Apple’s ‘Glowtime’ event brought the expected

Apple held the anticipated ‘It’s Glowtime’ hardware event at the Apple Park, the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, choosing to stream from outdoors this time rather than from inside the Steve Jobs Theatre. The products launched were true to the leaks and speculations rampant online leading up to the event. 

At its event, Apple launched the iPhone 16 line-up of four phones, two of which were Pro models and two standard. What’s new is a refreshed design in fresh colours and finishes, camera upgrades, and the A18 chip to enable Apple Intelligence, their personalised AI system. Three watches were also: the Apple Watch Series 10 with new health features including sleep apnea detection, the sports-oriented Watch Ultra 2 in a new colour, and the Watch SE. AirPods version 4 saw upgrades with new smart features. The AirPods Pro now include a hearing aid-like capability, and the high-end AirPods Max in new colours.

The usual surfeit of statistics that mark the beginning of such events was missing this time around.

On the design front, the iPhone 16 series has new screen sizes with the Pro models being 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches. The batteries are also larger. The cameras on the regular models are realigned and there are two new buttons. This is in addition to the new colours. Other than that, the design, mitated by other phone makers, remains the same in essence. 

More importantly, the devices are built specifically for the deployment of Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that is meant to understand the personal context to deliver AI that is helpful and relevant, not unlike the personal assistants we already know, but specific to Apple’s products. Apple Intelligence works on the entire iPhone 16 smartphones using the new A18 chip and Apple-built generative models to understand and create language and images, take action across apps, and draw from personal context to simplify and quicken everyday tasks. On the software front for all products, Apple Intelligence is deeply integrated into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. 

At the same time, Apple assures that Apple Intelligence maintains the privacy and security of user data with Private Cloud Compute. The first set of these features will be rolling in October 2024 in U.S. English for most regions around the world. Siri becomes more deeply integrated into the system experience and gets a new design with a glow that wraps around the edge of the screen when active — hence the reference to the “It’s Glowtime” event tagline. 

The series smartphones get two new buttons. The Action button located on the left allows users to easily access a variety of functions with a press. Users can quickly open the camera, flashlight, or controls; switch between Ring and Silent; recognise music with Shazam; activate Voice Memos, Focus, Translate, and accessibility features like Magnifier; or use Shortcuts for more options. The Action button can also access in-app functionality, like helping a user unlock and lock their car when the car supports it. 

A second new button across the series is the Camera Control feature, which works as a result of hardware and software integration. With touch taps, it can be used to trigger camera actions. In particular, it makes the Pro camera system more versatile with a new way to quickly launch the camera, take a photo, and start video recording. It has a tactile switch that powers the click experience, a high-precision force sensor that enables the light press gesture, and a capacitive sensor that allows for touch interactions. A new camera preview helps users frame the shot and adjust other control options — such as zoom, exposure, or depth of field. Later this year, Camera Control will be updated with a two-stage shutter to automatically lock focus and exposure on a subject with a light press, letting users reframe the shot without losing focus. 

The standard iPhone 16 models feature two cameras. The 48MP Fusion camera enables a 2x optical-quality Telephoto option, which Apple says is like having two cameras in one, so users can get closer to the subject to frame a photo. In addition to wide-angle shots, the new 12MP Ultra Wide camera with autofocus enables macro photography. The Ultra Wide camera also gathers up to 2.6x more light for higher image quality. Additionally, iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus now take spatial photos and videos to help users relive memories with remarkable depth on Apple Vision Pro.

With iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, which have the same camera system as each other, the upgraded setup introduces a new 48MP Fusion camera with a faster, more efficient quad-pixel sensor and Apple Camera Interface, unlocking 4K120 fps video recording in Dolby Vision. The quad-pixel sensor can read data 2x faster, enabling zero shutter lag for 48MP ProRAW or HEIF photos. A new 48MP Ultra Wide camera also features a quad-pixel sensor with autofocus, so users can take higher-resolution 48MP ProRAW and HEIF images when capturing uniquely framed, wider-angle shots or getting close to their subjects with macro photography. The 5x Telephoto camera now comes on both iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, allowing users to catch the action from farther away. iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max now take spatial photos in addition to videos to help users relive memories with remarkable depth on Apple Vision Pro.

Users can capture 4K120 fps in Slo-mo or Video mode, and adjust the playback speed after capture in the Photos app, including a quarter-speed playback, a new half-speed option for a dreamy effect, and a fifth-speed option that corresponds to 24 fps. When coupled with the new image signal processor (ISP) of A18 Pro, users can do frame-by-frame cinema-quality colour grading for 4K120 fps in Dolby Vision. Users can also capture 4K120 fps ProRes and Log directly to an external storage device for efficient pro workflows. 

Both Pro models feature four new studio-quality mics that preserve true-to-life recorded sounds, and video can now be captured in Spatial Audio for immersive listening with AirPods, Apple Vision Pro, or a surround sound system.

iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will be available in ultramarine, teal, pink, white, and black in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage capacities. iPhone 16 starts at ₹79,900 and iPhone 16 Plus starts at ₹89,900. iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be available in black titanium, natural titanium, white titanium, and desert titanium, in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage capacities. iPhone 16 Pro starts at ₹1,19,900 and iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at ₹1,44,900. 

The Apple Watch 10 is now 10 per cent thinner than the previous gen and yet larger, with a more advanced OLED display and bigger battery along with faster and wireless charging. Already replete with health features, the marquee feature this time is sleep apnea detection. The compact new design and faster charging of the Apple Watch Series 10 make it even more comfortable and convenient to wear during sleep. Sleep apnea is a potentially serious condition where breathing stops repeatedly during sleep. The condition, which is estimated to impact more than 1 billion people worldwide, goes undiagnosed in most cases. If left untreated, sleep apnea can have consequences on health, including an increased risk of hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiac issues. To detect sleep apnea, Apple Watch uses the accelerometer to monitor small movements at the wrist that are associated with interruptions in normal respiratory patterns, tracked by a new Apple Watch metric called Breathing Disturbances. 

The Watch 10 is also a better swimming companion with a new depth gauge that measures down to 6 metres beneath the water’s surface, perfect for snorkelling and shallow diving, or playing in the pool, lake, or ocean. Additionally, the new water temperature sensor measures the temperature of the water once the Apple Watch has been submerged.

The new Apple Watch Ultra 2 has design and finish enhancements matching with Hermes watch bands. The watch now has a brighter display, a Vitals app, and a customisable Action button. This watch also features workout enhancements and sleep apnea detection. Customers in India will be able to order the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in black titanium now with availability in stores beginning Friday, September 20. Apple Watch Ultra 2 starts at ₹89,900. 

Apple also announced a new lineup of AirPods models and features. The new AirPods 4  with an open-ear design has two models, one with active noise cancellation and one without. This year, AirPods Pro 2, the more advanced product, will introduce the world’s first end-to-end hearing health experience, delivering active loud sound reduction,1 a scientifically validated Hearing Test, and a clinical-grade Hearing Aid feature. 

Customers can now pre-order AirPods 4 for ₹12,900 from apple.com/store/in with availability beginning Friday, September 20. Customers can pre-order AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation for ₹17,900. 

AirPods Pro 2 are available for ₹24,900 from apple.com/store/in and in the Apple Store app today. New hearing health features will be available this fall for AirPods Pro 2 customers in a free software update when paired with iPhone or iPad running iOS 18 or iPadOS 18. 

Customers can now pre-order AirPods Max with USB-C charging for ₹59900 from apple.com/store/in and in the Apple Store app in the U.S. and more than 60 other countries and regions, with availability beginning Friday, September 20.