Apple is back again with a big launch of multiple products led by the new iPhone 16, and you’ll be able to get your hands on them very soon.
The iPhone 16 Pro models get bigger this time around, pushing the Pro Max variant to a 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED — the largest display of any iPhone to date. The iPhone 16 Pro has a larger 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR this time around, also bumping up the smaller of the two Pro versions.
Both get a newer generation of Ceramic Shield glass protection on top of that, plus titanium bodies to lighten their weight even further. Apple pulls this off without having to make the phones that much bigger, but it also opens up space for the Apple’s new A18 Pro processor powering the Apple Intelligence features.
That artificial intelligence (AI) will play a big role in what the iPhone is capable of in the months and years to come. Features like Visual Intelligence, where you can point your camera at anything and identify it, translate it, learn more about it, or find out where to buy it. It’s a lot like Google Lens on Android phones, only Apple’s works through the new Camera Control button on the phone. It’s touch-sensitive with haptic feedback but you can also press it like a regular button. Just point at something and click. You can see a restaurant’s menu or find out when a store opens. Point it at a dog or cat to identify the breed. See a pair of shoes that you like on someone nearby? Point and click to find out where you can get them.
That’s only the start of what Apple is promising. Apple Intelligence will usher in a “new era” for Siri, making the voice assistant more efficient and effective. We won’t know — at least in Canada — until December 2024 because it all launches in beta in the U.S. first this fall. Some of the features will be backward-compatible for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max once they upgrade to iOS 18.1.
The Camera Control button is also equipped in the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, bringing the Apple Intelligence features into the fray as well. The screen sizes remain the same (6.1-inch and 6.7-inch, respectively), and Apple claims bigger batteries will make them last longer, though didn’t provide any estimates. All of the iPhone 16 models will charge faster on newer Qi2 wireless chargers, and you still get MagSafe support for any accessories you can magnetically attach to the back.
Back to that Camera Control button. Think of it as a shortcut to the phone’s camera, where just pressing it from a sleeping phone will make the Camera app appear. Apple figures you could launch it and snap a quick photo in mere seconds. All you have to do is click the button and then click it again to snap a pic. Or you can hold the button down to start recording video. Slide your finger across it and you can zoom in or out, or control things like exposure and bokeh. Apple is also opening it up to third-party apps, so it’s very likely you’ll be able to utilize it with social media and other camera apps should developers jump in and enable that.
Apple says photos and video will come out looking better than ever, though the company was light on specifics. What we do know is the main camera in the Pro versions will let you capture video in 4K at 120fps for slick slow-motion clips. Four studio microphones not only improve audio recording, but also let you choose which microphone you want to pick when using the ProRes video feature. You can also use all the mics together to capture spatial audio. Great for watching clips to listen to sounds coming from all angles.
Pre-orders start September 13 for all the iPhone 16 models, and you can get your hands on them beginning on September 20. Both come in the same colours: pink, yellow, green, blue, and black. Storage options include 128GB, 256GB and 512GB.
The iPhone 15 Pro models also start pre-orders on September 15, with full availability September 22. Colour options for the 16 Pro and Pro Max are black titanium, white titanium, natural titanium, and desert titanium. Storage goes from 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB, with pricing kicking off at $1,449. For the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, you can choose from black, white, pink, teal and ultramarine. Storage options are 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. Pricing starts at $1,129.
New Apple Watches
Apple is releasing the new Watch Series 10, which it says is 30% larger than yet has a body that’s 10% thinner. Covered by “durable onyx glass”, the watch may be thinner but it’s a bit bigger across the board. It will come in 42mm and 46mm sizes and will come in Wi-Fi/Bluetooth and Cellular versions. It’s also lighter in spite of the extra size, partly because the body is made from titanium, not stainless steel — though there is a cheaper aluminum option too.
There’s a new speaker onboard that lets you play music or podcasts without wearing headphones or earbuds. With just 18 hours of battery life, you won’t get through a full day but faster charging should get you right back to full in as little as 30 minutes.
What’s interesting is the first Apple Watch to detect sleep apnea, and it pulls it off by using the watch’s accelerometer note any movement or breathing irregularities while asleep. Bear in mind the feature still doesn’t have approval from the FDA in the U.S. or Health Canada yet, so isn’t officially medically-approved. Apple says it expects to get that approval “very soon.”
The Series 10 also adds a depth sensor for water-based activity, which is kind of like the one in the Watch Ultra. It’s not clear how effective it will be but Apple says it’s great for things like snorkeling or jet skiing. Surfers will also be able to use the Tides app for the first time.
Many of the existing Apple Watch features remain, so this is an otherwise incremental upgrade. The new S10 chip makes it faster, and more interestingly, helps power translation features right from the watch, which can super useful while travelling.
The Apple Watch Series 10 will be available starting September 20, and will come in jet black, silver and rose gold for the aluminum version at $549 to start. For the titanium variant, you have your choice of slate, gold and natural at $999 to start.
As for the Apple Watch Ultra 2, there’s no new version other than a satin black colour. It will get the latest watchOS 11 features updates, including sleep apnea detection and Training Load features for those looking to hit fitness goals. Pricing starts at $1,099.
New AirPods
There will be two new pairs of AirPods 4. The first is your standard pair that largely replace the AirPods 2, coming in at the same $179 price. The other pair includes active noise cancellation (ANC), utilizing the same microphones that are in the AirPods Pro 2. Supporting ANC also means you get features like Adaptive Audio and Conversation Awareness, which aren’t possible in the regular pair.
Apple seems to have taken some design cues from both the regular AirPods and AirPods Pro 2, which explains why the AirPods 4 have shorter stems and smaller bodies that should fit a broader set of ears. That also makes the case smaller — the “smallest ever” according to Apple — and includes a USB-C port, finally aligning the company’s earbuds with the rest of its products and finally retiring Lightning.
The new H2 chip inside is supposed to deliver better audio quality, including spatial audio, bringing in the formerly Pro feature to Apple’s standard earbuds. Just as important, they should isolate voices during calls by muffling as much of the background as possible.
The AirPods Pro 2 also get their own upgrade by turning them in hearing aids.. An upcoming fall update will bring in the new feature now that the FDA approved it, and Canada is among the 100 countries set to get it. Those who feel they might benefit from it can take a hearing test where the earbuds will then adjust settings to amplify certain sounds, like voices, while reducing louder ones where necessary.