These 5 announcements were the highlight of Apple’s iPhone 16 keynote

Apple’s iPhone 16 event has just concluded, and the tech giant pulled out all the stops when it came to major announcements. The keynote, marketed under the tagline “It’s Glowtime,” revealed a number of key generational updates to the iPhone and its ecosystem of accessories.

Here are the five biggest announcements from Apple’s iPhone 16 event, covering everything from hardware to software updates and, of course, AI. September 20 is the launch date to look forward to, with a few more features just a little further down the line.

1 The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are now official

Thankfully, we have some novel colors to look forward to this year

As expected, Apple’s next-generation iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models were formally unveiled at the company’s big event. Both models retain the same form factor, 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch display sizes, and 128GB of base storage when compared to last year’s phones.

Apple iPhone 16

This year’s iPhone 16 line blurs the line between the “Pro” and the base-level iPhone by offering a new camera button and the Action Button, alongside the A18 chip.

Notable upgrades include a tougher second generation Ceramic Shield cover glass, the new A18 processor, native Apple Intelligence capabilities, and the Action Button which was once exclusive to Pro model iPhones.

The pricing structure remains consistent compared to last year, with the iPhone 16 starting at $799 and the iPhone 16 Pro starting at $899. Thankfully, this year’s color choices are a lot more compelling than last year’s washed-out offerings. The new colors include ultramarine, teal, and pink options that each pop with some much-needed personality. Both models are available now for pre-order, with a launch date of September 20.

2 The pro-level iPhone 16 phones pack a serious punch

Larger screen sizes and a more capable chip are both present and accounted for

Apple

It wouldn’t be an iPhone event without the introduction of new Pro models, and this year we’re greeted with the new iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The new Pro devices retain the same pricing as last year, which puts them at a starting price of $999 and $1199 for the Pro and the Pro Max, respectively.

Apple iPhone 16 Pro

Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro line features a few notable upgrades over last year’s iPhone 15 Pro, including a dedicated camera button, a new A18 Pro chip, a bigger screen, and several AI-powered Apple Intelligence features.

The powerful new A18 Pro chip is at the center of the new iPhone Pro models, and Apple says the new processor is built from the ground up to supercharge its Apple Intelligence capabilities. It’s built using a second-generation 2nm process, and supports 35 trillion operations per second (TOPS).

3 The rumors of a dedicated camera button were proven accurate

Apple is bringing this new hardware button to all its iPhone 16 models

Apple

The most significant outward-facing hardware change across the iPhone 16 series is the introduction of a new Camera Control button on the side of each of the handsets. The new button emulates the dedicated shutter experience you’d normally find on a digital point-and-shoot camera.

The button itself is flush to the surface of the device, with a sapphire crystal top cover and a stainless steel outer trim. The button responds to both light and forceful presses and taps into Apple’s Taptic Engine to provide haptic feedback. The capacitive property of the button makes it so that you can scroll along its surface to cycle through camera menu options, or easily zoom in on your film subject.

The new Camera Control button appears to go hand-in-hand with Apple’s new Visual Intelligence AI feature, which lets you take snapshots of the world around you while receiving relevant context. Essentially, this is the company’s answer to Google Lens. Unfortunately, it looks like we won’t be able to test out this feature at launch, with Apple citing a launch date of “later this year.”

4 Apple surprise updates the Apple Watch with a redesign

The Watch Series 10 is debuting with a thinner and lighter chassis

Apple 

Apple spent a good chunk of its keynote talking up its brand-new Apple Watch Series 10, which arrives in a body that’s physically thinner and lighter than the previous generation Watch. In particular, the new Watch is 10 percent thinner in profile and weighs up to 10 percent less. The new wide-angle OLED display is 40 percent brighter when viewed at an angle, according to the company, and the Series 10 charges the fastest of any Apple Watch to date — an 80 percent battery fill up in around 30 minutes.

A new iPhone 7-inspired Jet Black finish was also unveiled, as was a new grade 5 titanium build material. The Watch Series 10 starts at $399 and launches on September 20.

Apple also took a moment to announce a new Satin Black color option for the Watch Ultra 2, as well as a new titanium loop band. The new Watch Ultra starts at the same $799 starting price as before, and is also available for purchase as of September 20.

Apple Watch Series 10

The Series 10 is Apple’s thinnest Apple Watch yet. It also features the company’s largest smartwatch screen to date, allowing the device to display more text and a bigger keyboard for typing. Battery life still comes in at the 18-hour mark, though the device can charge faster than its predecessors.      

5 AirPods 4th gen are finally arriving, and with two distinct offerings

USB-C is finally making its way into the rest of the AirPods lineup

Apple

After a long wait, Apple is finally revitalizing its base-level AirPods offering. The new AirPods 3 come in two separate editions for the first time — a $129 standard model and a more expensive $179 edition that comes with Active Noise Cancelation (ANC).

Regardless of which model you spring for, you’ll be getting an updated charging case with USB-C and wireless charging support, the same pressure-sensitive stem button first seen on the AirPods Pro, and improved sound quality thanks to the all-new H2 chip and an improved acoustic architecture. The case doesn’t feature a touchscreen as some rumors speculated, but it’s not necessarily something to miss.

The AirPods Max also received a small update at this event, in the form of new colorways: These include Midnight Blue, Purple, Orange, and Starlight editions. More importantly, the antiquated Lightning connector has been dropped in favor of USB-C for more convenient charging.

Apple AirPods (4th Generation)