The New AirPods: Predictions for the New Apple Intelligence Models in the iHeadphone Era. I. The Cupertino Update
The action buttons are the same as those found on the 15 Pro and there’s a new look around the camerabump. We just got a glimpse of them in Cupertino, California, and there is great news: they look great.
All of the 16 models of the iPhone are ready for Apple Intelligence, a new breed of artificial intelligence that goes live next month. These features include the ability to search for images in your library by describing them and creating custom emoji.
The over-the-helmet AirPods Max had a small update from Apple. It’s offering the device in some new colors and switched out the Lightning charging port for USB-C.
Later this year, Apple will make the AirPods Pro 2 available as an over-the-counter hearing aid. Apple is launching a couple of other hearing-focused features on the AirPods Pro 2, including a feature designed to protect hearing and a clinical-grade hearing test. In the fall, they will be available for free in over 100 countries and regions.
They feature a smaller USB-C-compatible charging case with a speaker, allowing them to make a noise if you’re trying to locate them with the Find My app. Apple is also bringing active noise cancellation to the next-gen AirPods, but they’re more expensive. The cheaper AirPods model costs $129, while the version with ANC costs $179. September 20th is when they start shipping.
Apple has finally taken the wraps off the AirPods 4, which come with a new H4 chip that allows for better audio quality. With an open-ear design, Apple says the new buds are the “most comfortable AirPods” ever. They have a variety of helpful features, like voice isolation and transparency mode.
New Apple Watch and AirPods Additions in the Lead-Up to Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” Event
The Watch Ultra didn’t get any major updates during this event, but Apple announced a sleek satin black finish as well as a titanium Milanese Loop band that Apple says is “made from corrosion-resistant titanium and designed for scuba.”
The new device comes in a polished aluminum finish in black, with matte options for rose gold and silver or a polished titanium finish that Apple says is 20 percent lighter than the Series 9. The Watch Series 10 starts at $399 and will become available on September 20th.
The Apple Watch Series 10 has the thinnest profile yet, along with a larger wide-angle OLED display that Apple says is up to 40 percent brighter when viewed at an angle. It can be used to detect sleep problems by measuring breathing trouble while you’re asleep. The new watch has a built-in depth and water temperature sensor.
The Camera Control button on the iPhone 16 is getting a new feature calledVisual Intelligence which will automatically search for things you take photos of. You can perform actions on it, such as snapping a photo of a concert poster and attaching it to your calendar.
The iPhone 16 has a faster A18 processor to handle new AI features coming to the device. The 6.1-inch iPhone 16 starts at $799 and $899 for the 6.7-inch Plus version. They are available in a number of colors and will start shipping on September 20th.
Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event has just come to a close. While the iPhone 16 was the headliner of today’s showcase, Apple had several other announcements to share, including some exciting new additions to its smartwatch and AirPods lineups.
A New Taster for the Cameras on the Apple 16 Models and Capturing Spatially-Scenared Spatial Video
But there is a new button gracing the iPhone’s hardware: Camera Control. This is like a physical shutter button on cameras—a hard press takes a photo, a long press takes a video, and you can now make a light press to enable a cleaner viewfinder without all the user interface elements. Within this light press, you can slide your finger on the Camera Control button to swipe through zoom levels; if you do a double light press, you can move through other modes. You can use the light press to maintain focus on a specific subject on the Pro models.
The ceramic glass is 50 percent tougher than the first generation of Ceramic Shield, and a new manufacturing process makes the body colors richer. The iPhone 16 comes in pink, teal, ultramarine, white, and black.
This lineup has the Action Button, which was introduced by Apple last year. The switch that used to be known as the Mute switch is replaced by this one. You can customize the Action Button to toggle on a flashlight, a Shortcut, or some other setting. If you’re not able to see the Mute switch, you can set it to function like it.
The rear cameras are now stacked vertically on a smaller pill-shaped camera bump. This arrangement is better suited for capturing spatial video, lest we all forget about the Vision Pro. It’s also just a fresh look for the regular iPhone, and Apple likes to throw one in every few years to shake things up.
The 16 and 16 Plus: a road trip for the N-body puzzle? I’m all for it, but where do I stand?
The 16 and 16 Plus will be available next week starting at $799. Will the new buttons be worth the upgrade? That’s what I’m going to find out as soon as I can get my hands on them for longer than an afternoon.