Apple's most important event of the year will take place on Monday with the launch of its latest iPhones and the new artificial intelligence platform.
The most important announcement will be the iPhone 16, but the company is also preparing major updates to both the Apple Watch and AirPods. Apple Intelligence - a new suite of AI tools that includes an updated Siri digital assistant.
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Apple will introduce four new iPhone models: the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max.
Like in 2023, the changes to the non-Pro iPhones will be minor. The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will look like last year's versions, including 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screen sizes and aluminum cases. They'll gain faster processors and include a total of 8 gigabytes of memory (up from 6). That memory will help support Apple Intelligence and other features.
Those lower-end phones will get the same Action button currently featured on the Pro models, as well as vertically stacked rear cameras that support spatial video recording - the 3D clips that can be viewed with Apple's Vision Pro headsets.
The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will retain the iPhone 15 Proline design. The screen sizes are increasing to 6.3 inches on the smaller model (up from 6.1 inches) and going to 6.9 inches from 6.7 inches on the Max version.
The 16 Pro models will support Apple Intelligence with the inclusion of 8 gigabytes of memory. They'll also get speedier chips with an enhanced neural engine that Apple will say is optimized for AI.
Both of the iPhone 16 Pro models will get camera upgrades as well, including a move to a 48-megapixel lens from a 12-megapixel one for the ultrawide-angle camera.
That will match the megapixels of the standard, wide-angle camera on last year's model.
The smaller iPhone 16 Pro will also gain 5x optical zoom on the telephoto lens, up from 3x, to match the Max version.
The most significant camera enhancement coming to both models will be a touch-sensitive button on the right side of the phone for taking photos and videos. It will work similarly to a shutter button on a DSLR camera, allowing a user to lightly press it to focus on a subject and then press harder to take a picture. It will also be capacitive, allowing a user to swipe across it to move between still and video modes and zoom in and out.
The Pro models will now come in gold titanium to replace blue titanium, while the black, white, and natural options will still be available. The non-Pro versions will trade in yellow for white and get new shades of green, pink, and blue.
Apple will launch two new AirPods models to replace the entry-level, second-generation earbuds and mid-tier, third-generation model. Both new versions will look similar to the AirPods Pro and include a new case, USB-C charging, and improved audio quality.
Apple will distinguish the two models by giving the new mid-tier version a higher-end case with a speaker - making it easier to locate with Apple's Find My feature - as well as noise cancellation to match the AirPods Pro.
For the first time in two years, the company is preparing to update all of its Apple Watch models at once. There will be a new low-end Apple Watch SE, a mid-level Series 10 model, and an Ultra 3.
The biggest upgrade to the Apple Watch line will be with the Series 10 model, which marks the decade anniversary of the product's introduction in 2014. For the first time since the Series 7, the flagship Apple Watch model will get an updated look.
The overall design will be similar to the Apple Watch Series 9, but the company will now offer slightly larger screen size options and the watch case itself will be noticeably thinner.
Though new AI features are coming to the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, don't expect the watches to get major Apple Intelligence capabilities. Any AI technology will probably be tied specifically to a future health coach service.
A major new health feature will be sleep apnea detection, which will build on the existing sleep tracking. This feature will attempt to determine if a wearer has sleep apnea and then suggest further testing with a medical professional.
Apple is working on transitioning its entire Mac line to M4 chips, starting with the MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac. But any Mac upgrades are likely to come at a follow-up launch - no earlier than October - rather than at the September event.
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