Apple Announces New iPhones, Watches, and AirPods

APPLE IS JUMPING on the AI train that has swept the tech industry of late, but don’t worry: Siri is just getting a bit smarter, thanks to Apple Intelligence (AI—get it?). The AI embrace isn’t so extreme as it has been for other tech brands; it’s more like an added feature built into the slate of new hardware just announced at the company’s annual fall keynote event, held today at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California.

The theme of the day, Glowtime, seems to signal the AI glow-up happening for Apple’s virtual assistant, Siri, and the vibrant new colors of the Apple Watch Series 10 and iPhone 16.

To kick off the show, Apple touted all the ways its products have become ingrained in its users’ everyday lives, particularly in how their various health functionalities have helped people access essential services and even provided lifesaving aid. By the end of the presentation, the audience was treated to a behind-the-scenes look at The Weeknd’s new music video (shot on the iPhone 16 Pro)—so there was a throughline of the glow-up from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

What does that mean for you? It’s up for you to decide—if you’re an Apple product user.

Apple Watch

Apple’s signature smartwatch marks its tenth iteration this year. There will be more opportunities to mark the anniversary—but for now, it’s just remarkable to think back on how much the wearable landscape has changed in roughly a decade, from glorified pedometers to full-on health devices with built-in AI.

Apple Watch Series 10

watch

Courtesy of Apple

The new Series 10 brings a new design to the Watch. It’s the thinnest wearable from the brand yet, with the largest display, even compared to the oversized Ultra line. There are some other highlight features, too, including sleep features that are designed to help detect sleep apnea.

Key Details:

9.7 millimeters, making it the thinnest Apple Watch yet
Display is 30 percent larger than the Series 9
Wide-angle OLED display screen
40 percent brighter when viewed from an angle compared to Series 9
New Flux Watch Face
3 aluminum finishes: Jet Black (new for the Series 10), Rose Gold, Silver
You can play media directly through the Watch speaker, a first for Apple Watch
Larger charging coil for faster charging; 30 minutes to 80 percent battery
New Polished Titanium finish to replace Stainless Steel in Natural, Gold, and Slate Gray finishes
Created using Apple’s Carbon Neutral program standards
New S10 SiP chip for faster performance and machine learning features
Translate app is now available on the Watch
New sleep apnea detection features, which is awaiting FDA clearance (to launch later this month)
Built-in depth gauge and water temperature features for swimming
Up to 18 hours of battery life per charge
watchOS 11

Starting at $399. Preorder now; available September 20.

Apple Watch Ultra 2

apple

Courtesy of Apple

Apple’s rugged Ultra line didn’t get a new iteration this year, but there are some software updates coming with watchOS11, most notably a new Training Load functionality (similar to measures from other brands like Whoop to predict physical readiness).

Key Details:

New Satin Black finish with updated bands
New titanium Milanese loop designed for scuba
Training Load feature
Offline maps with watchOS11

Starts at $799. Preorder now; Available September 20.

AirPods

Apple’s ubiquitous wireless headphones are one of the company’s undersung MVPs. This year, the base model got a major upgrade—and software updates can potentially make the Pro model a valuable hearing health device.

AirPods 4

airpod

Courtesy of Apple

Apple is updating its base model of headphones for the first time in a few years, reworking the inside of the signature white stems to include lots of the features the owners of AirPod Pro already love.

Key Features:

Personalized Spatial Audio
30 hours of total battery life
Active noise cancellation
Transparency mode
Adaptive Audio
Conversation Awareness
Wireless charging case
Speaker on case for Find My capabilities

Starting at $129 ($179 for Active Noise Cancellation). Preorder now; Available September 20.

AirPods Max

apple

Courtesy of Apple

The over-ear headphones get slight updates, including new colors and a new USB-C charging port.

Key Features:

New colors: starlight, orange, purple, blue, and midnight.
USB-C charging
Personalized Spatial Audio

$549. Preorder now; available September 20.

AirPods Pro 2

apple

Courtesy of Apple

The most popular member of the AirPods line was also given some updates, mostly focused on hearing health. Hearing Protection is now enabled, which can actively reduce noise in loud environments (think: concerts and sports events). Next you’ll be able to perform a clinically-validated hearing test using your AirPods Pro 2, to be stored in the Health app. There’s also a professional-grade hearing aid feature, which could be a huge deal for anyone hard of hearing. The new features are awaiting FDA approval, and will be available for AirPods Pro 2 users via software update later this fall.

iPhones

The centerpiece of Apple’s presentation was, as always, the iPhone. This year, the company announced all the ways it’s harnessing AI to help users with their day-to-day tasks (and anything else they want to use their smartphone to do, too).

iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus

iphone

Courtesy of Apple

The new iPhone adds a whole suite of Apple Intelligence features. Hardware-wise, the 16 brings in the Action Button (from last year’s Pro Line) to help with shortcuts and tasks and a new Camera Control button to make users quick-shoot photo masters.

Key Details:

Aerospace-grade aluminum
New colors: Ultramarine, Teal, and Pink
Two sizes 6.1 (iPhone 16) and 6.7 inches (iPhone 16 Plus)
New Action Button
Camera Control button with haptic response
New A18 chip for improved performance
Private Cloud Compute for AI tasks using generative models
New writing tools across iOS, including user-generated emoji
AI-aided photo search and recall and AI-generated movies from Photos/Videos
AI-optimized notifications
Upgrades to Siri for tasks
AI features available next month in the US, with more territories coming by the end of 2024 and into 2025 globally
Visual Intelligence available through the Camera Control button (think Google Lens, Android users) with some ChatGPT integration
48 megapixel Fusion rear camera, including a 48 MP camera lens and 12 megapixel 2X telephoto lens
New Ultrawide camera for low light and macro photos
Spatial Capture for video and photo for Apple Vision Pro
iOS 18 updates to Photos app for more customization
Larger battery for increased capacity (no estimate for hourly range provided)

Starting at $799 (iPhone 16) and $899 (iPhone 16 Plus). Pre-order now; available September 20.

iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max

iphone

Courtesy of Apple

The Pro line is where Apple brings out its high-level new features, and the company started out with the display, expanding the size. Like the standard 16 models, the Pro line is overhauled with Apple Intelligence features—they’ll run even faster and more smoothly. The Pro models are photo and video workhorses, and that’s where many of the most notable updates shine.

Key Details:

Larger display, 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches with the thinnest bezels on any Apple device
4 finishes: Black Titanium, White Titanium, Desert Titanium
Larger battery for improved battery life (no estimate for hourly range provided)
Camera Control button
New Apple Intelligence features (like in iPhone 16)
A18 Pro chip for improved performance, which Apple claims is the fastest CPU in any smartphone
48 megapixel Fusion camera, with ProRAW photos
48 megapixel Ultrawide camera
5x Telephoto camera
2-stage shutter feature (to be updated later in the year)
Personalized photo settings, with style controls for pre- and post-capture adjustments
Cinematic slow motion 4K video recording and editing features
AudioMix feature for video recording to isolate voices and layered tracks on Voice Memos.
New cases for the Camera Control button and new MagSafe chargers