Sometimes a headline is all you need. Apple is unveiling the iPhone 16 at its “It's Glowtime” event on September 9. That much is certain. But Apple isn't going to ask 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 the annual event is important: it's the last big chance 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. The effectiveness of this approach remains to be seen as we await the wider release of Apple Intelligence. After all, like all generative AI, this approach will almost certainly be a work in progress.
How does all this tie in with “Glowtime?” The answer lies within Siri. In June, Apple announced the long-awaited glow-up for its OG smart assistant. The company rolled out an updated interface along with improvements to generative AI models and app integration. Gone is the familiar colorful Siri circle, replaced with a glowing border that surrounds the display when Siri is listening/processing something.
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 iPhone 15's exclusion 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
We're millimeters away from a true edge-to-edge display. Recent leaks suggest the iPhone 16 Pro Max could have an even larger display with bezels reduced from 1.5 to 1.4 millimeters. A few millimeters between friends doesn't matter, but when you add up to less than 2 millimeters 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.
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 camera to a vertical one. Designed to make third-party accessories readily available, these models also see the addition of a new “capture” button across the line. This new feature is designed to give quicker access to the 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. This particular report needs more corroboration, so take it with more skepticism than usual. Meanwhile, other reports have noted that Apple has made battery replacements more accessible to users. Given that the company has started offering at-home repair options as governments and local governments pass right-to-repair laws, this is certainly a follow-up.
The Pro model will also feature WiFi 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 interesting 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 may never come to fruition due to a legal dispute 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 highly 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 began. 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 bring you live coverage.