As always, more rumors have popped up in the days leading up to the event. Among the more recent (all Apple Watch related) interesting rumours are that the Apple Watch Series 10's blood pressure monitoring feature will not be coming to the Watch Ultra 2, Apple Intelligence features are limited to the Watch but will be integrated into fitness coach-like features in the future, and both models will reportedly have sleep apnea features, though they likely won't be available at launch.
Apple will unveil the iPhone 16 at its “It's Glowtime” event on September 9. That much is certain. But Apple isn't going to invite us to fly across the country for a single product, much less book a hotel room for the 49ers' opening day. Football aside, the timing of this annual event is important, as it's the last big chance for the company to unveil a bunch of hardware before the holidays.
The livestream will begin at 10 a.m. PST on Monday. Invites were sent out last week with the tagline “Glowtime” and a matching color scheme. Apple loves to sprinkle little hints into these graphics, and this one seems more blatant than others.
Apple Intelligence and Siri
At WWDC in June, Apple finally revealed its approach to generative AI, and the product is very much Apple-esque, right down to its name, “Apple Intelligence,” a clever play on the familiar AI acronym. The “small model” approach is typical of Apple, in that it's trained on limited data relevant to improving the user experience.
This is a big difference from much larger “black box” models like OpenAI or Google's Gemini. As we await the wider release of Apple Intelligence, the effectiveness of this approach remains to be seen. After all, like all generative AI, this approach will almost certainly be a work in progress.
To see how this ties into “Glowtime,” look no further than Siri. In June, Apple rolled out long-awaited glow-ups to its OG smart assistant. In addition to improvements to generative AI models and app integrations, the company also rolled out an updated interface. Gone is the familiar colorful Siri circle, replaced with a glowing border that surrounds the display when Siri is listening/processing.
Of all the iPhones released so far, only two models can run Apple Intelligence: the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The company says this is due to limitations in older chips. Given that the non-Pro iPhone 15 models are essentially running the iPhone 14 Pro chipset, Apple is convincing in its argument that so far there is only one chip built with Apple Intelligence in mind. You can decide for yourself whether the exclusion of the iPhone 15 is entirely a hardware issue.
Considering all of this, next week's event would be the perfect time for the company to announce that Apple Intelligence will be available across the entire new iPhone line.
iPhone 16, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max
Image credit: Stanislav Kogik / SOPA Images / LightRocket / Getty Images
The iPhone 16 Pro Max is expected to feature the thinnest bezels on a smartphone 🔥 pic.twitter.com/rK9LEugcb1
— Apple Hub (@theapplehub) September 1, 2024
We're millimeters away from getting to true edge-to-edge displays. Recent leaks suggest the iPhone 16 Pro Max could have an even larger display with bezels shrinking from 1.5mm to 1.4mm. A few millimeters between friends doesn't matter, but when you add up to less than 2mm in total size, it makes a huge difference.
This will reportedly increase the Pro Max's screen size from 6.69 inches to 6.86 inches, but without making the device's overall footprint unwieldy. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is already a large smartphone. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 Pro is said to be growing from 6.12 inches to 6.27 inches.
Camera improvements are to be expected with any annual update, the most interesting of which is a new glass molded lens that's thinner, lighter, and provides significantly improved optical zoom capabilities, which are noteworthy because they don't suffer from image degradation like digital zoom.
— Sonny Dickson (@SonnyDickson) April 4, 2024
Dummy models leaked earlier this year gave us a rough idea of ​​what each model will look like, with the most notable change on the 16 and 16 Plus being the change from an angled to a vertical camera setup. Designed to make third-party accessories readily available, these models also include a new “capture” button across the line. This new feature is designed to give quicker access to various camera functions.
But the most welcome change may be the larger battery. Improved screens and cameras are good, but battery life remains an issue. Take this particular report with more skepticism than usual, as it needs more corroboration. Meanwhile, other reports point out that Apple is making battery replacements more accessible to users. As governments and local governments pass right-to-repair laws, this is certainly following suit, considering the company has started offering at-home repair options.
The Pro model will also feature Wi-Fi 7, which will be a big boon for the latest wireless standard.
Apple Watch Series 10/Ultra 3
Image credit: Apple
It's hard to believe, but the Apple Watch is turning 10 this year. Things grow fast. Apple made a lot of noise with the iPhone X, so it makes sense that they have similar plans for the Apple Watch Series 10 (Series X?). Previous rumors suggesting a major redesign have subsided in recent months, replaced by a familiar design with a larger display that has expanded to 45mm and 49mm models. The new watch should be slimmer than its predecessor, which is especially important when talking about watches.
Like the iPhone 16, the Apple Watch Series 10 and Ultra 3 will also have a new processor (likely the S10), which means that AI features may not be far off. The most exciting of the rumored additions is a blood glucose monitor. The device is also rumored to have sleep apnea detection, but as Bloomberg points out, that feature is unlikely to come to fruition due to the litigation between Apple and Masimo.
The long-awaited plastic body update for the budget Apple Watch SE may also be coming next week.
Airpods 4
Image credit: Apple
On this one, hear me out. Apple will reportedly launch two versions of the AirPods 4 next week. The cheaper model will replace the currently available AirPods 2, while the more premium version will replace the AirPods 3. Still not sure? The premium model will blur the line with the AirPods Pro by adding active noise cancellation and Find My functionality. All models should also eventually ditch Lightning in favor of USB-C as the company transitions its products to comply with EU regulations.
So how will Apple maintain a clear line between the mid-tier and the Pro pods? We'll have to wait to find out, as new AirPods Pro aren't expected to arrive next week. However, four years after the original model's release, we might finally see the over-ear AirPods Max 2.
New Mac
Image credit: Brian Heater
This seems quite likely. Recent reports suggest that Apple will delay the launch of the M4 Mac until November. Supply chain issues have dominated the Mac release calendar since the pandemic. A larger, USB-A-less version of the Mac Mini is said to be coming by the end of the year, along with new iMacs and MacBook Pros.
Shining with the flow
Image credit: Apple
What we can say for sure is that Apple's Glowtime event is scheduled for Monday, September 9th at 10am PST, and as always, we'll be there to join you and bring you live coverage.
The details were updated on September 9th.