Apple's 2024 Event Unveils iPhone 16, AI Features, and More

iPhone 16, Apple Intelligence, AirPods 4 and more: Everything revealed at Apple Event 2024

Apple's biggest event of the year brings new iPhones, AI updates and other hardware Apple's biggest event of the year has arrived, and with it, the iPhone 16 lineup and a slew of AI-related updates for iOS 18. Apple Intelligence was the star of the Apple event this year, like it was at WWDC in June, and Apple's lineup of announcements echoed many of the anticipated hardware reveals, including the new iPhone 16, AirPods 4, the Apple Watch Series 10 and more. Broadcasting live from its headquarters in Cupertino, Apple's "Glowtime" event kicked off at 10 a.m. PT, and you can watch the recording of the full Apple event here. Whether Monday's reveals end up inspiring or delaying a "supercycle" of customers adopting the new iPhone 16 lineup remains to be seen, but Apple's focus on AI as a core part of its sales pitch moving forward is clear. We'll keep this post updated as reports emerge from the demo rooms and briefings following the event. iPhone 16 As no surprise, the iPhone 16 "has been designed for Apple Intelligence from the ground up," in the words of CEO Tim Cook, and the tweaked designs and new colors were revealed at the Apple event. The new iPhone 16 lineup comes with a camera control along the side, which allows for physical interactions to access camera features, along with the new A18 chip that Apple claims makes the iPhone 16 up to 30% faster than the iPhone 15. The iPhone 16 starts at $799 for the 128GB model, with the 16 Plus starting at $899 with the same amount of storage. Catch up on our ongoing iPhone 16 updates here. And for a rundown on what distinguishes the new iPhone 16 lineup, you can head right here, or check out the latest TechCrunch Minute episode breaking down the biggest reveals. Hands-on with the iPhone 16's camera button In the words of our editor Brian Heater, Apple is "feeling a lot more bullish about buttons these days." And after the Apple event broadcast concluded, he got the chance to see that the Camera Control button actually adds to the iPhone experience, at least for a brief demo. "Like any other new feature, Camera Control takes a bit to master. The trickiest part is determining how much pressure to apply in order to toggle between features. That, however, is what makes it unique versus earlier camera buttons. It's more than just a way to open the camera app and take a shot. It also lets you navigate within the app itself," he wrote, and you can check out his full hands-on with the iPhone 16's biggest physical change right here. The Camera Control button has some other functions, with Apple confirming that it can be used to access Google searches, and to prompt responses from OpenAI's ChatGPT, which is already being added to apps like Siri. The exact details on how the button press will determine whether you use a third party app or Apple's software remain vague. Apple Intelligence First revealed at WWDC, Apple Intelligence is mostly being presented as a more private large language model operating behind the scenes to improve existing apps and features. Retreading many of its WWDC reveals, Apple touted Intelligence's ability to survey inboxes, with summaries surfacing for emails, and notifications altered to provide summaries as well with priority notifications elevated to the top of their stacks. Claiming "a new era for Siri," Apple boasted that its Intelligence upgrades allow Siri to understand requests that are less than eloquently delivered, walk users through specific tasks within the iPhone and gain on-screen awareness of actions taking place on the phone. Apple Intelligence is launching as a beta in the U.S. in the fall, with localized English coming to several markets in December. Additional languages like Chinese, French, Japanese and Spanish are targeted for 2025. Apple also detailed visual search, which is powered by Apple Intelligence, which combines the functions of a reverse image search with text recognition to add the details of an event to your calendar from a photo, or pull information about a restaurant directly from a photo of it. Ultimately, one of the biggest questions coming out of Apple's claims about Intelligence's potential to improve user experiences across multiple product lines is simple: Is Siri actually useful now? iOS 18 launching September 16 We already got a first impression of iOS 18 through its beta release earlier this year, though its initial rollout without Apple Intelligence's features wasn't particularly impressive. As mentioned above, a lot of the most anticipated AI features will be coming later in 2024, but iOS 18 still has other messaging and control center updates you can run through in detail here ahead of its newly announced launch date of September 16, with all iPhones, including and after the iPhone XR and SE (second gen), eligible for the update. You can get a more detailed rundown on your device's iOS 18 compatibility here. Camera controls on the iPhone 16 One of the biggest physical updates to the iPhone 16 lineup comes in the form of the camera control button. The camera control responds to clicks and different physical gestures, with light presses showing clean previews while a hard click can take a photo. Trailing a finger along the button lets dials and settings to be changed. Read the full rundown on what the camera control can be used for here. iPhone 16 Pro, Pro Max Apple's more premium iPhone models come with expected screen changes, with the screen taking up 6.3 inches on the Pro, 6.9 inches on the Pro Max for the biggest screens on an iPhone yet. The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have a new A18 Pro chip, an upgraded camera with faster shutter speeds, the ability to capture 4K video at 120 fps and other changes you can run through here. The iPhone 16 Pro stars at $999 and the 16 Pro Max starts at $1,119 with both up for preorder Friday and launching in stores September 20. Apple Watch Series 10 Apple kicked things off with reveals on the Watch for the line's 10th anniversary, rolling out a series of updates within the Apple Watch Series 10 line, including a tweaked design with more rounded corners and an updated aspect ratio, with Apple's first wide-angle OLED screens. The Series 10's display is up to 40% brighter when viewed at an angle and is the thinnest Apple Watch yet at 9.7mm and up to 10% lighter than the previous models. Unsurprisingly, AI featured in the Apple Watch Series 10 reveal, with a new photos watch face using AI to curate the photos shown on the display, and translation tools using machine learning to improve output. Apple Watches are also getting an update to detect sleep apnea, which is pending FDA clearance. The feature will come to both the Series 10 and Series 9 watches. The Apple Watch Series 10 will start at $399, and it launches September 20. Apple has long touted the Ultra as a device for fitness aficionados, boasting custom workouts, running track detection, bike rides as live activities and so on. And after a lead-up to a reveal, Apple dropped that there won't be an Apple Watch Ultra 3 yet, instead announcing a new satin black color for the Ultra 2. AirPods 4 Apple claims the new AirPods 4 are the "most comfortable AirPods ever," with a new A2 chip under the tweaked design. Personalized Spatial Audio is coming to the AirPods 4, along with the addition of machine learning for Siri to pick up head shakes and nods as responses to prompts. The new AirPods 4 will also be available September 20, starting at $129 with active noise cancellation added for the $179 tier. Get the full rundown on the AirPods updates here. AirPods Pro 2 Three points were highlighted for AirPods Pro 2 updates: prevention, awareness and assistance. For prevention, hearing protection will be added and on by default for passive noise reduction, managed through machine learning. For awareness, Apple is adding a "clinically validated" hearing test that owners can take at any time. And then for assistance, hearing aid features are launching for those whose hearing tests identify them as potentially benefiting from hearing assistance features. Apple claims that they expect clearance from the FDA on these features "soon," with updates expected to come to iOS in the fall. AirPods Max A series of incremental updates came to AirPods Max during the Apple Event, with USB-C added in, and a series of new colors coming to the updated headphones September 20 for the same price of $549. Get the full rundown here. Cheaper iPhones (in India) The iPhone 16 lineup pricing is familiar for those following Apple in the states, but in India, Apple fans will be able to benefit from a discount from the iPhone 15 lineup of about 15,000 rupees, which is roughly $178, The price comes after India lowered import duties on electronics, and amid Apple's expansion of local manufacturing, which had earlier spurred a discount for the 15 models in the country. Voice Memos with background music Apple showed off a new feature for the Voice Memos app, which allows vocal tracks to be layered on top of pre-recorded music or instrumentals. Read more here. New macOS Sequoia launching September 16 In an untraditionally swift launch for its macOS updates, Apple announced that the update first showcased at WWDC 2024 will launch in a week, with a series of updates built upon Apple Intelligence that you can run through here.

iPhone 16, Apple Intelligence, AirPods 4 and more: Live updates on everything revealed at Apple Event 2024 | TechCrunch

Apple's biggest event of the year brings new iPhones, AI updates and other hardware Apple's biggest event of the year has arrived, and with it, the iPhone 16 lineup and a slew of AI-related updates for iOS 18. Apple Intelligence was the star of the Apple event this year, like it was at WWDC in June, and Apple's lineup of announcements echoed many of the anticipated hardware reveals, including the new iPhone 16, AirPods 4, the Apple Watch Series 10 and more. Broadcasting live from its headquarters in Cupertino, Apple's "Glowtime" event kicked off at 10 a.m. PT, and you can watch the recording of the full Apple event here. Whether Monday's reveals end up inspiring or delaying a "supercycle" of customers adopting the new iPhone 16 lineup remains to be seen, but Apple's focus on AI as a core part of its sales pitch moving forward is clear. We'll keep this post updated as reports emerge from the demo rooms and briefings following the event. As no surprise, the iPhone 16 "has been designed for Apple Intelligence from the ground up," in the words of CEO Tim Cook, and the tweaked designs and new colors were revealed at the Apple event. The new iPhone 16 lineup comes with a camera control along the side, which allows for physical interactions to access camera features, along with the new A18 chip that Apple claims makes the iPhone 16 up to 30 percent faster than the iPhone 15. The iPhone 16 starts at $799 for the 128GB model, with the 16 Plus starting at $899 with the same amount of storage. Catch up on our ongoing iPhone 16 updates here. First revealed at WWDC, Apple Intelligence is mostly being presented as a more private large language model operating behind the scenes to improve existing apps and features. Retreading many of its WWDC reveals, Apple touted Intelligence's ability to survey inboxes, with summaries surfacing for emails, and notifications altered to provide summaries as well with priority notifications elevated to the top of their stacks. Claiming "a new era for Siri," Apple boasted that its Intelligence upgrades allow Siri to understand requests that are less than eloquently delivered, walk users through specific tasks within the iPhone and gain on-screen awareness of actions taking place on the phone. Apple Intelligence is launching as a beta in the US in the fall, with localized English coming to several markets in December. Additional languages like Chinese French, Japanese and Spanish are targeted for 2025. Apple also detailed visual search, which is powered by Apple Intelligence, which combines the functions of a reverse image search with text recognition to add the details of an event to your calendar from a photo, or pull information about a restaurant directly from a photo of it. Ultimately, one of the biggest questions coming out of Apple's claims about Intelligence's potential to improve user experiences across multiple product lines is simple: Is Siri actually useful now? We already got a first impression of iOS 18 through its beta release earlier this year, though its initial rollout without Apple Intelligence's features wasn't particularly impressive. As mentioned above, a lot of the most anticipated AI features will be coming later in 2024, but iOS 18 still has other messaging and control center updates you can run through in detail here ahead of its newly-announced launch date of September 16, with all iPhones including and after the iPhone XR and SE (second gen) eligible for the update. One of the biggest physical updates to the iPhone 16 lineup comes in the form of the camera control button. The camera control responds to clicks and different physical gestures, with light presses showing clean previews while a hard click can take a photo. Trailing a finger along the button lets dials and settings to be changed. Read the full rundown on what the camera control can be used for here. Apple's more premium iPhone models come with expected screen changes, with the screen taking up 6.3 inches on the Pro, 6.9 inches on the Pro Max for the biggest screens on an iPhone yet. The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have a new A18 Pro chip, an upgraded camera with faster shutter speeds, the ability to capture 4K video at 120 fps and other changes you can run through here. The iPhone 16 Pro stars at $999 and the 16 Pro Max starts at $1,119 with both up for preorder Friday and launching in stores September 20. Apple kicked things off with reveals on the Watch for the line's tenth anniversary, rolling out a series of updates within the Apple Watch Series 10 line, including a tweaked design with more rounded corners and an updated aspect ratio, with Apple's first wide-angle OLED screens. The Series 10's display is up to 40 percent brighter when viewed at an angle, and is the thinnest Apple Watch yet at 9.7mm and up to 10 percent lighter than the previous models. Unsurprisingly, AI featured in the Apple Watch Series 10 reveal, with a new photos watch face using AI to curate the photos shown on the display, and translation tools using machine learning to improve output. Apple Watches are also getting an update to detect sleep apnea, which is pending FDA clearance. The feature will come to both the Series 10 and Series 9 watches. The Apple Watch Series 10 will start at $399, and it launches September 20. Read more on the Apple Watch Series 10 here. Apple has long touted the Ultra as a device for fitness aficionados, boasting custom workouts, running track detection, bike rides as live activities and so on. And after a lead-up to a reveal, Apple dropped that there won't be a Apple Watch Ultra 3 yet, instead announcing a new satin black color for the Ultra 2. Apple claims the new AirPods 4 are the "most comfortable AirPods ever," with a new A2 chip under the tweaked design. Personalized Spatial Audio is coming to the AirPods 4, along with the addition of machine learning for Siri to pick up head shakes as nods as responses to prompts. The new AirPods 4 will also be available September 20, starting at $129 with active noise cancellation added for the $179 tier. Get the full rundown on the AirPods updates here. Three points were highlighted for AirPods Pro 2 updates: prevention, awareness and assistance. For prevention, hearing protection will be added and on by default for passive noise reduction, managed through machine learning. For awareness, Apple is adding a "clinically validated" hearing test that owners can take at any time. And then for assistance, hearing aid features are launching for those whose hearing tests identify them as potentially benefiting from hearing assisting features. Apple claims that they expect clearance from the FDA on these features "soon," with updates expected to come to iOS in the fall. A series of incremental updates came to AirPods Max during the Apple Event, with USB-C added in, and a series of new colors coming to the updated headphones September 20 for the same price of $549. Get the full rundown here. Apple showed off a new feature for the Voice Memos app, which allows vocal tracks to be layered on top of pre-recorded music or instrumentals. Read more here. In an untraditionally swift launch for its macOS updates, Apple announced that the update first showcased at WWDC 2024 will launch in a week, with a series of updates built upon Apple Intelligence that you can run through here.

Everything Apple announced at it's 'Glowtime' event: AI features, AirPods, Apple Watch Series 10, more

Every fall, major tech companies unveil their newest hardware ahead of the holiday season. On Monday, Apple held its marquee event, dubbed "Glowtime," unveiling its highly anticipated iPhone 16 lineup, Apple Watch Series 10, redesigned AirPods, and more. Although the hardware was the star of the show and WWDC, its software event, was only months ago, Apple also sprinkled in some new helpful software features users can expect soon, including highly anticipated health offerings -- and, of course, artificial intelligence (AI). Also: Every iPhone model that will be updated to Apple's iOS 18 (and which ones can't) If you didn't get to tune in or want a detailed summary of the announcements, keep reading for ZDNET's full roundup of the news below. The iPhone 16 lineup, consisting of the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone Pro Max, was at the forefront of Apple's event. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus come in new bold colors, including ultramarine, teal, and pink, alongside white and black. Other than colors, the changes to the phones' appearance include a rear camera bump, camera alignment, and two new buttons, which we will explore below. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus maintain 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screens, respectively. The phones have a new customizable Action button on the side, which can be programmed to perform different tasks, such as opening the flashlight. Also: Four reasons I'm not upgrading to an iPhone 16 Pro from my iPhone 14 Additionally, there is a new Camera Control button, with touch-capacitive sensors that users can tap and swipe to control the camera. The button functions like a regular camera, allowing users to press it lightly to focus on a subject and harder to take a picture. The button can also launch the camera app, start recording, and pull up camera controls. The phones also feature upgraded camera systems, including a 48-megapixel lens, with a 2X Telephoto option and a new macro photography lens enabled by the new 12MP Ultra Wide camera. Both phones also take spatial photos and videos for the Apple Vision Pro. To give the smartphones enough power to run the latest features powered by generative AI found in Apple Intelligence, the new phones also feature a new A18 processor. The A18 chip makes it up to two times faster for machine learning, has 17% more memory bandwidth, is up to 30% faster than the CPU in the iPhone 15, and has a 40% faster GPU. Also: I held the world's thinnest foldable phone, and it made my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 look outdated The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will be available for preorder on September 13 at $799 and $899 respectively, starting at 128GB. iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max also came packed with upgrades, the highlights being larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays, the thinnest borders ever on an Apple product, Super Retina XDR displays, four titanium finishes (black titanium, natural titanium, white titanium, and desert titanium), Camera Control, and the A18 Pro chip. The A18 Pro chip has 16-core neural engines and 17% more memory bandwidth to excel at generative AI workloads. It runs up to 15% faster than last year's A17 Pro, using 20% less power, paired with a 6-core GPU. Apple also threw around the term "Next-gen ML accelerators" during the event. Also: When is the iPhone 16 coming out? What to know and where to preorder The camera system has also been upgraded on the Pro line, featuring a new 48MP Fusion camera with a "faster, more efficient quad-pixel sensor and Apple Camera Interface, unlocking 4K120 fps video recording in Dolby Vision - the highest resolution and frame-rate combination ever available on iPhone, and a smartphone first," according to Apple. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are available for preorder on September 13 at $99 and $1,999 respectively, starting at 128GB. For the first time since the Apple Watch Series 7 launch, the mid-tier wearable received a noticeable redesign with the launch of the Apple Watch Series 10. Apple gave its Series 10 the thinnest design (9.7 mm) and biggest screen yet. Apple also touted that the Apple Watch Series 10 features fast charging and up to 18 hours of battery life. The watch has Apple's first wide-angle OLED display, which makes its screen up to 40% brighter than the Series 9 when viewed from an angle. This helps readers better read the screen. This OLED display allows for a faster refresh rate, updating once a second instead of once a minute in always-on mode. Some of the new breakout features of the Apple Watch include sleep apnea notifications, audio playback through the Series 10's new speakers, background noise reduction during calls, and a built-in depth gauge and water temperature sensor. Also: The 5 best iPhone 16 Pro features that enthusiasts will care about The Apple Watch Series 10 starts at $399, is available for pre-order starting today, September 9, and will ship on September 20. For the first time, it is available in a polished aluminum finish in jet black, rose gold, and silver aluminum. The titanium case, made of a new grade 5 titanium, is available in natural, gold, and slate. Alongside the Watch Series 10, Apple announced a new satin black finish for its Watch Ultra 2, which is tailored to avid athletes and outdoor enthusiasts. It starts at $799; pre-orders start today and ship out on September 20. Apple also launched an array of new watch bands, including new offerings from Hermes and Nike Sport Loop. After rumors circulated about two new AirPod models since last year, Apple finally launched them: Apple AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). One is the new entry-level option, while the other sits between that and the more premium AirPods Pro 2. Both of the new Apple AirPods 4 models feature an H2 chip, much better overall sound quality, Personalized Spatial Audio, voice isolation, gesture-based Siri controls, and, most notably, a USB-C charging case. In addition to USB-C charging, the AirPods can be charged using an Apple Watch charger or a Q-certified charger, delivering up to 30 hours of battery life. Apple also shares that the new Open-Ear Fit makes these AirPods the "best headphones Apple has ever created with an open-ear design, setting an entirely new benchmark for fit and comfort." The stem now features a force sensor, allowing users to press on the stem to pause, mute, or end calls. The more advanced version includes active noise cancellation at a slightly higher cost. AirPods 4 will cost $129, and the model with ANC will cost $179. Like the rest of the products, they are available for pre-order today and will be in stores starting September 20. Apple also refreshed its AirPods Max offering with new colors (midnight, blue, purple, starlight, and orange), and USB-C charging. Lastly, Apple announced new hearing health features for AirPods Pro 2 coming this fall: Hearing Protections, which actively reduce louder noises from your surroundings using machine learning; Hearing Test, which requires AirPods Pro and an iPhone; and a Hearing Aid feature, which allows earbuds to double as hearing aids. Also: Your AirPods Pro 2 can soon double as over-the-counter hearing aids. Here's how These features will be available in the fall for AirPods Pro 2 via the software update when paired with an iPhone running on iOS 18 or iPad running on iPadOS 18. Apple debuted its in-house generative AI features, Apple Intelligence, during its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June. During the conference, we saw how Apple planned to implement Apple Intelligence across its personal devices, including via an upgraded Siri with more conversational capabilities. During today's event, Apple mostly reviewed the features it had previously unveiled, highlighting ways it will help users, such as auto-writing, proofreading, emoji-generating, searching photo galleries using conversational prompts, and more. Also: Apple delivers on hardware upgrades but punts Apple Intelligence rollout The biggest highlight was the launch of Visual Intelligence, Apple's answer to Google Lens. Like Google Lens, you can take photos of your surroundings, such as a dog or restaurant, and get personalized insights and relevant information on what you captured. Users who purchase a device from the new iPhone 16 lineup will be able to access Visual Intelligence from the new Camera Control option "later this year," according to Apple, though the company did not clarify an exact launch date. Apple unveiled iOS 18 during this year's WWDC in June. It will be readily installed on all iPhone 16 models and available to download on older iPhones this coming Monday, Sept. 16. Even though Apple didn't touch on iOS 18 much during the event, plenty of features are packed into the new software, so we rounded up some of the best ones: ZDNET is at Apple headquarters in Cupertino now, so stay tuned for the latest news, hands-on reviews, takeaways, and more.

Everything Apple announced at iPhone 16 event: AirPods, Apple Watch Series 10, AI, more

Every fall, major tech companies unveil their newest hardware ahead of the holiday season. On Monday, Apple held its marquee event, dubbed "Glowtime," unveiling its highly anticipated iPhone 16 lineup, Apple Watch Series 10, redesigned AirPods, and more. Although the hardware was the star of the show and WWDC, its software event, was only months ago, Apple also sprinkled in some new helpful software features users can expect soon, including highly anticipated health offerings -- and, of course, artificial intelligence (AI). Also: Every iPhone model that will be updated to Apple's iOS 18 (and which ones can't) If you didn't get to tune in or want a detailed summary of the announcements, keep reading for ZDNET's full roundup of the news below. The iPhone 16 lineup, consisting of the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone Pro Max, was at the forefront of Apple's event. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus come in new bold colors, including ultramarine, teal, and pink, alongside white and black. Other than colors, the changes to the phones' appearance include a rear camera bump, camera alignment, and two new buttons, which we will explore below. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus maintain 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screens, respectively. The phones have a new customizable Action button on the side, which can be programmed to perform different tasks, such as opening the flashlight. Also: iPhone 16 hands-on: So packed with features, I almost forgot about its Pro model Additionally, there is a new Camera Control button, with touch-capacitive sensors that users can tap and swipe to control the camera. The button functions like a regular camera, allowing users to press it lightly to focus on a subject and harder to take a picture. The button can also launch the camera app, start recording, and pull up camera controls. The phones also feature upgraded camera systems, including a 48-megapixel lens, with a 2X Telephoto option and a new macro photography lens enabled by the new 12MP Ultra Wide camera. Both phones also take spatial photos and videos for the Apple Vision Pro. To give the smartphones enough power to run the latest features powered by generative AI found in Apple Intelligence, the new phones also feature a new A18 processor. The A18 chip makes it up to two times faster for machine learning, has 17% more memory bandwidth, is up to 30% faster than the CPU in the iPhone 15, and has a 40% faster GPU. Also: Every iPhone 16 model features a new camera button. Here's what it can do The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will be available for preorder on September 13 at $799 and $899 respectively, starting at 128GB. iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max also came packed with upgrades, the highlights being larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays, the thinnest borders ever on an Apple product, Super Retina XDR displays, four titanium finishes (black titanium, natural titanium, white titanium, and desert titanium), Camera Control, and the A18 Pro chip. The A18 Pro chip has 16-core neural engines and 17% more memory bandwidth to excel at generative AI workloads. It runs up to 15% faster than last year's A17 Pro, using 20% less power, paired with a 6-core GPU. Apple also threw around the term "Next-gen ML accelerators" during the event. Also: When is the iPhone 16 coming out? What to know and where to preorder The camera system has also been upgraded on the Pro line, featuring a new 48MP Fusion camera with a "faster, more efficient quad-pixel sensor and Apple Camera Interface, unlocking 4K120 fps video recording in Dolby Vision - the highest resolution and frame-rate combination ever available on iPhone, and a smartphone first," according to Apple. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are available for preorder on September 13 at $999 and $1,099 respectively, starting at 128GB of storage. For the first time since the Apple Watch Series 7 launch, the mid-tier wearable received a noticeable redesign with the launch of the Apple Watch Series 10. Apple gave its Series 10 the thinnest design (9.7 mm) and biggest screen yet. Apple also touted that the Apple Watch Series 10 features fast charging and up to 18 hours of battery life. The watch has Apple's first wide-angle OLED display, which makes its screen up to 40% brighter than the Series 9 when viewed from an angle. This helps readers better read the screen. This OLED display allows for a faster refresh rate, updating once a second instead of once a minute in always-on mode. Some of the new breakout features of the Apple Watch include sleep apnea notifications, audio playback through the Series 10's new speakers, background noise reduction during calls, and a built-in depth gauge and water temperature sensor. Also: The 5 best iPhone 16 Pro features that enthusiasts will care about The Apple Watch Series 10 starts at $399, is available for pre-order starting today, September 9, and will ship on September 20. For the first time, it is available in a polished aluminum finish in jet black, rose gold, and silver aluminum. The titanium case, made of a new grade 5 titanium, is available in natural, gold, and slate. Alongside the Watch Series 10, Apple announced a new satin black finish for its Watch Ultra 2, which is tailored to avid athletes and outdoor enthusiasts. It starts at $799; pre-orders start today and ship out on September 20. Apple also launched an array of new watch bands, including new offerings from Hermes and Nike Sport Loop. After rumors circulated about two new AirPod models since last year, Apple finally launched them: Apple AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). One is the new entry-level option, while the other sits between that and the more premium AirPods Pro 2. Both of the new Apple AirPods 4 models feature an H2 chip, much better overall sound quality, Personalized Spatial Audio, voice isolation, gesture-based Siri controls, and, most notably, a USB-C charging case. In addition to USB-C charging, the AirPods can be charged using an Apple Watch charger or a Q-certified charger, delivering up to 30 hours of battery life. Also: Apple AirPods 4 vs. AirPods 4 with noise cancellation: Which earbuds fit you best? Apple also shares that the new Open-Ear Fit makes these AirPods the "best headphones Apple has ever created with an open-ear design, setting an entirely new benchmark for fit and comfort." The stem now features a force sensor, allowing users to press on the stem to pause, mute, or end calls. The more advanced version includes active noise cancellation at a slightly higher cost. AirPods 4 will cost $129, and the model with ANC will cost $179. Like the rest of the products, they are available for pre-order today and will be in stores starting September 20. Apple also refreshed its AirPods Max offering with new colors (midnight, blue, purple, starlight, and orange), and USB-C charging. Lastly, Apple announced new hearing health features for AirPods Pro 2 coming this fall: Hearing Protections, which actively reduce louder noises from your surroundings using machine learning; Hearing Test, which requires AirPods Pro and an iPhone; and a Hearing Aid feature, which allows earbuds to double as hearing aids. Also: Your AirPods Pro 2 can soon double as over-the-counter hearing aids. Here's how These features will be available in the fall for AirPods Pro 2 via the software update when paired with an iPhone running on iOS 18 or iPad running on iPadOS 18. Apple debuted its in-house generative AI features, Apple Intelligence, during its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June. During the conference, we saw how Apple planned to implement Apple Intelligence across its personal devices, including via an upgraded Siri with more conversational capabilities. During today's event, Apple mostly reviewed the features it had previously unveiled, highlighting ways it will help users, such as auto-writing, proofreading, emoji-generating, searching photo galleries using conversational prompts, and more. Also: Apple delivers on hardware upgrades but punts Apple Intelligence rollout The biggest highlight was the launch of Visual Intelligence, Apple's answer to Google Lens. Like Google Lens, you can take photos of your surroundings, such as a dog or restaurant, and get personalized insights and relevant information on what you captured. Users who purchase a device from the new iPhone 16 lineup will be able to access Visual Intelligence from the new Camera Control option "later this year," according to Apple, though the company did not clarify an exact launch date. Apple unveiled iOS 18 during this year's WWDC in June. It will be readily installed on all iPhone 16 models and available to download on older iPhones this coming Monday, Sept. 16. Even though Apple didn't touch on iOS 18 much during the event, plenty of features are packed into the new software, so we rounded up some of the best ones: ZDNET is at Apple headquarters in Cupertino now, so stay tuned for the latest news, hands-on reviews, takeaways, and more.

Apple iPhone 16 event - everything Apple announced and 16 things we learned

Here's everything we learned during Apple's huge 'It's Glowtime' event Apple's iPhone 16 event is now over, but we're only just starting to get to grips with everything that was announced by Tim Cook and friends. There was a lot to unpack - four new iPhones, one new Apple Watch, two new AirPods models, and a bunch of clever Apple Intelligence features. But there were also several notable absentees that had been heavily rumored before the event, and some notable updates to existing devices. To get you up to speed with all the big announcements here's our guide to everything Apple revealed, and a few things we learned along the way. At first glance, the iPhone 16 might look a lot like its predecessor, but Apple has brought a handful of meaningful upgrades to its latest base model. On the design front, the iPhone 16 inherits the Action button from the iPhone 15 Pro, but the more exciting addition is an all-new Camera Control button, which can be used in a manner akin to Google Lens to help you quickly learn about your surroundings. The iPhone 16 also gets a new, exclusive A18 chipset, which will power Apple Intelligence features from October onwards, and the phone's rear camera lenses are now arranged vertically to allow for spatial video capture. The iPhone 16 ships in ultramarine, teal, pink, white, and black, and will be available to pre-order from Friday, September 9. The new device hits store shelves on Friday, September 20 alongside the iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. We were expecting the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max to have a solid suite of upgrades, but what Apple has added to its next-gen smartphones is rather impressive - and a tad overwhelming. Both phones get larger screens - 6.3 and 6.9 inches respectively - and have a powerful A18 Pro chipset that promises a heck of a lot more gaming power and the ability to deliver high-quality 4K video capture at 120 frames per second, which Apple is touting as a pro feature. The Action button is more capable, and as with the base iPhone 16 there's a new haptics-based Camera Control button that can recognize a mix of taps and swipes to trigger different camera and shooting modes. Plus, for people who want to capture great sound, there are now four mics in the Pro phones with the ability to record Spatial Audio when capturing video. On top of this, there are four color options - Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium - and smart features via an upgraded Siri and Apple Intelligence. And somehow Apple has decided not to increase the price of the Pro phones, despite the upgrades. We could be looking at two very powerful contenders for the top spot on our best phones list. The iPhone 16 Plus is one-to-one with the iPhone 16 in all but one area: size. With a 6.7-inch display, the Plus is now Apple's second-largest phone behind the newly enlarged iPhone 16 Pro Max. Along with the rest of the iPhone 16 lineup, the iPhone 16 Plus comes equipped with the new Action Button and Camera Control capacitive button. Powered by the A18 chipset, the iPhone 16 Plus will receive a suite of Apple Intelligence features as a beta release in October before they officially launch in December. New AI tools include Visual Intelligence, which uses the vertically-aligned cameras to provide information about your surroundings (more on that below). Preorders go live on September 13, with prices starting at $899 / £899 / AU$1,599 for the model with 128GB of storage. Speaking of prices, we can't believe we're saying this, but given the upgrades Apple has brought to its iPhones with the iPhone 16 family, Cupertino's smartphones might actually be good value. That's because they haven't risen in price. That means the iPhone 16 starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399, the iPhone 16 Plus starts at $899 / £899 / AU$1,599, the iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,799, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,149. Obviously, the prices can get a little eye-watering when you bump up the storage options, with the 1TB iPhone 16 Pro Max topping out at $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,849. But go for a more conservative amount of onboard storage and the prices are easier to swallow. All four new iPhone models will be released on September 20, but iPhone 16 pre-orders start on September 13. And we'll flag any iPhone 16 deals as and when they pop up, so do keep that page bookmarked. Alongside the iPhone 15 Pro's Action button - a programmable shortcut button which replaces the mute switch on older models - Apple has given iPhone 16 models another new button: Camera Control. You can tap the button once to open the Camera app, tap it again to take a picture, and by sliding your phone along the button you can adjust various camera settings to adjust the composition and appearance of your snaps. It looks like it'll make taking pictures on the iPhone 16 more convenient, and we're excited to try it out. Apple really wants creatives to use the iPhone 16 Pro for their music and video needs. It boasts four "studio quality" mics which - in combination with AI trickery - can be used to adjust the sound mix of your shots (focusing on just the key actors, what's in frame, or a balance of all the sound), or used to help you layer song ideas in notes. In one example shown during the event, a musician played a guitar riff they had recorded earlier while recording new lyrics over the top; they could then play back both together, or isolate just the riff or lyrics to help them create a new tune. The iPhone 16 Pro is also able to capture 4K video at 120fps, and once you have your video you can adjust playback speed in the app to create cinematic slow-mo segments after the fact. You can also rely on the new Camera Control button to more easily adjust camera settings on the fly. The iPhone 16 family has brought with it the new A18 and A18 Pro chipsets, and as usual Apple has made some impressive claims about performance improvements without much in the way of actual benchmarks. Nevertheless, the company claims the A18 found in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus has a 30% faster CPU and 40% faster GPU than the A16 Bionic chipset it replaces. As for the A18 Pro found in the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple is claiming 15% CPU performance gains and a 20% GPU boost. The A18 Pro also doubles video encoding speeds; welcome news to those making use of the iPhone's ProRES recording abilities.What is concretely impressive is that these are the world's first commercially available 3nm smartphone chipsets, something we heard relatively little about until the event itself. Apple Intelligence finally has a release window, and while it won't be available for the iPhone 16 lineup's launch on September 20, we won't have long to wait. Apple says the new AI features will arrive in October as part of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, although only in US English to start with. Initially, Apple Intelligence will launch in beta with writing tools, summaries, and Siri's redesign, to name a few of its tricks. More localized English languages will be added in December, and we expect to see more Apple Intelligence features such as Genmoji and Visual Intelligence trickle onto our Apple devices over the next few months. The version of Siri we've all been waiting for won't arrive until 2025, however, so you'll need to wait to ask the voice assistant about what's on your device's screen. We were all hoping for a new Apple Intelligence feature exclusive to the iPhone 16 lineup, and Apple well and truly delivered. Press the new Camera Control button on the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, Pro, or Pro Max to activate Visual Intelligence and search for whatever you see using AI. This new Apple Intelligence feature might sound similar to Google Lens, but it's on an iPhone now and it looks seriously cool. Visual Intelligence arrives on the iPhone 16 later this year, so for now you'll need to use the Camera Control button to, well, capture photos. The Apple Watch Series 10 has arrived with its biggest-ever screen, thinnest-ever body, and fastest-ever charging. With a new display that's bigger than the Apple Watch Ultra's 49mm beast (although we didn't get an exact size for the Series 10's new display) the wide-angle OLED offers 30% more screen space in comparison to the old Apple Watch Series 6. Want more? A new S10 chipset offers the Translate app and machine learning-powered health smarts, including a new Breathing Disturbances feature for sleep apnea detection. And then there's the speaker... Yes, the Apple Watch Series 10's speaker can finally play music. That's right, this oddity of the Apple Watch has been fixed so that you no longer need to connect a pair of AirPods to your Apple Watch to enjoy music you've downloaded to the wearable. We expect the audio quality won't be the most stellar - think of this as a back-up rather than your go-to music listening experience - but it will certainly be better than nothing on the occasions you forget your iPhone, or your AirPods run out of charge while you're out on the go. Even though we didn't see an Apple Watch Ultra 3 make an appearance this year, Apple did offer a small update to the Ultra series overall. As well as the previously Ultra-exclusive Depth and Oceanic+ apps being available on the Apple Watch Series 10, the Ultra 2 now comes in a new, slick color - Satin Black. The cool new look is complete with a new band style, Milanese titanium, which is meant to evoke the style of classic dive watches - and as such is corrosion-resistant for all your deep-sea needs. The Apple Watch 10 and Watch Ultra 2 are getting a potentially life-changing sleep apnea detection feature. Using the device's accelerometer, the wearables will detect sleep disturbances that could indicate that the wearer temporarily stopped breathing, and analyze these findings every 30 days to identify signs of sleep apnea. Given that up to 80% of people who suffer from the potentially life-shortening disorder may not even be aware they have it, this could be a valuable first line of defense in helping detect it. You know when you wait ages for a bus and then... that. Apple has launched not one but two new sets of AirPods 4 at Glowtime, both with upgraded acoustic architecture in Apple's original open-ear design. The chief difference between the two? Active noise cancellation, Adaptive Audio and conversation awareness, which are reserved for the pricier pair. However, you do get personalised Spatial Audio and gesture detection in both, thanks to Apple's H2 chip. While we're a little sad that the AirPods Pro 3 weren't revealed, the AirPods Pro 2 are at least going to get three new features aimed at protecting your hearing health. There's improved noise cancellation for particularly loud sounds, a hearing test so you can chart its change over time, and - most interestingly - the ability to turn your buds into Hearing Aids. These features will come to the iPhone Health app with an iOS 18 update some time later in 2024, only for AirPods 2 owners, but presumably the future AirPods Pro 3 will get them too. Despite rumors that we'd be seeing the new AirPods Max 2 launched at the event, we instead saw some minor upgrades to the existing AirPods Max. Unsurprisingly, given its been mandated by EU regulators, that Lightning port is gone, replaced by the USB-C ports used across the rest of the AirPods range. And the Max have received a glow up with new colorways Midnight, Orange, Starlight, Blue and Purple. Seems like we'll be waiting a little while longer for features like lossless audio and weatherproofing.

Here's everything Apple announced - and a few surprises

Yesterday's 'Glowtime' event of course saw the announcement of the new iPhone 16 line-up, with the rest of the announcements spanning both hardware and software. While most of the pre-event reporting on the iPhone 16 models was accurate, there were a few surprises - with a mix of pleasant and unpleasant ones ... The most visually striking differentiators with the standard and Plus models of the iPhone 16 are the new colors - black, white, pink, teal, and ultramarine - and the aligned cameras for capturing Spatial Video. Both models of course get the A18 chip needed to run Apple Intelligence features. Indeed, Apple said the new models were "built from the ground up" for AI. But what's most remarkable is how few features Apple has held back for the two Pro models: the base and Plus models get most of the new goodies. The standard models get the Action button from last year's Pro models, as well as the new Camera Control - a combination of two-stage button and touch-sensitive swipe pad for controlling zoom and other camera features. They also get the 48MP Fusion camera and macro photography feature (though not the 48MP Ultra Wide camera added to the two Pro models). Video recording gets the option of Spatial Audio, with the new audio filtering options, as well as wind-noise reduction. There are larger batteries on both, with improved battery life. The base model boosts maximum battery life from 20 hours to 22 (based on the best case of video playback only). All iPhone 16 models also get faster MagSafe charging of up to 25W when using a 30W charger or better. See above for the new features common to all the iPhone 16 models, with the headline feature there the new multi-function Camera Control button and touchpad. The two new Pro models get the slightly larger display size we anticipated, at 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches respectively. They also get a new color line-up, including the expected gold finish which Apple refers to as 'desert': black titanium, natural titanium, white titanium, and desert titanium. The Pro models get a more powerful A18 Pro chip, with a 6-core GPU instead of the 5-core GPU of the standard models. ProMotion and the Always-On display also remain exclusive to the Pro. The Pro models get a new 48MP Ultra Wide camera, and the 5x telephoto lens comes to the standard Pro, not just the Pro Max. For video recording, both Pro models get Dolby Vision 4K video at up to 120fps, for even more dramatic slow-motion footage. Apple also says the models have "studio-quality" microphones. Maximum battery life is up to 27 hours for the Pro and up to 33 hours for the Pro Max, again based on the ideal scenario of video playback only. Pro Max storage tiers start at 256GB, against the 128GB starting point of the Pro. This effectively means just $100 difference between the two models on a like-for-like basis. The Apple Watch got a fairly significant upgrade, with a larger screen as well as thinner design. There's also a new polished Jet Black option for the aluminum models, and what Apple describes as a "jewelry-like shine" for the natural, gold, and slate titanium ones. There's now a built-in speaker capable of playing music or podcasts, though with such a tiny speaker you should obviously not expect too much in the way of audio quality. You get faster charging, the Watch now offering up to an 80% charge in just 30 minutes, ideal for those who like to use it as a sleep tracker overnight - just put it onto charge while you shower and get ready to leave. The S10 also debuts a new health feature: the ability to detect sleep apnea. This is a serious condition which can be hard to detect, usually requiring an overnight stay at a sleep clinic or fairly sophisticated at-home equipment, so this is a significant upgrade - though there was a surprise here, which we'll get to. A new Watch face also aims to change to reflect the ambient lighting conditions. Finally, water resistance has been boosted, with the Depth app now available on the watch (this was previously exclusive to the Ultra). There was no update to the Ultra 2 itself, but Apple did announce a couple of additional options for the existing model. First, there's a new black titanium finish, which Apple says uses a "diamond-like carbon physical vapor deposition coating over the grade 5 titanium [to make] it scratch-resistant." Second, there's a Hermès Ultra 2, which combines a natural titanium case with a new Hermès En Mer band in what Apple/Hermès calls "Bleu Nuit" and the rest of us would call navy blue. You also get an exclusive Hermès Maritime watch face. Apple says the band, despite being a fashion brand, is still intended for rugged use. The En Mer band features Hermès's nautical, diagonal rib pattern made from high-density textured knit, providing both durability and comfort. A wide titanium buckle on the band ensures that Apple Watch Hermès Ultra 2 stays securely on the wrist even during water activities, including scuba diving, sailing, and high-speed water sports. Apple launched the 4th generation of the standard AirPods model, into two variants intended to replace both AirPods 2 and AirPods 3. AirPods 4 are powered by a new H2 chip bringing AirPods Pro features to the standard model for the first time. This includes Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, Voice Isolation, and responding to Siri by nodding or shaking your head. Audio quality is upgraded to 16-bit, 48kHz . You get a more compact charging case, with the Lightning socket finally replaced by USB-C. Apple also offers an upgraded version with active noise cancellation. These are named AirPods 4 with ANC, which seems an unnecessarily confusing naming system. AirPods Max got the minimum possible update, with a switch to USB-C charging and some new colors: midnight, starlight, blue, purple, and orange. Finally, AirPods Pro 2 get the long-expected hearing aid feature - with built-in hearing testing too. Apple is providing the world's first all-in-one hearing health experience with AirPods Pro with active Hearing Protection, a clinically validated Hearing Test feature, and an over-the-counter Hearing Aid feature. The first-of-its-kind software-based Hearing Aid feature helps make access to hearing assistance easier than ever at an approachable price point. 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. Top of the pleasant surprises, as described above, was the remarkably few feature differences between the standard and Plus models of the iPhone 16, and the two Pro models. The new Camera Capture button is more powerful than we expected, and I'm really looking forward to trying that (though see below). Apple finally launching the hearing aid feature was expected at some point, but it was still a very nice surprise that it arrived yesterday. On the Apple Watch side, the new sleep apnea detection isn't exclusive to the new Series 10, but also comes to the Series 9 and Ultra 2. But there were a few unwanted surprises too. Top of these for me is that the core feature of Camera Control - the ability to lock focus and exposure before reframing the shot - won't be available on day one. That's what I really wanted from the button, with the other features secondary ones to me. Apple says that will come in a later update. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 may get some shiny new cosmetics, but it doesn't get an upgrade from the S9 to S10 chip. This means that the new standard model is now more powerful than the Ultra. (Admittedly the Ultra still wins when it comes to display size, brightness, siren feature, water resistance, scuba diving support to 40m, dual-frequency GPS, and had twice the battery-life.) Similarly, the slightly-upgraded AirPods Max don't get any new audio features. There's no upgrade to the H2 chip, so no adapative audio or voice isolation, for example. That's a pretty major disappointment. What did you think of yesterday's event, and what are your purchase plans? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

iPhone 16 series to AirPods 4: Highlights from Apple 'It's Glowtime' event

Apple, on September 9, announced the iPhone 16 series, calling it the beginning of an exciting new era that raises the bar of what the iPhone can do. Alongside the iPhones, the US-based technology giant unveiled two new wireless earbuds in the AirPods 4 series, the Watch Series 10 smartwatch, and new features coming to the Watch Ultra 2 and AirPods Max. Below is a detailed roundup of everything announced at the "It's Glowtime" event: iPhone 16 series Tim Cook described the iPhone 16 series as a leap into an exciting new era, emphasising that these are the first iPhones designed from the ground up with artificial intelligence (AI) as a core element. Powered by the new Apple A18 chip, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models are said to push the boundaries of smartphone capabilities with on-device AI, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and superior performance efficiency. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus The iPhone 16 series comes in two sizes: the standard 6.1-inch iPhone 16 and the larger 6.7-inch iPhone 16 Plus. Both models feature a refreshed aluminium design with a vibrant colour-infused back glass. The devices are water and dust resistant and feature a glass ceramic display, offering protection and enhanced durability. The display boasts 2000 nits peak brightness, while the screen can also dim down to a minimal 1 nit for low-light situations. New hardware includes an Action Button, and a Camera Control button with integrated Google Lens and ChatGPT for new Visual Intelligence feature, which will be available on later dates. Performance is driven by the Apple A18 chip, built on a second-generation 3nm process, with a 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU. With 17 per cent more memory bandwidth, this new architecture enables advanced machine learning tasks and large generative AI models, utilising a 16-core neural engine for optimised performance. Apple claims it delivers 30 per cent faster processing and 40 per cent faster graphics compared to its predecessor, all while being 30 per cent more power-efficient. More From This Section OnePlus 13 set to launch in October, likely with Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset Realme launches performance-centric Narzo 70 Turbo in India: Price, specs Motorola launches Razr 50 flip-style foldable in India: Check price, offers Lenovo showcases new AI PC concept with 'Smart Lid' that follows users ASUS brings laptops powered by new Snapdragon X Plus, India launch likely Camera advancements include a 48MP main camera with sensor-shift optical image stabilisation (OIS), an ultra-wide camera with autofocus, and a 2x telephoto option enabled by the main sensor. The iPhone 16 supports 4K 60fps videos in Dolby Vision, and introduces Spatial Capture, allowing users to record immersive videos and photos designed for use with Apple Vision Pro. Prices start at $799 for the iPhone 16 and $899 for the iPhone 16 Plus. ALSO READ: It's glowtime: Apple unveils much awaited AI-boosted iPhone 16 series iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max The premium iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models (6.3-inch and 6.9-inch, respectively) showcase innovations both inside and out, said Apple. Notably, they have thinner display borders, offer ProMotion technology with a 120Hz refresh rate, and are protected by Ceramic Shield glass. These models use Grade 5 Titanium for the chassis, offering a durable yet lightweight design, complemented by a micro-blasted texture and a new Desert Titanium colourway. At the core of these Pro models is the A18 Pro chip, which powers 35 trillion operations per second with its 16-core neural engine. The 6-core GPU supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing, improving graphic rendering in games and apps. The 6-core CPU has two performance cores and four efficiency cores, enhancing overall efficiency. On the camera front, both Pro models come equipped with a 48MP main camera, a 48MP ultra-wide camera with autofocus, and an upgraded 5x telephoto lens. They introduce new Photographic Styles and the ability to shoot in 4K 120fps slow-motion with Dolby Vision, ProRes, and LOG formats. The Pro models also offer studio-quality microphones for improved audio capture, as well as a new Audio Mix feature for more dynamic sound recording. With faster MagSafe charging and support for Qi2 wireless charging, these Pro models cater to users looking for a premium experience. Apple also highlighted upcoming features for the Camera Control button, which will be updated later this year for enhanced functionality. Apple Intelligence A central theme of the event was Apple's new Apple Intelligence system, which integrates generative AI throughout the iPhone 16 series. This new system enables Personal Intelligence, running multiple Apple generative models on-device, with privacy as a key consideration. Apple Intelligence introduces Private Cloud Compute, allowing users to leverage more advanced AI models privately. Moreover, the new camera control system, set to launch later this year, will incorporate Visual Intelligence. This innovation supports precision with light press and full click functionality for refined control. ALSO READ: iPhone 16 series: Here is a recap of AI features previewed by Apple at WWDC Siri also sees a significant upgrade, with richer language understanding and enhanced generative AI capabilities. The first wave of Apple Intelligence features will be available in select regions in English, US from next month. Apple Watch Series 10 The Apple Watch Series 10 was another highlight of the event, with a refreshed design and improved display. This latest watch features a 30 per cent larger screen than previous models, with rounded corners and a wide-angle OLED display. The screen is also up to 40 per cent brighter when viewed at an angle. Measuring 9.7mm thick, the Apple Watch Series 10 is 30 per cent thinner than its predecessor. The new finishes include polished Jet Black, Rose Gold, and Silver Aluminium casings. Notably, Apple has replaced stainless steel with Polished Titanium options, available in Natural, Gold, and Dark Slate Grey finishes. Powered by the new S10 SIP (system-in-package) with a 4-core neural engine, the Series 10 introduces WatchOS 11, which brings Sleep Apnea detection - a feature also coming to the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is now available in a new Satin Black titanium finish. AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 (ANC) Apple introduced the AirPods 4 (fourth generation), powered by the H2 chip and featuring an open-ear design. These AirPods offer personalised spatial audio, USB-C charging case, and up to 30 hours of total battery life. A standout feature is the support for head nod gestures for Siri, enhancing hands-free control. The new AirPods with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) boast upgraded microphones, Transparency Mode, and Adaptive Audio. They introduce Conversation Awareness, which lowers volume when the AirPods detect the user is speaking and automatically raises it when the conversation ends. Apple's premium AirPods Max now support Personalised Spatial Audio and come with a USB-C charging case for faster and more versatile charging. Also Read It's glowtime: Apple unveils much awaited AI-boosted iPhone 16 series Huawei racks up 3 mn pre-orders for tri-fold phone before iPhone 16 reveal It's glowtime: AI in spotlight as Apple launches GenAI-backed iPhone16 How ubiquitous iPhone 16 is different from Apple's recent releases iPhone 16 series: Here is a recap of AI features previewed by Apple at WWDC

Apple Event 2024: All the iPhone 16, Apple Watch and AirPods news expected today

For Apple followers, the biggest tech day of the year is finally here: The Apple iPhone 16 launch event. It'll take place later today, September 9, at 1PM ET in Cupertino, CA, and you can stream it live on YouTube or the company's website. We'll also be live-blogging the news and hopefully will get a chance to check out the new iPhone after the event. The biggest news we're expecting from Apple's It's Glowtime event is the iPhone 16 lineup. Following past events, we're also anticipating a new Apple Watch or two. But a late-breaking update from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggests that we won't be seeing a full refresh on the Apple Watch Ultra line -- just a new Ultra 2 color. (See below for details). Beyond that, rumors have been swirling about various changes to the AirPods line, including new noise-canceling models and maybe even a small refresh to the AirPods Max. And what about new M4 Macs, HomePods, iPad mini or even the baseline iPhone SE? Some of those may hit later this year, while others probably won't see the light of day until 2025 or beyond. But until Tim Cook takes the (virtual) stage, however, everything is pure speculation. With that said, let's get into the most likely leaks and rumors ahead of the Apple event. No matter what else happens, these new handsets will take center stage during the Apple event. That's good news for people ready for an upgrade. The bad (ish) news? The vast majority of leaks and rumors indicate that this will be another year of iterative improvements, so don't expect a game-changing new hardware feature. There are likely to be four new models announced at the event, which is similar to what Apple did last year. The new phones will allegedly be called the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max, according to industry analyst Mark Gurman. This is the exact same naming convention as last year's iPhone 15 reveal, so the rumors of Apple adopting an "iPhone Ultra" moniker seem to have been greatly exaggerated. Even if Apple doesn't use the Ultra naming, the Pro models might be getting slightly larger screens, which is always nice (if you like big phones, that is). The regular Pro is likely to move to 6.3 inches from 6.1 inches, while the Pro Max should hit 6.9 inches, an increase from 6.7 inches. Finally, there will likely be a new color or two, as always. Bloomberg's Gurman suggests that Apple is ready to ditch the blue model in favor of the return of rose gold. Separately, 9to5Mac has reported on a new "gold-colored titanium" hue for the iPhone 16 Pro model. Based on a source who apparently nailed last year's gray titanium color, they are showing off what appears to be more of a dusky sand hue than gold. On the hardware side of things, look for a new chipset that takes advantage of the company's recent push toward AI, also known as Apple Intelligence. Beyond that, the upgraded A18 chip will be an iterative improvement, specs-wise. As is typical, the Pro and Pro Max will likely get a more powerful chip than the standard models. It looks like the base amount of RAM here will be 8GB, so as to handle those aforementioned AI tasks. It's also been rumored that the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will get the Action Button, a feature introduced last year for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. This multi-purpose button is a direct replacement for the mute switch, by default, but can be adjusted to control a bunch of different things. The Action Button can be used to to change ringer settings, turn on the flashlight, launch the camera and more. There's also talk of another new button, this one on the right side of the phone. This will control camera features, operating like a button on a DSLR. Reporting indicates that a soft press will trigger autofocus and a harder press will take a photo. Consumers may also be able to swipe along the button to zoom in and out while shooting photos or taking videos. It's been reported that this camera button will only come with the Pro and Pro Max, which makes sense since the high-end models typically offer a more robust camera experience. To that end, new iPhones always get a camera spec bump, but we don't know exactly what that will look like this time. It's been reported, however, that the iPhone 16's camera module could be getting a design refresh. Apple might be ditching the square and going with a vertical orientation. This might only apply to the base iPhone 16 and maybe the Plus, as the Pro and Pro Max phones tend to place a much higher emphasis on photos and videos. We already know what's coming on the software side of things, thanks to the recent WWDC event. Based on previous years, iOS 18 should be available within the week following the event. The software update features a more customizable Control Center and Home Screen. It'll also finally bring RCS support to iPhones. As for Apple Intelligence, you'll have to wait a bit. It was announced as part of iOS 18, but it's been delayed until iOS 18.1. This isn't a huge deal, as that OS refresh is expected in October, but does mean that early adopters of the iPhone 16 won't be able to fool around with AI right away. The new iPhone drop may also spell the end of Apple's widely panned FineWoven case, which was just introduced last year as an alternative to leather but has been criticized for durability issues. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently reported that FineWoven inventory is getting low, suggesting the company is either phasing it out or planning a refresh. One leaker on the Saturday ahead of the event shared a look at an array of iPhone cases in neutral colors, claiming these may be coming out in a new material to replace FineWoven. Ever since 2016, iPhone events have also included a deep dive on the latest Apple Watch. This year looks to be no different. As a matter of fact, this is a big year for the Apple Watch. We are coming up on the gadget's tenth birthday, so there are conflicting rumors as to whether the next entry will be called the Apple Watch Series 10 or the Series X. No matter what it ends up being called, Apple's next standard smartwatch is reported to have a bigger screen that's more in line with the Ultra. It's expected that the company will ditch the 41mm form factor and introduce a 49mm design. Rumors have also suggested that Apple has completely redesigned the band system and added new connectors. This will likely make these straps easier to adjust, but there's a downside. This move could make it so all of those old bands no longer work. Of course, there's going to be a new chip to power these watches, but we don't have any specifics. It's been suggested that these chips have been designed to accommodate Apple's recent foray into AI, but that integration is likely to happen later on. For now, Apple Intelligence will be tethered to iPhone, iPad and Mac. There are likely to be two watches revealed at the event, which are codenamed N217 and N218. It's possible one of these will be the Apple Watch Ultra 3, though Mark Gurman at Bloomberg says the high-end smartwatch won't get a major redesign this time out. It'll likely be an iterative refresh. On the software front, it looks like Apple has run into some snags while developing long-anticipated health tracking tools. Health monitoring is one of the key features of the Apple Watch, so the company has been working on new sensors to detect high blood pressure and sleep apnea. However, the tech will likely not be ready for this year's smartwatch. Apple's also been developing a glucose sensor for almost a decade so, who knows, maybe it'll finally show up with the Series X. Finally, it's highly possible that Apple announces a new version of the budget-friendly Watch SE. This was last updated in 2022, so a refresh is overdue. There has been some reporting that Apple will be swapping out the aluminum exterior with a rigid plastic shell. This should help get costs down even further. As it stands, the Apple Watch SE is $250, but Samsung's cheapest wearable is the $200 Galaxy Watch FE. Apple may want to compete closer to that price range. It's been reported that Apple's prepping two new variants of its standard earbuds. According to a Bloomberg roundup that was published on September 6, Apple will introduce an entry-level model and a mid-tier version, which would effectively replace AirPods 2 and AirPods 3. The big news here is that both new AirPods versions are likely to transition to a USB-C case to keep pace with the iPhone and the second-gen AirPods Pro. It's been suggested that the cheaper of the two forthcoming models would lack wireless charging, but that the mid-tier version would support this technology. This is the same strategy Apple followed with previous generations, so it makes sense. The case for the more expensive AirPods may also include a speaker, which would make it easier to find with Apple's Find My feature. Both versions should feature similar designs, though the mid-tier variant is likely to support active noise cancellation like the Pro model. If that's the case, it's not really clear what's left to differentiate those earbuds from the AirPods Pro, but we'll find out soon enough. As for the AirPods Max, four years on, we might finally an updated model, too. In a tweet just a day before the big event, Mark Gurman says we could see a new pair of premium headphones. They'll get USB-C and "better noise cancellation." The iPhone event doesn't typically have a "one more thing" moment, but there's one piece of hardware that could get a surprise shout out. It's been rumored that Apple is preparing a massive redesign of the Mac mini, which would include ditching the USB-A port, according to Gurman. Analysts have suggested that this will be the company's smallest ever desktop computer and could be around the same size of an Apple TV streaming box. There will reportedly be two versions of the upcoming Mac Mini, one with the standard M4 chip and another with the more powerful M4 Pro chip. The base model is rumored to start shipping from suppliers this month, so it's possible Apple will spend a few minutes on the computer at the iPhone event. However, don't count on it. This is an event for iPhones and smartwatches and a miniaturized desktop could feel out of place. And, just like it did last fall, Apple could easily hold a Mac-specific event later this year. There's also a lot of noise online about an upcoming iPad mini refresh. Apple's smallest iPad hasn't had an update since 2021, and is currently "considered 'constrained' internally," according to Gurman. While a new model is likely to come soon, it's not common for Apple to announce iPads during its iPhone event. Beyond that, a whole bunch of software updates are about to drop. There's iOS 18, which we've written about extensively, and iPadOS 18. As for smartwatches, watchOS 11 is also coming out sometime this fall. Apple already detailed all three operating systems at WWDC, but the upcoming iPhone event would be a good time to announce official release dates. Here's something we know for sure: Apple has a updated Beats Powerbeats Pro update coming next year. Beats teased an update to the earbuds on its Instagram account on September 4 with a short Reel. In the clip, Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani swings a bat while wearing the upcoming earbuds, before a "Powerbeats Pro 2" wordmark and "Coming 2025" flash up on screen. That's it -- there's no mention of specs, pricing, or a tighter release window, but we do at least see a tweaked design. You can read senior reporter Billy Steele's analysis of this glimpse here. Chances are we won't hear about this new set of buds at the iPhone event, but expect to see them adorning many more athlete and celebrity ears before long. In preparation for Apple's September 9 event, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman joined Engadget Podcast hosts Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar to talk all things Apple. The trio talked at length about the latest Apple rumors, including the new camera button for iPhone, tweaks to screen sizes, the new AirPods lineup and what to expect from the latest Apple Watch models. There's also a little more detail on the future of Apple, from next year's "super slim" iPhone redesign through to the company's burgeoning ambitions in home robotics. You can listen to the episode above, and a full transcript is available here. Update, September 9 2024, 8:00AM ET: This story has been updated multiple times since its original publishing. The updates were as follows, in chronological order:

Apple reveals AI iPhones and AirPods that double as hearing aids

AI-forward iPhones, sleeker Apple Watches and AirPods that double as hearing aids will go on sale soon, Apple says. CUPERTINO, Calif. -- For months now, Apple has been laying out its vision of how artificial intelligence will help users of its devices "get things done effortlessly." Now, the company is rolling out new hardware to bring AI -- or in this case, "Apple Intelligence" -- to the masses. On Monday, Apple pulled back the curtain on its new iPhone 16 and 16 Pro devices, all of which will be able to use the company's new Apple Intelligence features as they become available. The first wave of Apple's generative AI tools is expected to arrive later this fall in a software update, while more dramatic changes -- like a smarter version of Siri -- will have to wait in the wings until next year. Some analysts say this doubling-down on AI, plus a glut of older phones people have been hanging onto, could spark an upgrade cycle for Apple products, a much-needed development for a company trying to combat slumping sales for its marquee product. Apple's nearly two-hour-long launch event Monday also saw the company show off Apple Watches with slimmer designs and brighter screens, new AirPods models, and a crucial software update that will allow its existing, $249 AirPods Pro earbuds to act as hearing aids. That feature, however, still requires clearance from the Food and Drug Administration, Apple said. Here is everything you need to know about what Apple unveiled Monday. The iPhone 16 and 16 Pro Apple unveiled four new iPhone models: The iPhone 16, the larger 16 Plus, the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max. And as the company pointed out at length, these are devices that were -- for better or worse -- designed "from the ground up" to use AI tools. Apple's more affordable iPhone 16 ($799+) and 16 Plus ($899+) have been updated with faster A18 processors, as well as "Action" buttons -- special keys that can trigger certain features or shortcuts -- that debuted on the iPhone 15 Pro series last year. The company's iPhone 16 Pro ($999+) and iPhone 16 Pro Max ($1,199+), meanwhile, pack supercharged versions of those new Apple processors meant to better power games, creative workloads and the company's AI tools. The screens in these more premium devices are also slightly larger than in the standard models, though Apple's redesign means users probably won't feel the difference in their hands. Apple's Pro models also include a new, higher-resolution ultrawide camera -- for those moments you just need to take a panorama photo -- and a bevy of filmmaker-friendly tools to improve audio recording quality and capture high-speed video. Thankfully, some changes are coming to all of Apple's new iPhones at the same time. Every iPhone 16 now has a new, touch-sensitive button you can use to zoom in and change key camera settings, and Apple says we'll see significant improvements in battery life across the board -- though it stopped short of any concrete claims. New Apple Watches and sleep apnea detection The company has been talking about its software plans for the Watch since June, but added one new feature to the mix: sleep apnea alerts. A newly developed algorithm for Apple Watches will alert wearers to "moderate to severe signs of sleep apnea," and will generate a report you can share with your doctor to make taking about all this a little easier. (The company says it expects FDA clearance for this feature later this month.) That feature will be available on the company's older Series 9 and Ultra 2 models, as well as its new Apple Watch Series 10. Apple's new smartwatch -- the latest version of company's mainstream mid-tier wearable -- has been redesigned to be slimmer than the models they replace. That's enough to make these devices Apple's thinnest watches ever, though we'll have to see how much of a difference this redesign makes on our wrists. The screens wedged into these Watches are bigger than ever too, though you'll still see dark bezels running around the their edges. For the folks who like to leave their Watch screens on all the time, Apple says its new screens are brighter and easier to read at an angle -- perfect for those moments when you need to subtly check the time. Apple also updated its existing Watch Ultra 2. The company's rugged, athlete-focused smartwatch now comes in black. Meanwhile, Apple's low-cost Watch SE model -- which was previously rumored to get a plastic redesign -- went untouched. Updated AirPods In a surprise twist, Apple's humble wireless earbuds might have gotten some of the most interesting updates of the entire show. Apple didn't modify its $249 AirPods Pro earbuds, but they are getting some of the company's biggest software changes -- like a suite of hearing health tools. After a forthcoming software update, you'll be able to use these AirPods to take a clinically validated hearing test. If your phone determines that you're dealing with mild to moderate hearing issues, you'll then be able to use the AirPods as a set of smart, over-the-counter hearing aids that can boost voices and ambient sounds around you as needed. Like the Watch's new Sleep Apnea tools, these features are coming later in the fall, after they're cleared by the FDA. Apple also overhauled its audio lineup, starting with a $129 set of entry-level AirPods 4, which have been redesigned to look more like the company's AirPods Pro. (The big difference: They don't have those tiny plastic tips that wedge more deeply into your ear canal.) For those who need to shut out more of the outside world, Apple also launched a tweaked, $179 version of those open-air AirPods with Active Noise Cancellation. We haven't gotten to try this feature yet, but consider us a bit skeptical -- these AirPods aren't meant to seal off your ears the way Apple's Pro models do, so noise cancellation quality is a big question mark. To sweeten the deal for those slightly-more-premium earbuds, they come with wireless charging support, and a built-in speaker so you can more easily find them with the company's Find My app. And all of the company's AirPods -- including updated versions of its over-the-ear AirPods Max headphones -- will now charge over USB-C.

The 7 best iOS 18 features that will make updating your iPhone worthwhile

Apple announced the new iPhone 16 lineup with iOS 18 today. Here are the best new features coming to your old iPhone. Apple announced iOS 18 at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Like its competitors, the update is one of the biggest iOS upgrades in years. From much-awaited features in Apple Intelligence to a redesign of the Photos app, there's a lot of new stuff for users and developers alike to dig into. With the launch of iPhone 16, we now have more clarity about the currently available features and the roadmap of upcoming AI upgrades. Also: Every iPhone model that will be updated to Apple's iOS 18 The latest version of iOS will make your iPhone more customizable with a personalized home screen layout, better Control Center navigation, and updates to key apps like Messages, Mail, and more. Here's all you need to know about iOS 18 and why you should be just as excited as I am. I've been using Apple Intelligence on my iPhone 15 Pro in beta for a while now. It will not roll out with the iPhone 16 lineup but will be available in beta starting next month with iOS 18.1. Apple's competitor to Galaxy AI and Google Gemini has some of the regular features like summarization and Clean Up in Photos (like Magic Eraser) but as a whole, it feels more intuitive than others. Also: The 5 best iPhone 16 Pro features that enthusiasts will care about I've found the notification summary feature to be extremely useful. It can't always be trusted, but it's accurate most of the time. If you receive a lot of emails, messages on WhatsApp and Instagram, and more, this feature helps declutter the notification panel. It summarizes multiple texts/emails in a single notification with a sentence and expands only when you tap on it. You also get the usual writing tools to help summarize content and create images or "Genmojis." Apple Intelligence uses Image Playground to help you create images based on descriptions, suggested concepts, or people from your Photos library. You can customize these images with new styles and make changes to add context to your story. The feature is integrated into your iPhone, and Apple states that "it's aware of your personal information without collecting your personal information." The company has partnered with ChatGPT to bring the service to your iPhone. You don't need an account to access ChatGPT, and it will be integrated into your iPhone. Also: Every iPhone 16 model compared: Which new iPhone should you buy? I've also found Apple Intelligence's animations more intuitive than the competition's. Google and Samsung loading screens make me want to exit the screen, but Apple's take keeps me hooked to the screen while the changes process or it creates a Memory Movie. The Clean Up feature in Photos isn't as accurate as Google's Magic Eraser, but I expect it to get better in the stable version. While Apple Intelligence is the most prominent addition to iOS 18, not all iPhones will get the feature. It is expected to roll out on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max alongside the new iPhones; despite iOS 18 being available for iPhone SE (2nd Gen). The feature will launch in US English first, and will be expanded to support localized English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K. in December. Apple Intelligence will support other languages including Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish next year. Siri is getting a much-needed upgrade to compete with other on-device virtual assistants. This was one of my top-requested features on my iOS 18 wishlist, and Apple seems to have delivered. It's not yet available in the beta. But in the demo showcased at the iPhone 16 launch, Siri felt more natural than ever. The Apple virtual assistant is being redesigned to understand you better with more awareness of personal context and the ability to take action in and across apps. Siri is supercharged with ChatGPT integration on iOS 18. Also: Every Apple Watch that will get WatchOS 11 (and which models won't be supported) The new version of Siri also brings vacuum cleaner support with the Home app, allowing you to control functions like power, cleaning mode, vacuuming, mopping, and charging status just by asking your iPhone. Another hands-free Siri interaction includes the ability to nod your head yes or gently shake your head no to respond to an incoming call when you are wearing the AirPods Pro. Siri now works in the background, so you don't have to speak out loud to accept or decline a call. Moreover, you can now ask Siri to apply styles in Photos while editing. With iOS 18, Apple finally allows you to place apps anywhere you want on the home screen. I mean, without any worry of left-aligned stacking and filling in negative spaces! I've missed this customizability, especially on Pro Max and Plus series iPhones because it's hard to reach the top of their large screens with my thumb while I'm holding the device. Like Android, iOS now allows you to place apps wherever you want -- no more rigid grid. Also: The 5 best iPhone 16 Pro features that enthusiasts will care about Plus, Apple is adding the ability to customize icon colors to match the wallpaper -- much like Material You on Android. iOS 18 will suggest color combinations that match the background colors for a better look and feel to your home screen. In the WWDC keynote presentation, it looked gorgeous with Dark Mode. However, you need to customize it to your liking as the default colors are too cartoonish in beta. The customizations extend to the lock screen. You can now replace the lock screen icons of Torch/Flashlight and Camera with other apps, so they are just one swipe away from the lock screen. iOS 18 also adds the ability to lock apps behind Face ID and passwords. You can add apps to a hidden space that no one else can access when, for example, you hand them your iPhone to show photos. Also: Every iPhone 16 model compared: Which new iPhone should you buy? Apple is updating the Control Center to offer more customizations and adds better navigation. For instance, you can now swipe up from the Control Center to go to a larger and handier media player. Moreover, the Control Center supports multiple widget pages, including one dedicated to managing smart home appliances. iOS 18 is making the pairing process for third-party devices easier with on-screen pop-ups, like when you pair AirPods. The new update also gives you more control over how you want to add contacts. On iOS 18, Apple is giving Photos a major redesign. The new look makes the Library more organized to display important photos at a glance, with Collections at the bottom. A single Collection can include groups of people, which wasn't possible before. The new feature automatically organizes your library by topics like Recent Days, Trips, and People & Pets. When you tap on Photos, you get a screen that is about 60% occupied by the regular gallery of photos, while the rest includes Collections. Also: 'Clean up' is the iPhone's new AI editing tool to wipe out photobombers The presentation during WWDC showcased fast transitions and a Photo grid that lets you view the entire library, which you can navigate by scrolling. Plus, you can now filter out screenshots. iOS 18 also adds the ability to right-swipe from the grid to go to the new Carousel, which includes Featured Photos, media based on location, Favorites, and more. It is supposed to display a new set of photos each day to keep the experience fresh. In my experience, the Photos app has been cluttered so far. It gets better if you take the time to edit the folders you need on the screen and customize it to your preference. Messages is also getting new features like RCS support, the ability to schedule messages, and text formatting, which really should have been part of the app for some time now. With iOS 18, you can now schedule a message to be sent at a specific time -- another feature Android has had for a while -- like you would with emails. As for RCS, it brings a better texting experience if you receive messages from those who aren't on iMessage, notably Android users. Also: Everything Apple announced at WWDC 2024, including iOS 18, Siri, AI, and more The updated Messages app will also let you add text formatting like bold, italics, underline, and strikethrough to your texts. Another new feature is text effects, which add a splash of personality and surprise emojis to your messages. You can apply animated, fun effects to any letter, emoji, or word and phrase of your message -- most of them are automatically suggested as you type. Moreover, iPhone 14 models and later will be able to access Satellite connectivity to text when situated in areas with no signal. Apple is updating the Mail app to add Categorizations, allowing you to filter emails into categories like Primary, Transactions, and Promotions. Categorizations will be available later this year. More app updates include a Topographic view in Maps, Tap to Cash in Wallet for sharing cash digitally with a tap, and Insights in the Journal app. Apple is adding more functionality to Safari on iOS 18. It will now detect relevant information on a page and highlight it as you browse. There's a redesigned Reader that adds a table of contents and a high-level summary for a better experience. Plus, you get a Game Mode to minimize background activity, sustaining consistently high frame rates for long durations. Toggling the mode will also reduce audio latency with AirPods and wireless game controllers. Also: iPhone 15 vs. iPhone 16: Should you upgrade to Apple's latest model? The Home app is getting a major update later this year, introducing robot vacuum cleaner support and the ability to view your home electricity use. For compatible locks, Apple is adding Express Mode, allowing you to unlock doors as you approach with just your iPhone in your pocket or while wearing your Apple Watch. You can now also grant specific controls to people with Guest access. The new iOS 18 update also integrates Reminders with Calendar, so you can see added future reminders when viewing your schedule. Developers and the public can access the iOS 18 beta right now. The full release will be available next Monday, September 16.