Apple event unveils iPhone 16 as it jumps into AI race

Apple has unveiled its newest iPhone lineup, built for new artificial intelligence (AI) software as the tech giant attempts to stay on the cutting edge of the rapidly changing technology.

Apple CEO Tim Cook, joined by various developers for the company’s annual hardware event on Monday, announced the iPhone 16, stating the model was built “from the ground up” for Apple’s native AI software, “Apple Intelligence.”

The company’s leap into AI, along with the launch of iOS 18, will offer a wide range of new features for iPhones, including ushering in a “new era” for its AI voice assist Siri, said Apple senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi. Users will be able to prompt Siri with text, ask questions even if they stumble over words and request specific details from text conversations. Apple said this will allow for more natural, personalized conversations.

“Apple Intelligence marks the start of a new era for Siri and makes it more natural, more contextually relevant and more personal to you with richer language understanding,” Federighi said.

The generative emoji feature, announced in June, was also highlighted in what’s expected to be a popular feature. This will let users customize emojis by typing in a few words, Federighi said.

iPhone 16 updates

The iPhone 16s will come with Apple Intelligence, while the iPhone Pro and iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will be able to download it for free in a beta software update next month, Federighi added.

The updated phone models also feature a new camera control option using “visual intelligence,” allowing users to easily find information about things around them. Using the example of a person walking by a new restaurant, the company said users can point the phone at the restaurant and instantly get its hours, ratings and more. This feature would be available “later this year.”

In addition to knowledge from Apple’s own features, users will be able to directly connect with OpenAI’s ChatGPT for free as part of the companies’ partnership, announced earlier this year. If a user asks Siri a question, the voice assistant may direct users to ChatGPT for an answer.

ChatGPT can also be used within Apple products to assist users with writing or other uses of the generative AI tool, according to the company.

The physical iPhone models are made of aerospace-grade aluminum and feature customizable action buttons, Apple said. It will come in two sizes, 6.1 inches for iPhone 16 and 6.7 inches for iPhone 16 Plus.

The iPhone 16 starts at $799 and the iPhone 16 Plus starts at $899, both of which will be available to order on Monday and launch on Sept. 20. The iPhone 16 Pro models start at $999 and will be available to order Friday.

Updated AirPods models

Apple also unveiled its new AirPods base model, calling them the “most comfortable” model yet. The AirPods 4, and an upgraded version with active noise cancellation, include features already included on Apple’s more expensive Pro models, including the noise cancellation and “transparency mode” which gives users a “natural way to hear the environment exactly as it sounds.”  

The new AirPods Pro model will have a clinical grade hearing test and professional grade hearing aid, the company announced. Apple said it expects to receive clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulators soon, and the feature will be available in more than 100 countries and regions this month.

“After you take a hearing test, your AirPods Pro are transformed into a personalized hearing aid, hosting the specific sounds you need in real time,” Apple’s Vice President of Health Sumbul Ahmad Desai said.

The AirPods 4 will cost $129 and AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation will run $179. These models and the AirPods Pro 2 — which run for $249 — can be pre-ordered starting Monday and will launch in stores on Sept. 20.

Apple’s AirPods Max will now come in a variety of colors and use a USB-C charger. They cost $545.

The Apple Series 10 watch

The new Apple Series 10 watch offers the device’s largest display, at 30 percent larger than other Apple Watches, while also being the company’s thinnest model yet.

In a major development, the newest series can alert users if it detects the possibility of sleep apnea. It uses an accelerator to monitor “breathing distances” while users are sleeping. This feature is also awaiting FDA and other regulatory clearances but is expected to be available in over 150 countries and regions this month, the company said.

The Series 10 watch will start at $399. It is now available for preorder and will launch Sept. 20.