Apple is getting ready to announce the iPhone 16, which will surely be its most powerful and best camera phone yet (at least for the Pro models). It’s also expected to be the first iPhone to launch with Apple Intelligence across the board.
In addition to the iPhone 16 lineup and a slate of new watches and AirPods, Apple is expected to show more AI features, such as the ability to understand what’s on the screen, along with the features it introduced at WWDC in June , which includes an upgraded Siri, image. generation, AI rewriting, and call recording and transcription capabilities.
The word “glowtime” is likely a reference to the glow effect that appears around the edges of the screen when Siri is activated in the latest developer beta of iOS 18. According to BloombergMark Gurman’s Mark Gurman, “glow” is also the internal name for macOS Sequoia, which will likely be released after the event around the same time as iOS 18.
When and how to watch the iPhone 16 event
Apple’s iPhone 16 event will be live and in person in Cupertino, California, on September 9th at 1PM ET / 10AM PT, and The Verge is there live blogging all the news. The event will also be livestreamed on YouTube, Apple TV, and Apple’s website.
New processors for all that AI
Apple Intelligence will require powerful processors. Apple’s trend over the past few years has been to provide the top-of-the-line processor of the previous generation in the base-model iPhone and introduce a new, more powerful chip for the Pro. The iPhone 15 Pro’s A17 Pro processor is the only A-series chip so far that supports Apple Intelligence, but rumors suggest that all iPhone 16 models will get the new A18 chip. Beyond that, we expect new Apple Watches and additions to the AirPods lineup.
The iPhone 16 gets a new camera look
The main iPhone 16 models will come in new colors and look slightly different from the back this year. If the leaked dummy units are to be believed, the camera module will now have two lenses stacked vertically, like the iPhone 12 and iPhone X, instead of the diagonal placement used since the iPhone 13.
Placing the lens vertically will help the landscape more spatial video capture for viewing in Vision Pro. There’s no indication we’ll see an update to the Vision Pro itself, but hopefully we’ll get something to keep customer interest in Apple’s mixed reality tech.
The iPhone 16 lineup will also have better battery life, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Finally, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are compatible
The iPhone 16 Pro may have the same cameras as the Pro Max, one of the few things Google listened to Apple at the Pixel 9 event. both models can get the 5x “tetraprism” telephoto lens currently exclusive to the 15 Pro Max. Rumors suggest that the ultrawide camera on the new Pros will also have a significant quality improvement thanks to a larger 48MP sensor.
For the Pro models, we expect a new rose finish and a Zune-brown “bronze” titanium finish, and both the regular and Max models are expected have slightly larger screens than their iPhone 15 counterparts. Gurman said the Pro’s display will go from 6.1 inches to 6.3 and the Pro Max will jump from 6.7 to 6.9 inches.
The iPhone’s side buttons may change to new pressure-sensitive ones and may include a DSLR-like feature where you can focus with light pressure and take a photo by pressing harder. This is a Pro feature that can also come in the regular 16.
In general, the iPhone 16 models will not be a big change in design. We’re already seeing rumors that the next model, the iPhone 17, will get a slimmer redesign.
Apple Watch, big and thin
The new Apple Watch Series 10 (or X?) may have a thinner and more refined case than the previous Series 9 model, but the real thing to look out for is a model with a bigger screen. Gurman believes the Series 10 will get an Apple Watch Ultra-sized 49mm screen option, along with a new chip.
Extreme athletes and outdoorsmen can also look forward to a new black color option for the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and a plastic Apple Watch SE is also rumored to be coming.
AirPods in double
The new headphone lineup is expected to include new entry and midtier AirPods and possibly a new USB-C version of the over-the-ear AirPods Max, which may also get new colors, adaptive audio, and better cancellation of noise.
The new AirPods models will replace the second- and third-generation versions, according to Gurman, with two new models. The midtier model is rumored to have a Pro-style design with noise cancellation, along with speakers in the charging case for Find My support.
Apple’s third-gen AirPods have reportedly not sold as well as second-generation models. The higher price tag of the third generation and an awkward combination of AirPods Pro shape with no removable ear tips can be blamed. The two new models still won’t get ear tips, but their USB-C charging cases will complete Apple’s move away from Lightning for iPhone accessories.
Maybe a new Mini
No, no, no, not the iPhone Mini. Sorry to my fellow one-hander smartphone users. (I’m still rocking an iPhone 13 Mini and waiting to see if Apple comes back). What Apple is However, the plan, according to Gurman, is a new Mac Mini, one that is almost as small as the Apple TV. The new Mac Mini is expected to ship to warehouses this month, and an M Pro chip version could arrive in October. Considering the short timeframe, there’s a chance we’ll hear about the new Mac Mini at the iPhone event, but it could also get its own event, like the prime-time Apple pulled last year for the colorful iMac M3 refresh.
Update, September 9th: The latest rumors for the Apple Watch Ultra, iPhone 16, and AirPods Max have changed.
