Apple It’s Glowtime Event Guide: iPhone 16, Watch Series 10, Apple Intelligence and Everything Else Launched

Apple’s highly anticipated ‘It’s Glowtime’ event dazzled the tech world with the launch of the iPhone 16 lineup, a suite of AI-enhanced features across iOS 18 and its other devices. Held at Apple’s Cupertino headquarters, the event gave a glimpse into the company’s future, where AI plays a central role in shaping user experiences. 

Summary for the Apple “Glowtime” Event: pic.twitter.com/80hCHbj9pf

— Majestic Memes (@Majestic_Memes_) September 9, 2024

Along with the iPhone 16 series, Apple also unveiled new products and software updates, including the new AirPods 4, Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Intelligence and the upcoming macOS Sequoia.

Also Read: The Monk Who Tried to Make Peace with 7-Year-Old iPhone

Everything Revealed at Apple’s It’s Glowtime Event

iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus

As expected, the centrepiece of Apple’s It’s Glowtime Event was the iPhone 16 lineup, which includes the base models, iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, and the premium iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. In the words of Apple CEO Tim Cook, the iPhone 16s are “designed for Apple Intelligence from the ground up” with Apple’s proprietary AI framework enhancing the user experience across apps and functions. 

Below is a detailed breakdown of what evolutions Apple made towards their new smartphone lineup:

• Design and Camera: Redesigned with new colours and a camera control button for intuitive physical interaction, the iPhone 16 introduces a DSLR-style capture button that allows users to take photos, record videos, and adjust settings quickly. The camera also supports spatial video recording for Apple Vision Pro.
• Performance: Powered by the new A18 chip, the iPhone 16 is up to 30% faster than the iPhone 15, delivering superior performance for AI-driven tasks. 
• AI Integration: One of the standout features included is its Visual Intelligence, a new AI-powered tool integrated into the Camera Control button. This feature can automatically detect objects in photos, such as concert posters, and offer related actions, like adding events to the calendar. 
• Available Colours: The iPhone 16 lineup will come in white, black, green, pink, and blue.

As for the prices, the iPhone 16 starts at $799 for the 128GB model, while the iPhone 16 Plus starts at $899. Preorders open on Friday (check availability in your region), with shipping beginning on September 20.

iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max

Batteries Leaked, New ranges of battery, omg, which one you getting? I m gonna go with iPhone 16 pro max #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/A9zkPO5Hia

— 𝑾𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒂𝒂 (@Dramatizedd) September 9, 2024

Besides the regular iPhone 16 versions, the Pro versions also received improvements, which pushed the boundaries of Apple’s smartphone technology. Attached below are some added features in the iPhone 16 Pro versions:

• Display and Cameras: The Pro models feature larger displays, with the Pro offering a 6.3-inch screen and the Pro Max a 6.9-inch display. Both models come with a 5x telephoto camera tetraprism design alongside an upgraded 48MP ultrawide and 48MP fusion camera.
• Performance Boost: Powered by the A18 Pro chip, these phones will never lack speed and efficiency, with the Pro Max offering the best battery life ever on an iPhone, as stated by the tech giants.

Like the regular versions, the Pro versions will be available for preorder on Friday, with shipping beginning September 20. The price for the iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999, while the Pro Max is at $1,199. 

Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of its iconic Watch series, Apple revealed its Apple Watch Series 10 with a refreshed design with more rounded corners and a broader OLED display with up to 40% brighter when viewed at an angle. According to Apple, the Series 10 is Apple’s thinnest watch yet, measuring just 9.7mm thick and 10% lighter.

Accompanying its theme of AI integration, the Apple Watch Series 10 will feature a new AI-powered photo watch face that curates your photo gallery dynamically. There are also enhanced machine learning algorithms, power translation tools, and health metrics like sleep apnea detection, pending FDA approval. For those interested in buying, the Apple Watch Series 10 starts at $399, launching on the same date as the iPhone 16 series.

As for the Apple Watch Ultra, the tech giants revealed a new satin black colour and titanium Milanese Loop instead of announcing a new model.

AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2

The AirPods 4 stole the show with lots of improvements under the hood – updated H4 chip, offering better sound quality and comfort. The new open-ear design makes them Apple’s “most comfortable AirPods ever,” while features like Personalised Spatial Audio and voice isolation provide a more immersive audio experience.

The new AirPods also come with a new H4 chip that improves audio quality and introduces machine-learning capabilities for Siri. As for the prices, the AirPods 4 comes in two versions: The standard edition at $129 and the active noise cancellation model at $179.

For AirPods Pro 2, Apple introduced machine learning-based hearing protection, a clinically validated hearing test, and hearing aid functionality pending FDA approval. These features will be part of a free software update later this year.

Apple Intelligence

Apple’s Intelligence platform, introduced at the WWDC, continues to expand, promising a seamless blend of AI across all Apple devices. 

Here are some notable features announced at the It’s Glowtime Event:

• Enhanced Siri: Able to understand less structured commands and provide more accurate results, making task management and reminders more efficient.
• Image and Visual Search: Visual Intelligence extends the camera’s capabilities by recognising objects and locations, enabling actions like adding event details directly from photos.
• Localised Languages: Apple Intelligence will launch in beta this fall in the US English, with additional languages like Chinese, French, and Japanese coming in 2025.

macOS Sequoia

Lastly, Apple announced the launch of macOS Sequoia, which will begin rolling out on September 16. The new OS brings several AI-powered features, such as intelligent summarisation in Notes and context-aware suggestions across apps. 

A significant highlight is the introduction of iPhone Mirroring, which allows users to control their iPhones directly from their Mac. The update promises to offer deeper integration between Apple’s devices and expand Mac gaming support. 

For example, with support for Metal 3 and MetalFX Upscaling, Macs are becoming more gaming-friendly, bringing popular titles like Assassin’s Creed Shadows to the platform.

Also Read: Apple in Development: M4 Chip in Next-Gen MacBook Pro

Closing Notes

Apple’s ‘It’s Glowtime’ event reflects the tech giant’s continued push toward AI-powered experiences across its product lineup. The new hardware and cutting-edge AI feature signals that Apple is poised to lead the next phase of personal technology. Whether the iPhone 16 series will trigger a “supercycle” of upgrades remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Apple is betting on AI to define its future.

With a fall beta rollout for Apple Intelligence, customers will soon experience more intuitive, private, and intelligent interactions across Apple’s ecosystem.

That said, customers should have realistic expectations of Apple Intelligence. Unlike Apple’s heyday of disruptive innovations, Apple Intelligence appears to be more of a branding effort for its improvements to on-device software. In a nutshell, will it make Apple users completely forget about the existence of services and platforms like ChatGPT? Probably not. But you can count on Apple to deliver a seamless experience within its ecosystem.

For those unsure about buying the new iPhone 16, it’s wise to wait for first impressions and reviews. Consider waiting it out for a few extra weeks to get better insights from industry experts and early users. Moreover, the new iPhone launch phase is an excellent time to purchase the previous generation’s devices, which traditionally become more affordable with discounts and special offers.

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