Apple introduced its iPhone 16 lineup on Monday at the company’s “Glowtime” product event in Cupertino, California, framing the new phones as the hardware foundation for its push into consumer artificial intelligence. Chief Executive Tim Cook said during the presentation that the iPhone 16 “has been designed for Apple Intelligence from the ground up.”
The company’s core AI offerings, branded Apple Intelligence, were first unveiled at Apple’s developers conference in June, the AP reported. The features include the ability to search for images in a photo library by describing them, create custom emojis, summarize emails, and prioritize notifications. A revamped version of the Siri virtual assistant is designed to better understand requests and gain awareness of on-screen actions, the company said.
Apple is positioning its AI approach as distinct from those of rivals Samsung and Google by emphasizing on-device processing, the AP reported. Most Apple Intelligence functions will run on the iPhone itself rather than at remote server farms. When a task requires a connection to a data center, the company said it will operate under controls that ensure no personal data is stored remotely. The first AI features will roll out as a free update to iOS 18, the operating system powering the iPhone 16, between October and December, with U.S. English available at launch and additional languages arriving the following year, according to the AP.
The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will offer slightly larger displays and feature variants of a new A18 chip, providing the computing power needed for the AI functions, the AP reported. The most noticeable physical change across the lineup is a dedicated camera-control button. The button responds to clicks and gestures, letting users snap photos, preview shots, or start video recording. It also enables a feature called Visual Intelligence, which automatically searches for information about objects the user photographs.
The iPhone 16 starts at $799; the Plus model is priced at $899. The Pro version costs $999, and the Pro Max sells for $1,199. All four models will begin shipping on September 20, the AP reported.
Apple also updated its smartwatch and earbuds during the event. The Apple Watch Series 10 features a larger, brighter wide-angle OLED display and is offered in a titanium finish for the first time, according to the AP. The company highlighted the watch’s ability to detect signs of sleep apnea. The Series 10 starts at $399 and will be available September 20.
The new AirPods 4 series includes an upgraded chip for improved audio quality and active noise cancellation. The earbuds will play a sound through the Find My app when users locate them. In a medically focused update to the AirPods Pro 2, the AP reported, a free software upgrade will enable the devices to function as an over-the-counter hearing aid and will include a clinical-grade hearing test and hearing-protection options. The AirPod 4 costs $129; the version with active noise cancellation is $179. Both models ship September 20.