Apple Reveals iPhone 16, Apple Watch Series 10 & AirPods 4
The iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16, Apple Watch Series 10 and AirPods 4 are available beginning September 20th.
Apple has unveiled the all-new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, Apple Watch Series 10 and AirPods 4 that the tech giant hopes will entice users to upgrade to the new and improved devices. With the new products hitting stores on September 20th, here are all the features packed into Apple’s latest and greatest hardware.
iPhone 16 Pro
If there was one takeaway from Apple’s announcements today it’s that every iPhone, from now until forever, will have Apple intelligence at its core and the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will certainly be the best showcase for Apple’s generative AI once it rolls out.
While it remains to be seen what Apple Intelligence will mean for day-to-day use of an iPhone (it’s only slowly creeping into the beta software Apple is currently letting the public test) the iPhone 16 Pro will utilize Apple Intelligence faster, better and more completely than anything else announced at Apple’s Sept 9. launch event.
In anticipation of the AI rollout, Apple has built the most technically advanced iPhone to date to power it. Boasting the largest displays ever on an iPhone with the 6.3” iPhone 16 Pro and the 6.9” iPhone 16 Pro Max, the two pro level phones also house the new A18 Pro Apple Silicon that will, according to Apple, set new standards for computing power, graphical capabilities, power efficiency and battery life.
Physically, the biggest change of the new model comes in the form of the addition of a physical Camera Control button on the side of the frame. Not only will the Camera Control button bring up the camera app at a tap, it offers granular control of camera functions via long, short and double taps as well as a touch-enabled slider that can change granular options for better shots. Though it won’t be enabled at launch, that same button will eventually gain the ability to hold for lock focus, a feature any photography enthusiast or pro shooter will welcome as it’s typically reserved for DSLR cameras and has been conspicuously missing from iPhones.
Further solidifying these new devices as for-pros and not just “the nicest iPhone” is the hardware’s ability, through a combo of camera lenses and GPU power, to record 4K 120fps HDR cinematic video as well as the option to change a video’s FPS after shooting. Hands-on will be the only way to judge the value of this feature but the initial explanation Apple made about it today was undeniably hype-inducing.
Returning with its familiar titanium body that was introduced last year, the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro max will be featured in Black, White, Natural and the new Desert finishes. The 16 Pro starts at $999 for the 128GB model and the 16 Pro Max starts at $1199 for the 256GB model. Pre-orders open on Friday and the phones will be available on September 20th.
iPhone 16
Potentially one of the biggest hardware bumps ever given to a non-Pro iPhone, the iPhone 16 that was unveiled today that now includes an action button and 48 megapixel fusion camera, feels like it has more in common with last year’s iPhone 15 Pro model than its own predecessor.
Taking that into consideration, Apple has also included the physical Camera Control button on the iPhone 16, further blurring the line between the pro and non-pro lineup and adding an extraordinary amount of power and versatility to the more accessible portion of this year’s iPhone lineup.
Unlike the Pro lineup, however, the iPhone 16 and larger iPhone 16 Plus forgo the muted titanium colors in favor of a much brighter brushed aluminum lineup in Ultramarine, Teal, Pink, White and Black. Considering how capable these models are, it wouldn’t be surprising for pro-users to be a bit jealous of the much needed variety in finishes offered this year.
The iPhone 16 starts at $799 for the 128GB model and the 16 Plus goes for $899 with the same storage capacity. Pre-orders open on Friday and the phones are also set to arrive on Sept. 20th.
Apple Watch Series 10
The biggest display and thinnest design ever in an Apple wearable, the new Series 10 Apple Watch takes a serious run at the higher end Apple Watch Ultra 2. It seems Apple itself realized that climbing Everest or running a triathlon or scuba diving into a trench isn’t a requirement for wanting a larger watch face and a better viewing angle since the Series 10 features both.
The Series 10 also introduces a new Jet Black finish that admittedly looks terrific in the promo pics. Rounding out the new features to the Series 10 are improved speakers, a 10% reduction in weight, fast charging that yields 80% charge in 30 minutes and a both depth and water temperature sensors that were previously reserved for the Ultra.
Speaking of Ultra, it seems there were no tangible hardware changes to the awesome Apple Watch Ultra 2 which returns almost entirely unchanged…except for a model with that killer new Jet Black finish and matching bands to go along with it.
Coming in both aluminum and titanium builds with a handful of finishes for each and an almost neverending variety of modular straps, the Apple Watch Series 10 starts at $399 for the GPS-only model and $499 for GPS+Cellular. Like the phones, pre-orders are open now and these will be available on Sept. 20th.
AirPods 4
In a rare moment of “if it aint broke” Apple did take the time to call out both the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max headphones but it seems that, with the exception of the Max’s getting USB-C and some good looking new colors, there are only changes to the software coming for those products.
Instead, the focus was on the AirPods 4 with several changes to them that, like the iPhone 16, puts them more on level footing with their Pro counterparts. That means a better fit, an option for Active Noise Cancelling, a case with wireless charging and USB-C, 30+ total battery hours and all the Listening Modes that have become beloved features of the AirPods Pro 2 making their way into these non-pro pods.
Starting at $129 for the base model and $179 for Active Noise Cancelling version of the AirPods 4 and $549 for the new AirPod Max’s, pre-orders are available now and, shocker, these hit the streets on Sept. 20th as well.
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