Apple continued to push ahead with plans for new artificial intelligence (AI) features, unveiling iPhones that will take advantage of the technology despite a delay in introducing the new features in the EU. The tech giant is also bringing sleep apnoea detection to a redesigned Apple Watch.
The new iPhone 16 (priced from €979) and 16 Pro (priced from €1,279) models have been custom-designed to support Apple intelligence, the company’s version of generative AI that offers a smarter Siri digital assistant, AI-powered writing tools and the ability to create your own emojis from text prompts.
However, the AI features that have been touted by the company will not be available on the new phones until October, when a software update will be available.
“It marks the beginning of an exciting new era,” chief executive Tim Cook said. “The iPhone 16 raises the air for what an iPhone can do.”
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The new iPhone 16 gets the action button introduced last year for the iPhone 15 Pro, which can be assigned to a function of your choice. A new camera control button, meanwhile, provides easy access to the camera and allows you to adjusts camera settings by sliding your finger along it. It will also facilitate instant access to visual intelligence features in the future.
Apple gave the chip in the standard iPhone model a significant upgrade too. In previous years, the company used an older chip in the standard models, with the newest chip reserved for the Pro models. The iPhone 16 has jumped two generations of chips to the A18, which is custom designed for Apple’s new generative intelligence features.
The iPhone 16 Pro saw more significant changes. The Pro models will get a more powerful chip, the A18 Pro, which Apple said is faster and more efficient than the A18.
The display has also been increased to 6.3 inches for the 16 Pro and 6.9 inches for the Pro Max, with the camera getting an upgrade for still images and video.
The Pro models will also get a more advanced display than the iPhone 16, justifying its higher price tag, pro photography features, and the best battery performance ever seen in an iPhone in the Pro Max model.
The company introduced a redesigned Apple Watch, with a bigger, better display than the Ultra and thinner design that shaves about 10 per cent off the thickness and weight of the watch. Apple has shrunk certain modules inside the app, including the new S10 SIP, Digital Crown and a smaller, re-engineered speaker that allows you to play podcasts and music directly on your watch.
The tech giant is also bringing sleep apnoea detection to the Apple Watch, with the same feature extended to the Ultra 2 and Series 9 watches.
The new watch comes with faster charging and a new titanium option that replaces the stainless steel version. It is being touted as the company’s next carbon-neutral product.
Apple did not introduce a new version of its Ultra Watch, which is aimed at sports and adventure enthusiasts, instead opting for a new colour for the Ultra 2.
“The lack of updates to the Watch line beyond the Series 10 speaks to the fact that smartwatches have become incredibly hard to improve in an annual cadence,” said CCS Insight analyst Ben Wood.
“It is challenging to find new ways to innovate in such a compact form factor and we think Apple is likely to opt for a less regular update cycle in future, following the more relaxed approach we see to product lines like AirPods.”
Confirming previous leaks, AirPods 4 were unveiled with a new fit to make them more comfortable and new acoustic architecture to deliver richer bass and clearer highs, powered by the Apple-designed H2 chip. A second version of AirPods 4 will come with active noise cancellation, the first time the company has brought the technology to its open-fit ear buds.
AirPods Max, which have not been updated since their introduction in 2020, will get new colours and a USB C connection, ditching the lightning port that Apple has been phasing out in recent years.
The AirPods Pro will also get new features in a software update later in the autumn that will help protect and assist hearing.
New settings that will be on by default will reduce louder and intermittent noise to help protect hearing. Meanwhile, AirPods Pro will be able to act as hearing aids to amplify voices and other sounds in your environment, with the feature coming sometime later in the autumn.
“The idea that consumer headphones can offer hearing aid functionality may sound unrealistic but over-the-counter hearing aids have been growing in popularity over the last few years and the AirPods Pro would bring this technology to a more affordable price point,” said Mr Wood.
“The idea that a user might put in AirPods and wear them throughout the day may sound farfetched but if Apple can nail the user experience and provide a high-quality hearing aid at an accessible price it could be a game-changer for the market.”
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