Apple kicked off its spectacular “It’s Glowtime” event on Monday, during which unveiled its new iPhone 16The event, held at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, also marks the tech giant’s serious foray into generative AI.
Called Apple Intelligence, Apple’s AI is designed to help customers “effortlessly accomplish tasks,” the company said in a preview of the new feature.
“The next generation of iPhone was designed from the ground up for Apple Intelligence,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “It marks the beginning of an exciting new era. iPhone 16 raises the bar for what an iPhone can do.”
The new phones are water and dust resistant and come in five different colors, Apple said. Improvements over the last generation include a larger battery and larger screen sizes: The iPhone 16’s display measures 6.1 inches, while the iPhone 16 Plus measures 6.7 inches.
The new iPhone models also feature a new, improved camera and control button that make it easier to take photos. These and other improvements are powered by the new A18 chip, Apple said. The chip is capable of running large generative AI models, like Apple Intelligence, which is built into all apps.
The iPhone 16 starts at $799 while the iPhone Plus costs $899 and up.
The iPhone 16 Pro has a 6.3-inch display, while the Pro Plus measures 6.9 inches. The phones come in four titanium finishes: black, white, natural, and a new desert shade. The device will be available for pre-order starting Friday and will hit stores on September 20.
Apple
Apple Intelligence will be available through a software update, iOS 18, which is expected to arrive by October, the company previously said.
New watches
Cook kicked off the event by introducing the new base and “Ultra” Apple Watch models, which start at $399 and $799, respectively. The new Series 10 watch can be preordered now and will be available on September 10. The Ultra can also be preordered for delivery on September 20.
Apple Watch Series 10 features the company’s largest display and thinnest design yet.
Cook called them “the most beautiful, best-performing watches we’ve ever made.” He also took a look at the company’s latest earbuds, the AirPods 4, as well as the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max 2.
Andrej Sokolow/Photo alliance via Getty Images
The AirPods Pro 2 even have an over-the-counter professional-grade hearing aid, Apple said.
The event marks what Wedbush Securities technology analyst Dan Ives called Apple’s “biggest upgrade cycle in its history.”
“This is a historic event that marks the beginning of the consumer AI revolution, which is now coming to Apple,” he told CBS MoneyWatch. “About 20% of the world’s population will ultimately interact with AI through an Apple device, and it all starts today.”
According to Ives, it will be late this year before Apple’s AI will be fully operational on phones. He adds that AI will force Apple customers who haven’t updated their iPhone in a while to buy the latest model.
The iPhone accounted for about 60% of Apple’s $39 billion in sales in the last quarter.
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“Three hundred million iPhones haven’t been updated in four years, which leads us to believe this will be the strongest year in Apple’s history for iPhone sales,” Ives said. He added that consumers who are averse to AI can simply turn the features off. Still, not all experts see the need for older iPhone users to update their devices right now, even with the advent of Apple Intelligence.
“While I agree that Apple Intelligence has long-term potential, I’m not convinced its first iteration will deliver the revolutionary usability that many anticipate,” ZDNet senior editor Jason Perlow wrote in a recent article.
—The Associated Press contributed to this report.
