At its exciting event this week, Apple introduced new hardware in mobile and wearables, including the iPhone 16 series smartphones, Apple Watch Series 10, and new AirPods and AirPods Pro. Here’s a lot to unpack, but here’s a quick summary of the key things you need to know in each category
Apple iPhones
There are four new iPhones in the line: the Apple iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max. All are built for Apple Intelligence and boast a new A18 chip, Camera Control with an advanced camera system, Action button, and improved battery life.
Apple iPhone 16 and 16 Plus
The most notable new upgrade to the 6.1-inch iPhone 16 and 6.7-inch 16 Plus is the addition of a Camera Control button, which makes it easier to take photos on the fly. It’s a tactile switch with a high-precision force sensor that allows for light press gestures and capacitive touch interactions. Use it to quickly launch the camera and snap a photo or start a video so you don’t miss precious moments. Leverage the new camera preview to frame the shot and adjust other control options like zoom, exposure, and depth-of-field via a slide motion with your finger. Developers can bring Camera Control to their apps as well, already done with Snapchat.
Later this year, Camera Control will work with visual intelligence features so you can use it to instantly pull up details about a restaurant you’re standing in front of, for example, add an event from a flyer to your calendar, determine a breed of dog, and more.
They both include a 48MP Fusion camera with 2x Telephoto option, a new ultra-wide camera that enabled macro photography, and new photographic styles. Another key upgrade is the inclusion of an A18 chip, which makes the phones better performing, more efficient, and affording better battery life. These phones will also get the new Action button for quick access to frequently used functions like opening the camera, flashlight, and more.
There are new video features as well, including the ability to capture video in Spatial Audio and Audio Boxing to adjust sound after recording. New safety features, meanwhile, include Emergency SOS Live Video for sharing a live video feed with dispatchers, and, later this Fall, Roadside Assistance via satellite.
The first set of Apple Intelligence features will begin rolling out in October in U.S. English. Anticipated features like Image Playground, Genmoji, and a more intelligent Siri that can draw from personal context, will be coming later this year. iOS 18 will be available as a free software update on Monday, September 16.
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will be available in black, white, pink, teal, and ultramarine starting Friday, September 20 with pre-orders beginning Friday, September 13. Pricing for the iPhone 16 starts at $1,129 in Canada and $1,279 for the iPhone 16 Plus.
iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max
As is typical with Apple, the company is launching the higher end variants of its new phones in the form of the iPhone 16 Pro (6.3 inches) and 16 Pro Max (6.9 inches). These feature larger displays, new creative capabilities, and innovative pro camera features.
Featuring a new 48MP Fusion camera with a faster quad-pixel sensor that enables 4K120 fps video recording in Dolby Vision, these new Pro models achieve the highest resolution and frame-rate combination ever available on iPhone. They also both feature four new studio-quality mics.
Made of durable titanium with the thinnest borders of any iPhone, they also boast improved battery life, with the iPhone 16 Pro Max offering the best battery life on an iPhone to date.
They will come in black titanium, natural titanium, white titanium, and desert titanium. Pre-orders begin Friday, September 13, with availability beginning Friday, September 20. iPhone 16 Pro will start at $1,449 and iPhone 16 Pro Max at $1,749.
Apple Watch
Apple Watch is introducing both the new Apple Watch Series 10 smartwatch as well as a new black titanium version of the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Apple Watch Series 10
Thinner with a larger display, new sleep apnea notifications, faster charging, and new water depth and temperature sensing, Apple has made significant upgrades to the Apple Watch Series 10.
Now available in both aluminum and titanium, the Apple Watch Series 10 comes in a new jet black aluminum finish, as well as natural, gold, and slate titanium cases. Nearly 10% thinner than the Apple Watch Series 9 and also up to 10% lighter (titanium up to 20% lighter), the case size is only slightly larger at 42mm or 46mm.
The larger display offers up to 9% more screen real estate than Apple Watch Series 9, which Apple says helps improve readability and usability as well as makes it easier to type a message, pause a workout, or enter a passcode. The display is also a wide-angle OLED, so it’s brighter when viewed from an angle, and enabled a faster refresh rate in always-on mode.
The smartwatch maintains the same 18-hour battery life, so sadly, there are no upgrades yet on that front. However, Apple does say that a more efficient charging coil makes it’s the fastest charging Apple Watch to date. You can charge it for 15 minutes to get an additional up to eight hours of use, or eight minutes for up to eight hours of sleep tracking. It takes about half an hour to get the battery back up to an 80% charge.
One of the most significant new features with Apple Watch is new sleep apnea notifications, which uses the accelerometer to monitor small movements in the wrist associated with respiratory interruptions to provide a Breathing Disturbances metric. If these occur frequently, it can be an indication of potential undiagnosed sleep apnea, which may prompt you to see a doctor and/or run further testing.
Another major upgrade comes with depth and temperature sensing for water activities along with the new Tides app. With a 50-metre water resistant rating, it also features automatic stroke detection and lap counting as well as new Custom Workouts for pool swims. There’s also a new depth gauge that can measure down to six metres, ideal for underwater activities like snorkeling, and a water temperature sensor. The Tides app provides seven rolling days of forecasted tidal information for coastlines and surf spots around the world. The Oceanic+ all is now also available for Apple Watch Series 10.
While the Apple Watch has always had a built-in speaker, now you can play audio back directly from the device, whether that’s listening to music without headphones or making calls. It works with apps like Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, or Apple Books, and other compatible third-party apps. The four-core neural engine also helps suppress background noise during phone or FaceTime audio calls so you sound crisp and clear to others, even when in noisy environments.
Naturally, the new smartwatch will feature watchOS 11 and all the goodies previously announced that will come with this latest wearable OS, like the new Vitals app, Training Load, customizable Activity rings, more intelligent Smart Stack, and more. watchOS 11 will be available for Apple Watch Series 6 and later models as well starting September 16, 2024, and requires an iPhone XS or later running iOS 18.
Apple Watch Series 10 is available for pre-order today and will officially be available starting Friday, September 20. Pricing starts at $549.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 in Black Titanium
While there isn’t a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra 2, the smartwatch for adventurers will come in a new black titanium finish paired with a new titanium Milanese loop band. All other features are the same just for the sleek new look, along with the watchOS 11 upgrades, including sleep apnea notifications, the Tides app, and customization options for the Action button. The new Titanium Milanese Loop band is designed for water activities while offering lightweight comfort and elegance. There’s also a new Apple Watch Hermès Ultra 2 nautically inspired watch band and an exclusive Hermès watch face. This version is on ore-order now and will be available beginning September 20 starting at $1,099 (Hermes Ultra 2 edition is $1,919).
Apple AirPods Headphones
There are two new versions of the Apple AirPods coming this year: the Apple AirPods 4 and Apple AirPods Pro 2; as well as a new version of the AirPods Max headphones.
Apple AirPods 4
The new AirPods 4 boast an open-ear design and come either with active noise cancellation (ANC) or without. Offering up to 24-hour battery life with the included charging case, Apple AirPods 4 are designed for a more comfortable fit. They add Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, and the H2 chip for intelligent audio experiences like Voice Isolation for clearer call quality. There’s also Siri Interactions that allow you to nod your head yes or gently shake your head no to respond to Siri announcements.
A new force sensor on the stem can be used to play or pause media or mute or end calls. Low wireless audio latency helps improve the gaming experience as well, as does support for 16-bit, 48kHz audio.
The charging case now offers USB-C charging and is more than 10% smaller in volume than its predecessor. With AirPods 4 with ANC, you can charge the case using an Apple Watch charger or Qi-certified charger.
For the first time, AirPods 4 brings ANC to an open-ear design. With upgraded microphones, the power of the H2 chip, and advanced computational audio, AirPods 4 with ANC help to reduce environmental noise like airplane engines, city traffic, and more. There’s also Transparency mode to keep you aware of your environment; Adaptive Audio, which dynamically blends Transparency mode and ANC based on the conditions of your environment; and Conversation Awareness, which lowers the media volume when you start speaking to someone nearby.
Customers can now pre-order AirPods 4 for $179 ($249 for ANC), with availability beginning Friday, September 20.
Apple AirPods Pro 2
The new flagship in the AirPods true wireless earbuds line is the AirPods Pro 2, which introduce an all-in-one hearing health experience to help prevent, keep you aware, and assist in hearing health.
Hearing Protection is via the ear tips that provide passive noise reduction, while the H2 chip helps actively reduce louder, more intermittent noise at 48,000 times per second. It’s on by default across all listening modes, helping in a variety of loud settings.
Apple is also introducing a scientifically validated Hearing Test feature with AirPods Pro and a compatible iPhone or iPad, expanding the ability for you to check your hearing in minutes. The test is simple to take, uses a standard clinical approach called pure-tone audiometry, leverages advanced acoustic science, and provides an interactive experience. Upon completion, the test shows a summary of results in a personalized hearing profile, which is stored privately and securely in the Health app.
Additionally, there’s over-the-counter Hearing Aid capability for those who suffer from mild to moderate hearing loss. Using the personalized hearing profile from the Hearing Test, this new feature seamlessly transforms AirPods Pro into a clinical-grade hearing aid. After setup, the feature enables personalized dynamic adjustments so you have the sounds around you boosted in real time. This helps you better engage in conversation and keeps you connected to the people and environment around you. Your personalized hearing profile is automatically applied to music, movies, games, and phone calls across devices without needing to adjust settings.
You can also set up the Hearing Aid feature with an audiogram created by a hearing health professional. The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are expected to receive marketing authorization from global health authorities soon, and will be available this fall in more than 100 countries and regions, including the U.S., Germany, and Japan (no word yet on Canada).
AirPods Pro 2 are available for $329 today. The new hearing health features will be available this fall for AirPods Pro 2 customers in a free software update when paired with iPhone or iPad running iOS 18 or iPadOS 18.
AirPods Max
The big announcement with AirPods Max is the addition of five new colours, including midnight, starlight, blue, orange, and purple. Additionally, AirPods Max now features USB-C charging capabilities. They are available for pre-order now for $779 and will officially launch on Friday, September 20.
Bottom Line
There’s a lot you’ll be able to get with older model iPhone 15 Pro devices and Apple Watch Series 9 thanks to the previous announced OS upgrades. But these new phones, headphones, and smartwatches also feature design upgrades that might entice you to make the switch.