September is here, and like clockwork, so are the new iPhones. Apple unveiled its latest iPhone models at an event in Cupertino today, and as expected, the iPhone 16 handsets are largely iterative of last year’s models. While the smartphones — both standard and Pro versions — took center stage, Apple also showed off the new Apple Watch Series 10, two new pairs of AirPods, and detailed hearing aid features coming to the second-generation AirPods Pro. The company also went into detail about its latest mobile chips powering the new iPhones and reminded people what they can expect when iOS 18 rolls out later this month with Apple Intelligence. If you missed the announcements live, Engadget has you covered — here’s everything announced at Apple’s iPhone 16 event.
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus
Apple unveiled the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus at the event, which feature a water- and dust-resistant design and new colors including ultramarine, teal, and pink. The iPhone 16 has a 6.1-inch display, while the iPhone 16 Plus has a 6.7-inch display. Both can reach up to 2,000 nits of brightness and can go as low as 1 nit in the dark. The action button has also made its way to this series of iPhones, and it’s just as customizable as the one we saw on last year’s Pro iPhones.
There’s also a sort of new easy-to-access camera control “button,” which lets you quickly control the camera with a swipe of your finger. This tool can also take advantage of Visual Intelligence, an ai-powered feature coming in iOS 18 that can tell you more about whatever you point your camera at. It looks similar to Google Lens, and can do things like add live event dates to your calendar after you point your camera at a flyer you see on the street. The camera array on standard iPhone 16 models includes a 48-megapixel main Fusion camera, a 12MP telephoto lens, and a new autofocus Ultra Wide camera. This array will also be able to capture spatial photos that can be seen in Apple’s Vision Pro.
Both standard iPhone 16 models are powered by the new A18 chip, which features a 16-core Neural Engine optimized for generative models. The internals feature a 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU, which will be crucial to powering all the new Apple Intelligence features coming to iOS 18.
According to Apple, both the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have larger batteries than their predecessors, and when combined with the efficiencies added by the A18 chipset and improvements in iOS 18, should result in much longer battery life overall (though Apple didn’t provide an exact estimate). Both the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are available for pre-order today starting at $799 and $899, respectively, and will become widely available on September 20.
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iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max
The Pro series of iPhones this year includes the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, which have 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch ProMotion always-on displays, respectively. Both are made from grade 5 titanium, which Apple says is even lighter than stainless steel. These phones will be available in four new colors: black, white, natural, and desert, the latter of which resembles a dusty gold color.
According to the company, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are designed from the ground up with Apple Intelligence, allowing them to take full advantage of all the new features coming in iOS 18. These phones are powered by the new A18 Pro chipset, which takes advantage of 3nm transistors and is even faster and more efficient than the standard A18 chip found in the regular iPhone 16 lineup.
The rear camera array on both models includes a 48MP Fusion Camera, a 48MP ultra-wide shooter, and a 12MP telephoto lens. Improvements to the main camera allow for 4K video recording at 120fps and in slow motion. Both phones also have the new camera control button that provides easier access to the camera and all its tools, both for capturing and editing. There are also four studio-quality microphones built into both smartphones for better audio capture, and they also enable spatial audio recording.
Both the iPhone 16 Pro series and standard iPhone 16 phones support Qi2 wireless charging, and Apple is launching new MagSafe charging cases that include the new camera control button. iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be available for pre-order on Friday, September 13, starting at $999 and $1,199, respectively. They will be widely available on September 20.
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AirPods 4
The AirPods 4 launched today during the iPhone 16 event, as rumors suggested. These have a redesigned bud shape that is supposed to fit more ear shapes and be more comfortable overall. They have the H2 chip inside, which will provide improved audio quality and enable features like personalized spatial audio. The charging case has a USB-C port and is the smallest AirPods charging case to date.
In addition to the regular AirPods 4, there will be a second model that includes support for Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode. Conversation Awareness will also automatically lower the media volume level when the earbuds detect that you’re talking to someone. The standard AirPods 4 cost $129 and AirPods 4 with ANC cost $179—both are available for preorder today and will be widely available on September 20.
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New colors of AirPods Max
Apple didn't reinvent the wheel with the updated AirPods Max. Instead, they'll be available in a few new colors (midnight blue, violet, orange, and starlight) and will support USB-C charging. The new colors are available for pre-order today for $549 and will be available to everyone on September 20.
New features of AirPods Pro headphones
Apple announced new features coming to the second-generation AirPods Pro designed to help prevent (and raise awareness of) hearing loss. A feature called “Hearing Protection” will be on by default, and users will be able to take a clinically validated hearing test to see if they already have any hearing loss. On top of that, the AirPods Pro will also have a clinical-grade hearing aid feature built in, which will work with a hearing profile created after the user takes the hearing test.
Apple Watch Series 10
Apple today introduced the Apple Watch Series 10, the natural successor to last year’s Series 9. It has the largest display and thinnest design ever on an Apple Watch, and the wide-angle OLED display is even slightly larger than the one on the Apple Watch Ultra. The case has more rounded corners and a wider aspect ratio, which, combined with the larger display, should provide more room to interact with graphics and text on the Watch. Apple claims the display is 40 percent brighter when viewed from an angle, and will show a ticking second hand even when your wrist is down.
Apple Watch Series 10 is powered by the new S10 SiP chip, which Apple says is designed for performance, power efficiency, and intelligence (i.e., Apple Intelligence). One example of Apple Intelligence at work on Series 10 is the new Photos watch face, which will curate the best photos from your library and automatically show them to you.
As for fitness features, Apple announced that the latest version of watchOS will allow the Series 10 to detect signs of sleep apnea, provided you wear the Series 10 to bed regularly. Apple says it’s awaiting FDA clearance and expects the sleep apnea detection feature to roll out in more than 150 countries. As for fitness, the Series 10 will have dive tracking features and will be compatible with the new Tides app in watchOS 11.
Another new feature is the ability to play audio directly from the watch’s speaker, which could be useful if you don’t have AirPods or another pair of Bluetooth headphones handy. Apple Watch Series 10 will be available in a new polished jet black aluminum finish and new polished titanium finishes. It’s available for pre-order today and will be widely available on September 20.
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New finish for the Apple Watch Ultra 2
While there have been plenty of rumors about the next version of the Apple Watch Ultra, the company didn't reveal the third-generation sport watch today. Instead, Apple revealed a new finish for the Apple Watch Ultra 2: satin black. There are also new Hermes finishes and a new Milanese loop to go with the new satin black finish.
Catch up on all the news from Apple iPhone 16 Event!
