Apple iPhone 16 event: How to watch and what to expect
Apple’s iPhone event is less than a week away. During the event, the company is expected to introduce the iPhone 16 and potentially share more details about the public launch of iOS 18. Apple Intelligence will also likely take center stage, which will likely be a key focus.
The company’s event invite shows the Apple logo with several overlapping colors and the text “It’s Glowtime” underneath. The design references one sent out for the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote in June, which introduced the world to Apple Intelligence, the company’s suite of AI features. It’s likely the iPhone maker will continue that conversation at its fall event, along with the unveiling of new hardware.
Check this out: Apple’s iPhone 16 Glowtime event: What to expect
Below, read everything we expect and how you can attend Apple’s keynote.
How to watch Apple’s ‘It’s Glowtime’ event
Apple’s Fall Keynote Takes Place Monday September 9thbee 10:00 am PT (1:00pm ET, 6:00pm BST, 3:00am AEST). You can watch via livestream at Apple’s websiteor on YouTube. You can also watch via the Apple TV app.
Expect iPhones packed with AI — and maybe better cameras
Apple spent much of its June WWDC keynote talking about Apple Intelligence, its suite of AI features that include capabilities like a smarter Siri, AI-powered writing tools, and ChatGPT integration. The company noted that Apple Intelligence will appear on iPhone 15 Pro models, and it’s likely that the iPhone 16 lineup will be the first to ship out of the box with the new AI features built in.
Hand in hand with that anticipated announcement is the long-awaited public rollout of iOS 18, which Apple also introduced in June. The new operating system brings features like customizable Home and lock screens, an updated Control Center, and RCS messaging, which should make texting friends with Android phones a little smoother.
The invite to Apple’s September 9 event suggests that software, and specifically AI, could be a major focus during the keynote, even with the expected release of new gadgets. The range of overlapping colors on the Apple logo and the “Glowtime” branding could be a reference to the Siri upgrade arriving with iOS 18, which activates a glowing border around your device when summoned.
Still, the company is also expected to shed light on the iPhone’s hardware developments, particularly related to its cameras. Rumors suggest that the iPhone 16 lineup could feature larger image sensors and a new physical camera button, which would sit alongside the Action button that debuted on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max last year. It will reportedly recognize swipe gestures, allowing you to swipe right or left to zoom in or out.
Analyst Ming Chi Kuo Also suggests that the base iPhone 16 Pro will have a 5x optical zoom lens, meaning you’ll no longer have to opt for the more expensive Pro Max to get that capability. Another noted analyst, Jeff Pu, says that the ultra-wide cameras on both the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max could receive a significant boost from 12 megapixels to 48 megapixels.
When it comes to the base models of the iPhone, the 16 and 16 Plus could feature cameras that are stacked vertically instead of horizontally. This would allow the devices to more easily shoot spatial video, which uses information from both cameras to create a 3D-like effect. Spatial videos look like standard 2D video when viewed on an iPhone, but are designed to have a 3D effect when viewed on Apple’s Vision Pro headset.
Some iPhone models could also have thinner bezels, and therefore larger displays — though it’s not clear which ones. In terms of processors, all four iPhone 16 models could get Apple’s next-generation chipset with the A18 branding, with Pro versions sporting a more powerful A18 Bionic Pro and base models getting a regular A18.
Apple Watch Series 10 — or X?
It’s been roughly seven years since Apple surprised everyone with its unique naming convention for the iPhone X (skipping the iPhone “9” altogether in favor of a title that would commemorate the device’s 10th anniversary). And now the company is poised to follow in that tradition by potentially calling the 10th-generation of its Watch series the Apple Watch 10 or X (for the purposes of this article, we’ll choose X).
The smartwatch could come with a thinner design, as well as larger display size options; the 41mm iteration could increase to 45mm, while the current 45mm option could jump to 49mm. The Apple Watch X could also pack new health capabilities, including blood pressure monitoring and a system for detecting sleep apnea by measuring a person’s sleep and breathing habits. It could also feature a new mechanism for magnetically attaching straps to the watch face.
Check this out: Apple Watch X hype is hot, but don’t pass up Series 9
New AirPods: Two is better than one
It’s possible that Apple will unveil a new version of the Apple TV two new AirPods models during the fall event, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Both will reportedly feature new designs, including shorter stems and support for USB-C charging. A higher-end version could include Active Noise Cancellation, meaning you won’t have to buy the more expensive AirPods Pro to take advantage of that feature.
Apple watchers are also expecting an update to the AirPods Max, which debuted nearly four years ago. However, it’s unclear whether we’ll see these improvements during Apple’s fall event. If we do, it’s possible the over-ear headphones will get more modest updates, such as support for USB-C charging and new colors.
On September 9, we will see to what extent these rumors come true.
