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 will pull 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.
That doubling-down on AI, plus a glut of older phones people have been hanging onto, could spark a new upgrade cycle for smartphones, some analysts say.
Apple is also likely to show off updated versions of its popular Apple Watch and — if rumors hold true — multiple pairs of new AirPods for people who can’t bear to be without their music.
Apple’s September event tends to be a mile-a-minute showcase of the company’s work, and it’s easy to miss the finer points of all of these gadgets. We’ll be tracking what’s new and potentially worth using today. Here’s everything we expect Apple to highlight in its keynote presentation Monday.
The iPhone 16 and 16 Pro
If you were hoping for a radical iPhone redesign, sorry. Apple will probably unveil four new phones Monday — the iPhone 16, the larger 16 Plus, the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max — and they’ll all probably look a lot like the models they replace. But there are some differences.
Look closely enough, and you’ll see that their screens are all slightly larger across the board. That doesn’t mean these phones will feel bigger in your hands; instead, the black bezels around those displays have shrunk to accommodate those larger screens.
Apple has also reportedly done away with the diagonal camera layout on the backs of the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus in favor of a pill-shaped setup reminiscent of the iPhone X. Some believe that's meant to help these phones capture “spatial” or 3D video for viewing on a Vision Pro headset.
Speaking of the lower-cost iPhone 16 series, both models are expected to include the Action button — a special key trigger for certain features or shortcuts — that debuted on the iPhone 15 Pro series last year.
Camera upgrades are often a highlight on new iPhones, and (as usual), the company’s Pro models are getting most of the attention. In addition to a higher-quality ultrawide camera, Bloomberg reports, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are said to include special, touch-sensitive buttons to help when capturing photos or video.
If none of that sounds especially thrilling, well, we’re with you. We’re expecting Apple to spend a lot of time talking about these devices as vehicles for its Apple Intelligence features that have so far been a bit underwhelming in our early testing.
Apple declined to comment on upcoming products or features ahead of the event.
Lots of new Apple Watches
Monday marks 10 years to the day since Chief Executive Tim Cook first took the stage wearing the original Apple Watch, and the company is likely to mark the occasion with some redesigned wearables.
This year’s Apple Watch Series 10 models may feature slightly larger screens squeezed into slightly thinner bodies, based on reports. (Unfortunately, there’s no word yet on what these changes mean for the Watch’s battery life.)
Apple is also expected to update its more rugged Watch Ultra model, and may introduce a refreshed version of its entry-level offering, the Apple Watch SE, with a plastic body, according to 9to5Mac.
The bigger draw might be all of the new features packed into the new version of the company’s WatchOS software. Apart from their being more keen to let you take a day off from crushing your move goals, Bloomberg reports that the new Apple Watches will include a feature to alert users to instances of sleep apnea — a common and frequently undiagnosed issue that can lead to poor sleep quality and heightened risk for more serious complications.
Updated AirPods
Apple will probably overhaul its more affordable AirPods models, according to Bloomberg.
The new entry-level and midrange AirPods have reportedly been redesigned to resemble the more expensive Pro earbuds.
Thankfully, USB-C will now be standard across both of Apple’s new AirPods models, so you can ditch the old Lightning cables crammed into the bottom of your bag.
One new feature may help make these updated AirPods more palatable to people who struggle to hear conversations. Bloomberg suggests this year’s wireless earbuds may include a long-rumored feature that will allow the company’s wireless earbuds to act as hearing aids. Apple declined to comment.
There’s no guarantee such a feature will be available when these AirPods go on sale, but this might be the one feature Apple announces this year that I’m most keen to see in action.