” The Verge reports.

The company has also added “a new processor, a depth gauge, and the ability to detect signs of sleep apnea. It’ll be available in black, silver, and rose gold aluminum starting at $399 and in slate, gold, and natural titanium starting at $699.”

The new Watch, promising a battery life of up to 18 hours and the ability to go 20 feet underwater, can be pre-ordered now and will be available on September 20.

The fourth-generation AirPods start at $129 with the same design as the previous model, “but they have a refined new look and are powered by Apple’s H2 chip,” according to CNET. The are also equipped with USB-C charging. The higher-end $179 AirPods 4 model includes active noise canceling, “a feature not typically found in open earbuds.”

Both are currently available for pre-order and ship on September 20.

Related:
All the News from Apple’s iPhone 16 Event, The Verge, 9/9/24
iPhone 16 Event Recap: New iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods, The New York Times, 9/9/24
With Apple Intelligence, iPhone Users Will Finally Get a Better Siri, TechCrunch, 9/9/24
Apple Unveils an AI iPhone, The Wall Street Journal, 9/9/24
How Does a Faux Camera Control Button Feel So Real?, Engadget, 9/9/24
Huawei Launches $2,800 Trifold Phone Hours After Apple Debuts iPhone 16, CNBC, 9/10/24